Indiana basketball is back at square one – what now?

Following a failed comeback attempt in a 70-67 loss to Michigan on Saturday, Indiana coach Mike Woodson sat at the postgame press conference with an expressionless gaze, staring into the void after yet another missed opportunity.

The beginning of the end had arrived.

Just days removed from rumors turned confirm truths of Woodson’s resignation at the season’s conclusion, Saturday marked the third time in four contests the Hoosiers had opportunities to win in the final minute but couldn’t pull through. It was a result now repetitive in nature, bound to happen.

“We haven’t been the same team for a while now,” Woodson said postgame. “And for whatever reason we’ve dug a hole. I’ve done a terrible job in really putting them in the best position possible to win, I think.”

That sums up the state of the program. Now seeking its sixth full-time coach since 2000, it marks another failed coaching tenure, another chance to hit the reset button. Another opportunity to try to – finally – get it right.

IU basketball has become trapped in a loop of doom. What’s the right direction to escape?

In terms of closing out this season, even that remains a question mark.

“I wish I knew,” Woodson said regarding why Indiana’s roster talent hasn’t equated to success. “My job, again, as the coach is to continue to push them and keep them in a good frame of mind and hopefully something good will click.”

Against the Wolverines, IU turned a blowout into a nail-biter. Trailing by as many as 18 points just a minute before halftime, the Hoosiers looked lost and uninspired in the first half. Despite an encouraging crowd, the product was bad enough to merit a string of boos entering the tunnel.

Then, a switch flipped. Mackenzie Mgbako ignited a scoring burst, and a few adjustments made the defensive effort night and day – notably Anthony Leal’s success marking 7-foot point-forward Danny Wolf.

With 9:30 remaining, IU shrunk its deficit to one point. After Michigan responded with a run, the Hoosiers exerted another push and tied the game at 59 all with 4:08 left.

However, Indiana ran out of gas. Despite multiple chances, the Hoosiers struggled to string together quality possessions in the final minutes and lost a game they never led.

It wasn’t exactly the same story, but the ringing shades of the Maryland and Purdue losses struck again.

“You’ve got to tip your hat and give them a lot of credit – I do – because they could have folded it up and called it a night,” Woodson said. “Guys fought, but Michigan was the better team.”

Now sitting 14-10 and 5-8 in Big Ten play, IU – somehow – isn’t totally dead. With five Quadrant 1 opportunities remaining, the NCAA tournament is still in sight, though binoculars are needed.

In the same sentiment, the Hoosiers may miss the Big Ten tournament entirely. Tied for 13th before Saturday night’s games have wrapped up, Indiana’s 2-10 Quad 1 record can foreshadow how the final games will play out.

That’s where the short term stands for now. The long term? Oh boy.

Coaching hot boards have already been published, rightfully so, and the Indiana opening will undisputedly be the news of the offseason for as long as it’s open.

IU has time for now, but it needs to buy in on a direction and stick to it. Which direction that will be is an open question.

Since Bob Knight’s storied tenure ended clouded by controversy, the program has attempted multiple different routes. First, it stayed in-house with Mike Davis. After a storybook 2002 National Championship run, Davis struggled and his ship slowly sank.

Next was Kelvin Sampson. A brilliant coach with a questionable background, the Hoosiers took a risk and went for it. Recruiting violations pushed Sampson out the door.

Tom Crean pivoted the program from bottom feeders to national contenders but just couldn’t reach the next level and success started to bob. Next.

When Indiana hired Archie Miller, it was viewed as a home run. Although Miller had only succeeded at the mid-major level, a promising future with him at the helm looked imminent.

Except it didn’t happen. Miller floundered, couldn’t muster an NCAA tournament appearance (partially due to COVID-19) and was booted after four seasons.

That brings things up to date. IU chose to hire Woodson, hoping to re-ignite the days of Knight with a former player with NBA coaching experience. Obviously, it hasn’t worked out as anticipated.

It’s been a long, bumpy road to now. Indiana has seen success and promise slip right from its grasp several times over, a frustrating reality for Hoosier fans.

Most coaching boards consist of candidates who encompass all possible directions. Whether it be a name with relations to the program, a young up-and-comer, an experienced yet older candidate or even those who are successful but muddled by controversy, the list has it all.

All that’s left is to see where it goes. Once again, the program’s fate lies in a singular hire, the same decision that hasn’t panned out several times over.

There may be no singular right or wrong answer, but it’s a decision that will require confidence and trust. With at least the next four years likely depending on the right hire, it feels like more than ever it needs to be right.

For now, only time will tell.

Category: Media

Filed to: Mike Woodson