Naysayer: Hoosiers Need An “X” Factor

Several late gaffes lead IU men’s basketball to a 79-78 loss against Maryland at home.
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BLOOMINGTON, IN – January 08, 2025 – Indiana Hoosiers Head Coach Mike Woodson during the game between the USC Trojans and the Indiana Hoosiers at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall in Bloomington, IN. Photo By Dani Meersman/Indiana Athletics

Photos by Indiana University Athletics

“RUN X!” I’d shout from the bench, and all the players would respond by yelling “X!” at the top of their lungs while scattering about the court to get to their assigned places. That was our one play. It was an inbound play that we practiced every time because for many of my players, 5- to 10-year-old boys, this was their first experience with organized ballgames.

Mike Woodson needed an “X” play. His actions, or better yet, inactions at the end of the Hoosiers’ one-point loss to Maryland on Sunday had many—if not all—of the knowledgeable and basketball-savvy fans in Bloomington scratching their collective heads, muttering “What the heck was that all about?” It was apparent Woodson had no idea what was going on or what to do about it.

I realized when I was a youth coach that if I was going to impress any basketball knowledge on my team for a season, I had to teach them something that involved playing the game, making it fun, and doing it all within a one-hour practice session each week. So many times, I witnessed these kids struggle to inbound the ball either under the basket or from the sideline, so I focused on an inbound play that was easy to run, fun, and effective.

We tried the “Stack” play, lining players in a single file with each participant breaking in a different direction, but success was a big expectation for these young players. However, “X” resonated with the kids. It was more fun to yell “X!” than “Stack!” and, even better, it worked—so every kid on those teams bought in on that one play. They learned “X” and then successfully executed it many times, much to their delight.

“X” was a simple play. Inbounding under the basket, kids lined up in the four corners of the lane. On the ball slap, each player ran diagonally to the opposite corner across the lane, creating havoc in the lane and an open man under the hoop … hopefully. The same would hold from a side court inbound; there would be no easy hoop.

The Hoosiers’ recent collision between poor coaching and bad execution highlights the vast distance between Woodson’s will and his players’ on-court acumen. It appeared neither had any idea how to attack the defense in the last few seconds and the resulting last-second heave-ho fell short of the mark. 

Blow a 4-point lead during winning time? Here we go.  

Bloomington native Anthony Leal was the only player playing with pride, playing like he wanted to win the game at any cost. Leal single-handedly brought the team back and gave the Hoosiers a lead with his hustle and shooting. He was into the game, making plays and getting the crowd excited right along with him. He was hot and should have had the ball in his hands at the end. Woodson took him out of the game for the final possession.

An obvious option 2 in that situation was getting Oumar Ballo the ball down low and letting him use his size to bull his way to the basket. I guessed he’d make one or two free throws and either win the game or send it to overtime. He wasn’t even an option. Woodson took him out too.

The schedule gets no easier for them with a date at Purdue looming soon and Wisconsin, Michigan, and Michigan State following. Already listed in the NCAA tournament’s “first four out,” IU is perched for more hard times on the court and hard times in the athletic department ahead if things don’t drastically change.