Indiana's season may be hanging in the balance after a 72-59 loss to Oregon in the second round of the Big Ten Tournament, but big man Oumar Ballo had more on his mind than just basketball after the game.
In an emotional postgame interview, Ballo opened up about the immense pressure and negativity he and his teammates have faced from a vocal segment of Indiana's fan base throughout the season.
"All we're trying to do is win for this fan base," Ballo said. "But you lose a game, and the next thing you know, your DMs are crazy. Death wishes, death threats ... nobody wants to live like that. It's not helping anybody."
The Hoosiers entered the conference tournament on shaky ground, both in terms of their NCAA Tournament hopes and the state of the program. Head coach Mike Woodson has already announced he will step down at the end of the season. Despite a roster bolstered by major NIL investments, including Ballo, Indiana has struggled to meet expectations.
For Ballo, the loss to Oregon may have marked the end of his college career. If so, it wasn’t the ending he envisioned.
"Man, if this is my final game of college basketball, it's sad, you know? It's sad," Ballo said. "This is not the way I expected to go."
Still, he made sure to acknowledge the fans who stood by the team through the ups and downs.
"I'm also grateful for the 'true' IU fans that really support us throughout the whole journey," Ballo said. "Because we had a lot of ups and downs. Those people? They deserve more, and I wish we could do more for them. They had our backs at some really bad moments. I hope this is not the last one. I hope we get another chance."
However, Ballo didn’t hold back when addressing those he felt crossed the line with their criticism.
"No. We didn’t let Coach Woodson down," Ballo said when asked about the team’s performance. "If anybody let Coach Woodson down, it’s the fake fans."
Ballo explained how the constant negativity, particularly on social media, weighed on him and his teammates throughout the season.
"They don't understand, as a player, whenever you go on social media, all you see is people wishing really bad stuff on you. It drains people mentally," Ballo said. "At some point, they have to stop wishing bad for people. I don't think we as players let Coach [Woodson] down. I feel like more fan impact let us down as a whole unit."
"At the end of the day, we have feelings. You know, just like you, you wake up, you go to work, and someone is wishing nothing but the worst for you and your work," Ballo continued. "It's mentally draining, and nobody wants to deal with that for a whole five-month season. It's too much to take in—for players and for coaches."
Ballo made sure to draw a distinction between the "true" fans and those he felt were toxic. He echoed comments Woodson made earlier in the season when the coach called out segments of the fan base for their negativity.
"I'm not talking about the true fans because I know they had our back," Ballo said. "But the people who pretend to be fans and want nothing but the worst for the team, I'm talking about those people."
Despite the frustration and heartbreak, Ballo remains hopeful. If Indiana’s name is called on Selection Sunday, he believes the Hoosiers will play for the right reasons.
"For those people who really had our backs, I'm nothing but grateful to them," Ballo said. "I know for sure, if we get one more chance on Sunday, man, we're going to represent them well. It will mean the world to us and to them too, because I know that diehard IU fans want nothing but the best for the team."
–––––
Like this content? Join the conversation on TheHoosier.com's premium message boards and subscribe today!
– Follow TheHoosier on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook!
– Subscribe to TheHoosier on YouTube for more content
– Interact with fellow fans on TheHoosier's Premium Football Board and Premium Hoops Board
