Indiana men’s basketball’s 76-64 uncompetitive loss to No. 21 Wisconsin at Kohl Center in Madison, Wisconsin, on Tuesday night was many things.
Yet another defeat at an arena the Hoosiers haven’t won in since Titanic was atop the box office, Indiana’s fourth loss in a row and sixth in its last seven outings and — most importantly — another missed opportunity in a rapidly sinking season.
“We’re running out of games,” head coach Mike Woodson said postgame. “I have to figure these next eight games out because it’s going to be very pivotal for our basketball team in terms of making tournament play.”
On Jan. 28, ESPN Bracketologist Joe Lunardi had the Hoosiers (14-9, 5-7 Big Ten) planted firmly in the bubble, listed as a member of the First Four Out. In his latest bracketology prediction Wednesday afternoon, Indiana disappeared entirely.
Something changed.
During that time span, the Hoosiers missed out on a pair of possible Quad 1 wins. One came in heartbreaking fashion to in-state rival No. 7 Purdue on Jan. 31, while the other resulted from a woeful start against the Badgers.
Both matchups were against Associated Press Top 25 teams on the road — difficult circumstances to overcome. Regardless, they were matchups that were necessary for Indiana to grow its depleting resume heading into March.
Still, the Hoosiers have a glimmer of hope. Six of their final eight matchups in Big Ten play are against Quad 1 opponents. However, for Indiana to claw its way back into NCAA Tournament contention, winning is a good place to start. The Hoosiers haven’t been doing it.
“It’s not rocket science,” Woodson said. “Right now, our backs are against the wall, we’re not playing great basketball. We’re playing in spurts.”
Consistency has been one of the utmost concerns for Indiana this season. In the rare instances Woodson’s team played a coherent 40 minutes of basketball in Big Ten play, games were competitive.
In its 81-76 loss to Purdue, Indiana led with 12 seconds remaining. The Hoosiers led with 8 seconds remaining in their 79-78 defeat to Maryland on Jan. 26. While both games ended with costly self-imposed mistakes that ultimately nullified its quality efforts, consistency kept Indiana in contention.
That same cannot be said about the loss to Wisconsin.
“We’re just not a tough team right now,” Woodson said. “We’re not. Mentally we’re not tough. You figure we have a game like we did at Purdue where we really competed for 40 minutes, and then we come in here and we lay an egg based on how we started the ball game.”
The Hoosiers trailed the Badgers 26-4 in a disaster first half they were unable to overcome. Indiana’s desired climb back into bubble conversations will more likely than not be halted in short order if it continues playing solely in “spurts.”
Fortunately for the Hoosiers, yet another crucial opportunity awaits at 1 p.m. Saturday when No. 24 Michigan (16-5, 8-2 Big Ten) arrives at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall in Bloomington, Indiana.
In a season that opened with Indiana ranked second in the Big Ten preseason media poll, Woodson’s team now sits firmly at 11th in the conference standings. Whether the underwhelming season is solidified as a lost cause will be decided as the Hoosiers begin one final push towards a berth in the NCAA Tournament.
Follow reporters Daniel Flick (@ByDanielFlick) and Quinn Richards (@Quinn_richa) and columnist Mateo Fuentes-Rohwer (@mateo_frohwer) for updates throughout the Indiana men’s basketball season.
