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Bracketology: Indiana and 5 bubble teams who helped their cause this weekend with big upsets

By Mike Phillips

BLOOMINGTON, IN - FEBRUARY 26: Justin Smith #3 of the Indiana Hoosiers dunks the ball against the Wisconsin Badgers at Assembly Hall on February 26, 2019 in Bloomington, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
BLOOMINGTON, IN - FEBRUARY 26: Justin Smith #3 of the Indiana Hoosiers dunks the ball against the Wisconsin Badgers at Assembly Hall on February 26, 2019 in Bloomington, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /
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BLOOMINGTON, IN – MARCH 02: Aaron Henry #11 of the Michigan State Spartans and Aljami Durham #1 of the Indiana Hoosiers scramble for the loose ball during the game at Assembly Hall on March 2, 2019 in Bloomington, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /

College basketball was in chaos last week as upsets reigned supreme, leaving some teams on the bubble with potentially resume altering wins.

The calendar finally hit March this weekend, and the college basketball world responded in the only way it knows how: with utter insanity. Seven top-25 teams lost, with five of them falling to squads that were unranked in the polls.

As a result, the relatively weak bubble saw a ton of movement with teams trying to make pitches to the NCAA’s selection committee about their worthiness for inclusion in the dance. Five teams did particularly meaningful work, and we’ll look at what their wins mean here as well as what they need to do going forward.

Let’s get started with one of the bubbliest teams in America, the Indiana Hoosiers.

5. Indiana Hoosiers

It may be hard to believe, but Indiana was one of the most dominant teams in America in the non-conference season. The Hoosiers scheduled aggressively and were rewarded for it, scoring marquee wins over Marquette and Louisville while racing out to a 12-2 start.

Things fell apart for Indiana after that, which dropped 12 of its next 13 games to fall below .500, with the one win (which came over Michigan State at the Breslin Center) looking like an aberration. Indiana got back to .500 with a win over No. 19 Wisconsin earlier in the week, but they really announced their return to the bubble scene with a shocking win over Michigan State.

The Spartans held a 62-56 lead with 4:15 to go in the second half, but they never scored again as Indiana scored the game’s final seven points to seal the upset. That win gives the Hoosiers a season sweep over the Spartans, a potential top-2 seed in the tournament, which is a massive boost to their resume.

The issue for Indiana is their 14 losses, and only two teams have ever received an at-large bid with 15. Indiana’s final two games of the regular season are potential landmines with a trip to Illinois, which has given the Big Ten’s best fits all season long, and a home game against a Rutgers team that just blew out No. 22 Iowa on the road.

The Hoosiers have to win both and a couple of more in the Big Ten tournament to feel good on Selection Sunday, but they are back on the map after being left for dead a week ago.

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