Indiana University Athletics
Saturday, March 8
Bloomington, Ind.
3:45 p.m.
Indiana University
vs
Ohio State
‘Fighting’ Hoosiers Face High Stakes Against Ohio State
3/8/2025 8:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
By Pete DiPrimio
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Adversity hasn't broken the Indiana Hoosiers. Coach Mike Woodson makes that clear. NCAA tourney participation remains within reach, and IU is dialed in.
"We are playing for something," Woodson says. "These guys have been fighting, fighting, and fighting."
The final regular-season fight comes Saturday against Ohio State at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall and stakes are high.
IU (18-12 overall, 9-10 in the Big Ten) and Ohio State (17-13, 9-10) will play for a first-round bye in next week's Big Ten tourney. The winner will get the No. 9 seed and won't play until Thursday. The loser will finish 10th and play on Wednesday.
"We are in the mix of a battle," Woodson says, "and anything can happen when you get in tournament play."
IU and Ohio State project as making the 68-team NCAA tourney field, but that's not guaranteed. A Saturday victory could be decisive.
The Buckeyes, who have won two straight nail-biters, have a No. 36 NET ranking with six Quad 1 wins. IU is at No. 55 with four Quad 1 victories, including Michigan State and Purdue.
The Hoosiers were positioned for a huge victory at Oregon on Tuesday night but faded in the final 90 seconds and lost 73-64. The Ducks scored the game's final 10 points.
"We executed our offense poorly," Woodson said. "We had good play calls made, but (Oregon) took us out of it. That's something we have to learn from. When it's (crunch) time, you've got to step up and make plays, which we've been doing."
As far as Saturday's game, guards Trey Galloway and Anthony Leal, centers Oumar Ballo and Langdon Hatton, and forward Luke Goode will go through Senior Day festivities.
Ballo averages 13.3 points, 9.2 rebound, 2.2 assists, and 1.3 blocks while shooting 64.2% from the field. He has nine double-doubles in his last 17 games, including his 10-point, 12-rebound effort in Tuesday's loss at Oregon.
Galloway is 11 points away from reaching 1,000 career points. He has 418 assists. He joins Purdue's Baden Smith as the only active Big Ten players with more than 950 points, 400 assists, 300 rebounds, and 100 steals.
Leal, a former Indiana high school Mr. Basketball, has started the last 12 games and averaged 3.9 points 3.4 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 2.1 steals in that stretch while guarding the opponents' best perimeter player.
In his last 18 games, including 14 starts, Goode has averaged 11.4 points and 3.2 rebounds while shooting 44.6% on 3-pointers.
The Hoosiers have won the last four meetings against Ohio State, including 77-76 in overtime in mid-January in Columbus. Goode scored a career-high 23 points with 4-for-7 3-point shooting. Ballo had 21 points and 15 rebounds.
Guard Bruce Thornton paces Ohio State in scoring (17.8 points), 3-point baskets made (57), assists (135), and steals (33). Forward Devin Royal averages 13.6 points and 7.0 rebounds. Also scoring in double figures are guards John Mobley Jr. (13.4) and Micah Parrish (13.0).
Four Buckeyes -- Thornton, Parrish, Royal and Mobley Jr. -- scored at least 20 points in a 116-114 double-over win over Nebraska. Ohio State had never before won a game when it had allowed 100 or more points.
The Buckeyes have scored 83 or more points in four of their last six games.
"We have a tough Ohio State team coming in," Woodson says, "We have to figure that out."
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Adversity hasn't broken the Indiana Hoosiers. Coach Mike Woodson makes that clear. NCAA tourney participation remains within reach, and IU is dialed in.
"We are playing for something," Woodson says. "These guys have been fighting, fighting, and fighting."
The final regular-season fight comes Saturday against Ohio State at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall and stakes are high.
IU (18-12 overall, 9-10 in the Big Ten) and Ohio State (17-13, 9-10) will play for a first-round bye in next week's Big Ten tourney. The winner will get the No. 9 seed and won't play until Thursday. The loser will finish 10th and play on Wednesday.
"We are in the mix of a battle," Woodson says, "and anything can happen when you get in tournament play."
IU and Ohio State project as making the 68-team NCAA tourney field, but that's not guaranteed. A Saturday victory could be decisive.
The Buckeyes, who have won two straight nail-biters, have a No. 36 NET ranking with six Quad 1 wins. IU is at No. 55 with four Quad 1 victories, including Michigan State and Purdue.
The Hoosiers were positioned for a huge victory at Oregon on Tuesday night but faded in the final 90 seconds and lost 73-64. The Ducks scored the game's final 10 points.
"We executed our offense poorly," Woodson said. "We had good play calls made, but (Oregon) took us out of it. That's something we have to learn from. When it's (crunch) time, you've got to step up and make plays, which we've been doing."
As far as Saturday's game, guards Trey Galloway and Anthony Leal, centers Oumar Ballo and Langdon Hatton, and forward Luke Goode will go through Senior Day festivities.
Ballo averages 13.3 points, 9.2 rebound, 2.2 assists, and 1.3 blocks while shooting 64.2% from the field. He has nine double-doubles in his last 17 games, including his 10-point, 12-rebound effort in Tuesday's loss at Oregon.
Galloway is 11 points away from reaching 1,000 career points. He has 418 assists. He joins Purdue's Baden Smith as the only active Big Ten players with more than 950 points, 400 assists, 300 rebounds, and 100 steals.
Leal, a former Indiana high school Mr. Basketball, has started the last 12 games and averaged 3.9 points 3.4 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 2.1 steals in that stretch while guarding the opponents' best perimeter player.
In his last 18 games, including 14 starts, Goode has averaged 11.4 points and 3.2 rebounds while shooting 44.6% on 3-pointers.
The Hoosiers have won the last four meetings against Ohio State, including 77-76 in overtime in mid-January in Columbus. Goode scored a career-high 23 points with 4-for-7 3-point shooting. Ballo had 21 points and 15 rebounds.
Guard Bruce Thornton paces Ohio State in scoring (17.8 points), 3-point baskets made (57), assists (135), and steals (33). Forward Devin Royal averages 13.6 points and 7.0 rebounds. Also scoring in double figures are guards John Mobley Jr. (13.4) and Micah Parrish (13.0).
Four Buckeyes -- Thornton, Parrish, Royal and Mobley Jr. -- scored at least 20 points in a 116-114 double-over win over Nebraska. Ohio State had never before won a game when it had allowed 100 or more points.
The Buckeyes have scored 83 or more points in four of their last six games.
"We have a tough Ohio State team coming in," Woodson says, "We have to figure that out."
Players Mentioned
Center
/ Men's Basketball
Guard
/ Men's Basketball
Forward
/ Men's Basketball
Center
/ Men's Basketball
Guard
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