Indiana basketball struggling to play with intensity beyond the walls of its 'safe haven'

BLOOMINGTON — Indiana basketball is having a Jekyll and Hyde moment. 

The Hoosiers team that jumped out to a 17-point lead in the opening eight minutes of a 74-62 win over Minnesota looked nothing like the group that couldn’t muster any sort of fight just days earlier in New Jersey. 

“I mean, well, you seen the intensity in the game?” Indiana center Kel’el Ware said, when asked what the difference was. “I feel like if we bring out the intensity we had at the start of this game and even throughout the game to every game, I feel like we'll be good.”

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The raucous atmosphere at Assembly Hall has lit the fuse for Indiana all season long. The Hoosiers went from suffering an embarrassing defeat to Auburn in Atlanta to pushing then No. 2 Kansas to the brink back in front of a sold out crowd in Bloomington. 

Indiana looked allergic to defense when it traveled to Lincoln, Neb. only to beat up on a talented Ohio State-squad at home. 

The drastic change in IU’s focus and attitude when it leaves the historic 17,222-seat arena isn’t lost on coach Mike Woodson. 

“We've got to somehow convert how we play here at home on the road,” Woodson said. “That's going to be the difference moving forward.”

On the road, Indiana is 2-4 while averaging 68.6 points per game and 14 turnovers a game while shooting 44.2% from the field (30.8% from 3-point range). The numbers at home look much better starting with a 10-1 record. 

The team is averaging 77.7 points with a 49.9% shooting percentage (35.4% from 3-point range) and 11.8 turnovers a game. 

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While Woodson thought his team’s 78-75 win at Michigan back on Dec. 5 was a good omen, that hasn't turned out to be the case.

The Hoosiers showed plenty of grit in Ann Arbor to secure a win in a game that featured 18 ties and 12 lead changes. Michigan even jumped out to a 59-53 lead in the second half, but they haven’t put up the same kind of spirited performances on recent road trips and Woodson knows he needs to solve.

Indiana's seven road games left on the schedule will determine if the program can make it back to the NCAA tournament or not.

“It's tough on everybody in the Big Ten on the road, it's just not our team,” Woodson said. 

“Everybody is kind of having a tough time winning on the road. We've got to figure it out. Our safe haven is here at home. I get that. We've got to continue to win our games here at home, but somehow I've got to help us get over the hump and get us feeling good about playing on the road.”

Michael Niziolek is the Indiana beat reporter for The Bloomington Herald-Times. You can follow him on X @michaelniziolek and read all his coverage by clicking here.