Source: Icon Sportswire / Getty
It’s been a downright awful season for the Indiana Hoosiers. On Wednesday night, we finally saw rock bottom. The Hoosiers were dominated at home 85-70 by a Nebraska Cornhuskers squad that earned it’s first road win in conference play this season. Boos rained down from the Assembly Hall crowd, those that still stayed that is. The Hoosiers were in a 20-point deficit at halftime and despite cutting the lead down to three, never were able to keep the game within reach. It was Indiana’s third straight loss at home to conference opponents.
In his postgame press conference, Mike Woodson cited youth and inexperience as to why his team continues to not only lose but lose by double-digits. “We’re young, we’re missing our senior point guard. Trying to play a freshman at point guard. It’s tough. We played well enough in spurts but not well enough to complete ball games and that’s what it makes it the most frustrating.”
Some fans would say what’s most frustrating is the continued lack of any sort of accountability out of the head coach. This team has been bad from the jump and have regressed instead of improved in any way. Not only that, but the Hoosiers are trudging towards another season that will likely end without an NCAA Tournament spot and an off-season that could see even more roster upheaval and uncertainty.
The Hoosiers have five games left in the regular season. If they were somehow to lose all five that would give them eight straight losses to end the season and nine of the last ten. Would that be enough for IU to move on from Woodson? Or is he coming back regardless? He stated earlier this week that while he’s getting older he wants to keep coaching but if the current trend keeps rolling, it’s going to be really hard for anyone in the athletic department to make a case why he should stay.
Bringing him back does what exactly? The team is going to look vastly different and he’ll be a year older. Are we going to treat next year like a rebuilding year? If so, then what was this year? And Woodson’s contract will be nearing its end so are you signing him to an extension? If not, then why even wait to pull the trigger?
The Hoosiers appear to be the band playing on the Titanic as it sank into the Atlantic Ocean. No longer avoiding disaster as it’s already arrived and just going through the motions before the inevitable happens.
Mike Woodson is Edward J. Smith.
