Griffiths: Hoosiers’ path to Final Four might not go through Indy
By DOUG GRIFFITHS
ISL Assistant Editor
In just a few hours, the 2013 NCAA Tournament field will be revealed and when it is, Indiana may discover that its path to Atlanta and the Final Four will not go through Indianapolis.
The way the Hoosiers have played throughout the whole 2012-13 season has earned them the right to play close to home in the first two weekends of the Big Dance, but with the way Louisville has played the last month of the season, that may push IU to another region.
A few things are working against the Hoosiers being placed in the Midwest Region. They went 3-3 in the their last six. Despite being the No. 1 seed, they fell in the Big Ten Tournament semifinals to a Wisconsin team that swept them this year.
Louisville’s proximity to Indy and the way it finished the season leads you to believe it will get placed in the Midwest Region with the possibility of having to play in Lucas Oil Stadium, around 115 miles away from campus, to get to their second straight Final Four.
It’s hard to argue against Louisville getting a favorable draw.
The 29-5 Cardinals are as hot as any team in college basketball going into the tournament, having won 10 in a row, including the Big East Tournament championship over Syracuse Saturday night. Had it not been for that incredible five overtime loss at Notre Dame, Louisville’s winning streak would be at 14.
The Cardinals don’t have one bad loss on their resume. They’ve fallen to Duke, Syracuse, Villanova, Georgetown and the Fighting Irish, all teams bound for the NCAA Tournament.
Perhaps IU’s entire body of work is second only to Louisville’s. Unfortunately for the Hoosiers, the Cardinals are also a Midwest team so the Selection Committee might indeed put them close to home, and will if they’re the top overall No. 1 seed.
If you believe ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi, Louisville will be the No. 1 seed in the Midwest with the chance to play its regional games in Indianapolis.
Lunardi has IU playing its first games in Dayton before heading to Washington D.C. for the East Region semifinals and finals.
If that’s the scenario that unfolds, IU will have no one to blame but itself. It underachieved down the stretch, going .500 in its last six games and failing to reach the Big Ten Tournament championship game.
With that said, IU did win the regular-season Big Ten championship outright in a conference that was far superior to any other conference in the land and that should stand for something, shouldn’t it?
Take Gonzaga, the nation’s No. 1-ranked team currently, for instance. It lost to Illinois at home earlier this season and the Illini were an eighth seed in the Big Ten Tournament. The Bulldogs’ only other loss came at the buzzer at Butler.
I think Gonzaga is a very good team, one that not only could make the Final Four, but win it all. However, playing in the West Coast Conference doesn’t come close to the grind of the Big Ten week in and week out.
No. 2 Duke didn’t win the ACC regular-season title or its postseason conference tournament. The Blue Devils only lost one game this season with Ryan Kelly in the lineup, but lets be real, the ACC isn’t even close to what it once was.
When you look at IU’s complete body of work, it’s impressive to say the least.
The Hoosiers are 27-6. If they have a “bad” loss it would be at Minnesota, but that’s really reaching considering the Golden Gophers will likely be NCAA Tournament bound. There’s no shame in losing to Wisconsin (twice), Ohio State, Butler and Illinois – all those teams will be dancing.
IU knows it will be one of the four No. 1 seeds, it just may not get the draw Hoosier fans are wishing for.
After his team’s win over Illinois Friday, IU coach Tom Crean said he hoped his team has done enough to earn a No. 1 seed.
“I think one of the bigger things is the way we played on the road and the only home losses that Ohio State, Michigan and Michigan State have are to us,” Crean said. “That says a lot because those three teams can win a national championship and have been considered that way most of the year.”
Crean need not worry. His team is guaranteed to get one of the No. 1 seeds.
Regardless if the Hoosiers get their ideal draw or not, this is an IU team that will be very difficult to beat for a non-Big Ten team to beat on a neutral floor.
Forget Indy. What every IU fan should really wish for when the bracket is unveiled at 6 p.m. on CBS, is that Wisconsin isn’t in its region. Now that would definitely be the ideal draw for the Cream and Crimson.
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