Indiana Hoosiers Basketball: 4 Bold Predictions for 2012 NCAA Tournament

After a brief hiatus, the Indiana Hoosiers are ready to take on the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2008.

No matter what happens in the Big Dance, it goes without saying that this was a good season for the Hoosiers. A year after winning just 12 games, Indiana won 25 games in the regular season. There were many fun times, particularly the buzzer-beater win against Kentucky in December.

Now the question is whether Indiana can keep the good times rolling in the NCAA tournament, and that's where things get tricky. The Hoosiers are a No. 4 seed in the South region, which looks like the toughest bracket of the four. Making it to the Final Four will not be easy.

For what it's worth, here's how I envision Indiana's run through the tournament going. 

Indiana Will Barely Survive Against New Mexico State

The Hoosiers' offensive attack is relatively simple. Cody Zeller gets all the tough points around the bucket, and Indiana's shooters provide the rest. Indiana is one of the better perimeter shooting teams in the country, particularly from three. 

But the Aggies are a tough matchup for Indiana. They have the size to dominate the paint, and you better believe they're going to use their size to make life tough for Zeller. He's in for one of the toughest games he's had all season, maybe even the toughest.

Indiana's shooters will have to win this game, and even they are going to have a tough time. New Mexico State hasn't faced a perimeter-shooting team like the Hoosiers, but they held opponents to just a 32-percent shooting clip from distance this season, according to TeamRankings.com.

It's going to be a tough game. I expect Indiana to win by no more than eight.

Christian Watford Will be the Team's Leading Scorer Against the Aggies

This one's simple. With Zeller having such a tough time against New Mexico State's bigs, somebody is going to have to pick up the slack.

Christian Watford is the obvious candidate. He's Indiana's second-leading scorer behind Zeller, and he can score from anywhere on the floor. He's particularly efficient from beyond the arc, as he shot better than 42 percent from three this season.

Watford will get a lot of touches against New Mexico State, and those touches will translate to a lot of points. I'm setting the bar at 30, and I think he'll get there.

Indiana Will Beat VCU in Round of 32 in Double-OT Game

Indiana should get past New Mexico State, and VCU should get past Wichita State. If so, we'll be set up for one of the sexier matchups of the Round of 32.

The Hoosiers and Rams are similar in that they both are their best when they're shooting from beyond the arc. What makes VCU so tough is its "Havoc" defense, which is just what it sounds like. The Rams are going to pressure the Hoosiers, and they're going to force Indiana to adjust.

Indiana is talented and well-coached enough to deal with it, and the fact that VCU doesn't have anybody to match up with Zeller inside is going be a huge advantage for the Hoosiers. Despite that, this would be a very fun game to watch, and it would likely feature plenty of lead changes and ultimately some late drama.

It's also a game that simply is not going to be confined to a mere 40 minutes. Not one, but two overtimes will decide this game. It'll be a beaut.

The Hoosiers will win because Zeller would ultimately be too much for VCU.

Indiana Will Lose to Kentucky in the Sweet 16

If you've looked at the bracket (and you have), you've already noticed that Indiana is on a collision course with Kentucky.

The first matchup between Indiana and Kentucky was one for the books. The two teams went back and forth and back and forth, and the game finally ended on Watford's epic three-pointer.

The Hoosiers will not beat the Wildcats again. All things being equal, Kentucky is the better team. Indiana won the first game because of a one-in-a-million shot, and the home-court advantage definitely helped too.

Another one-in-a-million shot is unlikely, and Indiana will not have the home-court advantage. The Hoosiers will have no advantage against Kentucky, honestly, and in the end they'll simply be overwhelmed.

The first two games will be fun, but Indiana isn't going any further than the Sweet 16.