NCAA tournament picks: IU basketball gets mixed reviews heading into March Madness
The Indiana Hoosiers are a No. 4 seed in the Midwest Region and open their 2023 NCAA tournament run at 9:55 p.m. ET Friday on TBS against No. 13 Kent State in Albany, N.Y.
IU (22-11) reached the Big Ten tournament semifinals behind All-American Trayce Jackson-Davis and conference Freshman of the Year Jalen Hood-Schifino.
What can Hoosiers fans expect in coach Mike Woodson's second trip through March Madness? Here are some predictions. FiveThirtyEight gives IU a 1% chance of winning the whole thing.
March Madness:A closer look at IU basketball's Midwest region pod, possible opponents
State of hoops:5 Indiana programs make the NCAA tournaments
Ryan Fagan, Sporting News: IU makes the Elite 8
Speaking of that Sweet 16 … which Indiana squad are we going to see? If it’s the version where Jalen Hood-Schifino and Trayce Jackson-Davis are both playing like the best player on the team — it’s happened a lot lately — this is an IU team that could make a deep run. The opportunity is there. If that’s not happening, though? Kent State could be tough.
John Fanta, Fox Sports: IU should be wary of Kent State
Indiana drew MAC champion Kent State, and the Hoosiers should be on high alert for that one. The 28-6 Flashes challenged themselves in non-conference play, coming close to knocking off Gonzaga. Redshirt senior guard Sincere Carry is someone who looks poised to make his mark on March, averaging more than 17 points per game. The Hoosiers need Jalen Hood-Schifino to lead them in the backcourt and step up.
See 'em, print 'em:Women's and men's NCAA tournament brackets
Andy Katz, NCAA.com: IU beats Penn State to reach Final Four
Mike Woodson. Trayce Jackson-Davis. Jalen Hood-Schifino. You know why? They've got multiple pros. They've got a pro coach. Indiana advances.
Matt Norlander, CBS Sports: IU is No. 16 in his tournament rankings
It's taken a minute, but Indiana basketball is fun again. Few teams have a 1-2 duo that's as dependable and ready for the big moment like Trayce Jackson-Davis and Jalen Hood-Schifino. The former has been one of the three best players in college hoops this season, the latter ranks among top-five freshmen. Mike Woodson has gone to two NCAA Tournaments in his first two years, and though IU has some variance to its potential, at least this team has a good seed and has demonstrated plenty over the past two months that it is second-weekend material. Indiana isn't great at one single thing, but it isn't problematic, either. (Except for how it doesn't force enough turnovers, you could argue.) Very much a team that will thrive or thrash based upon matchup.
Bill Bender, Sporting News: IU makes the Sweet 16
Indiana has not been to the Sweet 16 since 2016, so prepare for the bandwagon to fill up when Trayce Jackson-Davis leads a break-through run to the second weekend. Can the Hoosiers make an Elite Eight run? We think they fall just short.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana Hoosiers basketball predictions for NCAA tournament 2023
