With Just Three Losses, Indiana Women's Basketball Should be One-Seed in NCAA Tournament

Nothing is official until March 12, but with only three total losses Indiana women's basketball should still be a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament and host the first and second rounds.

IU Athletics

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Saturday afternoon was a major letdown for top-seeded Indiana Women's basketball that lost to No. 4 Ohio State in the Big Ten Women's Basketball Tournament semifinals. However, Indiana should be fine and will probably still be a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

I’ve been asked by a few. This is in reference to the OVERALL seed in NCAA’s second Top 16 reveal (host sites):@IndianaWBB 1-seed, 2nd overall @TerpsWBB 2-seed, 6th@IowaWBB 3-seed, 9th@OhioStateWBB 3-seed, 12th@umichwbball 4-seed, 16th

NOTHING IS OFFICIAL UNTIL 3/12 https://t.co/C57WCBznkK

— Meghan (McKeown) Wallace (@McKeown_Wallace) February 24, 2023

Yes, the 79-75 loss was both unexpected and disappointing as the Hoosiers handled Ohio State twice this season both on the road and at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. However, Indiana has only lost three times and won 27 games.

Compared to the other top teams in the Associated Press Top 25 Poll, Indiana is in third place as far as total losses. Note that No. 4 LSU was ranked lower than the No. 2 Hoosiers in the Week 17 poll despite only having one loss.

This means Indiana should be a No. 1 seed and around second overall come March Madness time. Plus, the Hoosiers aren't the only team that fell out of their conference tournament early.

LSU was a No. 2 seed going into the SEC Tournament but lost to No. 3 Tennessee 69-67 for only the Tigers' second loss of the season. 

The Utah Utes, who were a No. 2 seed in the Pac-12 Tournament lost in the quarterfinals to No. 7 WSU 66-58.

South Carolina, however, is still looking mighty strong as the only Division I team in the country left undefeated. The Gamecocks will face Tennessee in the tournament championship Sunday at 3 p.m. ET on ESPN.

Nothing is final until ESPN's Selection Sunday on March 12 at 8 p.m. ET. The Hoosiers as one of the projected top seeds will most likely get to host the first and second rounds of the NCAA Tournament like they did last year and recover from an early end to the Big Ten Tournament.

Below is the NCAA's second reveal of its top 16 projections. 

Top 16 Projections Reveal by NCAA (through games Wednesday, Feb. 22)

1. South Carolina (No. 1 seed — Greenville Region)
2. Indiana (No. 1 seed — Greenville Region)
3. Stanford (No. 1 seed — Seattle Region)
4. Utah (No. 1 seed — Seattle Region)
5. LSU
6. Maryland
7. UConn
8. Virginia Tech
9. Iowa
10. Notre Dame
11. Duke
12. Ohio State
13. Texas
14. Villanova
15. Arizona
16. Michigan

Related stories on Indiana women's basketball

• WHAT TERI MOREN SAID AFTER TOURNAMENT LOSS Here's what Indiana women's basketball coach Teri Moren had to say following the Hoosiers' 79-75 loss to No. 4 Ohio State in the Big Ten Women's Basketball Tournament semifinals. CLICK HERE
• HOOSIERS FALL TO BUCKEYES IN SEMIFINALS Top-seeded Indiana fell to No. 4 Ohio State 79-75 in the Big Ten Women's Basketball Tournament semifinals, blowing a 24-point lead. Guard Grace Berger's 20 points were not enough for the tough full-court Ohio State press. CLICK HERE
• HOLMES MAKES JOHN R. WOODEN AWARD NATIONAL BALLOT Indiana women's basketball senior forward Mackenzie Holmes has been named to the John R. Wooden Award National Ballot, perhaps the most prestigious award in college hoops. CLICK HERE