Bubble Watch Must See TV: Indiana vs. Oregon

As the Big 10 Regular Season begins to wrap up, all eyes turn to Eugene, Oregon for a matchup with huge tournament ramifications. Tonight, the Indiana Hoosiers take on the Oregon Ducks in search of a crucial boost for their March Madness resume.

Indiana, who has already announced they will move on from head coach Mike Woodson at the end of the season, desperately needs this win to increase their postseason chances. As it currently stands, Indiana only has 3 Quad 1 wins under their belt and would love to notch one more to make Selection Sunday a little less stressful. A win against Dana Altman and his Oregon Ducks would add another one to their record, keeping them on pace with other bubble teams. Oklahoma, Ohio St, and Texas - their competition on the bubble - all currently hold a higher number of Quad 1 wins despite Oklahoma and Texas having a lower NET Ranking. The committee often considers quality wins alongside NET ranking, so a win in Eugene could go a long way for Indiana.

Not only does this game have a large impact on Indiana’s NCAA Tournament chances, but it also has ramifications for Indiana’s positioning in the upcoming B10 Tournament. Indiana currently sits at 9th in the conference but a win against Oregon tonight followed by a win at home vs. Ohio St this weekend could catapult the team to 7th and help them avoid a daunting matchup with Tom Izzo and the 1st place Michigan St. Spartans.

While these two teams have yet to meet up this season Indiana enters the game having won three straight and four of their last five with two of those being top 25 wins. Indiana has struggled this season from three ranking 15th in the conference, but have shot far better recently. The Ducks, however, are also riding a hot streak, and have won their last five games with their eyes set on a deep tournament run. Could this game prove to be a trap game for Indiana? We shall see, but it is almost certainly a must win for the Hoosiers.