Another chance to secure a bid
Indiana men’s basketball opens Big Ten Tournament play Thursday with a rematch against an Oregon Ducks team that beat them earlier this month.
The Hoosiers had a shot at getting the win in Eugene, but came up just short, losing their lead in the final two minutes before the Ducks put it away with free throws. The nine point loss was Indiana’s only loss since losing at home to UCLA on Valentine’s Day.
Mike Woodson has won a game in the Big Ten Tournament in each of his first three seasons at Indiana, a streak he will look to extend on his way out as Indiana’s head coach.
Here are three things to know about the matchup:
The Stakes
Beating Ohio State helped keep Indiana’s perfect record in non-Quad One games intact, but it did not stamp the Hoosiers’ ticket to the NCAA Tournament.
As of now, Indiana is the second to last 11 seed, per Bracket Matrix. Bart Torvik has Indiana’s chances of making the tournament at 55.8%, which is an improvement over recent weeks, but not as safe as the Hoosiers would like to be.
The biggest knock against Indiana’s resume is the lack of Quad One wins. The Hoosiers are 4-12 in Quad One games so far this season, but the rematch with Oregon is another chance to improve that.
Indiana may have a shot either way, but it seems like a win over the Ducks would put the Hoosiers solidly on the right side of the bubble making Selection Sunday a little less nervy.
The Matchup
Based on the last game, we know this is an Oregon team Indiana can beat. The refs took it out of Indiana’s hands a bit last game, but there are things the Hoosiers can improve on this time around to better their odds.
However lopsided the officiating was in that first game, Indiana should not count on getting to the line a lot. Oregon has been good at keeping opponents off the charity stripe all year, and it’s not exactly a strength of Indiana’s anyway.
Woodson also might want to test the waters early with Kanaan Carlyle, who performed well at Oregon while Myles Rice struggled off the bench. In a tournament setting, it would be smart to go with a deeper bench anyway, but a strong backcourt performance could make or break Indiana Thursday.
History
As mentioned, Woodson has fared decently well in the Big Ten Tournament, especially for a program that’s struggled in it historically. He earned his first NCAA Tournament bid in his first season with a pair of wins in Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
Now, with (part of) his legacy on the line, Woodson will look to repeat, or at least get one more win. This time, he’ll be bringing a group of seniors with him that also have a lot to play for in Anthony Leal, Trey Galloway, Luke Goode, and Oumar Ballo.
None of these guys are guaranteed another shot at coaching or playing meaningful college basketball again. Expect them to leave it all out the floor.