In a game that Indiana declined to host, the No. 3 seeded Hoosiers (18-16) were thoroughly outplayed by No. 6 Georgia Tech (18-15) in Atlanta on Tuesday night, losing 75-63 at McCamish Pavilion.
It was Indiana’s first NIT game in 12 years. Much like the 2005 contest with Vanderbilt, Tuesday ended with a first round defeat to an inferior challenger.
Indiana’s 16th loss went the same way as many of the others: headed by an ineffective defense, egregious turnovers and a lack of leadership.
“What we’ve gotta do is get better,” coach Tom Crean told reporters after the game.