Saturday, January 14
Bloomington, Ind.
1:00 PM
Indiana University
vs
Wisconsin
Hoosier Turnaround Starts with Veteran Leadership
1/14/2023 10:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
By Pete DiPrimio
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana's basketball freefall continues, frustration builds, and questions come faster than opponents' relentless three-point-shooting onslaughts, none bigger than this:
How can the Hoosiers (10-6 overall, 1-4 in the Big Ten) reverse their slide from top-10 glory to unranked misery?
Work harder, junior guard Trey Galloway says.
"We have guys who have been here before and gone through it," he says. "We need for the older guys, including myself, to step up and lead."
That includes injured veterans Xavier Johnson (foot) and Race Thompson (leg), who are out indefinitely
"We're short-handed right now," Galloway says, "but we can't make excuses about that. We have to find ways to bring the younger guys with us, and lead by example. We have to step that up. Stick together. Block out all the outside noise and focus on winning games."
Better defense would help. IU has given up at least 84 points in five of its last seven games. It allows 69.3 points a game. Only Iowa, at 72.1, is worse in the Big Ten.
Defending the perimeter has been a big problem. Indiana allows opponents to shoot a Big Ten-worst 35.2 percent from three-point range.
The last three games were hugely disappointing given coach Mike Woodson's defensive emphasis.
The Hoosiers allowed Iowa and Northwestern to go 7-for-19 from beyond the arc. Wednesday night at Penn State, the Big Ten's best three-point-shooting team, it was 18-for-31.
Woodson called the defense, "awful."
"We were right there," he says about defensive positioning that was close, but not close enough. "Raising the hand ain't good enough. We have to get up one more step and make them put the ball on the floor. We weren't doing that."
Poor defensive rotations added to the problem.
"If there was one rotation," Woodson says, "we didn't make the next rotation. We were lost. That's on me. We practice it. We don't bring it to the game."
Part of the problem is not having Johnson and Thompson, although both played against Rutgers and Arizona, which also featured poor Hoosier defense.
"We're young and two of our veteran guys who we count on are on the sideline," Woodson said. "That's a major reason. It's not an excuse.
"I told the young guys when we started this, you've got to grow up quickly. And it's not just the young guys. Miller Kopp, Jordan Geronimo and Trey Galloway are veterans. They have to step up and give us more."
Better communication would help.
"We all have to talk and encourage each other," Galloway says. "We're a unit. That's where you get your spark. Make sure we stick together and listen to the coaches."
Now comes Saturday's home game against No. 18 Wisconsin, which was cruising with a 3-0 Big Ten start until losing senior forward Tyler Wahl to an ankle injury Jan. 3 against Minnesota. The result -- consecutive losses to Illinois on the road and Michigan State at the Kohl Center.
Wahl leads the Badgers (11-4) in scoring (13.2 points) and is second in rebounding (6.4). Coach Greg Gard says Wahl's availability for Saturday is uncertain.
Carter Gilmore has replaced Wahl in the starting lineup. In two starts, Gilmore totaled nine points, eight rebounds and two assists.
Wahl is one of Wisconsin's four double-figure scorers. The others are guard Chucky Hepburn (13.0 points, 3.5 rebounds, team-leading 51 assists and 31 steals), forward Steven Crowl (12.9, 6.9) and guard Connor Essegian (10.3).
The Badgers also have a formidable three-point-shooting attack. Five players have made at least 14 three-pointers. Hepburn is 33-for-68, 48.5 percent. Essegain is 31-for-68, 45.6 percent.
IU has lost 10 of the last 11 meetings with Wisconsin. The only victory came in double overtime at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall in 2019. It has only beaten the Badgers three times in 27 meetings since 2007, and only nine times in the 21st Century.
Through it all, Woodson says he hasn't given up on the Hoosiers, and won't let them give up on themselves.
"We have some young guys, and two veteran guys are off to the side and aren't coming through that door any time soon. I have to manage it."
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana's basketball freefall continues, frustration builds, and questions come faster than opponents' relentless three-point-shooting onslaughts, none bigger than this:
How can the Hoosiers (10-6 overall, 1-4 in the Big Ten) reverse their slide from top-10 glory to unranked misery?
Work harder, junior guard Trey Galloway says.
"We have guys who have been here before and gone through it," he says. "We need for the older guys, including myself, to step up and lead."
That includes injured veterans Xavier Johnson (foot) and Race Thompson (leg), who are out indefinitely
"We're short-handed right now," Galloway says, "but we can't make excuses about that. We have to find ways to bring the younger guys with us, and lead by example. We have to step that up. Stick together. Block out all the outside noise and focus on winning games."
Better defense would help. IU has given up at least 84 points in five of its last seven games. It allows 69.3 points a game. Only Iowa, at 72.1, is worse in the Big Ten.
Defending the perimeter has been a big problem. Indiana allows opponents to shoot a Big Ten-worst 35.2 percent from three-point range.
The last three games were hugely disappointing given coach Mike Woodson's defensive emphasis.
The Hoosiers allowed Iowa and Northwestern to go 7-for-19 from beyond the arc. Wednesday night at Penn State, the Big Ten's best three-point-shooting team, it was 18-for-31.
Woodson called the defense, "awful."
"We were right there," he says about defensive positioning that was close, but not close enough. "Raising the hand ain't good enough. We have to get up one more step and make them put the ball on the floor. We weren't doing that."
Poor defensive rotations added to the problem.
"If there was one rotation," Woodson says, "we didn't make the next rotation. We were lost. That's on me. We practice it. We don't bring it to the game."
Part of the problem is not having Johnson and Thompson, although both played against Rutgers and Arizona, which also featured poor Hoosier defense.
"We're young and two of our veteran guys who we count on are on the sideline," Woodson said. "That's a major reason. It's not an excuse.
"I told the young guys when we started this, you've got to grow up quickly. And it's not just the young guys. Miller Kopp, Jordan Geronimo and Trey Galloway are veterans. They have to step up and give us more."
Better communication would help.
"We all have to talk and encourage each other," Galloway says. "We're a unit. That's where you get your spark. Make sure we stick together and listen to the coaches."
Now comes Saturday's home game against No. 18 Wisconsin, which was cruising with a 3-0 Big Ten start until losing senior forward Tyler Wahl to an ankle injury Jan. 3 against Minnesota. The result -- consecutive losses to Illinois on the road and Michigan State at the Kohl Center.
Wahl leads the Badgers (11-4) in scoring (13.2 points) and is second in rebounding (6.4). Coach Greg Gard says Wahl's availability for Saturday is uncertain.
Carter Gilmore has replaced Wahl in the starting lineup. In two starts, Gilmore totaled nine points, eight rebounds and two assists.
Wahl is one of Wisconsin's four double-figure scorers. The others are guard Chucky Hepburn (13.0 points, 3.5 rebounds, team-leading 51 assists and 31 steals), forward Steven Crowl (12.9, 6.9) and guard Connor Essegian (10.3).
The Badgers also have a formidable three-point-shooting attack. Five players have made at least 14 three-pointers. Hepburn is 33-for-68, 48.5 percent. Essegain is 31-for-68, 45.6 percent.
IU has lost 10 of the last 11 meetings with Wisconsin. The only victory came in double overtime at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall in 2019. It has only beaten the Badgers three times in 27 meetings since 2007, and only nine times in the 21st Century.
Through it all, Woodson says he hasn't given up on the Hoosiers, and won't let them give up on themselves.
"We have some young guys, and two veteran guys are off to the side and aren't coming through that door any time soon. I have to manage it."
Players Mentioned
Guard
/ Men's Basketball
Forward
/ Men's Basketball
Guard
/ Men's Basketball
Forward
/ Men's Basketball
Forward
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