Mike Woodson Says Missing NCAA Tournament ‘Wasn’t Fun,’ Feels Good About Upcoming Season

Indiana coach expressed his disappointment with the Hoosiers’ 2024 season on Jon Rothstein’s College Hoops Today podcast.

Mar 15, 2024; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Indiana Hoosiers head coach Mike Woodson reacts after being ejected from the game during the second half against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports / Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana missed the NCAA Tournament in 2024 for the first time in head coach Mike Woodson’s three-year tenure. 

Six months later, it still stings.

“Wasn’t fun my man, not at all. I made it very clear to our ball club after we realized we weren’t going to make the tournament that I’m not going to sit another year and watch basketball on TV during March Madness,” Woodson said Monday on the College Hoops Today with Jon Rothstein podcast. 

The Hoosiers were never able to achieve lift-off. Indiana was unable to defeat its marquee nonconference opponents – Connecticut and Auburn – suffering heavy losses to both the Huskies (who repeated as national champions) and the Tigers.

Then Indiana languished in Big Ten play, with a conference record of 6-10 at the Hoosiers’ nadir, before a late-season five-game win streak provided a jolt of confidence just as fans were getting impatient.

However, Indiana crashed out of the Big Ten Tournament. After a two-point win over Penn State, Nebraska mauled the Hoosiers 93-66 in the quarterfinals at Target Center in Minneapolis. Indiana limped home with a 19-14 mark and turned down an invitation from the National Invitation Tournament.

While there were bright spots – Kel’El Ware starred in the post, was named All-Big Ten, and was later drafted 15th overall by the Miami Heat – it was not the 2024 season anyone expected from the Hoosiers.

One of the reasons Indiana struggled in 2024 was its unbalanced roster. Indiana was blessed in the paint with Ware and forward Malik Reneau, but the team had a dearth of shooters, and it suffered from injuries that knocked point guard Xavier Johnson out of 13 games.

Woodson intended to rely heavily on Johnson as the centerpiece around which the rest of the team operated. With backcourt depth thin, Indiana struggled to achieve offensive balance.

Woodson recognized the problems and the need for improvements.

“We had to go out and get better as a ball club and then we gotta come back and put it all together. We’ve made that start this summer and it’s gotta carry over into official practice and then get ready for this upcoming season, man, because it’s a lot of work,” Woodson said.

Which put Woodson back on the topic of his own disappointment in not playing in the NCAA Tournament.

“That’s frustrating. You don’t play college basketball to watch it on TV during March Madness. You want to get a shot at it and see how you fare, see if you can make it all the way to the Final Four and win it. That’s what it’s all about,” he said.

To that end, Woodson feels as if the Hoosiers have the capability to change their disappointing narrative from 2024. Indiana added ex-Arizona center Oumar Ballo to replace Ware and partner with Reneau. Indiana also added ex-Bellarmine center Langdon Hatton and ex-South Carolina State center Dallas James for post depth.

Just as important, Woodson bolstered the backcourt. Ex-Washington State point guard Myles Rice, ex-Stanford guard Kanaan Carlyle and ex-Illinois guard Luke Goode provide more depth for returning guards Trey Galloway, Gabe Cupps, Jakai Newton and Anthony Leal. Goode is the best shooter of the bunch, as he converted 38.8% of his career threes with the Fighting Illini.

Freshman forward Bryson Tucker, a four-star recruit, is another intriguing addition. Sophomore Mackenzie Mgbako is another key to success as Indiana will hunt for his best role on the team.

The infusion of talent needs to be honed into a winning whole, but Woodson feels good about what he has.

“There’s no doubt it’s the best talent and the best roster we’ve had, and that’s not taking anything away from the last three previous seasons,” he said.

“But we’re deeper than we have been in the past, and that’s important I think when you go through a grueling season, especially the Big Ten,” Woodson continued.

“I feel good now if somebody happens to trip a little bit and can’t play, there’s someone there to back him up and give him some support until he’s able to get back,’’ he said. “So when we got hurt the last few years, we had our struggles until key guys got back and I’m hoping that won’t be the case this season.”

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