A late-season collapse cost Indiana an NCAA bid, ending their tournament hopes. Despite a strong start, a losing streak slammed the door shut and the Hoosiers are out of the NCAA Tournament before it starts for the third year in a row.
CHICAGO — Indiana lost six of its last seven games and played themselves right out of the NCAA Tournament. That became official on Sunday night, when the bracket for the 2026 event was announced and the Hoosiers weren't in it.
Indiana, which finished the season at 18-14, lost to Northwestern on Wednesday night in the second round of the Big Ten Tournament here at the United Center. That loss likely knocked them out of the field for good. They were the fourth team listed on the selection committee's ''First Four Out'' list.
This is the third straight season that Indiana has failed to make the Big Dance, the first under new coach Darian DeVries after Mike Woodson also fell short two years in a row after making the event in 2022 and 2023.
Indiana has only made the NCAA Tournament twice in 10 years since Tom Crean led the Hoosiers to a Sweet 16 in 2016.
Nine Big Ten teams made the field, with Michigan leading the way with a No. 1 seed in the Midwest. Purdue, Illinois, Michigan State, Nebraska, Wisconsin, UCLA, Ohio State and Iowa all made the field. Only the SEC (10) earned more bids.
A month ago, Indiana was clearly in the field. They beat Wisconsin and Oregon back-to-back at home on Feb. 7 and Feb. 9 and were 17-8 overall and 8-6 in the Big Ten. Bracketologists at the time had them as an 8 or 9 seed.
But from there, the Hoosiers lost five of their last six Big Ten games, getting clobberedf by No. 8 Illinois by 20, No. 7 Purdue by 29 and No. 13 Michigan State by 13. They also lost their season finale at Ohio State by 13.
Losing to highly ranked teams wasn't much of a surprise, of course, but the daggers were the two losses to Northwestern, where Indiana was a big favorite in both games. As it turned out, winning just one of those two would have been enough to reach the NCAA field.
According to multiple reports, Indiana will decline an invitation to the Fox-run Crown Tournament, which takes two Big Ten teams into its eight-team field. That event debuted last year with 16 teams, and was won by Nebraska.. It's not played until April though, as something of counter-programming before the April 4-6 Final Four in Indianapolis.