There is one simple word that can be used to best describe the vibes in Bloomington after Indiana's lopsided home loss to Nebraska last night.
Yikes.
Fred Hoiberg's squad arrived in B-Town, chewed Mike Woodson's Hoosiers up, and then spit them back out all over the court. Keisei Tominaga, who by all means is an extremely gifted hooper, came into Assembly Hall looking like a young Steph Curry right out of the gates. Is that to say that he is not a high-level performer on most (every) nights? Absolutely not. But is it a coincidence that he comes out COOKING on a whole different level when facing off with the cream and crimson? On the season, he is averaging 14.4 PPG on 46.2% from the floor and 38% from beyond the arc. In the two games against the Hoosiers, the southpaw has raised those numbers to 24 PPG on 56.7% from the floor and 42.1% from downtown. Doesn't it look like he is just out there toying with Gabe Cupps and the other defenders trying to contain him?
Those statements are not intended to disrespect Tominaga in any way, shape, or form. However, they are meant to shed light on just how inferior Indiana has been throughout this point in the season. Their toughest opponents have more or less walked all over the players on the court, and the coaching staff has failed to claim any type of responsibility for the results:
Listened to Mike Woodson's postgame press conference and didn't hear him take any accountability for the performance against Nebraska. Heard talk of the team being young, injuries, missed shots, bad defense. No mention of who is responsible for all of that. #iubb
— Inside the Hall (@insidethehall) February 22, 2024
What is happening in Bloomington at this present moment is not a sight for sore eyes, and at this point there is an approximately 99.999999999999999% chance that this team is not making the NCAA tournament. All hope of that was essentially washed away with last night's blunder of a ballgame.
Will they win another game? Will Mike Woodson return? Will they even make the NIT? Will the fanbase just hit the snooze button until what should be a prettier 2024-2025 campaign?
This is a beautiful basketball program built on a strong foundation of tradition, but the 2023-2024 Indiana Hoosiers have not been a reflection of the pillars that hold IUBB together.