The wait is over. March Madness is here, and Indiana is dancing once again.
Indiana is a No. 4 seed in the Midwest Region and will face No. 13 seed Kent State in the first round of the 2023 NCAA Tournament. The game will be played in Albany, N.Y. on Friday night at 9:55 p.m. ET (TBS).
Kent State finished the season 28-6 and won the MAC tournament title over the weekend after finishing second during the regular season. The Golden Flashes are ranked No. 71 according to KenPom.com, with the No. 110 offense and No. 38 defense in the nation based on adjusted efficiency.
Indiana also faced Kent State in the 2001 and 2002 NCAA Tournaments. The Hoosiers fell to the Golden Flashes in 2001, also in a first round No. 4 vs. No. 13 game. They got revenge the next season in the Elite Eight round.
Kent State head coach Rob Senderoff was an IU assistant from 2006-08 under then head coach Kelvin Sampson.
If the Hoosiers advance, they’ll face the winner of Miami, Fla. and Drake on Sunday.
It could be a Sampson-themed March for IU if they advance to the Sweet 16 where they could face No. 1 seed Houston, led by the former IU coach. The Sweet 16 and Elite Eight rounds of the Midwest Region are being held in Kansas City.
The No. 4 seed is IU’s highest since 2013. They are in the NCAA Tournament for consecutive seasons for the first time since 2016.
Indiana head coach Mike Woodson is the second coach in program history (Mike Davis, 2001-03) to make the NCAA Tournament in each of his first two seasons at the helm.
For a link to the full printable 2023 NCAA Tournament bracket, GO HERE.
🗣️ A four-seed in the Midwest Region – the Indiana Hoosiers! pic.twitter.com/zXnfamxZh1
— Indiana Basketball (@IndianaMBB) March 12, 2023
It’s about advancing! One game at a time. pic.twitter.com/Bldiauz72B
— Mike Woodson (@MikeWoodsonNBA) March 12, 2023
SEE ALSO: MIKE WOODSON AND THE IU PLAYERS REACT:
Watch: Woodson, Jackson-Davis and Thompson react to Indiana’s 2023 NCAA Tournament draw
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