Indiana basketball faces significant changes in the upcoming season. The women’s team will have to adapt and find new leaders on the court to replace graduated foundational players Ali Patberg, Nicole Cardaño-Hillary, and Aleksa Gulbe. On the other hand, the men’s team must earn respect and meet higher expectations this season. Although they never made it into the AP top-25 during the 2019-20 season, Indiana had an 11-1 start, including wins over UConn, Florida State and Notre Dame. Lastly, Ohio State’s Chris Holtmann and Indiana’s Archie Miller will meet for the seventh time since their hiring in 2017, as they prepare for their next Big Ten matchup.
IU Basketball Season: A Tale of Progress Amid Uncertainty
While Indiana University did not secure the coveted national title in 2023, it’s unfair to deem the season a failure solely based on that standard, especially since the university has been on a 36-year dry spell. The program had a talented and deep roster, and they enjoyed a degree of roster continuity that very few other teams could claim.
The preseason expectations were high for this edition of the program, and to some extent, the team did not meet them. IU was a near-consensus favorite to win the Big Ten, but instead finished third. They reached the semifinals of the Big Ten Tournament, but once again fell short.
Despite not meeting some of these expectations, the season was a success, given the progress made under second-year head coach Mike Woodson. The Hoosiers started the season strong, winning their first seven games, including a road win at Xavier, and a dominant win over North Carolina.
However, the team faced a few setbacks along the way. Trayce Jackson-Davis and Jalen Hood-Schifino both had early-season back issues that caused them to miss time, and starting guard Xavier Johnson suffered a season-ending broken foot. When Indiana lost Johnson, they lost a lot, including their best perimeter defender, their fastest player, and their edge. In total, IU’s original starting five plus Galloway missed 38 games, 24 of which were attributable to Johnson.
The team’s defensive identity took a significant hit without Johnson, and the Hoosiers went sideways. They were blown out at Kansas and fell into a three-game Big Ten losing streak in January. They lost Thompson to a knee injury in one of those three losses, and he wasn’t himself again until March.
Despite these challenges, the team fought and came together. Under Woodson’s leadership, the season was a tale of progress stacked on the progress of his first season. It is fair to call this IU basketball season a success, even though the future is uncertain.
Indiana Basketball: A Season of Success Amid Uncertainty
The Indiana Hoosiers basketball team had a season of progress under second-year head coach Mike Woodson, despite some challenges along the way. The team started the season strong, winning their first seven games, but faced setbacks with early-season injuries to Trayce Jackson-Davis and Jalen Hood-Schifino, and Xavier Johnson’s season-ending broken foot. As a result, Indiana’s original starting five plus Galloway missed a total of 38 games, with 24 of those attributable to Johnson.
Indiana’s defense took a significant hit without Johnson, and the team went through a rough patch, going 5-5 over their last 10 games. However, Indiana still recorded its most wins since 2016, its highest finish in the Big Ten since 2016, and advanced further in the NCAA Tournament than any year since 2016.
Looking ahead to the 2023-2024 season, the program faces significant uncertainty. Indiana will lose several key players, including Jackson-Davis, Thompson, Miller Kopp, and potentially Johnson. Furthermore, the transfer portal may further deplete the team’s roster. Coach Woodson has an opportunity to pivot to a highly-skilled, perimeter-oriented team to rebuild the program to match his vision, and the transfer portal may provide a quick fix.
Despite the uncertainties, the 2022-2023 season was a success. The team met reasonable expectations, and the progress made under Coach Woodson bodes well for the program’s future.
Indiana Women’s Basketball: A New Era
Indiana Women’s Basketball faces significant changes this year, losing foundational players Ali Patberg, Nicole Cardaño-Hillary, and Aleksa Gulbe to graduation. Patberg, in particular, was a natural leader on the floor and graduated as the program’s all-time winningest player. Replacing such a group is not an easy task, but the team will need to adapt and find new leaders on the court to continue their success.
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