Indiana (17-11) (NET: 40)
2-10 (Q1), 2-1 (Q2), 6-0 (Q3), 7-0 (Q4)
The Hoosiers entered a new era with the hiring of Darian DeVries and the hope in Bloomington is that he can turn this program around. Let’s be real, Indiana wasn’t going to suddenly win the Big Ten title right off the bat but they’re at least in these conversations, especially after some tough efforts this season.
Having just two Quad 1 wins isn’t ideal in 12 chances, though they at least got their money’s worth in an upset win over rival Purdue back in late January. The Hoosiers also won on the road at UCLA and got a nice Quad 2 win recently against Wisconsin, but is 4 Quad 1+2 wins really that impressive for a Big Ten team?
Before Tuesday night, Indiana didn’t have a single loss that wasn’t Quad 1, but they were upset by Northwestern as the result of a shoddy performance. Outside of that, the Hoosiers have avoided the pitfalls, though they were blown out by both Illinois and Purdue recently and are riding a 3-game losing streak.
The Hoosiers aren’t playing well at the wrong time of year but have two more Quad 1 chances to get back on track. After losing by 21 points in East Lansing, Indiana gets Michigan State in Bloomington this weekend also head to Ohio State next weekend for another important opportunitiy.
Miami-Florida (22-6) (NET: 34)
3-4 (Q1), 7-1 (Q2), 2-1 (Q3), 10-0 (Q4)
Regardless of how this season ends and unfolds, Jai Lucas has done a remarkable job in his first year down in Coral Gables. The Hurricanes have been right there in the thick of things in the ACC, holding their own during a 15-2 start and staying afloat in a stronger league this season.
During that hot start, the Hurricanes grabbed a Quad 1 win at Wake Forest before some struggles, but have been playing much better again in recent weeks. Miami has won five of their last six, including Quad 1 games against North Carolina and NC State to further bolster an already impressive resume.
The Quad 3 loss was at home against in-state rival Florida State and it was avenged on the road earlier this week. They also fell at home to California, another team fighting on the bubble, but there aren’t any other bad losses among the six that this team has suffered. Things could certainly be a lot worse for a first-year head coach who’s now 11-4 in the ACC.
Miami clearly cannot lose to Boston College this weekend, but after that things get interesting. Miami can cement their place with Quad 1 opportunities against SMU and Louisville to finish the regular season. Between that and the potential in the ACC Tournament, you should expect to see the Hurricanes dancing, unless they somehow lose out.