Dare we say it? IU's season is on the brink

• Michigan State at Indiana%2C noon Saturday%2C ESPN

BLOOMINGTON — Yes, Indiana is in trouble.

In trouble because the Hoosiers have lost four of six and seven of 11, after a 5-1 start to Big Ten play. In trouble with the NCAA tournament selection committee, their at-large hopes badly dented now.

Just generally in trouble.

An alarming late-season slide only got worse on Tuesday, when IU (19-11, 9-8) was played off of its own floor by streaking Iowa. The Hawkeyes have won five in a row and retain some hope of a Big Ten tournament double bye. Indiana is headed in the opposite direction.

"I'm really just kind of concerned about the team," IU coach Tom Crean said postgame, when asked if he could sense frustration building in a fan base that booed loudly at multiple points during Tuesday's game. "That would be the most important thing to me."

That's all anyone in Crean's position can or should do. There's a lot that needs his concern now. Indiana shot just 38.3 percent from the floor Tuesday. The Hoosiers missed seven 3-pointers in a row to close the first half. They drew 17 fewer free throws than the visitors.

Combined, Yogi Ferrell, James Blackmon Jr. and Troy Williams – Indiana's top three scorers – finished 12-of-37 from the floor. Ferrell and Blackmon shot 4-of-12 together from behind the arc.

And even when that offense produced, when Indiana built any momentum, Iowa answered.

"We're just gonna have to watch the film and see what we did wrong," Blackmon said. "I really have no reason for it right now."

Last week at Northwestern, open shots wouldn't fall. The Hoosiers worried too much about those shots not falling, Crean said then, and let that seep into the rest of their performance.

Tuesday night, Indiana's coach saw the same problem, as his team missed too often at and around the rim. An unofficial media tally left the Hoosiers with 20 missed layups or dunks.

"The one thing, if there's a recurring theme, we get disappointed at times when we're not making shots," he said. "That's a maturity thing."

A coach talking about maturity in March should set off alarm bells. And while it's not the only reason the Hoosiers are slumping at precisely the wrong time, it does not help a team that's sliding out of the "lock" column in NCAA tournament projections.

Now, all of it comes back. Preseason concern about roster makeup. Uncomfortable warmth under Crean's seat. Complaints about the program's direction.

All of it.

The Hoosiers shelved those concerns barely more than a month ago, when they won four straight in a stretch that included Ohio State, Maryland and a trip to Illinois.

On the morning of Jan. 23, Indiana was nationally ranked, and tied with Wisconsin for first place in the Big Ten.

Since then, fortunes have steadily worsened. Tuesday night, they begin skidding down the steepest part of the slope.

Players are answering questions about whether the season is slipping beyond their control. If Crean does listen to the noise outside of his program, he'll hear a fan base seemingly united in its frustration over his job performance.

Crean wouldn't talk about his own frustrations Tuesday, though they surely exists. Outwardly, he demanded focus on Saturday, and IU's season finale.

With the season potentially teetering toward derailment, keeping his head – and his team moving forward – is really all he can do.

"I'm not big on frustration," Crean said. "I think you'd better grow out of frustration once you get past the fifth or sixth grade. I really do. I think urgency, anger, energy, all those different buzz words – frustration is not a word I'd use.

"We're practicing really hard, really well. We're tuned in. These guys want to win. They're playing extremely hard."

Follow Star reporter Zach Osterman on Twitter: @ZachOsterman.

IOWA 77, INDIANA 63

Percentages: FG .463, FT .821.

3-Point Goals: 4-12, .333 (Jok 2-5, Clemmons 1-1, Uthoff 1-2, White 0-1, Oglesby 0-3).

Team Rebounds: 4.

Blocked Shots: 6 (Uthoff 3, Olaseni 2, Woodbury).

Turnovers: 10 (Jok 5, Woodbury 2, Clemmons, Oglesby, Gesell).

Steals: 8 (Uthoff 3, Jok, Gesell, Woodbury, Olaseni, Clemmons).

Technical Fouls: None.

Percentages: FG .383, FT .636.

3-Point Goals: 10-25, .400 (Zeisloft 5-7, Ferrell 2-5, Blackmon Jr. 2-7, Johnson 1-6).

Team Rebounds: 1.

Blocked Shots: 2 (Holt, Mosquera-Perea).

Turnovers: 14 (Ferrell 3, Blackmon Jr. 3, Johnson 3, Robinson 2, Hoetzel).

Steals: 4 (Ferrell, Johnson, Williams, Mosquera-Perea).

Technical Fouls: None.

A—17,472.

Officials—Terry Wymer, Larry Scirotto, Pat Driscoll.