New Years resolutions for Indiana basketball in 2024:

Here are a few New Years resolutions for Indiana basketball as they turn the calendar and look ahead to the next 12 months.

Indiana basketball turns the calendar to 2024 as it looks to close out the current season strong while planning ahead for next season and beyond. The Hoosiers did themselves few favors in non-conference play, making the impending Big Ten slate all the more important and significant over the next three months.

Elsewhere, Indiana continues its pursuit of numerous top prospects on the recruiting trail, hoping to finish off its 2024 class with five-star Liam McNeeley and more. What will the next calendar year have in store for Mike Woodson’s program?

Here are a few New Years resolutions for the Hoosiers as they turn the calendar and look ahead to the next 12 months.

CAPITALIZE ON A WEAK BIG TEN

Indiana has ground to make up if it wants to reach a third-straight NCAA Tournament this season, and that means running through the Big Ten gauntlet that awaits beginning this week. Fortunately, the conference overall this season is arguably as weak as it’s been in nearly a decade. That bodes well for the Hoosiers, who likely need to finish with at least 12 conference wins if they hope to go dancing in March.

Aside from Purdue, which has cemented itself once again atop the college basketball mountain, the Big Ten has underwhelmed in the first half of the season. Popular preseason teams such as Michigan State have stumbled out of the gates, while the likes of Northwestern and Ohio State are volatile on both ends of the spectrum. Let’s put it this way, when Nebraska is a serious contender to finish in the top-half of the standings, the Big Ten is likely in a down year.

Indiana has a chance to take full advantage, especially following a non-conference slate where it walked away without a single marquee win. The Hoosiers are already off to a promising start, defeating Michigan and Maryland to improve to 2-0 early in conference play, but the road will only get tougher in the coming weeks.

IU still has everything to play for with Big Ten season heating up, but can it capitalize?

BE MORE AMENDABLE, ADAPTABLE

Mike Woodson has probably forgotten more about basketball in his lifetime than just about every IU fan has ever learned about basketball. To argue against someone with 40-plus years of playing and coaching experience would be silly, if we’re being completely honest.

However, it appears what IU fans have seen over the last two-and-a-half years from Woodson is what they’re going to get for however long he remains as the Hoosiers head coach. For better or worse, that’s just the truth.

While fans are free to share their opinions on IU’s lack of 3-point attempts, Woodson’s inside-out philosophy, the nail-slot-rim defensive principles, or whatever else gets under their skin, Woodson isn’t going to drastically overhaul his coaching style. At the end of the day, he’s going to employ what he knows best and what he’s most comfortable utilizing.

That said, adaptability and amendability are vital in coaching, and Woodson is probably well aware of that. Times are changing in college basketball and how it’s played, and sooner or later Indiana must keep up with the trends or risk falling far behind.

Looking at oneself in the mirror is never an easy proposition, but for Indiana’s program at large, it might be a necessity coming out of the New Year. Self-awareness is just as important as self-confidence.

KEEP XAVIER JOHNSON HEALTHY

If only it were as easy as making a resolution, but alas, all Indiana can do is trust in its rehab process and hope for good fortunes for Xavier Johnson. The sixth-year point guard has missed the last month of games due to a foot injury and his void is felt in every game that IU plays without its veteran leader.

It’s been a grueling 12 months for Johnson, who underwent season-ending foot surgery last December, only to return for a sixth year and suffer another long-term foot injury. And without Johnson, Indiana is a demonstrably different team on both ends of the court.

There is no replacing five years of starting point guard experience, and for as much as freshman Gabe Cupps has admirably attempted to fill Johnson’s shoes, he’s come nowhere close in terms of statistical production. The same can be said about Trey Galloway, whose leadership qualities are strong but his skillset does not fit the mold of a traditional lead ball-handler.

The Hoosiers need Xavier Johnson back on the court as soon as possible, and when that day comes, a clean bill of health for the remainder of the year would also be nice.

PRIORITIZE THE BACKCOURT

Speaking of Johnson’s glaring absence, it’s no secret that Indiana’s guard play this season has raised far more questions than solutions. Even if Johnson had stayed healthy, the outcome of blowout losses against Auburn and UConn probably wouldn’t have changed, and it would also mean significantly less opportunities for Cupps.

But this is the harsh reality that Indiana faces — a starting backcourt that is just serviceable enough to keep IU afloat, and bench options that are hit-and-miss on any given night. Cupps doesn’t bring much offensively right now; Trey Galloway has had moments of shine but also moments of vanishing; CJ Gunn is as volatile as they come; Anthony Leal barely plays; and Jakai Newton has yet to suit up for the Hoosiers.

Looking ahead to next season and life after Xavier Johnson, the outlook in IU’s backcourt is bleak and concerning. Galloway could return for a fifth season, but he’s best-suited as a complementary piece, not the conductor of the team. Perhaps Cupps can add more to his offensive game as a sophomore, but there’s no real evidence to suggest that will happen right now. That’s basically it when projecting ahead for 2024-25 and beyond.