[Postgame 3-2-1] What We Learned From Indiana's Blowout Loss At Iowa
Indiana Basketball took a five-game win streak to Iowa City on Saturday evening. That streak is now emphatically over.
IOWA CITY — Indiana Basketball took a five-game win streak to Iowa City on Saturday evening. That streak is now emphatically over.
The first half was back and forth, with each team making a big run to gain the lead. An 18-5 Hawkeye run to end the half gave the hosts a 10-point advantage going into the locker room.
The second half was all Iowa. The Hawkeyes jumped out quick and never looked back, leading to a decisive 85-60 victory.
“We failed in all three areas tonight,” Indiana head coach Mike Woodson said postgame. “That’s something you can’t have when you go out on the road, so we got to be better.”

With the loss, Indiana drops to 13-4 and 4-2 in conference play.
Here are three stats, two additional observations, and one lingering question from Indiana's 85-60 defeat against Iowa.
Did you miss yesterday's edition of the postgame show?
3 Meaningful Stats
1. Indiana had 16 turnovers.
Indiana came into Saturday night doing a better job taking care of the basketball.
But in just the first four minutes of the game versus Iowa, Indiana matched its turnover output (six) from Wednesday night against USC.
Indiana finished with 16 turnovers that led to 24 points for the Hawkeyes. The 16 turnovers marked the fourth time the Hoosiers have surpassed 15-plus giveaways in a single game.
“When you have 17 points given to them based on just hand-delivering the basketball, you’re not going to beat many teams in the Big Ten,” Woodson said. “Good teams like Iowa you’re not going to get away with that.”
Iowa's defense entered the game as one of the worst defensive teams in the conference, allowing nearly 79 points per contest. Indiana was bewildered when Iowa went to a zone near the end of the first half, stifling the Hoosiers.
2. Iowa was lights out from 3
It is well known at this point that Iowa's calling card has always been about the 3-point shot, and Saturday night was no different.
With Indiana providing very little coverage, Iowa drilled 11 3s, finishing 11-for-24 from deep.
“It’s just hard to play defense when you turn the ball over a lot,” redshirt sophomore guard Myles Rice said. “It’s hard to play in a set defense or play together when we turn the ball over so much.”
Sixty-nine of Iowa's 85 points came from behind the arc or at the rim, a direct indictment of Indiana's lack of defensive preparation.
Simply put, the Hoosiers had no answer for what Iowa brought to the table on Saturday evening and got blown out.
3. Iowa out-rebounds Indiana 37-31
There’s no doubt that Iowa dominated IU in all facets of Saturday night’s debacle, and it trickled down to one of Hoosiers’ recent strengths: rebounding.
Indiana’s rebounding has been dominant all season, but Iowa broke the Hoosiers’ spirit and beat them at their own game.

The Cream and Crimson had nine offensive boards, resulting in nine second-chance points, while the Hawkeyes had the same amount of rebounds, but cashed in for a dozen second-chance points.
The rebounding was a microcosm of a severe lack of determination from Indiana, and Iowa took advantage of it.
2 Important Observations
1. Iowa’s zone continues to fluster Indiana
For four seasons, Fran McCaffery and Iowa has been Mike Woodson’s kryptonite. The Hawkeyes have won five of their six games against Woodson-coached Indiana teams — some in dramatic fashion (i.e., Jordan Bohannon), and some similar to Saturday night.
When Indiana figured out the Iowa defense, McCaffery called a timeout and switched up the defense into a matchup zone.
Indiana was up 24-23 at the time, and the Hawkeyes out-scored the Hoosiers 62-34 the rest of the way.
“We were just one pass and freeze with the basketball,” Woodson said of the lack of offense against the zone. “That’s something we can’t do, not against good teams.”
It’s not the first time Iowa has shown zone against Indiana, so seeing the offense look clueless against a defense with so many holes was baffling.
2. These losses shouldn’t come as a surprise anymore
Saturday's 25-point drubbing in Iowa City marked the 12th time in Mike Woodson’s 31 losses that his team lost by 15-plus points.
Much like the losses in The Bahamas and Lincoln, the Hoosiers were simply outmatched in every aspect of the game.
It was supposed to be a prove-it game for Indiana as it begins a stretch of 11 straight quad-one games. Instead, it turned into the same-old, as the Hoosiers were run off the floor for the fourth time this season.
The Hoosiers look to flush the loss on Tuesday with top-20 Illinois coming into town.
1 Lingering Question
How important is the Illinois game now?
Now that Indiana fell flat on its face in its first test against a quad-one opponent, the Illinois game takes on a whole new meaning.
The Fighting Illini will also be coming into town also fresh off a frustrating loss, an 82-72 defeat at home to USC.
Though they won’t be ranked as high, it is Indiana’s second crack at a ranked team this season (89-73 to No.3 Gonzaga) and another shot at a resumé boosting victory.
Indiana can ill-afford to lose games at home, which makes Tuesday’s battle with Illinois all the more critical.
An unblemished home record and tournament hopes could be on the line, so it will be intriguing to see how Indiana responds.
I agree with all of these points; but, these comments focus mostly on how IU turned the ball over, got out rebounded, not being able to figure out how to play against a zone defense, etc; when, in my humble view, the main take away was the Hoosiers poor play on the defensive end of the floor and the lack of intensity. Simply put, they weren’t mentally ready to play, they didn’t play hard, and the drubbing that they took is what happens as a result.