Indiana Approaches South Carolina With Rare Underdog Mentality

Indiana has been the underdog just four times this season, and Friday's point spread against No. 1 overall seed South Carolina is by far the biggest yet. The Hoosiers are approaching this game with a mentality that there's no pressure and they have nothing to lose.

Indiana is in the Sweet 16 for the third time in four seasons, but it’s uncharted territory in a certain sense.

Indiana was the underdog in just four games this season: at Stanford, at Ohio State and both games against Iowa, and all three teams received No. 1 or No. 2 seeds in the NCAA Tournament. In each of those games, Indiana’s opponent was favored by just 3.5 or 4.5 points.

But heading into Friday’s 5 p.m. EDT matchup against undefeated No. 1 overall seed South Carolina at MVP Arena in Albany, N.Y., the Hoosiers are 15.5-point underdogs. 

“As I said to our kids, I think, yes, we're the underdog, but I think everybody else except for South Carolina right now is the underdog because of their perfect record,” Indiana coach Teri Moren said Thursday. “I don't know that anybody believes that South Carolina can be beat. You can certainly use that. Like I said, our kids, as I mentioned earlier, they read. They know that we are not expected, perhaps, to win this game. But does it fuel them? I hope it does. I hope it motivates them.” 

“I do think there is an aspect of that that you can use to your advantage. You're playing with house money. You have nothing to lose. I just want our kids to come in and play loose and together, which they have throughout the season, and again, just put forward our best effort because we know it's going to take a great effort.”

Despite Indiana’s 26-5 record, it isn’t a surprise the Hoosiers are big underdogs. The Gamecocks routinely beat teams by 20-plus points this year and even won nine games by 40 or more, including their first two NCAA Tournament games. 

Coach Dawn Staley’s team has won two national championships and made five Final Four runs since 2015. According to the FanDuel Sportsbook, South Carolina is the heavy favorite to win another national championship at minus-165 odds. Iowa has the next best odds at plus-750.

Indiana was on a mission to avenge a Round of 32 upset loss to Miami last year, when the Hoosiers lost on their home court as a No. 1 seed. Another early exit this year would have been devastating, especially for a team graduating leading scorers Mackenzie Holmes and Sara Scalia this year. 

By defeating No. 5 seed Oklahoma 75-68 on Monday, Indiana eased some of the pain left behind from last season.

“It’s bothered us,” Indiana coach Teri Moren said Monday of the Miami loss. “It really has. If that gave them some extra motivation, very well could have. I selfishly wanted Mack [Holmes] and Sara [Scalia] and Arielle [Wisne] to win their last game in the Hall. To be able to do it for a trip to the Sweet 16 makes it even sweeter.”

So with that burden lifted off the Hoosiers’ shoulders, they approach the rest of the NCAA Tournament with a different mentality.

“We really don't feel any pressure at all,” Indiana senior point guard Chloe Moore-McNeil said Thursday in Albany, N.Y. “We know everybody expects South Carolina to win. They're a great team, and obviously they're undefeated. But it's March Madness, so you kind of have to throw all those things out of the window and just focus on yourself and winning.”

Asked whether she feels less pressure because Indiana is the underdog or more pressure because of how much she wants to win, Moren said it’s a mix of both.

“Right now, we're just so grateful to be in this position,” Moren said. “I always think there's something good with pressure. I think we’re all athletes, we're all competitors, we want to win the game as much as South Carolina. We know it's going to be a tall task because they're so terrific and so not just well-balanced but they really have 10 starters, the way I look at it, when we're preparing for them.” 

“But I think you've got to make sure that you can separate the pressure from also – I want our kids to enjoy this, as well. I want them to play with not just enjoyment but joy, and they realize it. These kids aren't – they know how good South Carolina is. We feel like we've been tested throughout the season, and our charge is just to come in here and put our best foot forward and play as well as we can.”