BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- In those first days after Indiana's embarrassing early season loss to Duke, the Hoosiers heard a cascade of complaints. Some contended they were overrated. Others suggested nothing had changed during the offseason. The most biting criticism might have been that they weren't living up to the school's defensive legacy.
So instead of getting bogged down in the debate, the Hoosiers tuned it out, turned inward and found a solution in time to turn things around by winning the Big Ten regular season title and earning their first trip to the Sweet 16 since 2013.
"All negativity is a good thing sometimes, and that certainly was for us," senior guard Nick Zeisloft said last weekend.