Seems to me the real slump started with MSU.
It could be that the guys felt like they couldn't catch a break after the refs jobbed us at OSU and then we lost a tough one to Iowa .. THEN playing an MSU team, we thought we'd beat, we just got terribly outcoached and outschemed, we were demoralized by losing 3/4 and being so stifled vs MSU, AND the book is now out on how to beat us from MSU. Tactically we are getting killed and don't have a tactical answer since Pike doesn't believe in offense, and the spirits of the guys have been crushed since they don't have an answer scheme-wise and feel like they havnt caught any breaks.
And yeah the FT shooting is pathetic, so are the decisions with the ball, but our shots just are NOT falling, and other teams are. Combine all that, and they just don't even want to play anymore on some level ...that's when the rebounding and defense falls apart, and now this season is spiraling into the toilet.
Just my theory. Without fans it's even worse as it kinda kills the environment and will to play more. Will we bounce back next year? Idk. Who comes back, who transfers etc. I just don't know. It seems they e grown weary if Pike though, and that's a bad sign.