Indiana basketball coach Mike Woodson looking for one more win in storied rivalry against Purdue

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BLOOMINGTON — The most memorable scenes from Indiana basketball’s recent trip to West Lafayette were a far cry from the joyous celebration that unfolded at Assembly Hall after the team’s upset wins over Purdue in coach Mike Woodson’s first two seasons as coach.

Oumar Ballo had a heated exchange with Myles Rice in the final seconds of an 81-76 loss on Jan. 31 and stormed off the floor without going through the handshake line.

The dysfunction in the final seconds — Woodson tried and failed to get Rice’s attention to call a timeout — wasn’t an anomaly during a five-game losing streak that culminated with Woodson announcing he would be stepping down at the end of the season.

Indiana’s focus has turned to giving Woodson, who is in the school’s Hall of Fame, a proper send off.

For players, that means trying to secure a long-shot bid to the NCAA Tournament that will require some Quad 1 wins in the coming weeks.

The Hoosiers’ best opportunity to bolster their resume is Sunday’s game against No. 14 Purdue at Assembly Hall. It’s their final game against a ranked opponent and would have the added benefit of sending Woodson out with a .500 record against the Boilermakers as a coach.

It would be quite the achievement for Woodson considering Purdue has never ranked outside the top 15 in head-to-head matchups during his tenure, and it’s a rivalry that’s brought the coach heartache and joy in equal measure going back to his days as a fresh-faced youngster coming out of Broad Ripple High School.

Will he get the last laugh against the Boilermakers? Or will Matt Painter’s squad help land a knockout blow to his tenure?

Dec 15, 1979; Lexington, KY, USA, FILE PHOTO; Indiana Hoosiers forward Mike Woodson (42) in action against the Kentucky Wildcats at Rupp Arena. Mandatory Credit: Malcolm Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/article/indiana-basketball-coach-mike-woodson-094623615.html

Author : The Herald-Times

Publish date : 2025-02-23 09:46:00

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