BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – When Indiana fired coach Archie Miller in 2021, it had misplaced 9 straight video games to in-state rival Purdue, together with two video games underneath former head coach Tom Crean.

Indiana had not held up its finish of the discount within the rivalry collection, and it was hardly ever even aggressive with seven losses by seven or extra factors. Regardless of who the subsequent coach could be, avoiding embarrassment in opposition to Purdue was all the time going to be a minimal measure of success.

Although Woodson hasn’t achieved his targets of successful Large Ten and nationwide titles teaching his alma mater – and he’ll retire after the season, Indiana introduced Feb. 7 – he’s made the Indiana-Purdue rivalry collection entertaining once more.

Woodson is 4-4 in opposition to Purdue. His group’s wins embody iconic moments like Rob Phinisee’s game-winning 3-pointer, Jalen Hood-Schifino’s 35-point efficiency at Mackey Area and Sunday’s 15-point win – Indiana’s largest victory over Purdue since 2013.

“That is one thing to smile about,” Woodson stated postgame. “Matt Painter is a hell of a coach, and he is had some good gamers round his program that is helped him win a number of video games.
So this was a giant win for our program.”

“It is all the time particular if you beat Purdue. We had battles once I performed right here for Coach Knight, and Purdue ended my profession in faculty within the Candy 16. So I’ve had a historical past and a number of expertise coping with Purdue through the years. The video games are all the time powerful, no matter how a lot expertise every group has, who has essentially the most expertise, these two specific video games are all the time fairly powerful.”

As Woodson walked over to the courtside CBS broadcast sales space, the Hoosiers – as an alternative of heading to the locker room – adopted their coach. The complete roster huddled round Woodson throughout his postgame interview following Indiana’s 73-58 win over No. 13 Purdue Sunday at Simon Skjodt Meeting Corridor. They hugged their coach, patted his head and celebrated the upset victory.

Although his time at Indiana didn’t go how he wished, Woodson was grateful for the appreciation from his gamers, who wish to end the season sturdy.

“It means loads,” Woodson stated. “That is my fourth 12 months right here. Anthony [Leal] and [Trey] Gallo and Malik [Reneau], they’ve been round me the longest, they usually know actually what I am about. The brand new guys have had a tricky, in all probability, time figuring me out. However we have nonetheless bought a number of basketball nonetheless left to attempt to determine one another out. You realize, nevertheless it was particular, I imply, any time your gamers rally round you, as a result of I do love them, and I am positive they love me, as nicely.”

The Hoosiers trailed by 12 factors at halftime, taking pictures simply 1 for 11 from 3-point vary, and regarded nicely on their strategy to their fifth straight loss at dwelling. However Indiana buckled down defensively, holding Purdue’s main scorers, Trey Kaufman-Renn and Braden Smith, to 9 and eight factors, respectively

Indiana outscored Purdue 48-21 within the second half as 5 gamers scored no less than seven factors. Purdue struggled to include Galloway’s pick-and-roll playmaking as he dished out a season-high 9 assists and scored 15 factors. They couldn’t cease the inside duo of Malik Reneau and Oumar Ballo both, who mixed for 27 factors on 12-for-14 taking pictures.

Along with the emotional need to defeat its in-state rival, Indiana wanted this win to maintain its NCAA Event probabilities alive. The Hoosiers entered the sport because the seventh group out of Joe Lunardi’s newest Bracketology, however choosing up their fourth Quad 1 win will assist them get nearer to the sector.

Galloway and Leal are the one two Hoosiers who’ve performed all 4 seasons for Woodson. They’re leaders within the locker room and have tried to maintain the group collectively throughout a tumultuous season, which included eight losses in 10 video games getting into Sunday. They know they nonetheless want extra wins, however they have been glad to share that second with Woodson publish sport of their final dwelling sport in opposition to Purdue.

“I assumed it was nice,” Galloway stated. “I imply, we’re a household, and we have been a household since all of us bought collectively in June, and thru highs and lows, you have to discover methods to proceed to stay collectively. That is one factor we have actually tried to evangelise this final week, even with what we have been going by and the powerful losses, we nonetheless have an opportunity to compete and make the event. So our focus is simply rallying round one another and actually sticking collectively by thick and skinny.”