Why Indiana Is Better Than Joe Lunardi’s Early ESPN 2027 NCAA Tournament Projection

Indiana sits on the NCAA Tournament bubble in early projections, but the Hoosiers may be far better positioned for 2027 than Joe Lunardi suggests.

Feb 20, 2026; West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; Indiana Hoosiers head coach Darian Devries reacts to a call during the first half against the Purdue Boilermakers at Mackey Arena. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images | Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images

For a long time, the bare minimum in Bloomington was the NCAA Tournament.

A Big Dance berth didn’t even mark a “successful” season at Indiana – it was just the baseline. But that’s all past tense. 

Nowadays, the Hoosiers rarely hear their name called on Selection Sunday. Over the past ten seasons, Indiana has reached just two NCAA Tournaments – neither of which saw the Hoosiers advance past the first weekend. 

But with the arrival of head coach Darian DeVries, that was supposed to change. In Year 1, Indiana was a bubble team that ultimately fell short of the NCAA Tournament. But it was the dawn of the DeVries era. It’s impossible to demand anything from an inaugural season. 

Mar 4, 2026; Bloomington, Indiana, USA; Indiana Hoosiers head coach Darian DeVries instructs his team against the Minnesota Golden Gophers during the second half at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images | Robert Goddin-Imagn Images

Heading into Year 2, though, it’s fair to say there is additional pressure on DeVries’ shoulders – especially with the monstrous transfer class he has hauled to Bloomington. In the 2026-27 season, the Hoosiers will have it all: size, talent, and experience. The expected result: a Big Dance appearance. 

And, according to an early prediction from ESPN’s Joe Lunardi, Indiana should get just that. The bracketologist projected the entire 2027 field, and he has the Hoosiers as a No. 7 seed in the Midwest Region. 

Indiana 2027 bracketology from ESPN’s Joe Lunardi: Too high or too low?

With well over ten months standing between us and Selection Sunday, there are too many moving pieces for even the experts to make any hard assertions.

But, with the roster DeVries has constructed, the bar has been set. Yet again in Bloomington, the worst-case scenario should be an NCAA Tournament appearance.

And arguments can be made about where exactly the Hoosiers should wind up landing in the actual Dance. Naturally, though, that’s ultimately determined by the regular season (and Big Ten Tournament) Indiana puts together. 

Why Indiana will be better than a five-seed in the 2027 NCAA Tournament

Winning league games is the primary way to earn five-seed in March. In the 2025-26 season, the Big Ten’s top five finishers all won at least 14 conference games and, in turn, each wound up as a five seed or better in the Dance. 

Fortunately, Indiana has the recipe for Big Ten success this time around. After going 9-11 in league play and finishing No. 10 in conference a year ago, the Hoosiers are poised to put together a turnaround for one primary reason: frontcourt size. 

Between Alabama transfer Aiden Sherrell and SMU transfer Samet Yigitoglu, Indiana won’t have any problems rebounding or protecting the rim – both of which were weaknesses a year ago. 

Toss in an offense led by a star in Notre Dame transfer Markus Burton and DeVries with a season of conference experience under his belt, and there’s no reason the Hoosiers can’t finish near the top of the conference and wrap up a five seed in the NCAA Tournament.

But with this transfer class, ask for even more.