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Wisconsin loss puts Indiana’s constant ebbs and flows on full display

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Wisconsin loss puts Indiana’s constant ebbs and flows on full display


MADISON, Wis. — This Indiana men’s basketball season has been defined by ebbs and flows.

And no game has provided a more glaring example of that than Friday’s 91-79 loss to No. 11 Wisconsin.

The Big Ten-leading Badgers (14-4, 6-1) capitalized on a plethora of Indiana miscues — another recurring theme. Indiana (12-7, 4-4) suffered its third defeat in the last four games, and its fourth loss in the last six contests. And IU extended its Kohl Center losing streak to 20 games.

Indiana displayed a full range of emotions throughout the night, from the court, to the sideline, to the postgame press conference. And those expressions spoke volumes.

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There was plenty of embarrassment. Near the end of the first half, Xavier Johnson committed a needless foul with seven seconds left, and Indiana’s bench wasn’t thrilled with the sixth-year. Director of player development Calbert Cheaney showed visible frustration, and assistant coach Brian Walsh covered his face. It gave Wisconsin two free points at the foul line, right after Gabe Cupps knocked down a 3-pointer to cut IU’s deficit to 11 points.

It was the latest in a long line of unnecessary mistakes Indiana’s made all year. The Hoosiers, on so many occasions, just haven’t been able to stay out of their own way.

But Friday’s most regrettable moment came in the second half, when CJ Gunn was handed a flagrant 2 foul for elbowing Max Klesmit. It prompted Don Fischer to openly express his embarrassment over the airwaves, a drastic step for IU’s longtime play-by-play voice.

Head coach Mike Woodson thought the ejection was harsh.

“In the heat of the battle, anything is liable to happen. I’m not happy about it,” Woodson said after the game. “After looking at it, the kid (Klesmit) put his head on his (Gunn’s) chest. He threw a semi-elbow, I don’t think it was something hard that warranted being kicked out of the game. I can’t control that, he was kicked out.”

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But that aspect of the decision doesn’t overshadow IU’s repeated lack of discipline. The Hoosiers have picked up four flagrant fouls in the last four games — though one was a hook-and-hold, an obvious difference from the unsportsmanlike acts by Gunn and Johnson.

And that doesn’t account for the frustration fouls and other poor decisions the Hoosiers have made as things spiral away from them in these recent losses. Indiana’s looked increasingly fragmented for prolonged stretches, and typically displays poor body language during those runs.

“We’ve got to figure out a way to be one on the court,” sophomore forward Malik Reneau said. “I feel like we’re kind of disconnected in some ways, but, I mean, we’re gonna fix that, get it right.”

Given Indiana’s shortcomings, it’s easy to fault leadership, whether on the court or the sideline.

But listen to Reneau face the media after the game — watch him show the accountability many fans are demanding — and you instantly sense how much he cares. You can hear it in his voice. You can see it in his eyes.

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And on nights like these, he speaks on behalf of his teammates. The Hoosiers may look like they’re just going through the motions when opponents go on big runs to break games open. But they’re trying. Yes, they make frequent mistakes, but they do want to win.

“We really have to go harder in practice and figure out a way to understand what Woody is talking about and apply it on the court. I feel like we’re not doing it, and that’s when they have the spurts where they go on their runs and it’s hard to fight back,” Reneau said. “We fought back as hard as we can, but it’s tough when you build that deficit and try to build it back. We did it in the Purdue game, we did it in most of our losses.”

For all of Indiana’s problems since Big Ten play restarted — and, to an extent, the entire season — this team doesn’t quit. The Hoosiers have had four frustrating Big Ten losses, but aren’t flat-out giving up. They’ve made second-half runs in all four games. Some of those stretches have come too late, with the outcome already decided — but they aren’t just giving up when the deficit becomes too much.

That, in contrast, does reflect well on Indiana’s leadership and culture. Of course, it would mean more without the double-digit holes, and if the team won some of those games. IU has obvious X-and-O problems beyond the leadership concerns that explain its flaws. But the players keep pushing, even if they aren’t on a winning track.

That happened again on Friday. Wisconsin went on an 18-2 run in the second half, with Gunn’s ejection coming near the end of that spurt. Indiana’s defense evaporated, with constant breakdowns leading to repeated easy looks for the Badgers. And Woodson, amidst that run, sported a look of pure exasperation on the bench. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing from his squad, as Wisconsin took a 23-point lead, its largest of the game.

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But after a timeout, Indiana came right back with an 11-2 run.

Things had already gone from bad to worse before the flagrant foul. That moment could’ve helped Wisconsin put the final nails in the coffin. But Indiana didn’t give up, and made the Badgers earn it. The same coaches and players who showed frustration for so much of the night displayed genuinely renewed hope, multiple times, in the second half.

But, of course, the Hoosiers won’t act happy about that. Nor should they, after getting outplayed by Wisconsin in nearly every facet.

It just speaks to the dichotomy of this Indiana team, with so many ebbs and flows throughout the season, both from game to game and within individual games. Big picture concerns like leadership and culture are rarely cut and dry, and Indiana’s situation has layers to it.

IU’s highs this year have not yet been particularly high, but there are enough sporadic positive moments to get fans excited. Its lowest lows have been completely embarrassing. And this season is quickly becoming defined by the constant see-saw between the two.

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But one thing that is straightforward: Indiana has not been good enough.

“We’ve got to work. We’ve got to keep working to get better. That’s all you can do,” Woodson said. “I’m a coach. And it’s my job to figure it out as a coach to get our team playing better. And that’s what I’m going to do.”

For complete coverage of IU basketball, GO HERE.    


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Indiana

The Minute After: Iowa

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The Minute After: Iowa


Thoughts on an 85-60 loss to Iowa:

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Iowa City is a long way from the Bahamas.

But tonight’s game from Indiana could have fit right into its Battle 4 Atlantis performance.

As Iowa began to pull away early in the second half, the Hoosiers completely folded. They failed to compete. The body language was poor. They couldn’t defend. They couldn’t score. They looked like a team that had given up.

Iowa got up by as much as 30 before settling on a 25-point victory. That 25-point defeat for the Hoosiers? It’s the largest loss during regular season Big Ten play in the Mike Woodson era.

Iowa entered this game 121st on KenPom in adjusted defensive efficiency but held Indiana to just .83 points per possession tonight. That’s Indiana’s lowest output of the season. The previous low? The .85 points per possession it scored against Louisville in the Bahamas.

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The Hoosiers have played well against zone defense this season, but that wasn’t the case tonight. Iowa’s 2-3 zone turned them into jump shooters. The Hoosiers just couldn’t find a consistent rhythm against it. On paper, Indiana entered this one as the far superior rebounding team. It’s an area that’s helped the Hoosiers succeed during their three-game conference winning streak. But the Hawkeyes snagged 29 percent of their offensive rebounds tonight, while the Hoosiers rebounded just 24 percent.

Iowa also absolutely feasted off Indiana’s 16 turnovers. The Hawkeyes scored 24 points off turnovers on a night the Hoosiers turned the ball over on 22 percent of their possessions. Indiana was particularly poor with the ball in the first half and entered the locker room turning it over on 32 percent of its possessions.

Oumar Ballo had a rough start. Iowa doubled him from the get-go and Owen Freeman poked at him, too. The Arizona transfer had four turnovers by the 14:38 mark in the first half when he was yanked from the game by Woodson. Ballo has been a dominant force for Indiana of late. And while he still posted a double-double — 10 points, 13 rebounds — Freeman bested him tonight. The sophomore can play out on the perimeter and his quickness and array of moves made him a tough matchup for the bigger Ballo. Freeman finished with 16 points (8-of-13) and 12 boards. He also defended the paint well, racking up a game-high four blocks while also adding three steals. Ballo didn’t block a shot this evening.

Mackenzie Mgbako played only 16 minutes and scored six points. He’s 2-of-14 from the floor over his last two games.

Iowa hit 11-of-24 (46 percent) from 3-point range. Indiana made just 4-of-16 (25 percent). After heating up in the second half, Payton Sandfort led all scorers with 23 points.

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“When you go out on the road in the Big Ten, you can’t turn it over, you gotta rebound with your opponent and you gotta make shots,” Woodson said after the game. “We failed in all three areas tonight.”

Fail Indiana did tonight. The start of its toughest stretch of the season was a disaster. With better teams just over the horizon, the Hoosiers need to forget about this one and not let it affect them.

We’ll soon see how they respond with the Illini coming to Bloomington for a Tuesday night bout.

(Photo credit: Big Ten Basketball on X)

Filed to: Iowa Hawkeyes

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How to watch Indiana vs No. 23 Iowa women's college basketball: Schedule, streaming info, game preview

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How to watch Indiana vs No. 23 Iowa women's college basketball: Schedule, streaming info, game preview


Conference play in women’s college basketball gets started in earnest this month and on Sunday afternoon, the 11-4 Indiana Hoosiers visit the No. 23 Iowa Hawkeyes (12-4) for a Big Ten matchup at 3pm ET on Peacock.

Indiana has just one conference loss this season — they fell to No. 1 UCLA 73-62 on Saturday, January 4th. But they bounced back with a 68-64 win over Northwestern their last time out to improve to 3-1 in the Big Ten. It was the program’s 900th win all-time, but it was also a hard-fought win against a Wildcats team that isn’t a barnburner in the conference (Northwestern is 7-9 overall, 0-5 Big Ten).

“Winning is hard,” Indiana head coach Teri Moren said after the Northwestern victory. “It’s hard at home, it’s hard on the road, and our margin of error is really small, and so, we’ve got to be much better, but we’re happy that we’re going to get out of here with the win tonight.”

For Iowa, there’s been plenty of questions and plenty of scrutiny in the post-Caitlin Clark, post-Lisa Bluder era. The Hawkeyes have kept the momentum going with their devoted fanbase: Iowa has sold out women’s basketball season tickets for the second straight season, and the team has played in front of 28 consecutive sellout crowds, the longest streak nationwide.

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The Hawkeyes started off the season 8-0, but have struggled more recently, going 4-4 in their last eight games. Longtime Iowa assistant Jan Jensen took over the head coaching role from Bluder, and senior guard Lucy Olsen, a transfer from Villanova, has helped to fill the void left by Clark on the court. Olsen leads the team in scoring with 17.0 points per game, and junior forward Hannah Stuelke leads the team with 8.0 rebounds per game.

For full information on how to watch Sunday’s game, including start time and streaming information, see below.

READ MORE: Big Ten, SEC each have 4 top 10 teams in AP women’s poll

How to Watch Indiana vs Iowa Women’s College Basketball

  • Date: Sunday, January 12th
  • Time: 3:00pm ET
  • Location: Carver-Hawkeye Arena (Iowa City, Iowa)
  • Streaming: Peacock

Big Ten women’s basketball 2024-25 schedule on NBC & Peacock

Date Time (ET) Matchup
Sun., Jan. 12 3 p.m. Indiana vs. Iowa
Wed., Jan. 15 9:30 p.m. Penn State vs. UCLA
Wed., Jan. 15 10 p.m. Northwestern vs. USC
Thurs., Jan. 16 7 p.m. Illinois vs. Indiana
Thurs., Jan. 16 9 p.m. Ohio State vs. Wisconsin
Sun., Jan. 19 12 p.m. USC vs. Indiana**
Wed., Jan. 22 7 p.m. USC vs. Purdue
Wed., Jan. 22 9 p.m. Iowa vs. Washington
Sun., Jan. 26 2 p.m. UCLA vs. Maryland**
Thurs., Jan. 30 10 p.m. Minnesota vs. USC
Wed., Feb. 5 7:30 p.m. USC vs. Wisconsin
Wed., Feb. 5 9:30 p.m. Ohio State vs. UCLA
Thurs., Feb. 6 8 p.m. Michigan vs. Nebraska
Thurs., Feb. 13 7:30 p.m. Minnesota vs. Ohio State
Thurs., Feb. 13 10 p.m. UCLA vs. USC
Wed., Feb. 19 9:30 p.m. Michigan State vs. USC
Thurs., Feb. 20 7 p.m. Ohio State vs. Indiana
Sun., Feb. 23 2 p.m. UCLA vs. Iowa
Wed., Feb. 26 8 p.m. UCLA vs. Wisconsin
Thurs., Feb. 27 7 p.m. Maryland vs. Indiana
Sun., March 2 2 p.m. Indiana vs. Purdue
Sun., March 2 4 p.m. Wisconsin vs. Iowa
Tues., March 4 3:30 p.m. Big Ten Tournament
Tues., March 4 6 p.m. Big Ten Tournament
Tues., March 4 8:30 p.m. Big Ten Tournament
**on NBC and Peacock

How to Watch Big Ten Sports on Peacock

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How to watch Iowa vs Indiana today: Time, TV channel for Big Ten basketball game

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How to watch Iowa vs Indiana today: Time, TV channel for Big Ten basketball game


play

Iowa basketball is ready to hit the court again in Big Ten Conference play.

The Hawkeyes (11-4, 2-2 Big Ten) remain at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Saturday for a men’s matchup against Indiana. Head coach Fran McCaffery’s group is hoping to carry its momentum from last outing’s overtime win over Nebraska, 97-87, on Tuesday.

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Here’s how to watch Iowa men’s basketball vs Indiana, including time, TV schedule and streaming information:

Watch Iowa vs. Indiana men’s basketball on FUBO

What channel is Iowa vs Indiana on today?  

TV channel: FOX

Livestream: FUBO (free trial)

Iowa vs Indiana will be broadcast nationally on FOX. Streaming options for the game include FUBO, which offers a free trial to new subscribers.

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Can I watch Iowa vs Indiana for free on livestream? 

The Iowa vs. Indiana game can be streamed on FUBO, which offers a free trial to new subscribers.

Iowa vs Indiana time today 

  • Date: Saturday, Jan. 1
  • Start time: 7 p.m. CT

The Iowa vs Indiana game starts at 7 p.m. CT from Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City.

Iowa basketball schedule 2024-25

Record: 11-4 (2-2 Big Ten)

  • Nov. 4: Texas A&M Commerce (W, 89-67)
  • Nov. 7: Southern (W, 89-74)
  • Nov. 12: South Dakota (W, 96-77)
  • Nov. 15: Washington State (W, 76-66)
  • Nov. 19: Rider University (W, 83-58)
  • Nov. 22: Utah State (L, 77-69)
  • Nov 26: USC Upstate (W, 110-77)
  • Dec. 3: Northwestern (W, 80-79)
  • Dec 7: @Michigan (L, 85-83)
  • Dec. 12: Iowa State (L, 89-80)
  • Dec. 15: University of New Orleans (W, 104-57)
  • Dec. 21: University of Utah (W, 95-88)
  • Dec. 30: University of New Hampshire (W, 112-70)
  • Jan 3: at Wisconsin, (L, 116-85)
  • Jan. 7: Nebraska, (W, 97-87)
  • Jan. 11: Indiana, 7 p.m., FOX (Iowa City)*
  • Jan. 14: at USC, 9:30 p.m., FS1 (Los Angeles, California)*
  • Jan. 17: at UCLA, 8 p.m., FS1 (Los Angeles, California)*
  • Jan 21: Minnesota, 8 p.m., BTN (Iowa City)*
  • Jan. 24: Penn State, 8 p.m., FS1 (Iowa City)*
  • Jan 27: at Ohio State, 7 p.m., FS1 (Columbus, Ohio)*
  • Feb. 4: Purdue, 6 p.m., Peacock (Iowa City)*
  • Feb 8: Wisconsin, noon, NBC (Iowa City)*
  • Feb. 12: at Rutgers, 5:30 p.m., BTN (Piscataway, New Jersey)*
  • Feb. 16: at Maryland, 4 p.m., FS1 (College Park, Maryland)*
  • Feb. 19: Oregon, 7:30 p.m., BTN (Iowa City)*
  • Feb. 22: Washington, 3 p.m., FS1 (Iowa City)*
  • Feb. 25: at Illinois, 8 p.m., FS1 (Champaign, Illinois)*
  • Feb: 28: at Northwestern, 8 p.m., FS1 (Evanston, Illinois)*
  • March 6: Michigan State, 7 p.m., FS1 (Iowa City)*
  • March 9: at Nebraska, 11:30 a.m., FOX (Lincoln, Nebraska)*
  • March 12-16: Big Ten Tournament on (Indianapolis, Indiana)*

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