Indiana traveled to Madison on Tuesday, aiming to break a 20-game losing streak at the Kohl Center that dates back to 1998. However, after falling behind by 15 points within the first five minutes, it became evident that this would not be the year they ended that drought. The Hoosiers’ struggles continued as they suffered their fourth consecutive loss of the season, dropping to 5-7 in Big Ten play. This marks a significant downturn for a team that had started conference play strong at 4-1 but has since lost six of its last seven games. Now sitting at 11th place in the Big Ten standings, Indiana faces a real risk of missing the 15-team conference tournament.
Expectations were much higher for Indiana this season, especially after head coach Mike Woodson and his staff brought in key transfers through the portal. These additions led many analysts to rank Indiana among the top teams in the Big Ten before the season began. The Hoosiers even started the year ranked in the AP Poll. However, their performance has not lived up to those projections, and with only eight games remaining, their best hope of making the NCAA Tournament appears to be securing a spot in the Big Ten Tournament.
Indiana’s struggles were evident even before conference play began. They suffered a blowout loss to Louisville, a team that has since performed well, and followed it up with another defeat against Gonzaga, a squad experiencing a down year. Entering Big Ten play in December, Indiana had managed just two victories against high-major competition. Neither win was considered a Quad 1 victory, as they came against South Carolina (ranked No. 90 in the NET rankings) at home and Providence (No. 83 in the NET rankings) at a neutral site.
The lack of quality wins meant Indiana needed to bolster its tournament resume through Big Ten competition, but it has not succeeded in doing so. While opportunities remain, the Hoosiers may need to win every remaining game to keep their postseason hopes alive. Adding to their struggles is the fact that many of their losses have been by large margins. The team trailed by as many as 22 points in their latest defeat, marking the sixth time in eight losses that they have fallen by at least 10 points.
Indiana’s inability to stay competitive against even average opponents has prevented the team from reaching its full potential. If they hope to turn things around, they must significantly improve their performance in the final stretch of the season.
