‘I’m still trying to figure it out’: Mike Woodson has no answers for Indiana’s collapse

[ad_1]

EVANSTON, Ill. — Indiana basketball can produce joy and heartbreak for its fans in equal measure all in the span of 40 minutes.

That Jekyll and Hyde persona was on full display at Welsh-Ryan Arena in a 79-70 loss to Northwestern on Wednesday night.

The Hoosiers held the Wildcats to 25 points in the first half — the Wildcats went nearly 10 minutes without a field goal — in what Mike Woodson described as a “beautiful” display to giving up nine 3-pointers in the second half with the players struggling to execute even the most basic of defensive assignments.

It was the fourth time this season that IU gave up more than 50 points in a half.

More: Indiana player ratings at Northwestern: Malik Reneau returns but Hoosiers collapse

EVANSTON, ILLINOIS – JANUARY 22: Head coach Mike Woodson of the Indiana Hoosiers reacts against the Northwestern Wildcats during the first half at Welsh-Ryan Arena on January 22, 2025 in Evanston, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

That’s been the pattern for an IU team that’s taken a step (or two) back after every success, sometimes within the span of the same game.

What’s preventing the Hoosiers from playing cohesively for a full 40 minutes? After the game, Woodson made it clear that he’s not entirely sure.

“I wish I knew,” Woodson said. “I’m still trying to figure it out. I know we got Malik (Reneau) back, and we knew he wasn’t going to play very many minutes tonight. We had a hell of a defensive half then we came out and give up 54 points and pile on the turnovers, it’s just a bad combination. We just didn’t play well the second half.”

Woodson said the biggest issue in the second half on Wednesday was his team’s lack of communication on defense. Northwestern shot 62.5% and 9 of 14 from 3-point range while running the same plays it utilized in the first half when it shot 30.8% and went into halftime having missed 10 straight.

When the game tightened up midway through the second half, Woodson said his team simply “didn’t answer the…

[ad_2]
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/im-still-trying-figure-mike-114359426.html

Author : IndyStar | The Indianapolis Star

Publish date : 2025-01-23 11:43:00

Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.