Mike Woodson was on the doorstep of his biggest nonconference win at Indiana. Unfortunately, the Hoosiers watched as a golden opportunity slipped away, further evidence of the work still to be done in Bloomington.

At halftime, the Hoosiers had an 8-point lead over No. 2 Kansas and saw that lead balloon to 13 points in the second half. However, that lead was still not big enough as the Jayhawks went to work and slowly crept back into the game.

Familiar foe Hunter Dickinson would give Kansas its first lead of the game, hitting a hook shot for a 62-61 lead. The Jayhawks would finish out the game with a strong push and a 75-71 win to send Indiana to a 7-3 record overall this season.

To be fair, Saturday’s outing was a breath of fresh air after getting boat raced by Auburn in Atlanta. But good vibes are not something a program like Indiana can take pride in after giving itself a shot to pull off the upset.

Sure, it’s possible Indiana ran out of steam without Xavier Johnson in the lineup, but that fact proves Woodson’s rebuild of the program still has plenty of work to be done. Here are the key takeaways as the Hoosiers turn the page to some winnable nonconference games to end December:

Trey Galloway delivers the game of his life vs. Kansas

Entering Saturday’s game, Galloway was averaging a career-best 8.8 points per game as a starter for Indiana. Unfortunately, the start of his season has been marred by disastrous shooting from 3-point range and the free-throw line.

Fortunately, Galloway was able to find a different gear with Indiana missing Johnson against the Jayhawks. He was able to get into the lane consistently against the Jayhawks and delivered an efficient afternoon.

Galloway’s shots were not all gimme layups. He went 2-for-4 from 3-point range, including a clutch bucket with less than a minute to play to keep the Hoosiers alive.

For the game, Galloway went off with a career-high 28 points on 12-for-17 shooting as a difference-maker for the Hoosiers. His previous career-high was 20 points scored in a win over Nebraska last season, and Galloway led all players in Saturday’s loss.

The performance is hopefully a confidence builder for Galloway. He had not converted a 3-point field goal since the Nov. 19 loss to UConn, and Saturday’s game was his first with multiple makes from deep on the season.

Galloway also entered the game after managing just 6 points in 22 minutes played during the loss to Auburn. He’s not the player designed to carry this Hoosiers team, but improving his efficiency is key as a role player.

Kel’el Ware runs out of steam in key matchup

Kel’el Ware has been fantastic for Indiana all season, leading the team in scoring (16.7 points per game) since transferring in from Oregon. However, he was not 100% Saturday afternoon and was questionable to play, and it was evident on the offensive end of the floor.

Ware did produce another double-double this season and finished with 11 points, 15 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals and a block. That’s a solid line by itself, but he shot just 3-for-12 in a game that was ultimately decided by 4 points.

Beyond the offensive side of the performance, Ware drew the task of guarding preseason All-American big man Hunter Dickinson. At halftime, Ware was proving to be a difference-maker with Dickinson limited to 4-for-11 shooting and 9 points at the break.

Unfortunately, the end of the game looked much different for both players. In the last 10 minutes of action, Dickinson surged with 8 points and 5 rebounds as the Jayhawks powered their way to the finish line.

After the game, Mike Woodson admitted it was a nice start to the game by Ware but saw some plays down the stretch that could have bee the result of fatigue. Ware continues to be a major piece for the Hoosiers, but they needed just a bit more out of him against the Jayhawks.

Indiana pins NCAA Tournament hopes on B1G schedule

The idea of Indiana missing the NCAA Tournament likely seems unthinkable right now. After all, the Hoosiers are the only team in the B1G to start 2-0 this season, and the team is still 7-3 overall with the loss to Kansas.

However, it must be said that Indiana dropped the ball in its 3 biggest games of the nonconference schedule. In games against UConn, Auburn and Kansas, the Hoosiers went 0-3 and were blown out in 2 of those games.

The average margin of defeat in those marquee games was a little over 17 points. As for the victories, the notable nonconference wins so far came against a 4-6 Louisville program and a win over Harvard.

With all that being said, it is not quite time to panic for these Hoosiers. The B1G schedule presents plenty of opportunities for Woodson’s crew to build its resume and a full body of work worthy of the NCAA Tournament.

However, the Hoosiers will not get any help from their nonconference portfolio, and the team must avoid embarrassment against Morehead State, North Alabama and Kennesaw State to finish out December.

For now, Indiana can regroup and try to build on the performance against Kansas, but the Hoosiers cannot afford a slow start to B1G play in January.