Offense seems lost in offensive loss

There are plenty of words to describe the Hoosiers' performance Sunday -- uninspired, undisciplined, sloppy, embarrassing. But there are fewer reasons for why it happened. Minnesota out-rebounded, out-hustled and simply outplayed IU in an awful 61-42 road loss for the Hoosiers in which they were held to just 32 percent shooting from the floor.\nThe Golden Gophers played a great game and should be commended, but this game was about the Hoosiers and their rapidly disappearing offensive prowess.\nMinnesota did show IU up in one major respect -- assists. They assisted on 18 of their 26 field goals while the Hoosiers tallied only eight assists. The Gophers played a team game and shared the ball. Seriously, I haven't seen a bunch of guys pass something around like that since Jodi from "The Real World/Road Rules Challenge." The Hoosiers should take note and remember that early in the season, they moved the ball better than anyone in the Big Ten. \nSure, it's hard to win on the road in the Big Ten -- we all know that. But these last two games have been horrendous and there is no excuse for it. People will automatically start the "Davis-bashing," but it's not his fault if the players don't do what they're capable of. Marco Killingsworth has disappeared on the road so far in the conference season. Robert Vaden was a turnover machine Sunday, tallying six before finally fouling out. Marshall Strickland, usually a steady contributor, failed to score. The offense slowed itself, as bad shots and stupid mistakes plagued the team all day. \nBig Ten game or not, you simply can't turn the ball over 17 times and expect to win on the road. The Hoosiers need to get better at controlling the ball when they move toward the basket and not forcing difficult cross-court passes when they don't have to. These are simple things anyone could understand and I'm sure they realize what's wrong. \nIt's apparent at this point in the season that every team on the schedule will double-team Killingsworth as soon as he receives the ball in the post. Therefore, IU's guards need to be able to score to take pressure off the big man. But standing around and firing up contested threes only works if you're shooting well and IU's shooters have been struggling recently. \nThe Hoosiers also seem incapable of getting to the foul line. This is a direct result of settling for jump shots and not getting to the basket. They need to be more aggressive and can't be afraid to drive to the basket and get fouled. And, by going to the hoop, it will cause opposing defenses to collapse, leading to more open looks from the three-point line. \nI guess what I've been wondering is: Where is the offense that was scoring 80 points per game? I know shooting percentages usually drop as the season goes on, but this has been a ridiculous slide. Obviously something needs to change. \nNow, before you say I'm overreacting, let me assure you, I know they had an off-day in shooting and I know "The Barn" is a tough place to play. Sometimes these things happen, but great teams find ways to win in tough situations. We know these Hoosiers have the talent to do great things, but ability will only get them so far. \nThey need to prove they are willing to put forth a superior effort and match that talent with heart. They need to prove they want to win more than anyone. \nI hope these last two games have been a wake-up call.