When the Indiana Hoosiers tipped off against Maryland, it was supposed to be a night to bounce back, to restore faith in a team that had shown glimpses of brilliance early in the season. But what unfolded instead was a brutal collapse and a storm of controversy that now has fans calling for head coach Mike Woodson to step down.
From turnovers and missed free throws to defensive blunders that left fans scratching their heads, the 79-78 home loss to Maryland wasn’t just a game—it was a boiling point. And to make matters worse, Woodson’s postgame antics, captured in a now-viral video, have set social media ablaze with criticism.
The Hoosiers’ Painful Collapse: A Timeline of Chaos
Let’s set the stage: Indiana started the season strong, boasting a 13-3 record and looking like a team that could make noise in the Big Ten. But fast forward to now, and they’ve spiraled to 14-7, with their latest loss to Maryland being perhaps the most gut-wrenching of them all.
The Hoosiers led 78-74 with just 38 seconds left on the clock. Victory seemed all but assured. All they had to do was hold their composure, make smart decisions, and close the game out. Easy, right? Wrong.
Maryland’s Ja’Koni Gillespie drained a jumper to cut the lead to two. Still, Indiana had control. They inbounded the ball and put it in the hands of senior guard Trey Galloway—an unusual choice, considering Galloway’s shaky 65.5% free-throw shooting. With a 90.2% free-throw shooter, Myles Rice, also on the court, fans were left scratching their heads. Predictably, Galloway missed the front end of a one-and-one.
Maryland took full advantage. With the game on the line, Rodney Rice found just enough space to nail a clutch three-pointer, giving Maryland a 79-78 lead with seven seconds left. Indiana called timeout, hoping to salvage the game with a final play. Instead, they delivered a disorganized mess that ended with the buzzer sounding and boos raining down from the stands.
The Viral Moment: Mike Woodson’s Postgame “Escape”
As if the loss wasn’t painful enough, what happened next poured gasoline on the fire. A fan cam recorded Coach Mike Woodson heading straight for the locker room after the game, completely skipping the traditional postgame handshake with Maryland’s coaching staff. It wasn’t until senior forward Luke Goode stepped in that Woodson turned around, briefly acknowledging his opponents.
The internet, unsurprisingly, exploded. Fans and critics alike were quick to label Woodson’s actions as unsportsmanlike, with one user bluntly calling him a “coward.” Another tweet fumed, “Somebody at IU get some ba–s and fire this guy already. He keeps embarrassing himself and the school.”
It didn’t stop there. Comparisons flew in, with one commenter taking a jab at Woodson’s coaching acumen: “Woodson has about 5 IQ points on Kenny Payne but thinks he’s Coach K .” The reference to Kenny Payne, the Louisville coach with a notoriously poor record, was a sharp critique of Woodson’s perceived overconfidence.
Of course, there were some who tried to defend the coach. One fan speculated that the incident was simply a lapse in judgment, joking, “Woodson seems too nice to bail on sportsmanship. Maybe he was having a Joe Biden moment there.” But for the majority, the consensus was clear: this wasn’t just a bad game; it was a bad look for Indiana basketball as a whole.
Luke Goode tells Mike Woodson to go back and shake hands with Kevin Willard and Maryland. https://t.co/WKKiKkiRTW
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) January 27, 2025
The Hoosiers’ Dwindling Season: Can They Recover?
The loss drops Indiana to a middling 5-5 in Big Ten play, raising serious concerns about their postseason aspirations. With February approaching, the Hoosiers are running out of time to string together meaningful wins.
To date, their best victories are a neutral-court win over Providence and a road win at Penn State—solid, but hardly season-defining. If Indiana wants to make a deep run in the Big Ten tournament or secure an NCAA tournament berth, they’ll need to find another gear.
The Hoosiers have talent—there’s no denying that. Players like Trey Galloway and Myles Rice have shown flashes of brilliance. But talent without leadership can only take a team so far, and right now, leadership is exactly what Indiana is missing.
Fan Sentiment: Is It Time for Woodson to Step Aside?
For many fans, this latest loss—and the postgame controversy that followed—feels like the final straw. Criticism of Woodson’s in-game decision-making has been mounting all season, and now his perceived lack of sportsmanship has added fuel to the fire.
As one fan put it, “When 22-year-olds show more maturity than you, it’s time to hang it up.” The comment refers to Luke Goode, whose quick thinking salvaged what could have been an even more embarrassing moment for the program.
While some fans still hold out hope that Woodson can turn things around, the majority are losing patience. The calls for his resignation are growing louder with each passing game, and unless the Hoosiers can pull off a dramatic turnaround, his future at Indiana could be in jeopardy.
Final Thoughts: A Season on the Brink
The Indiana Hoosiers are at a crossroads. What started as a promising season has devolved into a campaign marred by inconsistency, poor execution, and now, a public relations nightmare. Mike Woodson’s tenure as head coach is under intense scrutiny, and with each loss, the pressure mounts.
Can the Hoosiers rally and salvage their season? Or will this latest chapter in Indiana’s storied history be remembered as the beginning of the end for Woodson? One thing is certain: the spotlight is shining brighter than ever, and Big Blue Nation is watching closely.
