EAST LANSING, Mich. — As Michigan State fans filed out of the Breslin Center, climbing the steps of the lower bowl to brave the cold beyond the doors, a parting call rang out through the speakers.
“Go, Green!” a voice shouted.
Throughout the night, even when their Spartans faced deficits, the fans had responded emphatically, urging their team on. Whether through coordinated claps, cheers or chants, the crowd always backed Michigan State.
But in those instances, there was still hope. Now, it was lost.
A measly “Go, White” trickled amongst the crowd, as it was the only answer they could muster. The same fans that had been jumping, screaming and clapping their hands now seemed lost, defeated and disappointed.
Those three words also describe the past two weeks for Indiana men’s basketball — lost, defeated and disappointed.
A five-game losing streak in the middle of the conference slate was bad enough. Knowing that Mike Woodson would not retain the head coaching position at the end of the season made it even worse.
The one person meant to guide the program, steer it through the treacherous waters and come out the other side victorious, wouldn’t last long enough to see it through.
That was, until Tuesday night.
After their 71-67 win over No. 11 Michigan State in East Lansing, the Hoosiers' future is uncertain. For the first time in a while, that’s a good thing.
“They know that I won’t be back, and that’s tough on these guys,” Woodson said postgame. “It’s tough on me. But we still got a lot of season left.”
Indiana’s 76-64 defeat at No. 16 Wisconsin on Feb. 4 wasn’t demoralizing, but it was certainly indicative of the program’s trajectory for the rest of the season. However, when it was announced Feb. 7 that Woodson would not return, the players were given the perfect opportunity to turn the season around and win the remaining games on behalf of their head coach — and a program legend.
The 70-67 loss to No. 20 Michigan on Feb. 8 wasn’t a good start. And if the first game since the announcement didn’t result in a win, it was unclear which game would.
A top 15 road match against one of the top teams in the Big Ten in a hostile road environment proved to be the one.
Indiana’s win was anything but smooth. It needed to erase an early deficit, keep Michigan State’s transition offense stunted and hit game-winning free throws.
The Hoosiers had dealt with similar situations previously. Against Michigan, they faced a 16-point halftime deficit. Against Wisconsin, they were overrun by a 3-point barrage from the Badgers. Against Maryland, they missed critical free throws.
None of those issues reemerged Tuesday night. Indiana never trailed in the second half, held Michigan State to 4-for-23 shooting from behind the arc and netted nine of its final 10 free throws in the game.
As a result, Indiana secured its first ranked win since Feb. 25, 2023, when it faced then-No. 5 Purdue at Mackey Arena.
The game may be inconsequential, a mere glimmer of hope in an otherwise dark season, but I would be remiss not to discuss the possible trajectory this win could take the team.
In their final six games, the Hoosiers still have four Quad 1 opportunities to boost their resume. Of those four, three will be at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall, while the other is against Oregon, a squad that lost five straight before its win over Northwestern on Tuesday night.
Indiana sits in 12th place in the conference standings, now firmly in position to clinch a spot in the Big Ten Tournament. While their recent slide may have been reason to worry that that may not be the case, the Hoosiers should have their eyes set on more than just a conference tournament appearance.
Tied with Oregon at 6-8, Indiana is only half a game back from the No. 8 seed. Given where the program was situated heading into Tuesday’s contest, it’s a realistic possibility the Hoosiers attain a bye for the tournament.
But they don’t need to worry about that just yet. Next up for Indiana is a bout against UCLA at 8 pm. Friday, one that will mark its trajectory for the remainder of the season.
“I just got to do a better job these last six, seven games I think it is, left in getting these guys to believe in one another,” Woodson said. “That’s what it’s all about. I mean, they’ve had a tough go at it, but I can’t let them quit.”
Regardless of whether Woodson and Indiana back up those words, the Hoosiers showed there’s still life in the squad — at least for one night.
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.
