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With ‘everything in front of us’, Indiana basketball has narrowed in its focus — ‘Urgency is the word I come back to’

Indiana basketball has had nothing to lose and everything to gain over the last two weeks. It has been playing with that ‘urgency’ ever since.

Published

4 hours ago

March 2, 2025

Alec Lasley

Indiana basketball has had nothing to lose and everything to gain over the last two weeks. It has been playing with that 'urgency' ever since. (Photo By Dani Meersman/Indiana Athletics)

As the calendar flipped to March, the common theme of college basketball has now become — survive and advance. With just one week left in the regular season, the room for error is little, if not zero, for teams fighting for a spot in the NCAA Tournament. For Indiana basketball, it controls its own destiny at this point; just win.

Indiana did what it needed on Saturday against Washington; win. In a day that brought numerous losses to teams on the NCAA Tournament bubble, the Hoosiers not only took care of business, they made sure the result was not in question. Indiana led for all but 47 seconds on Saturday and led by double digits for 25 minutes of game time in its 78-62 win over the Huskies.

“I think urgency is the word I come back to,” Indiana wing Luke Goode said after the win. “I think we sat back and said, ‘This is it for most of these guys. They are seniors, coach is leaving, everybody’s future is in question. This is the last time that we can come together as a team’ … we just have that urgency that we came out and it’s time to win.”

After losing 7-of-8 from Jan. 11 to Feb. 8, the flip happened. It was shortly after the news came out surrounding Mike Woodson and his intention to step down at seasons end. Since then? Three wins in a row and four of the last five, including wins over No. 11 Michigan State and No. 13 Purdue.

Now, Indiana basketball is squarely on the NCAA Tournament bubble — but looking at it from inside the tournament field.

“We’ve been playing much, much better basketball. These last three games, these guys have come and showed up,” Woodson said postgame. “You can call it that (playing less stressed). I call it when you win, it eases the mind. You do things that you think you’re accustomed to doing, and when you lose, you’re looking over your shoulders, you’re worried about what people are saying. All the shit that really doesn’t matter. I mean, we need right now to support these players, because they are playing hard. They are trying to win basketball games. So that’s how I look at it.”

After a string of losses that came by single digits, games that could’ve easily been flipped in a positive way for the Hoosiers, there was no question about Saturday. Indiana’s 16-point win was the largest Big Ten road win for the Hoosiers since 2019.

Five of the previous six losses were by single digits, with four coming by five points or less.

“When you lose close games, it’s not fun. We played well enough to win those games and we didn’t win. That’s why we’re in the predicament we’re in,” Woodson said. “But you go back and get those four or five games, you’re sitting at the top with everybody else trying to figure out who’s gonna win the Big Ten title.”

While you can’t go back and flip those games in IU’s favor, it’s clear that a few of those losses could’ve easily been flipped. IU was up with under a minute left in both the Maryland and Purdue losses and was tied with Michigan with three minutes left.

Now IU is using those experiences to build the confidence knowing that it can not only stay in these games, it can win them. Something they are doing at the right time.

“You look at the five (close losses) – I could go back to all the games, the Northwestern game, the Maryland game, the Purdue game there, the UCLA game at home. I mean, those are four or five games, if you win those games, we’re not having this conversation because these guys are learning how to win close games. I take a lot of pride as a coach, man, in trying to get them over the hump. So I take it, in terms of not getting it done in those games, but we are playing better and I’ve been saying that.”

Indiana now has two massive opportunities to solidify its tournament chances — at Oregon and then back at home against Ohio State. While Washington’s win doesn’t necessarily do much in favor of its resume, a loss would have been devastating. A win over either Oregon or Ohio State — or both? That’ll move the needle in a major way for IU’s resume.

“We have everything in front of us,” Goode said. “We had three goals this year — win a Big Ten regular season, Big Ten conference (tournament) and win it all (national championship). We didn’t get our first goal. We are battling to get our second and third goal. It’s all right in front of us. We’re going to keep building towards that.”

And that’s all Indiana basketball is focused on.

“It’s March now so it means more for everyone playing around the country,” added Goode. “Especially teams battling to get into the tournament and need to win games. Our urgency has definitely picked up big time and our team has come together at the right time and it shows out there. Everyone is playing for each other and rallying around coach and coming together for a greater purpose.”