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Bracketology 2022: Duke, Indiana, and Houston among week’s losers

By Tristan Freeman

Oregon's Jacob Young, left, and De'Vion Harmon celebrate in the closing second of the game against Stanford as fans cheer beyond Feb. 10, 2022.Eug 021022 Uo Stanford 08
Oregon's Jacob Young, left, and De'Vion Harmon celebrate in the closing second of the game against Stanford as fans cheer beyond Feb. 10, 2022.Eug 021022 Uo Stanford 08 /
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Bracketology Michigan State Spartans guard Tyson Walker Indiana Hoosiers Dale Young-USA TODAY Sports
Bracketology Michigan State Spartans guard Tyson Walker Indiana Hoosiers Dale Young-USA TODAY Sports /

Indiana Hoosiers – 16-8 (7-7 in Big Ten)

The Hoosiers’ resume wasn’t in question heading into the week, even after losing by 17 points at home to Illinois. They had a strong strength of schedule, zero Quad 3 or 4 losses overall, and a top-40 NET ranking.

But the issues that now plague Indiana isn’t on paper but rather off the court. Before the game against Northwestern, five players were suspended for the matchup due to program violations and were unavailable, including key rotation players, Xavier Johnson and Parker Stewart. The result was a Quad 1 loss at the Wildcats that night.

The players were back for Saturday’s home game against Michigan State but it proved to not matter, with the Hoosiers falling, by 15 points. That makes it three straight losses for the Hoosiers who are now in the middle of the pack in the Big Ten. But more importantly, concerns are there regarding the state of the team and whether or not they’re mentally ready for the home stretch. The skid could grow as many as five games, with Wisconsin and Ohio State up next.

The good news is that Indiana’s resume should be able to withstand that kind of hit, as their current projected seedline is around 7-9. But another winless week could have them with a double-digit seed range and make the future games even more important. Let’s see if the off-the-court drama is now behind them.

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