
Here’s everything you need to know about Indiana’s first NCAA tournament game in six years.
Members of the Indiana men’s basketball program and its fans had to sweat it out on Selection Sunday, but the Hoosiers (20-13, 9-11 Big Ten) are dancing for the first time in six years, as they earned a No. 12 seed as one of the final at-large selections for the 2022 NCAA Tournament, putting them in the First Four in Dayton, Ohio, against Wyoming (25-8, 13-5 Mountain West).
Here’s everything you need to know about the game.
Indiana vs. Wyoming: Date, tip time, TV channel
No. 12 seeds Indiana and Wyoming will face off on Tuesday, March 15 at 9:10 p.m. ET on truTV.
Opponent outlook
Thanks to a 21-3 start to the season, Wyoming has long been in contention for an NCAA tournament berth, thanks to the third-most efficient offense in Mountain West Conference play and the 54th-most efficient unit nationally. The Cowboys have notable size, especially for a Mountain West program, as 6-foot-7 point guard Hunter Maldonado, who averages 18.4 points per game, provides an intriguing contrast to Indiana’s fiery Xavier Johnson, 6-foot-3. Wyoming’s average height, adjusted for minutes played, is nearly 6-foot-7, which ranks ninth nationally.
Sophomore Graham Ike, who’s listed at 6-foot-9 and 252 pounds and averages 19.6 points and 9.6 rebounds per game, is a frequent recipient of post touches.
In terms of the four factors — offensive and defensive effective field goal percentage, turnover percentage, rebounding percentage and free throw rate — Wyoming is not only above average in most, but often ranking in or around the top 50 nationally, according to kenpom.com.
The Cowboys don’t force a high percentage of turnovers (15.8 percent, or 316th nationally), but they’re 24th in assist rate allowed and opponents shoot just 30.3 percent from deep against them.
Series history
Indiana and Wyoming have met on the hardwood just three times and the Hoosiers have won all three, but the schools haven’t met since December 1999, when Indiana won 99-80 in Bloomington.
Game predictions
Indiana is projected as a slight favorite, according to kenpom.com, which projects the Hoosiers to win 67-66, with a 54-percent chance of victory. ESPN’s BPI is more bullish on Indiana, giving the Hoosiers an 80.1-percent chance of winning.
The winner will face No. 5 seed Saint Mary’s in Portland, Ore., on Thursday, March 17 at 7:20 p.m. ET on CBS.