Indiana Moves Up NCAA Tournament Projections, NET Rankings After UCLA Win

What a difference a week can make.

Indiana entered Tuesday's game against Purdue with zero Quad 1 wins. But by the end of Saturday's double-overtime nail-biter at UCLA, the Hoosiers had two. They knocked off their 12th-ranked in-state rival 72-67, and then gutted out a 98-97 victory to end UCLA's 14-game home winning streak.

That marked a pivotal moment in coach Darian DeVries' first season. At the midway point of Big Ten play, Hoosiers claimed their two biggest wins of the season in back-to-back games when things could have become unsalvageable with a pair of losses. Now at 15-7 overall and 6-5 in conference play, they can see a path to the NCAA Tournament clearer than any other point this season.

Indiana's NCAA Tournament chances increase after UCLA win

Darian DeVries Indiana Basketball — Indiana Hoosiers coach Darian DeVries against the UCLA Bruins at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial. | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

On Friday morning, Indiana was the last four teams in Joe Lunardi's NCAA Tournament projection, meaning the Hoosiers would play in the First Four in Dayton.

But after defeating UCLA, Indiana moved up a tier into one of the "last four byes," avoiding a First Four game. Saturday's game could be a meaningful head-to-head result down the road, with UCLA listed among the last four byes.

The Hoosiers got some help, too, as fellow bubble team Ohio State lost 92-82 at Wisconsin and San Diego State lost 71-66 at Utah State. Virginia Tech also lost by 14 points at home to No. 4 Duke, keeping the Hokies among Lunardi's first four out.

Indiana moves up NET rankings

Lamar Wilkerson Indiana Basketbal — Indiana Hoosiers guard Lamar Wilkerson (3) celebrates against the Purdue Boilermakers during the first half at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. | Robert Goddin-Imagn Images

The Hoosiers climbed from No. 32 to No. 29 in the NET rankings following their win over UCLA. That puts them seventh among Big Ten teams and creates some breathing room ahead of No. 40 Ohio State.

Iowa is the first Big Ten team ahead of Indiana at No. 22 and beat the Hoosiers at Assembly Hall. It's shaping up to be a great year for the conference, as Michigan State, Purdue, Illinois, Nebraska and Michigan are all ranked top-11 in the NET and have at least six Quad 1 wins.

Somewhat surprisingly, Indiana moved down in the KenPom rankings from No. 31 on Friday to No. 33 as of Sunday morning. However, the Hoosiers' offensive efficiency remained at No. 28, while their defensive efficiency rose from No. 51 to No. 47. Winning at UCLA also bumped Indiana's strength of schedule from No. 52 to No. 46.

What's next for the Hoosiers?

Sam Alexis Indiana Basketball — Indiana Hoosiers forward Sam Alexis (4) drives against UCLA at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial. | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Indiana stays out West for a matchup at USC Tuesday at 10 p.m. ET on Peacock. With USC ranked No. 50 in the NET, it's another opportunity for Indiana to pick up a Quad 1 win.

In their second season under coach Eric Musselman, the Trojans are 16-6 overall and 5-6 in Big Ten play. They're coming off a 78-75 home win over Rutgers on Saturday, but lost three of the previous four games against Purdue, Northwestern and Iowa.

Including USC, all four of Indiana's remaining road games are Quad 1 opportunities, though that could change if there's significant movement in the rankings. That stretch includes trips to Illinois, Purdue and Ohio State. The Hoosiers only have one more chance to pick up a Quad 1 win at home, when Michigan State comes to Assembly Hall on March 1.

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