After Indiana men’s basketball’s loss to Wisconsin on Feb. 4, head coach Mike Woodson said the Hoosiers were “just not a tough team,” and a few seconds later, he added “mentally, we’re not tough.”
Following Indiana’s 83-78 win over Penn State on Wednesday night at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall in Bloomington, Woodson denied making the claim.
Perhaps he left it in the past — and in his defense, the Hoosiers showed no signs of mental, or physical, weakness Wednesday. And they haven’t shown any in the five games since his initial comments.
Indiana tied Penn State five times before taking its final lead. When the Nittany Lions took their last lead at 69-67 with just under six minutes remaining, the Hoosiers responded with fifth-year senior guard Trey Galloway’s 3-pointer eight seconds later. Galloway nailed another triple less than 40 seconds after.
The Hoosiers (17-11, 8-9 Big Ten) didn’t trail again. They’ve now won three of their last four games, putting themselves firmly in contention for heights that once seemed unattainable: the NCAA Tournament.
“These guys are playing for something,” Woodson said postgame. “We're trying to get in the tournament.”
Woodson’s initial comments in Madison, Wisconsin, came after Indiana lost its fourth consecutive game and sixth of seven overall. The Hoosiers dropped their next outing at home to Michigan, one day after the program announced Woodson would be stepping down at the end of the season.
Indiana’s season appeared to be spiraling. The Hoosiers had one win in the span of the month, their coaching staff was in transition and their schedule didn’t get much easier.
Somehow, they hit their stride.
With its back against the wall and its coach still only three weeks removed from saying it wasn’t tough enough, Indiana has gelled — and is growing into the team most thought it could be leading into the season.
“I think we're coming together, and we know we're a better team than we've shown,” Galloway said postgame. “And we still have a chance and we're fighting for a spot in the tournament and we're fighting for just getting better and pushing our record in the Big Ten. We're taking it one game at a time.”
Perhaps no player epitomized the Hoosiers’ resiliency better than redshirt sophomore guard Myles Rice. He came off the bench for just the third time in his 63-game college career, and with just under four minutes left, he found himself injured and laying face-first for several seconds under the south basket. When Rice arose, he placed his hand on his hip and gingerly walked back to the bench.
But Rice didn’t leave the game. He scored Indiana’s next 6 points, 5 of which came in a 13-second outburst that pushed Indiana’s lead from 75-73 to 80-73 with less than two and a half minutes remaining, forcing Penn State to call timeout. As he walked back to the Hoosiers’ huddle, Rice grabbed his left hip but sported a wide smile fit for the celebratory occasion.
Rice scored 11 of his 13 total points in the second half. He was one of five Hoosiers in double figures, as sixth-year senior Oumar Ballo scored 20 points, Galloway totaled 16 points, sophomore forward Mackenzie Mgbako tallied 13 points and senior forward Luke Goode added 10 points.
Indiana went 10-for-15 shooting from 3-point range, a season-best 66.7% clip. It dished 24 assists, its second most this season and highest number in a Big Ten game. The Hoosiers shot 56.9% from the field, their best mark in conference play, and outrebounded Penn State 30-23.
Wednesday night was, by in large, one of Indiana’s best offensive performances of the season. It served as a carryover from the Hoosiers’ strong second half in a 73-58 win over Purdue on Feb. 23, during which they scored 48 points over the final 20 minutes.
Indiana’s offense is turning the corner, and its defense is finding ways to make key stops in crucial moments. And despite the challenges of a season rooted in highs and lows, the Hoosiers have remained connected. They’re now reaping the rewards.
“Every season has its own challenges,” Galloway said. “But I think really just focusing on how can I make my team better and getting better every day is the biggest thing I've been trying to do because everyone on our team has to make sacrifices for us to be successful. Just really buying into the team and buying into everybody else is the biggest thing.”
Galloway emphasized buy-in multiple times. He may be the team’s best example.
Between injuries and spells of inconsistency, Woodson said Galloway has “had a tough go at it.” But Woodson said he never stopped believing in Galloway, and Galloway has preserved through four years of what Woodson dubbed “a lot of shit.”
Indiana’s season has followed a similar pattern. Even after the Hoosiers hit a new low at Wisconsin, Woodson said he needed to fix it and get his players back feeling good about themselves.
He’s done it — and is starting to shift the fanbase, too. The crowd inside Assembly Hall carried a positive, uplifting energy toward the Hoosiers. Unlike games past, there were no boos directed toward the team.
Indiana, from its crowd to its team to its soon-to-be-gone coach, never gave up Wednesday. It didn’t crumble when Penn State pressured, and it didn’t relinquish a late lead.
The Hoosiers’ past woes disappeared. Woodson’s comments post-Wisconsin didn’t, but the more Indiana wins, the more his harsh criticism becomes a turning point in a season once left for dead.
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.
