What’s next for Indiana basketball after ’embarrassing and unacceptable’ new low?: ‘We got to lock in and look in the mirror’

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — After an extremely disappointing and embarrassing road loss to Iowa, the messaging was around the ‘uncharacteristic’ performance that was. Tuesday against Illinois was a night that Indiana basketball could not only rebound from the loss, but more importantly, get back to the recent stretch of play that had many thinking IU had potentially turned a corner. Instead, it was a 94-69 loss to the Illini inside of Assembly Hall.

The last two games for Indiana have been two losses by a combined 50 points — with back-to-back 25-point losses.

Tuesday’s performance was not only about effort — or lack thereof — it was about the disconnected program that is Indiana under head coach Mike Woodson. Four years into his tenure and in a year with a roster that was coined the ‘most talented roster’ he’s had, by Woodson himself, Indiana is far from finding any sort of identity and far removed from the last Big Ten title it had nearly a decade ago.

Instead, the loudest moment of the night was from a half-empty Assembly Hall with three minutes left as a scuffle broke out between the two teams that resulted in an ejection for IU center Oumar Ballo.

“They’re taking up for each other. I get that,” Woodson said after the loss. “In the heat of the battle anything is liable to happen. I don’t condone players pushing players or their player got into our player’s face. It went back and forth, two guys pushing and shoving. I don’t condone that by any means. In the heat of the battle I’m not right there in the situation where I can stop it. Sometimes things get out of hand and they happen.

“You know, Ballo and I will sit and talk, along with Myles, because he was assessed a technical, too, and see where we go from there.”

Mike Woodson has been adamant that losses like Tuesday, or Saturday, are not Indiana basketball. The fact of the matter is, that’s what Indiana basketball has become.

The list of blowout losses under Mike Woodson continues to snowball. Whether it was the 28-point loss to Louisville this season, 17 to Nebraska, 16 to Gonzaga, or the back-to-back 25-point losses, IU’s noncompetitiveness seems to be one of the few consistencies over the last four years.

It’s now been 19 of Indiana’s 32 losses in Big Ten play under Mike Woodson that have now been by double-digits.

“We’ve had some good games against big time opponents over the three years,” Woodson said. “The record doesn’t indicate that.”

But, Tuesday night may have been the most embarrassing of them all. A team that had no pride found itself down 30 in the first half — with ‘Fire Woodson’ chants breaking out from the IU student section. A student section that had already begun to clear out at the under-four media timeout of the first half. Boos were frequently heard all night.

“I understand it. We got embarrassed,” IU wing Luke Goode said. “We have to wear this jersey with more pride as Indiana players. This program is too historical and too great to be represented like that.”

So, what’s next? After a five-game winning streak, the past two performances have Indiana looking itself in the mirror and looking for answers — answers that need to be found quickly.

And, a full reset.

“I don’t think we can carry on like normal,” IU guard Anthony Leal said. “Obviously things need to be addressed between players and themselves and players and each other. I think that’s really the root of it. We just got to lock in, look in the mirror, and understand how embarrassing and unacceptable this is and understand that nobody gets where they want to go if the team doesn’t win. Just reassessing everything and setting our priorities straight man to man and man to himself and finding ways to win games.”

A full reset may be helpful, but this is a consistent theme around this program across the last four years and approaching the middle point of Big Ten play, that’s not a reset button that you want to hit now.

The Indiana basketball program doesn’t have a choice, however. Its record indicates it. Its resume indicates it. And certainly the eye test indicates it.

With the toughest stretch of the season ahead for Indiana, things have the potential to get better, but if nothing changes and performances like Tuesday and Saturday show up, then it will be an extremely difficult road ahead for IU.

“Obviously things aren’t going the way they’re supposed to go right now. That’s a problem we all have to understand amongst ourselves first, and then just coming in with the right mindset every day,” Leal added. “Sure, we just did lose two, but we’re staring nine quad one games in a row in the face. We have two different options, and I think as long as we can all get on the same page about the fact that we can win those nine games, turn the season around, we can make everybody’s dreams come true, right?

“So I think it’s just approaching every day with a new, fresh mentality and understanding we do have a lot of work to do.”

There is no doubt Tuesday was a low point — not only for this season, but the Mike Woodson era. Only time will tell if Tuesday is a moment that will rally the team together and be a true turning point for the rest of the season for Indiana basketball. Because, the coaches and players in the locker room still believe this team is good enough to get the job done.

“We can’t let this be a snowball effect. Like I said, we got a long way to go in this Big Ten,” Woodson said. “Do I think we’re good enough to win? Yeah, I do. I just got to get us to believe that and keep pushing these guys in the right direction.”

“We will get this thing turned around,” Goode added. “We all got the confidence in our teammates, got the confidence in our coaches, so stay on this side when we start being successful again.”

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