Indiana University Athletics
Cahill, the Ignition to IU's Revving Engine
3/18/2016 9:37:00 PM | Women's Basketball
By: Tori Ziege, IUHoosiers.com | Twitter
NOTRE DAME, Ind. — Asked her biggest concern facing Indiana in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, Georgia head coach Joni Taylor replied with a name.
It's one that will come as no surprise to the Hoosier faithful.
The name was Tyra Buss.
"(She's) their leader and their engine," Taylor said. "We have to make sure we're in front of her at all times."
Of course Buss, an all-conference player and the Hoosiers' leading scorer, would draw the attention of the Lady Bulldogs. It's largely because of her achievements on the court and her growth off of it that Indiana finds itself in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2002.
But it's the player closest to Buss who Georgia might not be expecting come Saturday's first round tip.
She's the Hoosiers' ignition.
"I think she's undervalued from a lot of people on the outside," head coach Teri Moren said. "But the coaches I know in the Big Ten value a kid like Amanda Cahill."
When Moren arrived in Bloomington less than two years ago, she knew of Buss, the program's highly touted freshman recruit and the state of Illinois' all-time leading scorer.
But it was Cahill, a relatively unknown freshman, who caught Moren's eye during the first workout.
Not the fastest or the most athletic, Cahill was a puzzle to Moren. She wondered how the forward's play would translate into the game.
As it turns out, it translated well.
"She's kind of a throwback player," Moren said. "She has terrific footwork, she has a terrific feel for the game, she's a really special passer. Then she has the ability to step out and knock down threes, she can play with her back to the basket."
The offseason came with adjustments for the second year players and coach. For Buss, it was her commitment to the weight room and a changing of priorities that elevated her play as the highest scoring sophomore season in program history.
For Cahill, it was a matter of getting the ball in her hands more, a move that Moren said paid huge dividends in leading the Hoosiers to 20 regular season wins, the most ever at Indiana.
It also paid off in conference accolades, including a Big Ten Coach of the Year nod for Moren and a First Team All-Big selection by coaches and the media for Buss.
In Big Ten games, Cahill averaged almost a double-double in 15.5 points and 9.4 rebounds a game, making her one of just three players in the conference with such numbers in league play. It earned her a selection to the Second Team All-Big Ten by the media.
But that's part of what makes Cahill so lethal.
Opponents don't see her coming.
"Nothing that she does is going to wow you," Moren said. "At the end of the night when you look at the stats sheet, she fills it up with different categories."
In vehicular mechanics, the engine is what keeps the car running. But it's the ignition that keeps it running efficiently. When the two parts are in sync, optimum performance is achieved.
The same can be said for Buss and Cahill.
To keep their historic season running into Saturday's first round matchup, the Hoosiers will need the duo firing on all cylinders. And the Lady Bulldogs will have to be prepared to stop not one, but both of them.
"I feel like I've been playing with Amanda for a long time, but it's only been two years," Buss said. "We know each other really well. We have good chemistry.
"We need her on the floor."
Amanda Cahill, the Ignition to IU's Revving Engine
NOTRE DAME, Ind. — Asked her biggest concern facing Indiana in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, Georgia head coach Joni Taylor replied with a name.
It's one that will come as no surprise to the Hoosier faithful.
The name was Tyra Buss.
"(She's) their leader and their engine," Taylor said. "We have to make sure we're in front of her at all times."
Of course Buss, an all-conference player and the Hoosiers' leading scorer, would draw the attention of the Lady Bulldogs. It's largely because of her achievements on the court and her growth off of it that Indiana finds itself in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2002.
But it's the player closest to Buss who Georgia might not be expecting come Saturday's first round tip.
She's the Hoosiers' ignition.
"I think she's undervalued from a lot of people on the outside," head coach Teri Moren said. "But the coaches I know in the Big Ten value a kid like Amanda Cahill."
When Moren arrived in Bloomington less than two years ago, she knew of Buss, the program's highly touted freshman recruit and the state of Illinois' all-time leading scorer.
But it was Cahill, a relatively unknown freshman, who caught Moren's eye during the first workout.
Not the fastest or the most athletic, Cahill was a puzzle to Moren. She wondered how the forward's play would translate into the game.
As it turns out, it translated well.
"She's kind of a throwback player," Moren said. "She has terrific footwork, she has a terrific feel for the game, she's a really special passer. Then she has the ability to step out and knock down threes, she can play with her back to the basket."
The offseason came with adjustments for the second year players and coach. For Buss, it was her commitment to the weight room and a changing of priorities that elevated her play as the highest scoring sophomore season in program history.
For Cahill, it was a matter of getting the ball in her hands more, a move that Moren said paid huge dividends in leading the Hoosiers to 20 regular season wins, the most ever at Indiana.
It also paid off in conference accolades, including a Big Ten Coach of the Year nod for Moren and a First Team All-Big selection by coaches and the media for Buss.
In Big Ten games, Cahill averaged almost a double-double in 15.5 points and 9.4 rebounds a game, making her one of just three players in the conference with such numbers in league play. It earned her a selection to the Second Team All-Big Ten by the media.
But that's part of what makes Cahill so lethal.
Opponents don't see her coming.
"Nothing that she does is going to wow you," Moren said. "At the end of the night when you look at the stats sheet, she fills it up with different categories."
In vehicular mechanics, the engine is what keeps the car running. But it's the ignition that keeps it running efficiently. When the two parts are in sync, optimum performance is achieved.
The same can be said for Buss and Cahill.
To keep their historic season running into Saturday's first round matchup, the Hoosiers will need the duo firing on all cylinders. And the Lady Bulldogs will have to be prepared to stop not one, but both of them.
"I feel like I've been playing with Amanda for a long time, but it's only been two years," Buss said. "We know each other really well. We have good chemistry.
"We need her on the floor."
Amanda Cahill, the Ignition to IU's Revving Engine
Players Mentioned
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