In a selection show filled with surprises, IU was announced as a No. 5 seed in the NCAA Tournament's East Region. The Hoosiers were predicted as either a No. 3 or No. 4 seed by most every projection.
IU will be playing Chatanooga on Thursday in Des Moines, Iowa. There is a potential game vs. Kentucky in the second round if both teams win in the first round. The Hoosiers and the Wildcats haven't played since 2011, when IU won in Bloomington after what has become known as "The Wat Shot."
Chattanooga finished the regular season 29-5 and won both the regular season and tournament championships for the Southern Conference.
The selection committee seemingly devalued the Big Ten compared to most projections. Michigan State dropped to a No. 2 seed, despite being roundly projected as a top seed, Iowa dropped to a No. 7 seed and Maryland was seeded as a No. 5. Michigan did manage to qualify for one of the play-in games.
There are also no regional teams playing in the South regional, whose Sweet 16 and Elite 8 games are being played in Louisville. In addition to IU and Kentucky, Purdue and Butler are both playing elsewhere.
Other notable teams in the East Regional are No. 1 seeded North Carolina, No. 2 seed Xavier and No. 3 seeded West Virginia. The Sweet 16 and Elite 8 rounds will be played in Philadelphia.
Michael Hughes
