Indiana Hoosiers Lose 21-Straight at Wisconsin

Indiana headed to Madison on Tuesday hoping to end a 20-game losing streak at the Kohl Center that dates back to 1998. When the Hoosiers found themselves down 15 under five minutes into the game, it was clear that this would not be the year the streak ends. 

Unfortunately for Indiana, the loss was also the fourth consecutive this season and drops the Hoosiers to 5-7 in Big Ten play. After getting out to a 4-1 start in conference play, Woodson's team has gone on to lose six of the last seven games. 

Indiana is now No. 11 in the Big Ten standings, at serious risk of not making the 15-team field for the conference tournament. 

Despite missing the NCAA Tournament last year, Mike Woodson and his staff made portal editions that made many experts put this team near the top of the Big Ten in their preseason predictions. The Hoosiers also started the season ranked in the AP Poll. 

Now Indiana has just eight games left to cement its spot in the Big Ten Tournament - likely the only path remaining to the the NCAA Tournament. 

Indiana's troubles didn't start during Big Ten play. The Hoosiers got blown out by a Louisville squad that has gone on to look impressive, and followed it up with another loss to a Gonzaga squad that's having a down year. 

Entering conference play in December, Indiana had just two wins against high major competition. Neither were Quad 1 games, coming against South Carolina (No. 90 in the NET rankings) at home and Providence (No. 83 in NET rankings) at a neutral site. 

The lack of quality wins meant that Indiana would have to build its tournament resume entirely in Big Ten play, something it's failed to do thus far. There are opportunities remaining on the schedule, but the Hoosiers might have to win all of them to salvage their postseason hopes. 

Compounding the issue for Indiana is that a number of the losses the team has suffered this year have come by wide margins. The fact that Indiana trailed by 22 at one point last night may have obscured how lopsided the game was, but it was the sixth time in eight losses that Indiana has lost by 10 or more. 

The inability to be competitive against good or even average teams some nights has kept Indiana from reaching its potential this season and does not bode well for the work the team will have to do to meet preseason expectations at this point.