Don't miss out on any of our exclusive football, basketball and recruiting coverage. Sign up with TheHoosier.com here.

Indiana is in the 2022 NCAA Tournament. While it may not be where players, fans and coaches wanted, the program is back in the big dance for the first time since 2016.

The Hoosiers are in the First-Four game in Dayton taking on Wyoming for a chance to play St. Mary's in the Round of 64 on Thursday afternoon.

Heading into the Big Ten Tournament, Indiana knew its backs were against the wall and understood it was going to have to win multiple games, if not the entire tournament, to make it into the field. Now, with that mindset, Indiana will face 'do-or-die' games from here on out.

For Indiana and Mike Woodson, it's again, one game at a time for the program and that mindset means even more with Indiana's lack of NCAA Tournament experience.

"I mean, again, at the end of the day we're in. Got to play the play-in game. That's my only concern right now," Woodson said. "We've got to go and start studying, getting ready for Wyoming, and get our guys ready to go tomorrow in practice and get on a plane and head to Dayton to play Wyoming."

While there is misconception about the 'First-Four' games in Dayton and the message surrounding 'play-in' games, it's not to say that teams who begin their NCAA Tournament there, can't advance come the weekend.

Look no further than last season and UCLA. The Bruins were in the First-Four game against Michigan State and made a magical run to the Final Four, only to lose on a half court buzzer-beater against Gonzaga in overtime.

Going back through the years, 2019 was the only season since the First-Four began play in 2011, that a team that won in Dayton did not go on to win a Round of 64 matchup. In fact, there have been five teams that go on to advance to the Sweet Sixteen.

"Yeah, I mean, that was something that was actually spoken even before the Big Ten Tournament, how like our season is not over yet and no matter what happens you can always make a run at the end of the season," IU senior point guard Rob Phinisee said. "We know what happened last year with UCLA, and right now we're just focused on Wyoming and just looking forward to that game."

At least one play-in winner has gone on to win their Round of 64 game in every year but one (2019).

"It's not going to be hard for me to get these guys to understand what's at stake here," Woodson said. "We're in the tournament. We want to try to stay in the tournament. That's what it's all about."

If Indiana were to win on Tuesday, it has a quick turnaround as it would head out to Portland, Oregon to take on St. Mary's on Thursday at 7:20 pm ET.

The experience Indiana has had over the last week of 'win or go home' type games has given the team the confidence to go on a run, but also the excitement in getting back on the court to keep this momentum going.

"Just that Michigan game, that first half, everyone saw the first half, but then the second half, just since then everything has changed. Everyone is building off that momentum," Phinisee added. "Even though we had a tough one against Iowa yesterday (Saturday), everyone was still building off that momentum because we're playing really good basketball right now and we feel like Tuesday we want to play just because we're playing really well right now. Yeah, we're just going to carry that over to Tuesday."

Just like play-in winners such as UCLA last year, or Syracuse in 2018, Tennessee in 2014, VCU in 2011 or the other teams who go on runs this time of year, it's sometimes better to play early and keep whatever momentum they had going from the end of the season... or build more momentum that comes off of the high of winning in the NCAA Tournament.

"A lot of these guys have been sitting on the sideline for some years watching NCAA basketball being played in March and never really knowing what it's about," Woodson said. "Now they get an opportunity come Tuesday to play in the tournament and win and perhaps move on to Portland, Oregon, to face Saint Mary's.

"I think it's a beautiful thing. I'm so thrilled because these guys have worked their butts off to get to this point, and I want to see them move on. I want to see us continue to win. That's what it's all about."

----

• Talk about it inside The Hoops Forum or The Football Forum

• Subscribe to our podcast on iTunes

• Follow us on Twitter: @IndianaRivals

• Like us on Facebook.