Mike Woodson just wants ‘the program to be successful’ and as he walked off the Assembly Hall floor one final time, he did so a winner

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — It was senior day back in 1980 when the Ohio State Buckeyes came into Assembly Hall to take on Indiana basketball and Mike Woodson. The Hoosiers had been struggling for the month of January, just a 7-5 record from January 3 to February 9. Flash forward to Saturday afternoon and the setting was nearly identical.

As Mike Woodson stood on the sideline before the game tipped, the emotions came back. It was senior day with Ohio State in town and just like back in 1980, Saturday’s matchup was a massive one. Indiana had lost seven of eight games from January 11 to February 8. Then, it was four wins in five games. Back in 1980? Indiana entered the final game of the season after a five game winning streak.

The similarities were all too evident.

As the clock wound down and hit all zero’s on Saturday, it was a 66-60 Indiana win.

“It’s a very emotional game. You know, I think back to 1980 playing this same team for the Big Ten title,” Woodson said following the win. “That’s the only thing that was going through my head throughout the day, and wanted it so much for these seniors to win because I knew how special that night was for me my senior year, and walking off that floor as a Big Ten Champion.”

While Indiana didn’t walk off the floor Big Ten Champions this year, Saturday was a win that should have solidified IU’s spot in the NCAA Tournament.

That would be three NCAA Tournament appearances in four years for Woodson, after five years without a tournament appearance. But, that’s where it ends for Woodson as Saturday also came as the final game inside Assembly Hall for the former IU standout.

When the news came out a month ago that Woodson would be stepping down at the end of the season, Indiana was dead in the water. There was no heartbeat on the season and by all accounts, the team was tending to a second-straight empty postseason. Then, whether it was Woodson, the players, or both — everyone came together and flipped the script.

The season hasn’t gone as expected, or hoped, for everyone involved. But as Mike Woodson walked off the Assembly Hall floor for the final time, two goals still remain — the Big Ten Tournament Championship and playing in the NCAA Tournament where anything can happen.

First up, Indianapolis.

“It’s not about me right now,” Woodson said. “It’s still about this team, and us going up to Indianapolis and trying to win the Big Ten Tournament.”

A loss against Ohio State on Saturday could’ve been the nail in the coffin. Instead, it gives the Hoosiers additional life.

In the end, no matter what the final result of this season is, Mike Woodson should walk off the court a final time knowing he did everything he could to bring this program back from the depths of the college basketball landscape. He made IU nationally relevant again.

So as this era passes and the new era is weeks from beginning, there remains a common theme with Woodson and whomever will take over the Indiana basketball program next.

“You know, I just want the program to be successful. That’s all,” Woodson said. “That’s all I ever thought about when I took the job, and that’s how I feel now, you know.”

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