Scott Horner

scott.horner@indystar.com

This has been a terrific year in Indiana college basketball. Eight of the 10 programs have a shot at 20 wins and at least three -- Ball State, Indiana and Valparaiso -- are taking aim on top seeds in their respective conference tournaments. The jitters of sitting on the NCAA tournament bubble have left Purdue and IU but have taken residence at Butler.

So, is life better for your favorite team than it was one year ago? Find out after this week's rankings, which feature a rare unanimous No. 1.

Zach Osterman, IndyStar IU reporter

1. Indiana. Call me a homer. I don't care. Tom Crean is my Big Ten coach of the year if I'm voting today.

2. Notre Dame. If you actually look at the number of close games Georgia Tech has lost this year, I'll take the argument that the Irish were just in the wrong place at the wrong time.

3. Purdue. There's a lot I like about Purdue. There's some stuff I worry about come tournament time. Get good Vince Edwards and it's all secondary anyway.

4. Valparaiso. It alone won't get them into the field of 68, but the Crusaders are Horizon League champs, and that's worth respecting.

5. Butler. Find a way to win out in these last three, and the close misses won't sting so much for the Bulldogs.

6. Evansville. The Aces have rebounded from their rough patch to win three in a row, and a 13-5 conference mark is very much possible.

7. IPFW. That regular-season Summit League title is in sight. Can't slow up or lose focus now.

8. Ball State. The Cardinals are quietly a fantastic turnaround story. Franko House has been crucial.

9-10. Indiana State/IUPUI. Rank them however you want. The Sycamores and Jaguars have had bright spots, but both appear to be limping toward the finish line right now.

David Woods, IndyStar Butler reporter

1. Indiana. Beating Purdue puts Hoosiers on track to Big Ten title. They'd nearly have it secured if not for that overtime loss at Wisconsin.

2. Purdue. Boilers could finish 12-6 in Big Ten, considering they will be favored over Maryland (home), Nebraska (road) and Wisconsin (home).

3. Notre Dame. One-point loss at Georgia Tech essentially knocked Irish out of chance for ACC regular-season title.

4. Butler. Even at 7-8 in Big East, the Bulldogs are 28th in the Sagarin computer. They challenged No. 1 Villanova before falling 77-67 on the road.

5. Valparaiso. Crusaders have wrapped up Horizon's No. 1 seed, so all that's left for them is the league tournament.

6. Evansville. Purple Aces have won three straight in Missouri Valley.

7. Ball State. Cardinals have two-game lead in MAC West at 9-5.

8. IPFW. Mastodons have seized control of Summit League at 11-3 ahead of Saturday's game at IUPUI.

9. IUPUI. Two home games this week should help Jaguars, who have lost four of five and dropped to 9-7 in Summit.

10. Indiana State. It keeps getting worse for Sycamores. They have lost five in a row, including Sunday's 84-51 blowout by Wichita State.

Doyel: Beat Purdue, and it's a lovefest in Bloomington

Nathan Baird, JCOnline Purdue reporter

1. Indiana. Can't argue with it. Beat Notre Dame. Beat Purdue. Possible Big Ten champs.

2. Purdue. Boilermakers made it close, but almost didn't give themselves a chance on Saturday.

3. Notre Dame. Has four wins against KenPom top-11 teams. Purdue and IU each have one.

4. Valparaiso. Lots of bubble teams rooting for Crusaders to win the Horizon tourney.

5. Butler. Schedule seems favorable for a strong finish. Can Bulldogs make a push?

6. Evansville. Solid season, but has to figure out how to beat Wichita State to go far.

7. IPFW. Scored 88 or more in its last three games and five of its last six.

8. Ball State. Two wins shy of first 20-win season since 2002.

9. Indiana State. Season went downhill quickly for the Sycamores.

10. IUPUI. 8-1 at the Fairgrounds, but 4-16 away from home.

This week's topic

Where to Indiana's programs stand today compared to one year ago?

Ball State: About 180 degrees better. The Cardinals were on Game 13 of a season-ending 17-game skid last year. Now they're atop their division in the Mid-American Conference. They've won three in a row and are pursuing a 20-win season.

Butler, from David Woods: A year ago: Butler spent virtually all of last season ranked in the Top 25 and knew it had an NCAA at-large berth by this time. The question was that of seeding, not of selection. The Bulldogs finished 12-6 in the Big East. But now, even with a team featuring seniors Roosevelt Jones and Kellen Dunham, they are 7-8 in the Big East. Mock brackets have Butler barely in, or barely out.

Evansville: This may look familiar to the Purple Aces. They have won three in a row and are fighting for a top-three finish in the Missouri Valley Conference. A year ago at this point, they started a skid that sent into the CollegeInsider.com Tournament. By the way, they won that event.

Indiana, from Zach Osterman: A year ago, Indiana was right on the bubble, wondering how close to falling off it was. While the Hoosiers aren't in the top-four seed conversation right now, they've certainly surpassed last year in wins and NCAA comfort. IU is in, and the question now is probably just how high they can climb seed-wise.

IUPUI: The Jaguars aren't going anywhere in the postseason and they've lost four of their past five. However, they've shown so much more firepower this season that there's hope for the future. IUPUI's 12 wins already eclipse last season.

Indiana State: The Sycamores are on a five-game losing skid that threatens to leave them below .500 for the season. ISU was alternating wins and losses at this point last year in a 15-16 season.

IPFW: The high-scoring Mastodons like this time of year. They have won six of seven and lead the Summit League. Last year at this point they had just lost a seven-game winning streak in season that saw them make the CIT. They're thinking bigger this year.

Notre Dame: The Irish had won four of five at this point last year and were in the midst of a run that yielded the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament title and an Elite Eight run that was barely stopped by Kentucky. Of course, they had All-American Jerian Grant and Pat Connaughton. This year's team is coming off a last-second loss and is still competitive in the ACC.

Purdue, from Nathan Baird: On Feb. 21 last year, Purdue was two days removed from a win at Indiana. It was the Boilermakers' only true road victory over an NCAA tournament team and a big boost to their NCAA tournament hopes. However, Purdue had to sweat out the final few weeks and the Big Ten tournament. Today, Purdue expects to be in the 5 seed conversation for the NCAA tournament. But with Maryland coming to town on Saturday and a wide-open Big Ten tournament ahead, there's room for improvement.

Valparaiso: The Crusaders are in great shape in the Horizon League, as long as the opponent isn't Wright State. Valpo already has the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament. It's similar to last year, when the Crusaders were on a seven-game winning streak that propelled them to the NCAA tournament.