‘I wish I knew. I’m still trying to figure it out’: Indiana basketball sits with back squarely up against the wall, with more questions than answers

Wednesday’s loss for Indiana basketball was nothing new; it has become the norm. Whether it is a lead that turns into a deficit, or a small deficit that snowballs — the end result has still been the same. And 20 games into year four of Mike Woodson’s tenure, he’s struggling to find answers.

“I wish I knew,” Woodson said following IU’s 79-70 loss to Northwestern. “I’m still trying to figure it out.”

After a six-point halftime lead, Indiana saw another second-half collapse.

Indiana gave up just 26 points in the first half but saw 54 points come across the scoreboard in the second half alone. While the first 12 minutes of the second half saw a back and forth, the next eight minutes were controlled by the Wildcats. A 13-0 run beginning at the 9:25 mark gave Northwestern an eight point lead and they never looked back, blossoming into a 21-4 run over the course of five minutes.

“We had a hell of a defensive half, then we come out and give up 54 points (after halftime) and pile on the turnovers,” Woodson said. “I mean, it’s just a bad combination. We just didn’t play well the second half.”

The result? The fifth-straight loss to Northwestern, something that hadn’t been done since 1915.

“I can’t go back in the past,” Woodson said. “The bottom line is we were playing well enough to win the game today, and we just didn’t answer the bell in the second half. We gotta figure that out going back home.”

Toughness and effort have been the biggest faults for Indiana basketball this season and it was the same problems that were the root of Wednesday’s loss — despite it being the message heading into the matchup.

It’s been the theme under Mike Woodson — an inability to put together a full 40 minutes. But more importantly, a team that begins to hide when things get tough. While IU did respond to the first few punches thrown by Northwestern, it was the consistent effort by the Wildcats that was not matched by the Hoosiers.

Now Indiana sits in a spot no team wants to be in — squarely on the NCAA Tournament bubble, if not the wrong side of the bubble. But, opportunities await. Either Quad 1 games or ranked opponents sit in front of Indiana in six of the next seven games. So, while Indiana basketball sits in disappointment for the time being, what’s the messaging now with their backs clearly up against the wall?

“You can never get worried. There’s too many games still left,” Woodson said. “We play a good game on the road and beat Ohio State, and we come here and got an opportunity to win a game and let it get away the second half.”

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