Indiana Basketball: Keys to Hoosiers' 2012 NCAA Tournament Run

The Indiana Hoosiers are officially back in the Big Dance.

For the first time since 2008, Indiana's storied basketball program will be participating in the NCAA tournament. The Hoosiers were an outstanding story all season, winning 24 games in the regular season and making it to the quarterfinals in the Big Ten tournament.

On Sunday, the Hoosiers were revealed to be a No. 4 seed in the South Region, and they will start their tournament quest against New Mexico State on Thursday. The question now is if they have enough magic to make a run through the tournament worthy of a Hollywood movie.

The Hoosiers are not a team to be underestimated. Remember, this is the only team to beat Kentucky during the regular season, and the Hoosiers have some talented players who present matchup problems for all comers.

Here's a look at how things are shaping up for the Hoosiers heading into the NCAA tournament.

Superstars Who Must Shine

The Hoosiers are a team that doesn't revolve around any one superstar, per se. They play good team basketball, particularly on offense. Indiana finished among the top teams in the nation in field goal percentage, a sign of how efficient it is on offense.

This is thanks in large part to two key players.

Cody Zeller

Cody Zeller is going to be better than his older brother, Tyler, some day, and that's high praise.

Zeller has been outstanding in his freshman season, averaging 15.5 points and 6.4 rebounds per game. He is shooting an astonishing 62.6 percent from the floor, which is currently good for 15th in the nation.

Zeller's work on the offensive end of the floor is nothing fancy. He gets the ball in the paint and puts it in the bucket. As simple as it is, he's a tough guy to defend. The more easy buckets he gets, the harder it is to beat the Hoosiers.

So in order for Indiana to make its run through the tournament, Zeller just needs to keep doing what he's doing. As long as nobody stops him, the Hoosiers will be a tough team to beat.

Christian Watford

Christian Watford is Indiana's second-leading scorer and second-leading rebounder behind Zeller. 

Watford is a little more dynamic on offense. His range stretches out beyond the arc, where he is shooting an impressive 42.2 percent this season. And of course, it was his three at the buzzer that sank Kentucky.

The trouble is that Watford is not a model of consistency. He's a very streaky shooter, and his lows are very low. Towards the end of the season, Watford had a couple of O-fers, to borrow a baseball phrase.

The Hoosiers can ill afford any more O-fers from Watford in the NCAA tournament.

Role Player Who Must Emerge

A couple days ago, it would have been easy to put senior point guard Verdell Jones III in this spot. He was a key scorer in his first three years at Indiana but developed into more of a distributor and team leader in his senior season.

But alas, the Hoosiers will not have Jones in the NCAA tournament. It has been reported by ESPN.com and numerous other websites and publications that Jones is done for the rest of the season with a torn ACL.

Per the ESPN.com report, Tom Crean expects freshman guard Remy Abell and senior guard Daniel Moore to absorb Jones' minutes. The two of them will be thrust into the spotlight, and the Hoosiers are going to need them to perform.

Abell is likely to get most of the minutes. He was used far more often than Moore during the regular season, at times performing very well. Moore, on the other hand, hasn't played significant minutes since his freshman season.

It's obviously not an ideal situation. Jones was a key player for the Hoosiers. Abell and Moore must do what they can in his stead.

Offensive Strategy to Watch

Cody Zeller is going to get his share of buckets in the paint, but the most dangerous thing the Hoosiers do on offense is rain down threes.

The Hoosiers don't take a lot of threes, mind you. They only average 15 a game, a figure that looks pretty small next to some of the three-point numbers put up by other teams. The Hoosiers shoot from beyond the arc, but they don't live there. 

The Hoosiers are dangerous from distance because they don't miss. They're second in the nation in three-point percentage at 43.3 percent, which is outstanding.

For the most part, Indiana does its best work on catch-and-shoot plays. It helps, obviously, that the Hoosiers have enough shooters to execute that kind of offense. If things are clicking, Indiana is scoring at will.

The rest of the tournament field had better hope Indiana goes cold in the Big Dance.

Defensive Strategy to Watch

Nobody should accuse the Hoosiers of being an outstanding defensive team. Per TeamRankings.com, Indiana is allowing 65.5 points per game, which ranks 116th nationally. 

The Hoosiers are able to get away with lackluster defense when they're knocking down shots at the other end, but there will inevitably be times in the tournament where things won't be going so smoothly. In times like those, turning up the pressure at the other end will be crucial.

It's nothing fancy, really. Tom Crean will flip a switch and the Hoosiers will go into smother mode, trying to force opponents into committing turnovers. This strategy will ideally create fast break opportunities, and Indiana needs as many of those as the next team.

Obviously, communication and awareness will be key. If Indiana can't properly execute its go-to defensive strategy, the Hoosiers will make a quick exit from the tournament.

Biggest NCAA Tournament Hurdle

Indiana could be on a collision course for an epic rematch against Kentucky.

Kentucky is the No. 1 seed in the South Region. The Wildcats and the Hoosiers could potentially meet in the Sweet 16 if they both survive that long.

Indiana upset Kentucky when the two teams met in December, but the Hoosiers don't need to be warned that they can't afford to take the Wildcats lightly because of that win. Kentucky is as talented as any team in the country, and John Calipari's club will be out to prove something in the NCAA tournament after falling short in the SEC tournament. 

If Indiana happens to get in Kentucky's way, the Hoosiers could end up being just another victim.

Last-Second NCAA Tournament Prediction

In the end, I have a hunch that Indiana's 2012 NCAA tournament run will result in a destined rematch against Kentucky.

And that's where it will end. 

I don't want to take anything away from the Hoosiers as a basketball team. They're outstanding, and Tom Crean deserves plenty of credit for turning the team around this season. But the Hoosiers' win against Kentucky was an all-timer. It was a perfect mix of inspired play and mere good fortune.

All things being equal, Kentucky is the better team. The Wildcats will prove that point when they beat Indiana in the Sweet 16.