INDIANAPOLIS — They had to shake hands in defeat. Then, they had to do it again.
The Hoosiers lost on a buzzer-beating corner 3-pointer from Michigan’s Kameron Chatman. But 0.2 seconds were put back on the clock. Then, they officially lost.
The upset likely stung enough, but I don’t imagine exchanging pleasantries with the victor a second time was any better.
This was a disappointing and disheartening defeat for IU. After Chatman’s shot fell, the players sat dumbfounded without movement for a few moments.
As the Hoosiers walked off the floor for good, IU Coach Tom Crean was waiting for them under the basket. He stopped each player one by one and said a little something to them.
It’s March, and there’s still work to do.
To freshman center Thomas Bryant, Crean said to be a leader and to keep his head high.
His comments to senior forward Max Bielfeldt were regarding a specific play from earlier in the game.
To senior guard Yogi Ferrell, Crean spoke the longest.
“We’re still going to get better,” Ferrell said Crean told him. “Don’t get down on the team. Don’t get down on yourself. We’re going to learn from this loss.”
And it was a troubling loss. An IU team riding high off a regular season Big Ten title and a great run to end the season fell in its first test as the No. 1 seed in the Big Ten. There was no clear cut area of struggle as a team Friday. The offense struggled, but that’s rarely a concern.
The biggest disappointment for IU may be losing the March experience that could have been gained in Bankers Life Fieldhouse. This is a group of Hoosiers that does not have many tournament wins under its belt.
Only Ferrell and Bielfeldt have any NCAA Tournament victories in their careers, and Bielfeldt’s were with a different program. Most of the members of this team are either used to losing early in postseason tournaments or are freshmen who could have gained experience.
Bryant said it was nice to get a taste of what playing in March is like. It was a small and bitter taste.
Junior forward Troy Williams was asked about it being good IU was able to play in such a competitive game. He countered that IU could have gotten even more of those opportunities Saturday and Sunday if it kept winning.
The argument could me made, I guess, that it’s better to light that fire again now compared to any other time. The Hoosiers were on top. Now, they can be knocked down a peg and get back to work.
I don’t think IU entered this game arrogantly, though. Michigan played a pretty good game. The fact IU was 3-0 without sophomore guard Rob Johnson was impressive. It seemed it felt his absence a bit more Friday.
But the Hoosiers have one choice now: move on. It’s a good team and one that’s proven it can hang with plenty of the top teams. Instead of three or four days off before the NCAA Tournament, IU gets six or seven.
I’m sure it would change places with the opportunity, but it has to move forward.
