Indiana clinches worst 5-year stretch of B1G play in over 100 years

Indiana’s loss to Michigan on Saturday afternoon clinched a milestone the Hoosiers won’t want to celebrate.

IU (12-12, 7-10 B1G) will be .500 or worse in conference play for the fifth season in a row. That level of mediocrity hasn’t been reached at Indiana in over 100 years — since 1914-19, to be exact.

This loss clinches IU having a sub-.500 record in Big Ten play this year. It’s the fifth-straight year IU has been .500 or worse in conference play, the longest such streak since 1914-19. #iubb

— Ken Bikoff (@kbikoff) February 27, 2021

Indiana has lost three straight games, including two very winnable contests vs Rutgers and Michigan State. As it stands today, the Hoosiers are firmly on the NCAA Tournament bubble and trending in the wrong direction. According to KenPom, Indiana is currently the No. 37 team in the country.

IU coach Archie Miller discussed a lack of “physicality and discipline” after the loss to Michigan on Saturday.

Indiana hasn’t made the tournament since 2015-16 — Tom Crean’s penultimate year with the program.

For the Hoosiers to make a legitimate run at an NCAA Tournament berth, they’ll have to turn things around quickly. There’s two games left in their regular season — at Michigan State on Tuesday and at Purdue on March 6.

Selection Sunday is on March 14.