The Hoosiers lose a heartbreak to Maryland on Tuesday and start Big Ten Conference play 1-3. Indiana is quickly slipping into college basketball purgatory.

Needless to say, this is not where many thought the Hoosiers would be in the first two weeks of January. Three losses to in conference opponents have the Hoosiers pressed with their backs against the wall.

Plenty of play left, but Indiana is running out of losses to give.

Even with the Hoosiers trending downward, they are still the 17th best offensive team in the country, 85.1 points per game. Their rebounding is top-10 worthy, averaging 42.1 rebounds per game good enough for the sixth best team in the country. All the production coming from the offensive side of the ball is leaving a couple major gaps in this team’s game. Defense. Turnovers.

The defensive side of the ball has always been a struggle for Tom Crean led teams. It doesn’t look like the scheme is going to change any time soon. So how do the Hoosiers combat their less than impressive work on defense? Consistency on the offensive end.

While many around the country will start to write off Indiana as a possible tournament contender, this is where the Hoosiers need hit back hard. They are approaching the easier part of their Big Ten schedule in the last two weeks of January with games against Rutgers (11-6, 0-4), Penn State (10-7, 2-2), and Michigan (11-6, 1-3). Two tough tests come with games against Northwestern (13-4, 2-2) and Michigan State (12-6, 4-1). A mix of potential tournament teams and bottom feeder Big Ten opponents.

The right mix that could allow Indiana to prove their worth, or ultimately put this team away for good. The expectation for this squad might have been way higher than what was realistic. Let’s try to dissect two offensive problems the Hoosiers have been facing and weigh the possible solutions.