"We got embarrassed," forward Luke Goode said on a frigid January night where the temperature inside Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall mirrored the chilling reality for Indiana basketball.
The Hoosiers suffered a historic 94-69 loss to No. 19 Illinois, leaving fans stunned, players searching for answers, and head coach Mike Woodson facing mounting pressure.
By halftime, the Assembly Hall crowd had seen enough. Trailing by 28 points, the Hoosiers were booed off the court after surrendering 60 points in the opening half—the most allowed by Indiana in a half in 25 years. The deficit marked the largest halftime margin for the program in that span.
By the final buzzer, the Illini had set a record for the most points scored by a visiting team in regulation since Assembly Hall opened in 1971-72 with 94. The 25-point margin of defeat was the second-largest home loss in Assembly Hall history.
“We’re not playing tough enough,” forward Luke Goode said postgame. “We come out and let teams kind of punk us in a sense.”
The Hoosiers’ struggles began early. They missed their first 12 three-point attempts, with Trey Galloway breaking the drought at the 5:50 mark of the second half. Offensive woes spilled over to the defensive end, where Indiana failed to match Illinois’ physicality, focus, and energy.
“Regardless of how we play offensively, how we shoot the ball,” Goode added, “we need to have the pride and be able to sit down on defense and grind out games.”
The loss extended a troubling trend for the Hoosiers, who dropped their second consecutive game by 25 or more points following a blowout at Iowa over the weekend. It marked the first time since 2008 that Indiana has endured back-to-back defeats by such a margin.
Indiana hit a similar low late last February with four consecutive losses to Purdue, Northwestern, Nebraska and Penn State. That stretch left a segment of the fan base calling for Woodson’s job.
However, this current skid—albeit just two losses—feels different. These games have been among the most lopsided in Indiana history. Adding to the frustration for fans is the significant amount of money and resources poured into assembling this team.
“It really doesn’t matter what we do if we’re not going to do it hard, with effort and toughness,” guard Anthony Leal said. “We just aren’t matching anybody’s toughness or togetherness or effort right now. I think that’s the problem.”
As frustration mounted, the fan base voiced its displeasure. Chants of “Fire Woodson” erupted from the student section late in the first half—a stark reminder of the program’s storied history and the expectations that come with it. However, those chants weren't the first time Woodson heard it from the crowd on Tuesday night.
Before the game even got underway, boos—predominantly from the student section—rained down upon the Hoosiers' head coach louder than they have all season.
“I love our fans and I respect our fans,” Woodson said. “But it’s up to me to get our players to play at a high level. 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.”
Despite the mounting losses, Woodson expressed confidence in the team’s ability to turn the season around. With nine Quad 1 games remaining, Indiana has opportunities to climb out of its slump. However, the task is daunting, and recent performances have done little to inspire much hope.
“We can’t let this be a snowball effect,” Woodson said. “We got a long way to go in this Big Ten. Do I think we’re good enough to win? Yeah, I do. I just got to get us to believe that and keep pushing these guys in the right direction.”
For now, Indiana finds itself at a crossroads. While the potential to salvage the season remains, the margin for error is shrinking. There's still ample opportunities for Indiana to right the ship. However, Tuesday’s loss—and the weekend defeat at Iowa—doesn't instill much hope for a turnaround anytime soon.
“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.”
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