Winning at a high level is never easy. Building a brand new roster and sustaining success isn't easy. Dealing with the ever-evolving landscape of college basketball is also far from easy. And yet, at Indiana University, it still shouldn't be this hard.
The majority of Hoosier fans that I talk to aren't even pining for the "glory days" of the program. They just want their team to be good every year. They want their team to compete and at least have a chance for a successful run every March. It would be wonderful for the fans if they could return to greatness, but a return to goodness would suffice. Is it too much to ask for Indiana University to be a consistent force in the conference, to be in the rankings on a yearly basis, and to not have to discuss what they need to do in order to make a field of 68 teams? Making the NCAA Tournament should never be a goal for this program. It should be a given, and the bare minimum of what's expected.
You could argue the program is no longer a "blue blood" until you're blue in the face. That doesn't change the fact that it shouldn't be this difficult in Bloomington. This program is consistently in the top 10-15 in the nation in NIL money. It has some of the best facilities in the country. It has one of the best fan bases in the world with an incredible in-game experience. And even though they haven't won a championship since 1987 and haven't been to a Final Four since 2002, tradition and history still matters. It still says Indiana on the front of that jersey.
It's been this way for far too long. This isn't only about this season, or only about the current coaching staff. Tom Crean did some amazing things at Indiana, but even three of his last four seasons were mediocre or worse, and the following year wasn't set up for success had he stayed another year either. We all know what happened next with the Archie Miller era. And now, after a pretty successful season a year ago, Indiana is once again on the outside looking in. Barring an absolute miracle, the Hoosiers will be watching the NCAA Tournament for the seventh time in the last nine years. Their last Sweet 16 appearance was when Barack Obama was still the President. And I don't even know who the President was the last time they had a good half-court offense.
So, what needs to change?
Mike Woodson will be the Head Coach next season. That much we know. "I came back to try to put this team in the best position possible, and I'm going to continue to do that," Woodson told the media on Tuesday morning. "I mean, I'm almost 66 but I feel good and still move around and I think I still think well in terms of the game and I still think I can teach the game.
Woodson continued: "There are coaches that are coaching into their 70s. You know, I don't know if that's something I'll do. I don't know. But at this point I'll take it a day at a time, a year at a time. I'm not going anywhere any time soon, guys, I'm just not.I'm going to continue to build this team and put it in the best position possible and see where it leads us."
For the time being, the changes have to come from within. Regardless of how you feel about the current system, a lot can happen in one off-season. And quite frankly, a lot has to happen this off-season for Indiana. To borrow a line from Indiana's new Head Football Coach Curt Cignetti, "It's not about getting the star guys, it's about getting the right guys."
Indiana should be able to get the highly rated players, and they haven't had much of a problem doing so for the last several years. But can they get the right mix of players to build their roster? Can they get the most out of their highly rated players like they did with Jalen Hood-Schifino? And can they fill out their roster with guys that aren't highly rated, but simply know how to play? We've seen 3-star or even no-star recruits torch the Hoosiers all season long. We know there are kids all over the country that can shoot the basketball and can flat-out play the game.
There should be multiple paths to success for this program. Continue grabbing some of the best talent in the country? Build your roster with multiple shooters and hard-nosed kids? Or they can go for both. There's never been an easier path for a quick rebuild in the history of the sport. With Indiana's resources, it can be done in a single off-season. The state of Indiana alone has a ton of talent to go after, which is still important to a lot of fans. Other fans don't care if the kid is from Antarctica as long as he can play.
I continue to see fans claiming we shouldn't have expected a good season this year after so many changes to the roster. But did you expect a team that is 13th (out of 14) in points in the conference? Or a team that is 13th in overall margin? How about a team that is dead last in 3 point attempts and makes, by far? Or a team that is dead last in Free-Throw Percentage, and 10th in Rebounding margin? Did you expect a team that would be ranked #98 in KenPom in late February? Roster turnover or not, this shouldn't happen.
We won't know who's staying and who's going from this team for at least a few more months. The decisions made before this summer could set Indiana back several more years, or bring them back to a more respectable path. Instead of talking about March Madness, Indiana fans will be talking about transfers and recruits.
It's Indiana. And it shouldn't be this hard.
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