LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — If you’re in the small but vocal group howling the absurd narrative that Indiana University erred by pushing coach Mike Woodson to announce his retirement on Feb. 7, I have a suggestion for you:
Watch a replay of the Big Ten Tournament game the Hoosiers lost to Oregon, 72-59, Thursday afternoon at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
You’ll encounter a mountain (or would it be a hump?) of evidence of why it’s time for a change in Bloomington.
Here’s Indiana playing 55 miles from campus. There is Oregon, nearly 2,300 miles from home.
Here’s Indiana with thousands of fans. There’s Oregon with a friends and family crowd.
"We never talked about that," Oregon coach Dana Altman said.
Here’s Indiana tipping at noon. There’s Oregon tipping at 9 a.m. Pacific time on a Daylight Savings Time week.
Here’s Indiana playing for its NCAA Tournament life. There’s Oregon safely in the field, likely as a No. 5 seed.
Here’s Indiana racing to a 17-9 lead. There’s Oregon throwing the ball away on nine first-half possessions.
There's everything set up in Indiana's favor and Woodson and his inept team still could not get it done, losing to Oregon for the second time in nine days while proving they’re simply not good enough to compete at the top of the Big Ten.
They scored only 59 points against an opponent that averages giving up 71 per game. It was the second fewest points Oregon allowed in a Big Ten game this season as the Hoosiers shot 36% from the field, made 4 of 16 three-point shots and missed half of their 10 free throws.
That is a losing formula.
"I thought we competed in stretches but we just couldn't finish it," Woodson said, while repeating a tired refrain from this underachieving season that begain with IU ranked in the Top 25 with an NIL budget reportedly of more than $5 million.
Indiana fumbled and bumbled, taking a damaging loss that might keep them out of the NCAA Tournament for the second consecutive season.
The loss dropped IU to 19-13. On Thursday many bracket projections had the Hoosiers in the NCAA Tournament but likely among the last four in, opening in a play-in game in Dayton for the second time in four seasons.
Now, who knows? Flip a coin. Grab a rabbit's foot.
The Hoosiers will fret every minute until Selection Sunday, knowing that every time another bubble team succeeds IU’s situation will become more tenuous. Off-the-wall, bid-stealers winning any conference tournament, the way North Carolina State won the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament last season, will only make the Hoosiers future more daunting.
"I think we should be in the NCAA Tournament not only because we have some big solid wins, not only against Michigan State, but we got Purdue at home and we swept OSU (Ohio State)," said Malik Reneau, who led IU with 19 points.
"We know we should be a tournament team," said Trey Galloway, who excelled with 15 points, nine assists and four rebounds. "There were those crucial losses that were just so tight, one-possession games."
Maybe. Maybe not. IU started the day ranked No. 52 in the NCAA NET formula. They have four Quad I wins and a 13 Quad I defeats. I don't believe the committee gives extra credit for quality Quad I losses.
This was trademark Indiana basketball under Woodson, erratic offense, inconsistent defense.
Two mainstays — Myles Rice and Luke Goode — failed to score a field goal. They went 0 for 10 in 61 combined minutes. IU was outscored by a staggering 23 points in the 28 minutes that Rice was on the court.
Anthony Leal, a former Mr. Basketball who was recruited because of his reputation as a shooter, missed the front end of two one-and-ones in the final 4 minutes. Even Woodson recognized those were crushing.
Woodson persisted in playing Kanaan Carlyle, even though he contributes nothing. In only 6 minutes, Carlyle missed two shots but had zero points, rebounds, assists, steals or blocks.Â
IU was outscored 13-4 at the end of the first half and 16-5 at the end of the second half.
"We've had (those stretches) off and on," Woodson said. "But you've got to give them credit ... It's just the little things."
The Hoosiers melted down at the end of the first half and the end of the second half, while stretching the program’s amazing tradition of never winning the Big Ten Tournament.
"I think we've been playing some of our best basketball," Woodson said. "Tonight, or this afternoon, wasn't an indication of how we've been playing ...
"It's been a good run since I've been here and I just hope it's not over with yet."
We'll find out Saturday. But odds are it's on to the coaching search.
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