On this Thanksgiving Day 2024, Indiana fans weren't giving thanks to their Hoosiers, as poor, uninspiring defense led to a second IU loss in as many days.
This one was a defeat at the hands of No. 3 Gonzaga, a team that lost its Battle 4 Atlantis opener as well, but because of the lackluster effort on the defensive end, it's the Hoosiers who drop to 0-2 in the tournament played at The Bahamas' Imperial Arena.
This was the second straight game where effort and defense has been an issue, as IU has given up 89 points in back-to-back games, first to Louisville, and now to these Bulldogs
From easy baskets in the pain, to getting beat on the perimeter, to getting out rebounded substantially, this Indiana defense was disappointing and a main reason the Hoosiers dropped this game.
"We're not connected right now defensively," said Mike Woodson postgame, mentioning these defensive struggles seen throughout the game.
While Woodson said his group isn't "connected" on the defensive end, it may go beyond that, as the Hoosiers seemed lackadaisical at times, calling into question if this team is conditioned enough to compete defensively for 40 minutes.
Indiana was giving up easy buckets from start to finish, allowing 46 total points in the paint, while also allowing the Zags to go on several runs in the first half due to the lack of effort seen at times,
Woodson said, when talking about defending points in the paint, especially in he first half, that "we've been very awful in that category. We're not giving ourselves a chance there."
In the first half, IU allowed a 16-0 run, that was a part of a 24-4 stretch that was littered with uninspiring defense, resulting in another loss in The Bahamas, this one a 89-73 defeat to Gonzaga.
It wasn't just in the painted area where the defense struggled, as Indiana was getting beat out on the perimeter, as the Hoosiers couldn't compete when Gonzaga got out into space, allowing all the easy baskets to be created.
"Our perimeter play has gotten exposed and I got to I got to fix that" said Woodson, explaining that the difference in the perimeter play between Indiana and the teams it's faced in Atlantis has been large, making it a main reason why IU has started 0-2.
Woodson did say that his team's defense was "where we wanted to be" coming into the Battle 4 Atlantis, making it seen like these last two games have been a turning point for the Hoosiers on the defensive end, and he may be right.
Than main difference seen is the effort, as on several possessions, particularly on Gonzaga's runs in the first half, the Hoosiers were being run up and down the floor for easy shot after easy shot, allowing the Zags to turn a close game into a 20 point lead in their favor.
This all starts starts with guard play, a facet of the game where Indiana has really struggled of late, as both Louisville and Gonzaga's guards have been able to score and pass at will.
Woodson said that he believes "the two guards we that we've played out front these two games have kind of had their way in controlling the game," mentioning that his guards, particularly Myles Rice, have to be better on the defensive end.
This resulted in Gonzaga scoring in bunches, allowing the Bulldogs to get out to a first half lead they wouldn't surrender, riding in cruise control for the entire second half.
In that second half, the defense did play better, but the 57 points allowed in the first half dug a whole that Indiana just couldn't get out of.
This can be attributed to the defense, of course, but rebounding in particular was a glaring weakness for the the vast majority of the contest.
IU was out rebounded 42-27 resulting in Gonzaga 23 second chance points, a massive number compared to the four that the Hoosiers scored.
"We're not putting bodies on bodies to block out and and that's got to stop. I mean we got to get our guys competing from a rebounding standpoint" said Woodson, recognizing that this was a major issue in the ballgame.
Getting out rebounded is never ideal, but as a team that prides itself on its size and playing a two-big lineup, allowing the opposition to get 15 more rebounds is a significant issue, and one that led to 23 points that were avoidable.
These 23 second chance points are obviously larger than the 16 points that decided the game, making it just that more obvious that lack of attention to detail on the defensive end was what lost IU this game.
While there were some bright spots in this one, Oumar Ballo's 25 points and the fact that IU won the second half come to mind, but the defensive struggles were just too much to overcome.
This resulted in Indiana suffering a second-straight decisive defeat. moving it to 0-2 in the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament and raising questions about the program as a whole.
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