Hoosiers end year below .500

As the losses continue to mount for the Hoosiers, so does the frustration. \nIU finished with its first losing regular season since 1969-70, as No. 17 Wisconsin won 70-52 Saturday in Assembly Hall.\nNow, without a championship in next week's Big Ten Tournament, the Hoosiers (13-14, 7-9 Big Ten) won't make the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 18 years. Without at least two wins in the Big Ten Tournament, the Hoosiers won't even make the National Invitational Tournament.\n"I'm looking forward to a tournament atmosphere up in Conseco," sophomore guard Bracey Wright said. "I'm looking forward to everybody coming in 0-0, clean slate. It's win or go home right now for us. It's going to be fun to see how we respond."\nThe possibility of not making the NCAA Tournament is not sitting well with some Hoosiers. Wright had already said he doesn't want to play in the NIT. Senior guard A.J. Moye made the same case Saturday.\n"That's a loser's tournament. It might be inappropriate to say, but that's what it is," Moye said. "I played for the (NCAA) National Championship. The NIT doesn't excite me. I want to get in the tournament. We've got to win all of these games.\n"It's just about getting on the boat. Right now, it's easy for us to quit. So whoever wants to get off the boat, get off the boat. Whoever wants to get on, get on 'cause the ship's leaving. I'm trying to win. I won't play in no NIT. That's a joke."\nThat mentality does not sit well with IU coach Mike Davis. He said had the team taken care of its home games, then it wouldn't be in this position. At 13-14, he said the team should pray they can get into the NIT.\nJunior guard and Indiana native Ryan Tapak said the team should go wherever it can.\n"You still play wherever we're supposed to go play, whether it be the NIT or NCAA," Tapak said. "I mean, it's an honor to put on the Indiana jersey, and if you don't want to go out and put it on, then don't put it on. That's how I feel about that."\nThe focus now shifts to the Big Ten Tournament, where No. 8 seed IU will match up with No. 9 seed Ohio State at noon Thursday. If the Hoosiers win, they will have to face Big Ten Champion Illinois Friday.\n"We just have one last breath," sophomore guard Marshall Strickland said. "We're going to play every game like it's our last. As long as we win, we keep playing, and that's going to be out motto going into the tournament."\nIU got off to a quick start Saturday and led by has many as five. The Hoosiers led by two with 13:32 left in the half, but Wisconsin (21-6, 12-4) outscored IU 24-7 the rest of the way, leaving IU trailing by 15 at the half. Wisconsin junior guard Devin Harris scored 16 of his game-high 26 in the first half.\n"Tonight they got off to an OK start, but Devin Harris got off to a great start," Davis said. "When you looked up, it was 22-16, and Harris had 16 of the 22 points. How do you overcome that when one of their guys has 16 points? It's Indiana -- 16, Devin Harris -- 16. That really hurt."\nIU must now win four games in four days in order to receive the Big Ten's automatic bid to the NCAA. The Hoosiers must win at least two or be faced with the prospect that their season is over.\n"It's unlike any other thing that you have to go through except for when you play AAU basketball in the summer," Wright said. "Four games in four days -- the NBA really doesn't do that much. It will be tough. It will be fun to see how we will respond. Teams are going to be tired, and everybody's going to be tired. It's just who wants it."\n-- Contact staff writer Tyler V. Hoeppner at thoeppne@indiana.edu.