6-Banner Sunday: IU’s season ends with a blowout loss in Big Ten tournament
Welcome to another edition of 6-Banner Sunday, a joint production between The Assembly Call and Inside the Hall, and presented by our friends at Trueblood Real Estate, where we highlight the five most essential IU basketball stories of the past week, plus take a look at how the other IU sports programs are doing.
The beginning of the week continued the Hoosiers’ hot play before the season ended on Friday with a whimper. Indiana played three times in the last few days and their winning streak hit five games. However, their third blowout loss to Nebraska this year halted the 2023-2024 campaign.
Besides this, Bracketology and weekly shows round out the basketball-related items of 6-Banner. We will, as usual, conclude with a look at other IU sports led by a national championship for the club hockey team.
Here is what’s in this week’s edition:
• IU beats Michigan State in senior day thriller
• Hoosiers win streak hits five with win against Penn State in Big Ten tournament
• Indiana’s season ends with a blowout loss to Nebraska in Big Ten tournament quarterfinals
• Bracketology updates
• Weekly shows
• Hoosier Roundup
Banner #1 – IU beats Michigan State in senior day thriller
The final game of the regular season was also senior day in Bloomington for the Hoosiers. IU raced to a 17-point advantage early before the Spartans rallied to take the lead in the second half. However, a game-winning free throw by Kel’el Ware and a subsequent defensive stop allowed Indiana to hold on for a 65-64 win. Ware led his team with 28 points as he dominated inside all afternoon.
Afterward, IU coach Mike Woodson spoke, Ryan Corazza wrote a Minute After and Film Session, Alex Bozich penned Five Takeaways, and William McDermott put together a column on Ware. Also, Assembly Call had their postgame polls and email as well as a film room.
Banner #2 – Hoosiers win streak hits five with win against Penn State in Big Ten tournament
Indiana headed into the Big Ten Tournament as the number six seed with a 10-10 conference record. The contest against the Nittany Lions to open the postseason was another thriller that went down to the final possession. Ware led several Hoosiers with awards from the league and showed he was worthy of the honor leading the Hoosiers again with 18 points. However, Bloomington’s own Anthony Leal was the hero as he made the game-winning basket for the second time this season. Leal tipped in a Malik Reneau miss in the final five seconds for a 61-59 win.
Afterward, Woodson spoke, Corazza wrote a Minute After and Film Session, Bozich penned Five Takeaways, and Amanda Foster put together a column about the team’s persistence. Also, Assembly Call had their postgame polls and email.
Banner #3 – Indiana’s season ends with a blowout loss to Nebraska in Big Ten tournament quarterfinals
Riding high on their five-game winning streak, Indiana had its season come to a crashing halt. Nebraska blew out the Hoosiers for the third time in 2024. The final was 93-66, as the Cornhuskers dominated from long range once again.
Afterward, Woodson spoke, Corazza wrote a Minute After, Bozich penned Five Takeaways, and Kevin Vera put together a column about the program’s deficiencies. Also, Assembly Call had their postgame email and polls.
IU will reportedly decline an NIT invitation and will play no more basketball this season. As a result, they finish 19-14 overall on the year and look forward to the 2024-2025 season.
Banner #4 – Bracketology updates
Despite the Hoosiers not taking part in March Madness, it will still go on without them. The selection show is at 6 p.m. ET tonight on CBS and Andy Bottoms released an updated Bracketology on Friday.
However, while the men are done with their campaign, there is another IU basketball team that lives on. Led by Wooden Award Finalist Mackenzie Holmes, the women will be selected to their fifth straight NCAA Tournament at 8 p.m. ET tonight on ESPN. Projections also have them in the top 16 and opening postseason play at home for the third consecutive season.
Banner #5 – Weekly shows
Both Inside the Hall and the Back Home Network had several new shows this week. ITH’s Podcast on the Brink had Tyler Tachman on to discuss the Big Ten Tournament.
Meanwhile, the Back Home Network was on multiple times this week. Assembly Call had a postgame show following Michigan State, Penn State, and Nebraska as well as a preview of the Cornhuskers beforehand.
Also, Galen Clavio did a show discussing why the Hoosiers’ metrics were so poor in 2023-2024. Finally, Doing The Work will be on-air tonight with live reaction as the bracket for the women is revealed.
Banner #6 – Hoosier Roundup
• IU’s club hockey team won their first ever national championship.
• Softball beat IUPUI, Oakland, and Dayton to close out last weekend. They then knocked off Florida Atlantic on the road for a huge win as well as defeating Mercer twice. However, their long winning streak ended with a setback to an elite Florida squad on Saturday.
• Baseball had a mostly rough week with a series loss to Troy. They then were blown out by Vanderbilt, Illinois St, and Belmont before finally outslugging the Bruins on Saturday.
• Water polo beat Princeton but fell to UC Davis and Cal.
• Men’s golf finished fourth at the Seminole Intercollegiate.
• Women’s golf came in ninth at the Florida State Matchup.
• Rowing won 10 races at the Cardinal Invitational.
• Men’s tennis fell to UC San Diego.
• Women’s tennis lost to Wisconsin and Loyola Marymount.
• Wrestling had six Hoosiers qualify for the NCAA Championships as the seeding for the event was revealed.
• Track and field had six of their athletes named All-Americans.
• 12 Indiana swimmers advanced to the NCAA Championships as did seven divers.
• Former IU soccer player Maouloune Goumballe signed a professional contract with Sporting KC II while Aiden Morris is on the US team for the Paris Olympics.
Now go enjoy yourself a 6-banner Sunday.
Aaron (Ari) Shifron
Assembly Call Contributor
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