Update (10:55 p.m.): Despite trailing by double figures in the second half, Louisville rallied to beat Syracuse and claim the Big East tournament championship. The Cardinals have now won 10 consecutive games.

Suddenly, Selection Sunday becomes very interesting for Indiana because, as mentioned below, Louisville could threaten the Hoosiers for the top seed in the Midwest region. Both teams’ resumes are updated below, and they are certainly very close.

Even with Louisville’s win, CBS bracketologist Jerry Palm still had Indiana has the top overall seed in the tournament, as did CBS’ Seth Davis. ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi moved Louisville to the top overall seed.

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CHICAGO — Indiana isn’t on the bubble. That’s the good news for Hoosier fans. But Indiana’s 68-56 loss to Wisconsin in Saturday’s Big Ten Tournament semifinal might impact what region the Hoosiers end up in when the bracket is revealed Sunday night at 6 p.m. on CBS.

Had the Hoosiers beaten the Badgers, they likely would have locked up the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament, and more importantly, the coveted Indianapolis Midwest regional. But after losing a 12th straight game to Bo Ryan and the Badgers, the Hoosiers could get shipped elsewhere.

While Indiana (27-6) will still end up with a No. 1 seed, the Hoosiers could be placed in the East region (Washington D.C.) or South region (Dallas), depending on what happens in other games around the country.

ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi still had Indiana in the Midwest region as of Saturday afternoon, but he has Gonzaga as the top overall seed and Louisville as the second 1-seed. If Louisville beats Syracuse in tonight’s Big East championship game, Lunardi will give the Cardinals the top overall seed.

At this point, Louisville is the only team that could knock Indiana out of the Midwest, so let’s compare the two teams’ resumes.

Indiana

· Record: 27-6 (14-4 Big Ten)
· RPI: 5
· SOS: 11
· Home Record: 17-2
· Away Record: 7-2
· Neutral Court Record: 3-2
· vs. RPI Top 1-25: 7-2
· vs. RPI Top 26-50: 2-4
· vs. RPI Top 51-100: 3-0

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Only four days remain until Selection Sunday and with a win at Michigan and an outright Big Ten championship, Indiana appears to be a lock for No. 1 seed. Our final edition of March Watch brings you the latest numbers behind IU’s nitty gritty profile and also a look at possible matchups for the Hoosiers in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament.

Overview

The Hoosiers have played once since our last update, winning a road game against Michigan and completing a regular season sweep of the Wolverines. With a Big Ten regular season championship that included road wins over Michigan, Michigan State and Ohio State, the Hoosiers boast arguably the most impressive resume of any team in the country. In the latest s-curve of ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi, Indiana is No. 2 behind Duke. ($)

Nitty Gritty Profile

· Record: 26-5 (14-4 Big Ten)
· RPI: 5
· SOS: 11
· Home Record: 17-2
· Away Record: 7-2
· Neutral Court Record: 2-1
· vs. RPI Top 50: 8-5
· vs. RPI Top 51-100: 3-0

Indiana’s RPI rose five spots since our last update and its strength of schedule figure jumped up three spots.

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Only nine days remain until Selection Sunday and with losses in two of its last three games, Indiana has an important stretch on the horizon if it hopes to open NCAA Tournament play as a No. 1 seed. The Hoosiers have already clinched a Big Ten regular season championship and can win it outright with a win on Sunday at Michigan. With just one regular season game and the Big Ten Tournament to go before March Madness commences, it’s time for another edition of March Watch, a look at where Indiana stands in terms of the NCAA Tournament.

Overview

The Hoosiers have played twice since our last update, splitting a pair of home games with Iowa and Ohio State and already own a share of the regular season Big Ten championship. The loss to the Buckeyes dropped Indiana from the top spot in the s-curve of ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi.

Nitty Gritty Profile

· Record: 25-5 (13-4 Big Ten)
· RPI: 10
· SOS: 14
· Home Record: 17-2
· Away Record: 6-2
· Neutral Court Record: 2-1
· vs. RPI Top 50: 7-5
· vs. RPI Top 51-100: 3-0

Indiana’s RPI dropped two spots since our last update and its strength of schedule figure rose seven spots.

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We’re down to 16 days remaining until Selection Sunday and despite a loss earlier this week at Minnesota, Indiana continues to hold its position from a seeding perspective for this year’s tournament. The Hoosiers can clinch the outright Big Ten regular season championship with three more conference wins, which could lock up the top spot in the Midwest regional that will be played at Lucas Oil Stadium. With just three regular season games to go, it’s time for another edition of March Watch, a look at where Indiana stands in terms of the NCAA Tournament.

Overview

The Hoosiers have only played once since our last update and despite dropping a 77-73 decision at Minnesota, they still boast one of the strongest overall profiles in the country. In the most recent update, Indiana is No. 1 on the s-curve of ESPN.com bracketologist Joe Lunardi ($).

Nitty Gritty Profile

· Record: 24-4 (12-2 Big Ten)
· RPI: 8
· SOS: 21
· Home Record: 16-1
· Away Record: 6-2
· Neutral Court Record: 2-1
· vs. RPI Top 50: 7-4
· vs. RPI Top 51-100: 2-0

Indiana’s RPI dropped one spot since our last update and its strength of schedule figure rose four spots.

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Only 24 days remain until Selection Sunday and Indiana continues to strengthen its position from a seed perspective for this year’s tournament. The Hoosiers can clinch the outright Big Ten regular season championship with three more conference wins, which could lock up the top spot in the Midwest regional that will be played at Lucas Oil Stadium. As we wind down the regular season schedule, it’s time for another edition of March Watch, a look at where Indiana stands in terms of the NCAA Tournament.

Overview

The Hoosiers had two wins since our last update that really didn’t do much to bolster their overall profile in Nebraska and Purdue. But Tuesday night’s win at Michigan State was one of the most impressive in college basketball this season and solidified the Hoosiers on the top of the heap on ESPN.com bracketologist Joe Lunardi’s s-curve ($).

Nitty Gritty Profile

· Record: 24-3 (12-2 Big Ten)
· RPI: 7
· SOS: 25
· Home Record: 16-1
· Away Record: 6-1
· Neutral Court Record: 2-1
· vs. RPI Top 50: 7-3
· vs. RPI Top 51-100: 2-0

Indiana’s RPI rose four spots since our last update and its strength of schedule figure dropped just one spot.

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With just 32 days remaining until Selection Sunday, it’s becoming peak season for bracketologists everywhere. Regular season conference champions will be determined over the next few weeks and teams will begin to either solidify their positions or fall out of favor with the selection committee. With that in mind, it’s time for another edition of March Watch, a look at where Indiana stands in terms of the NCAA Tournament.

Overview

Since our last update, Indiana dropped a game at Illinois, but bounced back with an impressive 13-point win at Ohio State. That win was enough to move the Hoosiers into the top spot on ESPN.com bracketologist Joe Lunardi’s s-curve ($) because teams like Florida and Michigan also lost last week.

Nitty Gritty Profile

· Record: 21-3 (9-2 Big Ten)
· RPI: 11
· SOS: 24
· Home Record: 14-1
· Away Record: 5-1
· Neutral Court Record: 2-1
· vs. RPI Top 50: 6-3
· vs. RPI Top 51-100: 2-0

Indiana’s RPI and strength of schedule both held in the same positon from our last update. As noted in previous updates, the overall RPI number for Indiana is still lower than what you might expect because 13 of IU’s 21 wins are over teams outside of the RPI top 100.

Bracket Projections

· ESPN Bracketology (Joe Lunardi): 1 seed (Midwest) vs. Southern/Bryant in Dayton
· CBS Sports (Jerry Palm): 1 seed (East) vs. Play-in game winner in Dayton
· Sports Illustrated (Andy Glockner): 1 seed (Midwest) vs. NC Central/Bryant in Lexington

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We’re now just 40 days away from Selection Sunday and the Hoosiers are sitting atop the Big Ten standings with nine conference games remaining. With that in mind, it’s time for another edition of March Watch, a look at where Indiana stands in terms of the NCAA Tournament.

Overview

Since our last update, Indiana has been on the rise, compiling a 4-0 record with wins over Penn State, Michigan State, Purdue and Michigan. As a result, the Hoosiers currently sit at No. 2 on ESPN.com bracketologist Joe Lunardi’s s-curve, trailing only Florida.

Nitty Gritty Profile

· Record: 20-2 (8-1 Big Ten)
· RPI: 11
· SOS: 24
· Home Record: 14-1
· Away Record: 4-0
· Neutral Court Record: 2-1
· vs. RPI Top 50: 5-2
· vs. RPI Top 51-100: 3-0

Despite meetings with Michigan and Michigan State, IU’s strength of schedule actually fell three spots since our last update. The reason: Two of their games came against Purdue (RPI: 136) and Penn State (RPI: 180). The overall RPI number for Indiana is still lower than what you might expect because 12 of IU’s 20 wins are over teams outside of the RPI top 100.

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