With the winter season comes many exciting things. The holidays are quickly approaching, and the snow is starting to fall. Almost everyone is excited about the upcoming festivities, but the Hoosiers of Indiana are excited for an entirely different reason. This season is not all about the lights and decorations to them. It is the time to cheer on their favorite basketball team; the Indiana Hoosiers.
The Indiana Hoosiers are one of the most historic college basketball programs in the United States. They rank among the top “Blue Bloods” of the sport. The Hoosiers are home to five National Championship banners, putting them at the fifth most in the country. The first two championship teams at Indiana were led by head coach, Branch McCracken in 1940 and 1953. The last three titles were awarded to the squads of legendary coach, Bobby Knight. Knight led the Hoosiers to victory in 1976, 1981, and 1987. In addition, the 1976 team, is the last undefeated National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) men’s basketball champion to date! Along with this rich championship resume, the Hoosiers are also known for their fabulous fan base. Andy Katz from NCAA.com stated, “Hoosiers fans of all ages consistently pack up their historic arena, no matter how good or bad the team is. Combining a spacious venue with a rowdy fan base, Assembly Hall can become one of the loudest arenas in the country.” These fans are known as some of the best in the nation, and always show up and show out for their Hoosiers. However, as of recent years, the Indiana fan base has not had much to cheer about.
From 2017-2021, the Hoosiers were led by head coach, Archie Miller. These four years were a tough time for the Indiana basketball program. These years consisted of zero NCAA Tournament appearances, a 0-7 record against rival Purdue, and a 33-44 Big Ten record (IndyStar). These stats do not seem fit for a team like the Indiana Hoosiers. IU ended up firing Miller in March of 2021. They later hired the current head coach and basketball alumni, Mike Woodson. Woodson spent time at IU as a player during his collegiate career from 1976-1980. He also spent time as the head coach of the New York Knicks from 2012-13. In Woodson’s first year at Indiana, he led the Hoosiers to a wild victory against long-time rival and top-ranked Purdue. Not only did he deliver this victory, he guided the Hoosiers to their first NCAA tournament appearance in six years! Woodson then had an even more successful second year with not one, but two victories over Purdue, a deep run in the Big Ten Tournament, and yet another NCAA tournament appearance. Woodson also showed expertise in the recruiting aspect of the game in his second year by acquiring two five-star recruits out of Montverde Academy, Jalen Hood-Schifino, and Malik Reneau. Indiana basketball star Trayce Jackson-Davis spoke on Coach Woodson’s recruiting and stated, “It’s Coach Woodson. Me and him sat and talked in his office (in 2021), and he’s a really, really genuine human being. I think when players come in and see him, they see his background, they see his NBA experience, they see where he’s going to be with his offense.” As we can see from Jackson-Davis’s statement, Woodson has many attributes that draw prospects in.
Last season, Woodson’s third year with the Hoosiers, he scored Oregon transfer and 15th overall NBA Draft pick, Kel’el Ware who played a massive role on last season’s team. Woodson also picked up five-star and Duke decommit, Mackenzie Mgbako. Mgbako also had a major season, ending with the title of Big Ten Co-Freshman of the Year. Even though the roster looked promising, the squad did not perform as well as expected. Indiana finished 6th in the Big Ten, made an early exit in the Big Ten Tournament (out in the first round), and did not appear in the NCAA Tournament (Sports-Reference). This showing was not on par with where Coach Woodson was previously headed.
Woodson is looking to this 2024-25 season to head back on track. Woodson whipped up a little “Mike Magic”, as he landed the top transfer portal prospect, Oumar Ballo. Ballo previously competed at Arizona University where he was a two-time first team All Pac 12 selection. Coach Woodson also landed top transfer portal prospects in Kanaan Carlyle, Myles Rice, and Luke Goode. The team also acquired five-star forward, Bryson Tucker. Also, returning for the team, were Mackenzie Mgbako, Malik Reneau, and Trey Galloway. This season’s roster is jam-packed with talent and is projected to be a top competitor in this season of college basketball. In ESPN’s Way-Too-Early Top 25, Indiana was ranked at number 18. Also, the team is projected to finish second in the Big Ten, right under the Purdue Boilermakers. The season has already begun and the Hoosiers are currently 8-2. Their two losses came in The Battle For Atlantis in November. The team had quite an embarrassing showing, falling short to both Louisville and Gonzaga by more than 15 points.
The Hoosiers bounced back from those losses by defeating Providence, Sam Houston, and Miami OH. Indiana also opened up Big-Ten play with a promising victory over the Minnesota Golden Gophers. The team is currently sitting at 4th in the Big Ten and is only looking to improve. The Hoosiers are hoping to deliver a well-awaited triumphant season. Come on Indiana, we’re all for you!
From the sidelines to the headlines, this is Lauren, signing out.
