Analysis: Iowa and Maryland provide big perception week for IU Basketball

This is a big perception week for Indiana basketball.

The Hoosiers have already locked up a share of their 22^nd Big Ten championship in history. IU and Purdue are now tied for the most Big Ten titles all time at 22.

Indiana is moving up in the polls and is now ranked No. 12 in the nation, just on the outside of the top 10. Indiana has won three in a row and has a full two-game lead over the pack in conference play with two games to go.

In many ways, Indiana is like a program screaming out to poll voters and the NCAA Selection Committee members, “Hey, look at me!”

What happens this week, however, could go a long way toward determining what IU’s ultimate seed in the NCAA Tournament will be. The Hoosiers are at Iowa on Tuesday and home against Maryland on Senior Night on Sunday.

In today’s Associated Press top 25 poll, the Hoosiers have moved ahead of both the Hawkeyes (No. 16) and the Terrapins (No. 14).

But in the latest Bracketology offering by ESPN’s Joe Lunardi, Indiana remains a No. 5 seed while Iowa is a 4 and Maryland is a 3.

Bottom line: Indiana’s resume still needs a bump or two. Beating either Iowa or Maryland, or both, this week could definitely provide that bump.

At the same time, a loss to either or both, could be damaging as well.

Prior to this week, I didn’t have a real problem with the No. 5 seed. When I would justify it, I would point out that Indiana was ranked No. 18 in the nation and if you looked at it from a ranking standpoint then the top 16 ranked teams should probably be considered for top 4 seeds. A ranking between 17 and 20 would be about a No. 5 seed.

But now at No. 12 I have a more difficult time with the No. 5 seed. Especially if Indiana ends up winning the Big Ten title outright this week and is the No. 1 seed in the Big Ten Tournament it just seems to me that the Hoosiers would deserve a top 4 seed.

One thing working in Indiana’s favor this week is that with games left just against Iowa and Maryland, it isn’t possible for the Hoosiers to have a bad loss on their resume at least heading into the Big Ten Tournament. Beating Iowa on the road, despite the fact that the Hawkeyes have struggled of late and have lost four of the last five, is still not going to be an easy task. One thing that probably helps the Hoosiers in that one is that Iowa played Sunday on the road and now plays again 48 hours later. Indiana hasn’t played since Thursday.

Still, the reality is that Iowa has a lot to play for, too. This one is in the must-win category for the Hawkeyes compared to it being an important perception game for the Hoosiers. But if Iowa lost again, it could easily slip into the middle of the pack range for the Big Ten Tournament and beyond.

Which means Indiana will be playing a desperate Iowa team on Tuesday night.

The Maryland game on Sunday will be incredibly important for both teams. For the Terrapins it would be a huge road win against the Big Ten’s only unbeaten team at home in Indiana. For the Hoosiers, regardless of how they do on Tuesday at Iowa, it will be big because of attempting to maintain that perfect record at home and the fact that it will be the final home game for a player like Yogi Ferrell. It will just be an emotional day.

The one thing we can all agree on is that this week is a huge perception week for Indiana basketball. Find a way to win two games and Indiana will have won 15 Big Ten games for the first time since 1991.

That would be a huge accomplishment considering where this team looked to be headed after that 20-point loss at Duke in early December that dropped it to 5-3 on the season.

Winning at least a share of the Big Ten title this season is already a huge accomplishment. But that performance could be amped up measurably by winning either one or two games this week. Even at 14-4, standing alone as the top team outright in the Big Ten would be big for the Hoosiers.

One thing is certain: There is a great deal of anticipation from Hoosier Nation heading into Tuesday night’s game.

The stars have seemed aligned in recent weeks for Indiana basketball. Will that continue this week?