The Indiana Hoosiers are still being given a chance at making it into the NCAA Tournament.
The Indiana Hoosiers' basketball team is coming off of a disappointing loss to legendary head coach Tom Izzo and the Michigan State Spartans.
In what was a huge game for Indiana's chances of getting into the NCAA Tournament, the Hoosiers simply couldn't pull out a win. When all was said and done, they lost the game by a final score of 77-64.
Now, with just two regular season games remaining, there is no room for error. More than likely, Indiana will need to win its final two games against Minnesota and Ohio State to get into the tournament.
With that being said, the Hoosiers landed some good news about their tournament hopes. ESPN's Joe Lunardi still had Indiana included in his "last four in" category as of March 2.
Should the Hoosiers pull out wins against both the Golden Gophers and Buckeyes to close out the season, they would almost certainly earn a bid into the tournament. That will be easier said than done, but Indiana likely controls its own destiny.
Lamar Wilkerson has been the clear-cut leader for the Hoosiers this season. The senior guard has averaged 21.3 points per game to go along with 3.6 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and a steal in 29 appearances this season. He has also shot the ball well, connecting on 46.4 percent his overall shot attempts and knocking down 37.9 percent of his three-point attempts.
Indiana will need Wilkerson to play at a very high level in its final two games of the year.
Following the conclusion of the regular season, the Hoosiers will have a chance to make some noise in the Big Ten tournament. From a talent perspective, Indiana is more than good enough to be an NCAA Tournament team.
It will be interesting to see what the final two games have in store for the Hoosiers. They will face off against Minnesota on March 4 before rounding out the season against Ohio State on March 7.
The stage has been set for Indiana. As of right now, the Hoosiers are still receiving some tournament love, but they need to handle their business this week.