BY NOW, I thought Indiana University men’s basketball would be much better. Looking at the offseason influx of talent, which includes a five-star freshman, and the No. 1 portal transfer that head coach Mike Woodson attracted to Bloomington this season, I thought this team would have shown growth.
By all appearances, the record and statistics appear to be those of a successful team, but things are not always as they seem. Sure, the Hoosiers’ record at this point is 12–3 overall and 3–1 in conference play including a recent 77-71 victory on the road against Penn State. But this has come at the expense of the weak schedule they’ve played so far. The Hoosiers should be running downhill through their hapless nonconference competition, but in each instance, poor play makes one question what this team can accomplish.
Weak competition like SIU Edwardsville, Eastern Illinois, South Carolina, UNC Greensboro, Sam Houston State, Miami (Ohio), UT Chattanooga, and Winthrop providing stat-stuffing numbers makes it appear that this team is on track for great things this season. But as great as the easy wins feel, the NCAA looks at those games with a set of criteria aside from wins and losses—which is a leading contributor to IU not being ranked in the Top 25.
Once they get into the meat and potatoes of their schedule, the maladies this team suffers from—including scoring droughts, poor ball handling and rebounding, shooting before the offense is set, and coaching decisions—must be cleaned up for success to follow. There is also the recurring issue of missing leadership on the court.
Indiana has the players on its roster to be successful. Malik Reneau, who leads the team in scoring at 14.1 PPG, should be a leader. Mackenzie Mgbako’s season began hot but has cooled down. He scored just 4 points against Miami and 2 in the loss to Nebraska. Oumar Ballo, the No. 1 portal player, is third in scoring at 14.1 PPG but first in rebounding with 9.6 rebounds per game. The fifth-year senior is often ineffective and disappears for long periods of the game. And where has Trey Galloway gone? After a successful 2024 campaign averaging 10 PPG, he is the player I thought would emerge as THE team leader, but he has not. Inconsistent scoring this season has plagued Galloway’s ability to provide stability despite being one of two players on the roster who have been with Woodson during his entire tenure at Indiana. Already this season, Galloway, another fifth-year senior, has gone scoreless in two games and scored 5 or fewer points in six other contests.
Also receiving playing time is talented but inconsistent Washington State transfer Myles Rice. A bit of a turnover machine, he leads the team in that department with 37. McDonald’s All-American Bryson Tucker contributes just 5.9 PPG, and Fort Wayne’s Luke Goode, a struggling 3-point shooter who must find his mark to be of assistance, should provide enough talent to help form the nucleus of a very solid team.
This brings me to the conclusion that although Woodson is a native son touched by the hand of Bob Knight, he is not a good coach. Woodson has talented players on the sidelines, enough to make the team a formidable foe. But still, it struggles. And that’s where a coach earns his pay. Woodson’s players have been able to weather the ugly storms so far because of the competition gap. When IU’s rivals got feistier—or better, like Louisville, Gonzaga, and Nebraska—the team folded and was routed in each matchup.
Woodson is a great recruiter; his philosophy is shaped by good stock. He is inspired by some of the legends of basketball. He demands accountability, hustle, and responsibility from his players. Knight, Red Holzman, Cotton Fitzsimmons, and Larry Brown all have a voice in Woodson’s coaching philosophy.
All have shared a love of tough defense, discipline, and a team-oriented approach. Holzman’s 1970s New York Knicks played team-first, disciplined, hard-nosed basketball. He was oft quoted saying his teams “played the game the right way.” Fitzsimmons’ trademarks were his high-energy, positive outlook and the upbeat style of basketball his NBA teams played. Brown didn’t care about the score because his path to success included team play, being competitive, and improving every time out. And Knight’s coaching style needs no explanation.
If the Hoosiers, Woodson in particular, develop a team leader—a go-to guy—and late-game strategy that includes getting the ball to the right person at the right time, IU can have success. Until it does, the struggle will be business as usual.
