Illinois Basketball's Flawless First Half Leaves Indiana at All-Time Low
A 25-point loss Saturday at Iowa was thought to be the low point for Indiana basketball, as fans howled, pundits picked apart and everyone with an opinion or a one-liner hit social media to zing fourth-year Hoosiers coach Mike Woodson.
On Tuesday, thanks to No. 19 Illinois and the return of freshman guard Kasparas Jakucionis, the Hoosiers found a new rock bottom.
At Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall in Bloomington, Indiana, Jakucionis ended a two-game injury absence and sparked the Illini to a 60-32 first-half lead against a Hoosiers squad that appeared half-interested and wholly out of sorts. The Assembly Hall student section emptied at halftime – but not before leading multiple chants of "Fire Mike Woodson" as the Illini (13-4, 5-3 Big Ten) ran the home team out of its own building in a 94-69 shellacking.
The Hoosiers (13-5, 4-3) – picked in the preseason to finish second in the Big Ten by local media after loading up with transfers Oumar Ballo, Myles Rice, Kanaan Carlyle and former Illini Luke Goode – aren't yet sunk. But they might as well be dead in the water.
After the first-half de-pantsing by Illinois, Indiana further embarrassed itself when Goode dangerously barreled into Illini center Tomislav Ivisic, who barked at Goode, setting off a mini-scrum in which Ballo – in his most spirited action of the night – rushed from halfcourt to the baseline to get in a shove on Ivisic.
Hoosiers fans have publicly voiced their displeasure with the on-floor product at times in the recent past, and Woodson has needled them for it. He was far more magnanimous after Tuesday's defeat.
"I love our fans and I respect our fans, but it's up to me to get our players to play at a high level," Woodson said. "That's my job, and I'm going to continue to work in that area and hope that our fans will hang in there with us."
Goode also struck a conciliatory tone when addressing fans' frustration: "I understand it. We got embarrassed. We have to wear this jersey with more pride as Indiana players. This program is too historical and too great to be represented like that."
It doesn't get any easier from here for Goode, Woodson and the Hoosiers, who play four of their next five on the road – a stretch when they will face No. 24 Wisconsin and in-state rival and defending Big Ten champs Purdue, ranked No. 17. They come off the road Feb. 8 to face No. 20 Michigan – and a home crowd that may be more hostile than ever.