Thanks to an expanded field of 68 teams, the #1-seeded Indiana Hoosiers won’t quite know who they’re facing off against until after the completion of one of the four play-in games (what the NCAA is trying to call the “First Round”) on Wednesday.

The two teams squaring off for the chance to face the Indiana Hoosiers on Friday at 4pm are Long Island University-Brooklyn and James Madison University.

If you don’t know much about these 16-seeded teams, keep reading.

In this preview, I aim to give a breakdown of each team, and then I’ll make a prediction about who the Hoosiers are likely to face.

I make extensive use of the statistic RPI (Ratings Percentage Index) for this article and when comparing teams, so if you need a refresher, visit the Wiki page.

(16) LIU-BROOKLYN BLACKBIRDS

Northeastern Conference

OVERALL: 20-13 (12-6 NEC)

Last tournament appearance: 2012. Lost to Michigan State, 89-67.

KenPom Ranking: 185th

Wins (RPI Top 50): None.

Wins (RPI 51-100): None.

Wins (RPI 101-150): 3.

Losses (RPI 150+): 6.

BEST WIN: vs. Mount St. Mary’s Mountaineers (18-14 overall, RPI 123), 91-70 on Mar. 12th.

WORST LOSS: @ Lamar Cardinals (3-28 overall, RPI 335), 81-80 on Dec. 29th.

Hailing from the 12-team Northeastern Conference, this marks the third straight year that the LIU-Brooklyn Blackbirds have gotten their ticket punched for the Big Dance.

Seeded third in the Northeastern Conference tournament, they squared off against 5th-seeded Mount St. Mary’s in the final for an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament and won handily, 91-70.

In terms of overall team ranking on KenPom.com, the Blackbirds are ranked 185th overall – not even remotely close to being one of the top 68 teams, statistically. Only two tournament teams are ranked lower: North Carolina A&T (226th) and Liberty (251st).

In fact, LIU-Brooklyn hasn’t even faced off against any tournament teams all season. The closest they’ve come were two blowout losses in November at Kentucky and at Maryland, both of whom are in the NIT this season.

Who to Watch: Senior 6’7 Forward Jamal Olasewere. The Blackbirds’ leading scorer and rebounder (18.9 PPG, 8.5 RPG), Jamal is more than capable of dropping more than thirty points on any given night. He was also voted the Northeastern Conference Player of the Year.

(16) JAMES MADISON DUKES

Colonial Athletic Association

OVERALL: 20-14 (11-7 CAA)

Last tournament appearance: 1994. Lost to Florida, 64-62.

KenPom Ranking: 179th

Wins (RPI Top 50): None.

Wins (RPI 51-100): None.

Wins (RPI 101-150): 3.

Losses (RPI 150+): 10.

BEST WIN: vs. Delaware Fightin’ Blue Hens (19-14 overall, RPI 142), 58-57 on Mar. 10th.

WORST LOSS: @ Hampton Pirates (14-17 overall, RPI 288), 69-65 on Jan. 7th.

Making their first tournament appearance since 1994, the James Madison Dukes will be gunning for their fourth tournament win in school history, and first since 1983.

Also a third seed in their respective conference, James Madison knocked off the top two seeds (Northeastern and Delaware) en route to their Colonial Athletic Association automatic bid.

Much like the Blackbirds, the Dukes didn’t play any games against tournament teams, save for one game at UCLA on Nov. 15th; they were blown out by a score of 100-70.

Who to Watch: Senior 6’6 Forward Rayshawn Goins. Also the team’s leading scorer and rebounder (12.7 PPG, 7.4 RPG), Goins is the only forward in a four-guard starting lineup. With range that extends beyond the three point line, he’s incredibly versatile and can pose some match-up issues for opposing defenses.

[Editor’s note: Goins was recently arrested; no word yet on how that will impact his availability for the tournament.]

[Update: James Madison coach Matt Brady has suspended scoring and rebounding leader Rayshawn Goins for the first half of the game following his arrest for disorderly conduct and obstructing justice at a party.]

Prediction

Although it’s relatively close, I’m leaning towards LIU-Brooklyn on Wednesday.

Against similar competition, they’re one of the better teams in the country offensively, landing in top 10 nationally in points per game and field goal percentage.

I expect Olasewere to have a big game for the Blackbirds in their win over the Dukes.

Prediction: LIU-Brooklyn 78, James Madison 69

Neither of these teams stand much of a chance against the Hoosiers on Friday; it would take one of the biggest – if not the biggest – upset in college basketball history to pull off a second round victory over Indiana.

In terms of RPI, the Hoosiers are ranked 7th overall and haven’t had a single loss to any teams outside of the Top 50 RPI; their “worst” loss coming against Illinois, who has an RPI of 39. LIU-Brooklyn and James Madison are ranked 173rd and 185th, respectively.

It’s not even close.

Look for the Hoosiers to breeze by either of these teams in a nice tune-up game prior to facing #8 N.C. State or #9 Temple in the third round.