Got an Indiana Jones?

Since the NCAA Tournament has officially tipped off, it might be appropriate to post about the play-in game that took place last night in Dayton, Ohio. Rather, it might be an appropriate time to lament the fact that it even exists (Mt. St. Mary's defeated Coppin State, by the way). In the end, vocally hating the play-in game is about as bold as going to a Southern Baptist convention and praising small government.

Instead, focus turns to a team that may tempt you, the bracket predictor, into something you'll regret later.

Attached to the name of Indiana University, you'll find five National Championships, eight Final Fours, 32 trips to the NCAA Tournament, and 52 victories within those trips. A possible 2nd round game between Indiana and North Carolina would, any other year, make one salivate over the possibility of a fat, juicy upset. Some of it might be wishful thinking, as North Carolina and Indiana are seeded as they are for a reason, but it's also the sort of upset that does occasionally happen.

Don't even think about it.

The Hoosiers got of to a decent start, opening the season at a 17-1 record. Bloomington was abuzz with dreams of another Final Four, and why shouldn't they have been? They have a stud freshman in Eric Gordon, and they have talented senior leadership in DJ White. Kelvin Sampson, in his second year at Indiana, has Final Four experience and posted a very solid record in his time at Oklahoma.

It all went downhill from there. Kelvin Sampson was then accused of recruiting infractions and forced out as head coach. In his last two games as head coach, Indiana won somewhat-impressive games against Michigan State and Purdue. Since then, they've gone 3-3. Victories have included a three-point home win over an average-at-best Ohio State team, a 3-point road win over the second-worst major-conference team in the country, and an expected win over an average-at-best Minnesota team. Losses have included a one-point loss to the aforementioned average-at-best Minnesota team, an overtime loss to another one of the worst major-conference teams in the country, and 29-point beatdown at the hands of Tournament 5 seed, Michigan State. Players even skipped a practice when it was announced that assistant coach Dan Dakich (who posted a pedestrian 156-140 at Bowling Green State University) would be taking over as head coach. That is to say, there doesn't appear to be a lot of "heart" on display. Insert obligatory line about how Indiana falls short of the team in the film Hoosiers.

New coach whom the players don't believe in + entering the tournament having lost 3 of 4 + losses to bad teams + bad losses to good teams = recipe for failure. When the brackets were announced, I was a little disappointed that Indiana wasn't seeded higher, for it would have been the easiest upset pick of the entire bracket. Flip a coin as to whether they somehow knock off Arkansas, it doesn't matter that much. Choose them to beat North Carolina at your own risk.

Inevitably, someone who reads this is going to day, "But they may just have the talent to give North Carolina a run for their money." Putting aside jokes that no one actually reads this, talent can only do so much. I have no doubt that Indiana is more talented than Arkansas, but the nature of the tournament is that talented teams lose to less talented teams because they can't get up for it. They lack heart. For a reference, see every upset that has ever happened in the Tournament.