The Associated Press

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - The Indiana Hoosiers enter the final week of the regular season believing they need two more wins just to earn a spot in the NCAA's 65-team field. For Indiana, the message is clear: Another loss could be the difference between getting a bid and heading to the National Invitation Tournament.

"Our tournament starts right now," guard Bracey Wright said. "These games are our tournament. It started early."

Wright's 3-pointer with 14.2 seconds left not only gave Indiana a 91-88 win over Iowa Saturday, but also gave IU hope it can continue winning.

"Coach (John) Treloar said every game from here on out is like a playoff," guard Tom Coverdale said, referring to one of the Hoosiers' assistants. "We have to play like it's do or die."

Indiana knows there remains plenty of room for improvement, especially for a defense that has allowed 168 points in its past two games.

That's part of the reason Indiana is in such a precarious position with a week to play before the conference tournaments actually start.

IU hosts Minnesota on Tuesday, then visits Penn State. Two wins would give the Hoosiers a 19-10 mark and a winning record in the Big Ten, both of which would help with the selection committee.

A split would put them on the bubble and getting swept could force them to go deep into the Big Ten tourney to earn an NCAA bid.