Mike Woodson and Indiana need a reset

Thursday was just another ho-hum routine typical night of college basketball. Until it wasn’t. Within the span of a couple of hours, Minnesota forward Dawson Garcia buried a 35-footer at the buzzer to beat Michigan in overtime, Northwestern forward Nick Martinelli sank a delicate baseline floater off a brilliant BLOB play (that’s Base Line Out of Bounds, for the uninitiated) to beat Maryland, Utah Valley forward Jackson Holcombe converted a layup at the buzzer to beat UT Arlington in overtime, and UC Santa Barbara senior guard Stephen Swenson swished a three-pointer at the buzzer to beat UC Riverside. The night was capped by Oregon State’s overtime upset of Gonzaga in Corvallis. Oh, I’m sorry, did you forget that Oregon State was now a member of the West Coast Conference?

To repeat: I love you, college basketball. (Also, hat tip to Justin Perri of ShotQualityBets.com, for posting all those great moments on his must-follow Twitter feed.)

We all know that college basketball can’t match the size, skill and playmaking of the NBA. And we also know that in this country, football comes first, which is why I will be glued to my TV at 8 p.m. ET tonight to watch my Commanders try to extend their dream season. But if passion, unpredictability and youthful exuberance is your thing, then there’s no sport that serves that up better than college basketball. This being Saturday, there’s lots of serving to be done.

So enjoy the day knowing that you can count on your good friends at Hoops HQ to keep you on top of all the action.

—Seth

Indiana Needs a Reset

By Seth Davis

Friday's win over Ohio State gave Indiana coach Mike Woodson a brief reprieve, but the sounds of the IU fans chanting "Fire Woodson" during a pummeling by Illinois Tuesday will echo for a while. It was shocking to see the fans turn against one of their own, but apparently they had seen one too many blowouts. All five of Indiana’s losses this season have come by 15 or more points.

As bad as that is, Woodson’s record is still an improvement upon his predecessor, Archie Miller, who was fired after missing out on the NCAA Tournament for four straight years. Though there is a widespread assumption in the sport that this will be Woodson’s final season in Bloomington, if the Hoosiers can get into the NCAA Tournament and maybe even win a game or two, that could be enough to buy Woodson another year.

A GIFT FOR YOU: OUR MOST-READ ARTICLE FROM THE PAST 30 DAYS

We've removed the paywall on this one. Enjoy.

Mike Gminski Has Lived a Hard Life. Now He’s Living His Best One.

The former Duke All-American and 14-year NBA veteran opens up on his alcohol addiction. And his passion to help others.

‍ ‍‍ ‍‍ ‍‍ ‍‍ ‍‍ ‍‍ ‍‍ ‍‍ ‍‍ ‍‍ ‍‍ ‍‍ ‍‍ ‍‍ ‍‍ ‍‍ ‍‍ ‍‍ ‍‍ ‍‍ ‍‍ ‍‍ ‍‍ ‍

In Case You Missed It...

🏀 Six former Florida State players are suing coach Leonard Hamilton over $250,000 in NIL revenue. Their attorney wrote an exclusive for Hoops HQ, explaining his clients' perspective, and issuing a warning to coaches and scools around the country: If you say you're going to promise money to your players, you better deliver.

🏀 Which women's teams are trending up and which are trending down? Check out our Stock Report to find out.

🏀 Above, you saw Green Bay coach Doug Gottlieb's diary, about how he's staying optimistic during a brutal 13-game losing streak. His team isn't the only one desperate for a win. Here, HHQ's list of 10 Teams Under Pressure Right Now.

No. 4 Alabama @ No. 8 Kentucky: Another epic day in college basketball starts with this clash of top 10 teams at Rupp Arena in Lexington. Both have elite offenses, so expect a fast-paced, high-scoring affair packed with highlights. Alabama is looking to bounce back after getting upset by Ole Miss earlier this week, while Kentucky has won back-to-back games over Mississippi State and Texas A&M. Buckle up. Noon ET on ESPN.