NCAA Tourney: Indiana No. 12 Seed, Play Tuesday Play-In Game vs. Wyoming in Dayton

Indiana has made its first NCAA Tournament since 2016, and it starts right away with a play-in game on Tuesday in Dayton, Ohio. They are the No. 12 seed and will play Wyoming from the Mountain West Conference, and if they win they have to travel to Portland, Ore. for its first-round game against St. Mary's.

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — For the first time in six years, Indiana has made the NCAA Tournament, but their path is about as brutal as it comes.

The Hoosiers were one of the last four teams in, so that means they are a part of the play-in game on Tuesday in Dayton, Ohio. They will play the Wyoming Cowboys, who are 25-8 on the season, and were 13-5 in the Mountain West Conference this season. 

• UPDATE: The game time has been announced. Indiana is the second game on Tuesday night and will start about 9:10 p.m. ET.

"At the end of the day, we're in,'' Indiana coach Mike Woodson said. "We've got to play the play-in game, and that's my only concern right now. We've got to go and start studying, getting ready for Wyoming, and get our guys ready to go (Monday) in practice and get on a plane and head to Dayton.''

Indiana is 20-13 on the season, and played their way into the tournament field this week with upset wins over Michigan and Illinois. The Hoosiers lost to Iowa in the semifinals on Saturday.

In Mike Woodson's first season, the Hoosiers are back in the tournament, and that' a big deal. They've been working hard since last spring to make this happen.

"I would say it's our togetherness. It started in June going back to the Bahamas. Were' a tight-knit group and we're close on and off the court,'' senior guard Rob Phinisee said. "It's super satisfying. Everyone knows we can compete with anybody in the country.''

The play-in games became a part of the NCAA Tournament when they expanded the field to 68 teams from 64. They four games are always played in Dayton, with the four last at-large teams playing, and the four lowest automatic qualifiers play as No. 16 seeds.

Just getting in is a big deal. No one on Indiana's roster has ever played in the NCAA Tournament before.

"A lot of these guys have been sitting on the sideline for some years watching NCAA basketball being played in March and never really knowing what it's about,'' Woodson said. "Now they get an opportunity come Tuesday to play in the tournament and win and perhaps move on to Portland, Oregon, to face Saint Mary's.

"I think it's a beautiful thing. I'm so thrilled because these guys have worked their butts off to get to this point, and I want to see them move on. I want to see us continue to win. That's what it's all about.''

Indiana played three games in the three days in the Big Ten Tournament and will now have one practice to get ready for Wyoming. Sophomore guard Trey Galloway came back after missing five games with a groin injury, but forward Jordan Geronimo injured a knee.

Woodson talked about the quick turnaround.

"I don't know about Jordan, I think Trey is going to be fine,'' Woodson said. "Listen, we weren't one of the schools that was thrown in there where we played Friday or Thursday, where we would have had three or four days to prepare. Hey, they put us where we've got to play our way in, and it's Tuesday.

"Mentally I've got to get these guys ready. I just met with them, and hey, I told them it's a quick turnaround and we've got to get ready to play Wyoming. It's just that simple.''

Watch Rob Phinisee's interview after announcement

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