Saturday afternoon’s Big Ten game between No. 24 Michigan and Indiana in Bloomington, Ind., could see many of the home fans show more support for the visiting coach than their own.
Indiana head coach Mike Woodson is facing heavy criticism from fans after a recent series of poor performances. Indiana (14-9, 5-7 Big Ten) has lost four consecutive games and six of its last seven, dropping out of both the Big Ten title race and NCAA Tournament contention.
“Right now, we’re not tough,” Woodson said. “We’re just not a tough team right now. We’re not. Mentally, we’re not tough.”
The next few games won’t be easy for the Hoosiers, with three ranked teams coming up: Michigan, Michigan State, and Purdue. The fourth team, UCLA, just beat Michigan State and could be ranked if they win against Penn State on Saturday.
Because of this tough schedule, Saturday’s game could feel like a must-win for Woodson.
“We’ve got to get it fixed because we only have eight left and five of them are at home,” Woodson said. “We have to figure out all of our games at home and the three that’s on the road.”
The first challenge will be against Michigan, coached by a beloved figure returning to his home state.
Michigan head coach Dusty May grew up in Indiana, attended Indiana University, and worked as a student manager under legendary coach Bob Knight. When May led Florida Atlantic to the Final Four in 2023, some Indiana fans hoped Woodson would be replaced by May.
Indiana kept Woodson, and after last season, May took the Michigan job, where he has helped the Wolverines improve.
Michigan (17-5, 9-2) is currently near the top of the Big Ten standings, just behind Purdue. With a strong finish, Michigan could make its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2022.
“I’m sure it will be cool to walk into Assembly Hall where you spent a lot of time,” May said. “I’m not thinking about anything. My mom lives in Bloomington. It is what it is. But I’m going there to try and win a freaking basketball game and that’s it.”
The game will feature three of the top big men in the Big Ten. Michigan is led by 7-footers Vladislav Goldin (15.6 points, 6.0 rebounds per game) and Danny Wolf (12.3 points, 10.0 rebounds). Indiana’s 7-footer Oumar Ballo leads his team in both scoring and rebounding with 14.0 points and 9.9 rebounds per game.
The matchup will also showcase the two teams with the most turnovers in the conference. Michigan averages 14.8 turnovers per game, while Indiana averages 12.5.
Indiana has had recent success against Michigan, winning the last four matchups, including a 78-75 win at Michigan last season.
