Getty Image / Andy Lyons
I think it’s fair to say there’s no state in the union more basketball-crazed than Indiana. Sure, pockets of states, or certain urban areas, love their hoops. But, the whole state of Indiana is centered around basketball, similar to Texas and football.
Yes, the Indiana Pacers are there as the state’s NBA team. But, it’s an Indiana Hoosiers’ basketball state. The problem is, the program seems stuck in the mud.
Since firing Bobby Knight just before the 2000-2001 season, Indiana has been searching for the guy who would have them consistently great like Knight did during much of his tenure. But, Mike Davis, Kelvin Sampson, Tom Crean, and Archie Miller have all come and gone. While there have been moments of greatness, like the 2002 National Runners-Up, it’s not been up to the standard of a program that wants to call itself a blue blood.
Current head coach, former Hoosier player and Knicks coach Mike Woodson, was brought in to restore the tradition. After all, he played for Knight, was born and raised in Indiana, and gets how much basketball means to the state.
But, that’s not what’s happened. Yes, the team did make March Madness the last two years, and even won a game in last year’s tournament. But, one tournament wins in two years for that kind of program isn’t very good. And, they’re not close to making the Big Dance this year.
That point was driven home on Saturday, as Indiana fell to Penn State, 83-74. They’re now 14-12, and just 6-9 in the Big Ten.
To make matters worse, against arguably the Big Ten’s three worst programs historically in Northwestern, Nebraska, and Penn State, they went 0-5 this year. Granted, Nebraska and Northwestern are having nice years and Penn State is competitive this year. But, Indiana basketball should never be losing five games in a row to those teams.
Indiana has gotten swept by Penn State, swept by Nebraska and lost at home to Northwestern.
This is one of the worst Hoosier teams in 50 years… without any of the built-in excuses of past rebuilds.
Indiana is going to have some tough decisions to make with Mike Woodson.
— Kevin Sweeney (@CBB_Central) February 24, 2024
At this point, you’ve got to wonder if Mike Woodson will make it to next year. Woodson, at 65-years-old, is not moving the needle with recruits or in the portal in any meaningful way. He has never been known as an elite coach on the clipboard, either. So, why exactly does he have the Indiana job, which should be one of the best jobs in America?
The school just hit what looks to be a home run by hiring football coach Curt Cignetti away from James Madison. Now, they may have to do the same for basketball.