MADISON, Wis. — The Indiana Hoosiers are grappling with a significant challenge as they face a dire situation following their fourth straight defeat. Coach Mike Woodson expressed concerns about his team’s toughness after their latest loss, which jeopardizes their chances of securing a spot in the upcoming NCAA Tournament.
The Hoosiers found themselves in a tough spot early on, trailing 19-2 within the first 4½ minutes of the game against No. 21 Wisconsin and unable to close the gap for the remainder of the contest, ultimately falling 76-64. Following the game, Woodson acknowledged the dwindling time left for the Hoosiers to improve their postseason prospects after narrowly missing out last year.
“We’re just not a tough team right now,” Woodson stated. “We’re not. Mentally we’re not tough.” While Indiana began the season with promise, peaking at 14th in the AP Top 25 back in late November, their performance has faltered as they now sit at 14-9 and 5-7 in the Big Ten. Their NET rankings reflect this decline, as they were positioned 65th prior to their latest game.
Despite the losing streak, the previous performances had shown signs of potential. In a recent matchup, the Hoosiers led 31-25 at halftime against Northwestern before losing 79-70. They experienced another narrow defeat at home against No. 18 Maryland, losing 79-78 when a last-second three-pointer sunk their chances. A heartbreaking 81-76 defeat at No. 7 Purdue followed, showcasing a game with dramatic lead changes down to the wire. However, a dismal start against Wisconsin left the team no opportunity for a comeback, as Indiana has struggled in this venue, having lost 21 consecutive games there since 1998.
Wisconsin quickly established a commanding lead, scoring 26-4 within the first 7½ minutes. “We have a game like we did at Purdue where we really competed for 40 minutes, then we come in here and we lay an egg based on how we started the ballgame,” Woodson noted. “You spot teams on the road 20, it’s going to get tough to get back in them. Again, that’s on me, man. We’re pushing and pulling and scraping and just trying to get what we can get. Guys just didn’t step up again tonight.”
The early deficit was a result of poor defense as Wisconsin successfully hit five of six three-pointers during the opening minutes, with their two towering 7-foot players making crucial shots right off the bat. Woodson pointed out the defensive lapses, saying, “Their bigs got away. That was the difference. I thought Malik (Reneau) and (Oumar) Ballo did an awful job in terms of guarding the bigs.”
As the season progresses, Indiana’s ongoing struggles are likely to raise more inquiries regarding Woodson’s future with the program. He successfully led the team to the NCAA Tournament in his first two years but faced a setback last season with a 19-14 record, ultimately declining an NIT invitation.
With eight games remaining on their schedule, the Hoosiers will need to refocus and turn things around quickly to stay in contention for the postseason. Five of these games will take place at home, starting with a challenge against No. 24 Michigan this Saturday. “It’s not rocket science,” Woodson remarked. “Right now, our backs are against the wall. We’re not playing great basketball. We’re playing in spurts. I thought the last three games prior to tonight we played pretty good ball and came up short. We just win maybe one or two of those, you’re feeling good about yourself. I’ve got to figure out a game where we can get these guys back feeling good about themselves and see where it goes from there.”
