It was a long, turbulent regular season for Indiana men’s basketball — and no one knew that better than Mike Woodson.
The Hoosiers head coach faced his share of criticism this year, whether it was from the student section chanting “fire Woodson” during a 94-69 defeat to Illinois or persistent boos inside Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall throughout a losing streak that temporarily derailed Indiana’s season.
Part of the disappointment stemmed from the Hoosiers’ preseason expectations. They entered the 2024-25 season with the No. 2 transfer class in the country, according to 247Sports, and ranked No. 14 in The Associated Press top 25 poll after the first week.
However, after their 70-67 defeat to then-No. 24 Michigan on Feb. 8, the Hoosiers were 14-10 overall and 5-8 in the Big Ten — a drastic difference from where many Indiana fans likely expected them to be at that position in the season.
But Saturday, none of that anger and frustration mattered. As a tribute video played on the video board, honoring Woodson following his final game inside Assembly Hall as the head coach of Indiana, the Hoosier faithful voiced their appreciation with a standing ovation and loud cheers.
To make the moment even sweeter, Indiana had just secured the 66-60 victory over Ohio State on senior day in Bloomington, likely cementing its place in the NCAA Tournament in two weeks.
For Woodson, it also marked the end of a tumultuous four seasons inside Assembly Hall that he wants people to remember for one thing.
“You know, I just want the program to be successful,” Woodson said postgame. “That's all. That's all I ever thought about when I took the job, and that's how I feel now, you know.”
As of now, Woodson has backed up his talk.
The loss to Michigan was the first game following the announcement he would leave the program at the end of the season. Since then, Indiana has won five of its last seven, including wins over then-No. 11 Michigan State and then-No. 13 Purdue. The only losses came by 4 points to UCLA and 9 points to Oregon.
Player performances have certainly improved in that seven-game stretch, but Woodson’s impact also can’t be understated. He’s consistently relied upon his three Indiana natives — senior forward Luke Goode and fifth-year guards Trey Galloway and Anthony Leal.
In response, the veterans have delivered, and Indiana is reaping the rewards.
“I wasn't going to take them out at the end,” Woodson said. “I mean, if you lose, you want to lose with your seniors on the floor.”
On Saturday, Galloway nailed a deep 3-pointer with under a minute and a half to go, pushing the Hoosiers’ lead to 5 points. He also crossed the 1,000-career points threshold, etching his name in program history.
Leal and Goode’s performances were far more muted, but not any less impactful. Both players secured eight rebounds, tying a career high for Goode and marking a new career high for Leal.
As a team, Indiana failed to shoot the ball well, logging splits of 35.2% from the field and 25% from beyond the arc. Defensively is where they truly shone.
The Hoosiers forced 10 turnovers and outrebounded the Buckeyes 40 to 31. Entering the contest, junior guard Bruce Thornton and freshman guard John Mobley Jr. averaged 17.8 points and 13.4 points, respectively. On Saturday, the backcourt duo only managed 16 combined points on 5-for-21 shooting.
“Something that I tried to emphasize to the team early in the season when we were going through our scoring ruts was it doesn't matter how much we score, how well we shoot,” Goode said. “We should still be able to win games when it's ugly. For us to be in a must-win game for our postseason hopes, first, Senior Night at home, too, and to come out and play the defense we did — it's a testament to how much we've grown as a team together.”
Woodson spoke of this level of defense back at Hoosier Hysteria in 2022, when he uttered the common phrase “defense wins championships.” But for Woodson, this wasn’t just some cliche — he was on the staff of the 2003-04 Detroit Pistons squad that won the NBA Finals, one which held opponents to a league-best 83.5 points per game.
While Woodson and Indiana have never experienced the same level of success in his four years at the helm, his defensive mantra seems to finally be taking shape just as his coaching career for the Hoosiers is ending.
With the postseason next on the docket, this is nothing but a good sign for Indiana moving forward.
In seven of their previous eight contests, the Hoosiers have held their opponents to under 74 points. It’s not a coincidence they have five wins in that stretch.
So, Indiana awaits a rematch with Oregon in the Big Ten Tournament. Its berth in the NCAA Tournament is likely clinched, but why stop for the bare minimum?
Each win in the conference tournament is a resume booster, which coincides with a better seeding in March Madness. String together a couple of wins against top competition, and who knows where Indiana will be — maybe even competing for a Big Ten Tournament title.
That’s what Woodson has planned.
“You know, we still have an opportunity to win the Big Ten Tournament,” Woodson said. “Just like the other 14 teams that will be in it. That's all I'm thinking about at this point. You know, nothing else.”
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.
