Indiana Basketball Hoosiers: Down but Not Out

Indiana Basketball Hoosiers: Down but Not Out

 This report applies to the women's team, which is struggling as well, but more focused on the men's team, once nationally ranked in December and 12-2 in wins and losses; a nail biter loss at Arkansas and a blow out by super stars Duke in Durham were the only two setbacks in the loss column. Good wins against Marquette, Louisville, and Butler. Despite some slow starts against some inferior teams, this club had some promise and verve. Things changed.

What a crazy season for Indiana basketball, and not the way that we want it to be.

It has been harrowingly frustrating and really disappointing.

Things were going decently until the Maryland comeback flop of January 11, some 5 weeks ago? The IU boys got off to a spectacular start, a game in College Park, one I might have attended had I not been working. I tracked most of the game on my phone; I was so excited for the unusually good start, leading the Terrapins in double figures early. But by the half Maryland showed some life and cut the spread to about 8. The second half was all Maryland, and IU could not keep them off the boards. Loss by 3.

And then things went worse... 

Loss after mind-numbing loss. Close ones and blow outs. At home and away.

Now we have lost 11 out of 12 in this span. All Big Ten conference games. Last night was as frustrating as they come. At least IU was around at the end. But they should have WON.

Should have. Not on this streak.

Nail biter to Purdue. Our stars came up short with dumb turnovers at the end. Romeo Langford charges. Juwuan Morgan loses the ball out of bounds. The Boilermakers, despite being poor at their shooting overall, found the necessary points to pull out the barn burner. The barn was fumigated, rather. Sure, not exactly "burnt" by what should be the standards of a good shooting game in  a "barn burner". No nets were warmed much at all. One of Purdue's biggest shots bounced off the front of the room, and then went ominously down through the hoop. Huge three pointer when trailing by four. That shot pulled Purdue to within 1 with a minute or so to go.

IU had this game. Like Ohio State two Sundays ago. We lead by three with under a minute. No luck.

There were some closer losses where a few plays or calls might have made the difference. But no, IU mentally is not fit to win these games.

The last two out of three, going down to the wire? IU is showing some pluck.

But not enough. 

With at least 6 games to go, sitting at 13-13, IU could eek out a good enough record to make the NIT, something they could not even do last year, Archie Miller's first in Bloomington.

Last year is another story altogether. But now in the second year of his tenure, the choice of coaches again comes up, a question at Indiana University since 1995.

I know these are young guys.

Something has to change.

Can we find the crazy verve that the Hoosiers displayed in East Lansing for their one improbable win in Over Time three weeks ago, again a game I followed on my phone while at work?

Time will tell.

IU should have beaten Northwestern, Nebraska, Rutgers. Despite what national pundits say, those are bad losses. We let guys go nuts from three that had not done anything all season. (See Justin Smith not playing perimeter defense on the bench nothing dude in Evanston. Nothing against that guy. It was the game if his life, which will likely never happen again.)

Ummmmm. Um, um, um.

We will be lucky to make it to the NIT.

The NCAA hopes were done when we lost in Piscataway. Even if we beat a majority of these teams...

Archie, I still am holding on... Make the NIT and go far in that tourney. Give me some hope.

We are down, but fighting, and not out. Six or more games to go.

Hopefully 11 to 13 to go... If they can run a good run, ARCHIE!