In 49 states, it’s just basketball.”
That may be a cliché, but there is truth to it. As I write this, there are 19,575 messages in the Indiana Hoosiers thread on “The Burner,” a national online forum of college basketball fans. The next-biggest thread? Kansas, with 3,231 messages. The general ACC thread has 854. Fans from Providence College to the Mountain West Conference are shocked and making jokes about how passionate IU fans are.However, it isn’t just crazed internet users that define what IU basketball means. For those who grew up with IU basketball, it is more than just a sport. Growing up a Hoosier, IU b-ball is a spiritual center and a touch point of culture. Anywhere you go, you are surrounded by framed photos of Bob Knight and hand-drawn posters of Assembly Hall. It doesn’t have UNESCO heritage status yet, but someone should nominate it. It is one of the most important cultural assets for the citizens of Indiana.
This passion is turning sour, though. In year three, coach Mike Woodson has IU hovering around 100 in most computer rankings, such as kenpom.com and barttorvik.com. This is a low water mark not seen since the dark days of Tom Crean’s rebuild in 2008-2010.
Recruiting is not going well, either, and the future looks dark. IU announced last week Woodson would be back for the 2024-25 season. About 24 hours later, Woodson’s only 2024 recruit — Florida standout Liam McNeeley decommitted.
Jeff Rabjohns of peegs.com that Woodson’s lack of effort in recruiting has cost IU. “It’s March of year three. It took until February for Woodson to go see Trent Sisley and Braylon Mullins, two of the top in-state prospects, this season, and he didn’t see Mullins in a game until the sectional semifinals on March 1.”
The national media are piling on by mocking Woodson’s outdated style of play and his public comments. There are also rumors of player unhappiness, including some people close to the players who did not like Woodson calling certain playersThere is a nonzero chance we will see a mass exodus and full rebuild.
The mismanagement of the program and lack of effort on the recruiting trail is understandable for someone with no college head coaching experience, but it’s unacceptable for someone making more than $4 million a year, especially since Woodson has advantages no previous IU coach has had: most notably, the ability to recruit athletes who are openly receiving money via NIL funds.
Woodson should step down for the good of the program.
Barring that, the boosters, athletic director Scott Dolson, IU Board of Trustees Chair Quinn Buckner and even IU President Pamela Whitten should put aside their own feelings, their own personal relationships and their own egos to do what’s right for the institution and the state.
In Indiana, basketball means so much to so many people and plays a large role in economic development, which means that there is a great responsibility to care for one of the biggest — if not the biggest — brands in the state.Indiana leverages its sports heritage as a The Indiana Sports Corp was founded in 1979 as the first sports commission in the country and has generated an estimated $4 billion in revenue. Last month’s NBA All-Star Game made an estimated . This strong sports culture has indirect economic benefits as Indiana competes with other states to attract talented professionals. IU’s administration, and even Indiana’s state government, need to act accordingly.
- College basketball is big business. IU ranks fifth in basketball revenue, with an average of $31.1 million from 2020 to 2022, accounting for nearly 20% of the IU athletic department’s $121 million,
IU basketball should be at the top nationally year in and year out. I know Purdue fans might disagree, but it is better for the state when both schools are good. IU/Purdue should be up with Duke and North Carolina as the premier rivalry in the country.