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Oumar Ballo addressed a faction of the Indiana basketball fan base Thursday after the Hoosiers lost 72-59 to Oregon in the Big Ten Tournament.
IU (19-13) is an NCAA Tournament bubble team that surged late in the regular season with five wins in seven games. But the Hoosiers had a stretch of seven losses in eight games, three of those in blowouts. Coach Mike Woodson and the university have agreed that he would leave the program after his fourth season.
Ballo, a fifth-year transfer from Arizona, had 8 points and 8 rebounds Thursday. He came into the game leading the Hoosiers with 13.2 points, 9.1 rebounds and 1.3 blocked shots per game.
He acknowledged the weight of an up-and-down season that might be over. The Hoosiers will await their March Madness fate until Sunday night.
IU player ratings: Did Ducks bigs send Hoosiers home for season?
"We have feelings, you know. It's like you wake up, go to work and someone is pushing nothing but the worst to you and your work. It's mentally draining and nobody wants to deal with that for a whole five-month season. It's too much to take in for players and coaches," he said in IU's locker room postgame.
"I hope that changes, man, because it's time. They're not helping us, they're not helping anybody. If you're not cheering for us, just leave us alone. We have lives."
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana basketball player Oumar Ballo talks about negative fans
Continue reading...
IU (19-13) is an NCAA Tournament bubble team that surged late in the regular season with five wins in seven games. But the Hoosiers had a stretch of seven losses in eight games, three of those in blowouts. Coach Mike Woodson and the university have agreed that he would leave the program after his fourth season.
Ballo, a fifth-year transfer from Arizona, had 8 points and 8 rebounds Thursday. He came into the game leading the Hoosiers with 13.2 points, 9.1 rebounds and 1.3 blocked shots per game.
He acknowledged the weight of an up-and-down season that might be over. The Hoosiers will await their March Madness fate until Sunday night.
IU player ratings: Did Ducks bigs send Hoosiers home for season?
"We have feelings, you know. It's like you wake up, go to work and someone is pushing nothing but the worst to you and your work. It's mentally draining and nobody wants to deal with that for a whole five-month season. It's too much to take in for players and coaches," he said in IU's locker room postgame.
"I hope that changes, man, because it's time. They're not helping us, they're not helping anybody. If you're not cheering for us, just leave us alone. We have lives."
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana basketball player Oumar Ballo talks about negative fans
Continue reading...
