IU may need one more win to secure NCAA tourney berth
NEXT FOR IU
Who: Minnesota
When: 2:30 p.m. Friday
Where: Chicago
TV: ESPN
By C.L. Brown
cbrown@courier-journal.com
The Courier-Journal
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Some experts believe the Indiana University men's basketball team has to beat Minnesota in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals to prove its NCAA Tournament worthiness.
IU coach Mike Davis disagrees.
Davis believes the Hoosiers (15-12, 10-6) have done enough to merit an at-large bid regardless of their result against the Gophers. IU, the fourth seed, will face fifth-seeded Minnesota (20-9, 10-6) at 2:30 p.m. Friday in Chicago's United Center.
"Winning 10 (conference) games should be enough," Davis said. "But, hey, we're not the committee, so we don't make those decisions. They've been doing this a long time, a lot longer than I've been doing this. I just hope that they take into consideration our schedule."
Davis is quick to bring up IU's rugged December schedule that included Atlantic Coast Conference champion North Carolina, Southeastern Conference champion Kentucky and Connecticut, which earned a share of the Big East Conference title.
"That's three of the most powerful conferences," said Davis, who also mentioned Oral Roberts, winner of the Mid-Continent Conference, and Charlotte, which finished second in Conference USA.
"How many teams can say they played that type of schedule?" he asked.
By contrast, Alabama and Oklahoma were the only ranked teams the Gophers faced while posting a 10-3 non-conference record.
IU hopes to follow the Georgia precedent. In 2001 the Bulldogs were 16-14 in the regular season and 9-7 in the SEC; Alabama was 21-10 and 8-8. Georgia played a much more competitive non-conference schedule and received the at-large bid. The Tide went to the National Invitation Tournament.
That season Georgia played what was considered the nation's toughest schedule. IU's schedule doesn't rank that strong, but it is finishing the season stronger than Georgia did, which is something the selection committee also takes to heart.
Some analysts think the Big Ten will get only four bids to the NCAA Tournament. Since IU and Minnesota won 10 league games each, and doing so has been a virtual lock for an at-large bid, some have dubbed Friday's meeting as a play-in game for the NCAA. The Hoosiers and Gophers split their regular-season meetings.
"We (Big Ten) deserve to have more teams in the NCAAs than they're giving us credit for," Davis said. "But we can't really worry about it. We just have to take care of our business."
IU athletic director Rick Greenspan also said he believes the Hoosiers are deserving of an at-large bid, but he didn't plan on lobbying their case.
"I really believe you let your attributes speak for themselves," he said. "When it's all said and done, hopefully we won't have to do any lobbying. If we go up to Chicago, play well and win three games, I'll leave the lobbying to somebody else."
The Hoosiers are long on confidence and don't believe their conference tournament appearance will be short. IU has won four of its past five games and concluded the season with its biggest margin of victory -- 77-55 over Northwestern.
During the past five games, IU has shot 49 percent overall and 48 percent from three-point range.
"I wouldn't want to play us right now," IU freshman forward Robert Vaden said. "I feel like we're one of the hottest teams in the Big Ten, maybe in the country."
NEXT FOR IU
Who: Minnesota
When: 2:30 p.m. Friday
Where: Chicago
TV: ESPN
By C.L. Brown
cbrown@courier-journal.com
The Courier-Journal
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Some experts believe the Indiana University men's basketball team has to beat Minnesota in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals to prove its NCAA Tournament worthiness.
IU coach Mike Davis disagrees.
Davis believes the Hoosiers (15-12, 10-6) have done enough to merit an at-large bid regardless of their result against the Gophers. IU, the fourth seed, will face fifth-seeded Minnesota (20-9, 10-6) at 2:30 p.m. Friday in Chicago's United Center.
"Winning 10 (conference) games should be enough," Davis said. "But, hey, we're not the committee, so we don't make those decisions. They've been doing this a long time, a lot longer than I've been doing this. I just hope that they take into consideration our schedule."
Davis is quick to bring up IU's rugged December schedule that included Atlantic Coast Conference champion North Carolina, Southeastern Conference champion Kentucky and Connecticut, which earned a share of the Big East Conference title.
"That's three of the most powerful conferences," said Davis, who also mentioned Oral Roberts, winner of the Mid-Continent Conference, and Charlotte, which finished second in Conference USA.
"How many teams can say they played that type of schedule?" he asked.
By contrast, Alabama and Oklahoma were the only ranked teams the Gophers faced while posting a 10-3 non-conference record.
IU hopes to follow the Georgia precedent. In 2001 the Bulldogs were 16-14 in the regular season and 9-7 in the SEC; Alabama was 21-10 and 8-8. Georgia played a much more competitive non-conference schedule and received the at-large bid. The Tide went to the National Invitation Tournament.
That season Georgia played what was considered the nation's toughest schedule. IU's schedule doesn't rank that strong, but it is finishing the season stronger than Georgia did, which is something the selection committee also takes to heart.
Some analysts think the Big Ten will get only four bids to the NCAA Tournament. Since IU and Minnesota won 10 league games each, and doing so has been a virtual lock for an at-large bid, some have dubbed Friday's meeting as a play-in game for the NCAA. The Hoosiers and Gophers split their regular-season meetings.
"We (Big Ten) deserve to have more teams in the NCAAs than they're giving us credit for," Davis said. "But we can't really worry about it. We just have to take care of our business."
IU athletic director Rick Greenspan also said he believes the Hoosiers are deserving of an at-large bid, but he didn't plan on lobbying their case.
"I really believe you let your attributes speak for themselves," he said. "When it's all said and done, hopefully we won't have to do any lobbying. If we go up to Chicago, play well and win three games, I'll leave the lobbying to somebody else."
The Hoosiers are long on confidence and don't believe their conference tournament appearance will be short. IU has won four of its past five games and concluded the season with its biggest margin of victory -- 77-55 over Northwestern.
During the past five games, IU has shot 49 percent overall and 48 percent from three-point range.
"I wouldn't want to play us right now," IU freshman forward Robert Vaden said. "I feel like we're one of the hottest teams in the Big Ten, maybe in the country."
