The scoreboard at the Kohl Center told the story long before the final buzzer sounded Tuesday night.
Just 3:23 into the game, Wisconsin had built a double-digit lead, fueled by a barrage of early 3-pointers.
Indiana never led. Not for a single second.
"We have a game like we did at Purdue where we really competed for 40 minutes, and then we come in here and lay an egg based on how we started," Indiana head coach Mike Woodson said postgame. "We’re just not a tough team right now. Mentally, we’re not tough."
Indiana’s 76-64 loss to No. 21 Wisconsin marked yet another chapter in its struggles in Madison. The Hoosiers have now lost 21 straight at the Kohl Center.
The last time they won there, Bill Clinton was in office—1998, the arena’s inaugural year. Since then, it has been a graveyard for Indiana’s hopes.
Tuesday night was another opportunity to break the streak and revive a floundering season. Instead, it became further proof of a team failing defensively under a coach who preaches defense.
Woodson has long prided himself on his defensive philosophy, from his days with the Atlanta Hawks—when he declared, "I'm a defensive guy, and I think offense takes care of itself"—to his tenure at Indiana. Yet, under his leadership, the Hoosiers have struggled on that end. Tuesday was another painful reminder.
Wisconsin came out firing, and Indiana had no answers. The Badgers torched the Hoosiers from deep, hitting 9-of-16 (56.3%) from 3-point range in the first half. Defensive lapses were glaring, rotations were slow, and closeouts were nonexistent.
"[They] make nine [3-pointers] at halftime, and that was well over what we wanted to do coming into the game in guarding the 3-point line," Woodson said. "The first half put us out of the game, basically."
In the opening 6:01, Wisconsin raced to a 24-4 lead, averaging a staggering 2.02 points per possession. By the time Indiana attempted to adjust, it was too late. If not for the Badgers cooling off in the second half—shooting just 41.4% from the field and 3-of-13 from deep—the margin could have been worse.
Indiana's defensive struggles are no longer an anomaly but a trend.
The Hoosiers entered the night allowing 73.5 points per game, the third-worst mark in the Big Ten, ranking 241st nationally. In games where their opponents have surpassed that mark this season, Indiana is 2-9.
Last season, Indiana allowed 74.3 points per game (253rd in the country). Even in 2022-23, when they earned a No. 4 seed in the NCAA Tournament, their defense ranked just 138th. The numbers paint a stark contrast between Woodson’s philosophy and the on-court product.
A major issue has been Indiana's inability to defend the 3-point line, a season-long weakness. Tuesday was just the latest example, as Wisconsin repeatedly found open looks, punishing slow defensive reactions.
This isn’t an isolated problem—it’s systemic. The Hoosiers have allowed 80 or more points six times this season, including a brutal 94-point outing against Illinois at home last month. That’s not the hallmark of a defensive-minded team.
Indiana is running out of time to salvage its season. The Hoosiers have now lost four straight and six of their last seven. Their NCAA Tournament hopes are fading fast.
If they have any chance to turn things around, they must dominate at home and steal road wins. But if Tuesday night was any indication, those chances are slipping away.
"We were awful tonight," Woodson said.
Indiana can’t afford to be "awful" much more throughout the remainder of the season.
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