For much of this season, Indiana basketball has been a puzzle with missing pieces—flashes of talent undone by inconsistency, moments of brilliance overshadowed by missteps.
But over the past two weeks, something has clicked. The Hoosiers look like a team that finally understands each other, moves the ball with purpose, and celebrates not just winning but winning together.
On Sunday, after knocking off rival Purdue, they showed just how much this stretch means. As the final buzzer sounded, they didn’t just walk off the court—they ran straight to head coach Mike Woodson, embracing him in a moment of pure, unfiltered joy.
It has been a turbulent year in Bloomington, but ever since it was announced that Woodson would not return next season, Indiana has flipped a switch.
Wednesday night’s 83-78 win over Penn State was the latest chapter in the Hoosiers' revival, marking their third victory in four games.
“These guys are playing for something,” Woodson explained postgame. “We’re trying to get in the tournament.”
During this stretch, Indiana has taken down Big Ten title contender Michigan State in East Lansing and toppled rival Purdue, proving the Hoosiers belong in the postseason conversation.
The stats tell the story of a team that has finally clicked. Against Penn State, Indiana racked up 24 assists—the second-most in a game all season—on 29 made field goals. The Hoosiers were unselfish, turning good shots into great ones, keeping the defense scrambling, and playing for each other.
Six different players recorded multiple assists, none more impactful than Trey Galloway, who dished out nine for the second consecutive game.
“I think we’re doing a great job of sharing it,” Galloway said. “Guys are being unselfish and really wanting to find ways for us to score.”
That connectivity was on full display in Indiana’s second-half explosion against Purdue, when they poured in 48 points in one of their best halves of basketball all season. Woodson saw it then, and he saw it again against Penn State.
“I thought the second half of the Purdue game was the best we played all season,” Woodson said. “And tonight, we shared it again. We scored 46 points [in the second half], and the ball was humming. And that’s the way it’s got to be.”
Galloway, a fifth-year senior and Indiana native, has been the heartbeat of this movement. As one of the longest-tenured Hoosiers, he has experienced the highs and lows of the program. Now, in his final games in an Indiana uniform, he is leading the charge for a postseason push.
“I never stopped believing in Trey,” Woodson said. “Trey’s been with me the longest. He’s put up with a lot of shit from me. And I trust him. He does a lot of good things on the floor.”
Wednesday’s victory preserved the Hoosiers' postseason hopes. A loss to Penn State could have been the final nail in Indiana’s NCAA Tournament coffin. Instead, the Hoosiers remain in the mix, riding the momentum of their recent surge.
With three regular-season games remaining—at Oregon, at Washington, and at home against Ohio State—every game matters. That is certainly on the minds of the Hoosiers as the finish line nears.
With the NCAA bubble as weak as ever, Indiana still has a path to March Madness. But more importantly, they have found something that had eluded them for much of the season—a sense of purpose. Whether it is Woodson’s looming departure or the urgency of the moment, Indiana, over the past few weeks, has become a team that plays together, moves the ball, and believes in each other.
“I think we’re coming together,” Galloway said, “and we know we’re a better team than we’ve shown.”
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