INDIANAPOLIS -- Indiana coach Kathi Bennett likes what she's seen from her players recently.

The Hoosiers won at Wisconsin, stayed close to Purdue for 30 minutes and rallied from a 15-point deficit to beat Illinois in overtime Sunday.

The improvement is not only encouraging for last year's Big Ten tournament champions but also timely because they will be defending that title this week in Indianapolis.

"Honestly, that was the first game where we had more than one or two players playing well,'' Bennett said Monday, a day after beating the Illini. "And Illinois had a lot at stake.''

The victory gave Indiana the eighth seed in the 11-team field and set up a Thursday afternoon clash with No. 9 Wisconsin. The winner meets regular-season champ Penn State in Friday's first game.

The Minnesota Gophers play the winner of the Iowa-Northwestern matchup in Friday night's quarterfinal.

The pairings also give the Hoosiers (12-14) the unusual distinction of having played the last Big Ten tournament game in Conseco Fieldhouse, with their shocking title run last year, and this year's first game.

But few have forgotten what Indiana accomplished last year or what it means for every other team that will be in Indianapolis.

"This is a brand new day, and any time you have a brand new day, anything good can happen,'' Purdue coach Kristy Curry said. "You look at Indiana last year, and I think that's given all of us hope.''

Curry's players opened the season with their own visions of a Big Ten title. They were ranked among the top 10 throughout the nonconference schedule and began Big Ten play looking like one of the league's most dominant teams.

But the Boilermakers (23-5) stumbled slightly, finishing 12-4 and one game behind Penn State, and settled for the No. 3 seed.

Purdue meets the winner of the Illinois-Michigan game in Friday night's finale and it is viewing this week's tournament as an opportunity to fulfill one of its lost goals.

"It's another chance to win a championship,'' Curry said.

For Indiana to repeat as champs, though, it will face a more difficult path.

The first conference tournament title in school history was paved with upsets of Iowa, Purdue and Penn State. This year, the Hoosiers would have to win four games in five days.

They also will be playing with almost a completely different lineup. Only one starter, sophomore forward Jenny DeMuth, returns and they lack the experience of last year's squad that featured two of the best players in school history -- guard Heather Cassady and center Jill Chapman. Both were four-year starters, and Cassady won the tournament's MVP award.

Another difference is that Bennett, who wore a halo brace on her head during last year's after breaking her neck in a car accident, motivated her players simply by being on the sidelines.

Indiana also has lost the element of surprise.

"We're not going to surprise anyone,'' Bennett said with a smile. "Our experience last year probably gives every team hope.''

And gave every coach a motivational speech to start writing -- beginning with Bennett.

She believes if her team continues to play solid defense, as it has much of the season, and guard Kristen Bodine and forward Lisa Eckart are healthy enough to be offensive factors, anything is possible.

Even the Hoosiers defending their title.

"I feel that what we did last year was important not only for ourselves but for all the teams that come in here,'' she said. "It allows you to dream big.''