Indiana Basketball: Hoosiers' Keys to a Strong Regular-Season Finish

In just a couple of weeks, Indiana has gone from top contender in the Big Ten to possibly falling back onto the NCAA tournament bubble.

While the Hoosiers are still in good shape to be dancing in March based on their resume, a slide of three losses in four games certainly creates concern. They are now 6-4 in the conference with seemingly everyone in a battle for second place behind Wisconsin.

The schedule eases up a bit going forward, but the problems the team has been dealing with are serious. If they are not addressed, it won't matter who the opponent is because this group will struggle.

Here is a look at the keys for turning things around and finishing the year as strong as possible.

Get Healthy

USA TODAY Sports

This is the No. 1 priority for Indiana going forward because two of the original five starters are currently sitting on the bench.

Hanner Mosquera-Perea has missed the last seven games with a knee injury, while James Blackmon was out for the recent loss to Wisconsin with an ankle issue.

Zach Osterman of The Indianapolis Star noted Blackmon was a game-time decision for Tuesday and is likely day to day going forward. Mosquera-Perea is supposedly expected back in mid-February. Meanwhile, Robert Johnson is also dealing with a knee injury, although he is playing through it.

The worst part is the importance of each player. Blackmon leads the team in scoring at 16.5 points per game, while Mosquera-Perea is the team's best interior defender.

If these players remain on the sideline for much longer, it will be extremely difficult to beat anyone else this season.

Figure out How to Defend the Paint

Andy Manis/Associated Press

As previously noted, Indiana is severely missing the presence of Mosquera-Perea in the low post.

While the junior isn't exactly the best interior defender in the country, the Hoosiers have shown they are lost defensively without him. Opponents have discovered how easy it is to get into the paint against Indiana, and they have taken advantage lately. 

Wisconsin made an incredible 60.4 percent of its shots Tuesday, but things have been even worse inside the arc in recent losses. Purdue made 71.9 percent of two-point attempts against Indiana, while Ohio State made 73.7 percent.

There have been layup lines with more missed baskets.

This needs to change if Indiana is going to remain competitive in the Big Ten. One option is to potentially give more playing time to Emmitt Holt, who has more shot-blocking instincts than Collin Hartman, or Max Hoetzel, who, at 6'8", has a little more height than the starters.

Additionally, this team can be working hard to double opponents in the paint like it attempted against Wisconsin.

No matter what, it's clear the current defense isn't working for this squad.

Force More Turnovers

Michael Hickey/Getty Images

If opponents are going to continue making a high percentage of shots against Indiana, the team has to find a way to at least limit the shot attempts. One way to do this is to force more turnovers to end possessions before there are any open looks.

Unfortunately, the Hoosiers have been awful in this category, forcing turnovers in just 15.8 percent of possessions. According to KenPom.com, this ranks 337th in the nation out of 351 teams.

Part of this is by design, as Tom Crean wants to keep fouls down, but the players have to be more aggressive on the defensive end to force mistakes when possible.

Although there isn't a lot of length on this roster, there is a lot of quickness to rotate in a hurry and get into the faces of opposing players. Considering how poor the interior defense has been, securing the perimeter and getting some takeaways should be a minimum requirement.

Get to the Free-Throw Line

USA TODAY Sports

There have been few problems with the offense this season, as the unit seems to be running smoothly no matter who is in the lineup. Indiana is currently averaging 80.2 points per game, and it is one of the most efficient teams in the nation.

That being said, it is very reliant on its outside shooting. This is great when the shots are falling, but when you live by the three, you also die by the three. The 4-of-19 effort from three-point range against Purdue was an example of what can happen when the team goes cold, and it could certainly be an issue at some point in the future as well.

What this team needs to do is create more balance offensively and, specifically, do a better job of getting to the free-throw line.

As a team, Indiana has a very respectable 72.7 percent mark from the charity stripe. The problem is the team's free-throw rate is well below average at just 35.5 percent.

Crean's teams have shown the ability to balance great outside shooting while also getting to the line in the past. According to KenPom.com, Indiana's last two tournament teams (2012 and 2013) ranked in the top five in three-point percentage while also ranking in the top 15 in free-throw rate. The past three teams have all finished above 44 percent in this category.

The Hoosiers don't have to stop shooting threes, but driving to the lane and drawing contact every so often will be beneficial.

Find Consistency on the Road

USA TODAY Sports

After not doing a lot of traveling during the nonconference season, Indiana is having a hard time winning in enemy territory.

The Hoosiers started off 2-1 on the road with wins over Nebraska and Illinois but have since lost three in a row on the road. They haven't been much better in neutral games with the only win in three tries coming in Indianapolis.

These types of struggles can be expected from such a young team. There are zero seniors on the roster, and the majority of key contributors are freshmen and sophomores.

Still, this is a team that wants to have success this season. The players all expect to make the NCAA tournament after having a strong finish in the Big Ten. In order to do this, Indiana will have to achieve more success away from home.

With the final three road games coming against Maryland, Rutgers and Northwestern, anything less than 2-1 would be unacceptable. If they can reach this goal, the Hoosiers will be able to go into the postseason neutral games with a lot more confidence.

If you want the latest info in college basketball as well as analysis in all sports, follow Rob Goldberg.