IU must show Iowa loss was just that, nothing more: 'Not what we stand for'

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Indiana (20-10, 11-8 Big Ten) came into Tuesday night's matchup with Iowa tied for second in the Big Ten with Michigan, Maryland and Northwestern. All of the goals and aspirations of finishing in the top two of the conference and getting a double-bye in the Big Ten Tournament were still in sight. All the Hoosiers needed to do was take care of business at home in the final week of the regular season.

40 minutes of game time later and Indiana fell to a tie for fifth in the conference with Iowa after a blowout loss to the Hawkeyes.

After a terrific win at No. 5 Purdue on Saturday, Tuesday night was an entirely different narrative. There was a lack of energy. Lack of buzz. Lack of mental sharpness. From the tip, Indiana failed to match the toughness, emotion and passion that Iowa played with -- something that Indiana struggled with earlier in the season.

"Not real happy, you know what I mean. We just we left our game in West Lafayette, you know, and it's just unacceptable the way we played tonight," IU head coach Mike Woodson said following Indiana's 90-68 loss to Iowa. "You know, I apologize to our fans. You know, I'm the coach. I've got to get them ready to play, and that was a bullshit performance tonight."

The Hoosiers have now lost three of their last five games after winning eight of the previous nine.

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Indiana started January off with three straight losses -- all starting by fumbling a 21-point first half lead to Iowa in Iowa City. It was a 1-4 start in Big Ten play and Indiana was tied for last in the league. Then, a player's-only meeting led Indiana on a winning streak that not many saw coming.

Indiana has seen its inconsistencies throughout the past two years and more ... the ability to compete with some of the league's best programs and sometimes the nation's best. Then, show up and look lost the next time out.

Some of those tendencies are starting to rear its head again over the last few weeks. Whether it be slow starts -- at home or on the road -- down 11 at Michigan, down 21 at Northwestern, down nine at home against Illinois, the inconsistent play is something that needs to work itself out.

In total, seven of Indiana's 10 losses have been by double-digits. Tuesday against Iowa was just another example.

"I never let a game go unnoticed," Woodson said. "You have to look at it and learn from it. But got to go back to work.

"I thought we prepared, you know what I mean. They just competed, man. They came in here and kicked our ass. It was just that simple."

As Indiana turns the page on Tuesday, the season-finale against Michigan lingers. The potential for a double-bye in the Big Ten tournament is still in play, but now not as clear as before.

Regardless, Indiana may have more to prove now than it did just a short 48 hours ... or 24 hours ago; that Tuesday night was just a blip on the radar and the team that was consistently showing up for most of February wasn't a fluke.

"Obviously everybody is upset after the game last weekend and coming back and doing this, it's not what we stand for," IU forward Trayce Jackson-Davis said. "Everyone's upset. That's not much to be said. We just have to come in tomorrow and come in Thursday and work."

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