The 2021-22 season started with a lot of hope centered around a new coach, Mike Woodson, along with expectations of a top tier finish in the conference and a NCAA tournament bid. The campaign started when Hoosiers old and new combined for a 79-66 victory over Serbia’s BC Mega in the first Bahamas exhibition game held in the Imperial Ballroom at Atlantis Paradise Island

The next day, double-doubles from Trayce Jackson-Davis and Race Thompson along with a team-high 13 points from Xavier Johnson paced the Hoosiers to a 64-53 victory in the finale. The Hoosiers were off to a good start, using some of that Bobby Knight defensive magic of years gone by. 

The much anticipated regular season began in Bloomington on November 9th as a disturbing  pattern began to develop against Eastern Michigan. In that critical phase between the fifty-point mark and magical sixty, the offense got stuck on 56 with 7:21 to go and a 14-point bulge, again on 58 with 5:40 remaining, and finally on 59, deteriorating to a only a single point before IU finally got over the 60 hump at the 2:14 mark on a Race Thompson layup to eventually seal the 68-62 final margin.

The defense remained stingy in the next match-up against Northern Illinois, allowing only 49 points. However, against a more formidable St. John’s they quickly got to 56 at 11:05 but soon stalled, taking until 7:35 to get over that 60-hurdle, and winning by only 2-points 76-74.

I-U-D continued to prevail in the next two games as Louisiana scored only 44 and Jackson State 35. Then the offense finally came alive against Marshall at home, stretching the lead to 61-48 with the clock at 14:36 and pulling away for a convincing 90-79 victory. The “Rule of 60” under Woodson got its first real test at Syracuse in a 2-OT 112-110 loss. At 10:38 in regulation, the Orange got to 60 first on a Symir Torrence jumper to take a two-point edge. The teams nearly got to 60 for a second time in this thriller.

In the first BIG conference battle, the Hoosiers held Nebraska to 55 for an opening triumph by 13, but only managed 59 against Wisconsin. The Hoosiers were hoping to put an end to the Madison misery and built the first half lead to an impressive 22. They even held a 51-41 lead with 12:05 remaining but let the Badgers claim 60 first at 1:18 on their way to another win at 64-59. Missing 7 of 13 free throws was a big contributing factor, as Wisconsin extended a home winning streak over the Hoosiers that stretched back to the previous century. 

Winning got back on track as I.U. next held Merrimack to 49, Notre Dame to 56, and Northern Kentucky to 61, as the Hoosiers surpassed 60 with 11:16 yet to go in this 18-point victory to make it three-straight wins. However, they failed to get to the magic mark against Penn State in a 61-58 loss and only got to 51 against Ohio State’s 67 for two-straight conference losses and the first fail at Assembly Hall. They responded against Minnesota with some 73-60 magic.

Victory was looking promising at Iowa since the Hoosiers had the lead 57-55 at 10:49, but the Hawkeyes scored the next 6, passed 60 first, and never looked back while dominating down the stretch 83-74. The first conference road victory then happened at Nebraska 61-55, as our road warriors surpassed 60 at 10:05, and finished 78-71.

The most important win by far was the 68-65 upset of #4 ranked Purdue, snapping a 9-game losing streak against the Boilers.  The “Rule of 60” bent but did not break as the Hoosiers took 61-58 leads at 7:34 and 63-60 at 4:31. Purdue threatened with a 65-63 edge at 1:11, but a Rob Phinisee 3-pointer at :18 proved to be the winner.

Just when we thought momentum was finally on our side, Michigan came to town and soundly prevailed 80-62, but the Hoosier defense bounced back with stellar performances against Penn State, giving up only 57 and then just 55 versus Maryland. The tide quickly turned when Illinois held us to 57 in our third home loss, and we only scored 51 at Northwestern with an injured Phinisee coupled with the Woodson surprise suspension of five additional players.

Tournament hopes began to fade as Michigan State easily topped the Hoosiers to make it three straight February set-backs. In two of those we never even hit 60-points and the Spartans finally allowed 61 at the :03 second mark, while reaching 60 themselves with 7:37 yet to play and holding a comfortable 9-point lead.

So far this season, five of the seven IU conference victories have been due to holding their opposition to 60-points or less. Wisconsin is next at Assembly Hall- will the “Rule of 60” apply in victory or will the Badgers get there first as they did in Madison? Sixty Rules!