Indiana University Athletics
IU Has The 'Edge' For Special Basketball Season
11/5/2018 8:59:00 AM | Women's Basketball
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Is Indiana ready to rock the Big Ten women's basketball world?
The short answer – why not?
The longer answer – why not?
Hey, math isn't our strong point!
Anyway, coach Teri Moren likes the foundation she's put in place to deliver sustained success.
"I do," she says when asked if last season's first-ever WNIT championship could jump start the Hoosiers to March Madness success
"We feel good about pieces we have. We're more talented and deeper. We have a connectiveness. They are all about each other. They share the ball. They want everyone to do well. They depend on each other. That gives us an edge."
IU had enough of an edge last year to win its final six games and earn that WNIT title. That momentum has carried over, Moren says, even without graduated standouts Tyra Buss and Amanda Cahill.
"They really want to be good, to win, to help this program have success and continue. We have the foundation to make strides and gains in terms of getting in the NCAA Tournament and being relevant in the tournament."
Or, as redshirt junior guard Ali Patberg says, "If we continue to get better every day, the sky is the limit for this team. I believe that that's our focus -- to grow. It's going to be exciting if we continue to grow and do all of this together."
It helps to return three starters -- senior forward Kym Royster and sophomore guards Jaelynn Penn and Bendu Yeaney. Then there are difference-making transfers Ali Patberg from Notre Dame (a former Indiana Miss Basketball out of Columbus North) and Brenna Wise from Pitt.
Penn showed star potential while averaging 10.8 points and 4.9 rebounds as a freshman last season. Royster was one of the Big Ten's most improved players after averaging 10.2 points and 6.0 rebounds. Yeaney played beyond her years while averaging 8.4 points with 79 assists.
Those three were instrumental in helping Indiana win 15 of its final 17 games last season.
Wise was a double-double threat at Pitt. Injuries limited Patberg at Notre Dame, but she scored more than 2,000 points in high school and earned McDonald's All-America honors.
The Hoosiers also return veterans Keyanna Warthen, Linsey Marchese and Alexis Johnson, plus bring in three promising freshmen in guards Chanel Wilson and Grace Berger, and forward Aleksa Gulbe from Latvia.
Success depends on two main keys, Moren says -- tenacious defense and balanced offense.
"First, we have to be able to defend at a high level. We have to be able to play in different ways, which I think we can because we're more athletic.
"We'll play different defensively. We'll be able to switch 1 (point guard) through 4 (power forward), switch some 1 through 5 (center).
"We still lack in size. Kym is only 6-foot-2. Marchese is 6-3. Aleksa is 6-3 and inexperienced, and Brenna on a good day is 6-foot. We have to figure out how we can guard better on the inside.
"Second, we have to figure out how we score. We relied on Tyra for so long. She dominated the ball a lot of the time. We have to figure out how to share the ball. Be more balanced.
"We have to have better balance in our scoring. We relied on B (Cahill) and Tyra so much. We have to rely on some of those young kids to give us some scoring.
"Ali has to score. Kym certainly has to score. And we need scoring off the bench."
The Hoosiers' approach, Moren says, is exactly what she hoped for entering Friday's exhibition game against Northwood.
"It's been a great group. They worked hard over the summer. This group is really connected, which is a good thing. They realize that a lot of things that we have to do will have to be by committee. They all realize they have to contribute on both sides of the ball."
As far as the WNIT success, "We put that behind us as soon as our summer started," Moren says. "We have a new group with Tyra and Amanda graduating. We're searching for a new identity.
"This used to be Tyra and Amanda's team. Now it's a team full of younger players with two junior transfers and one lone senior (Royster)."
For those wondering if there is Cream and Crimson life after Buss and Cahill, Moren says, "People need to not worry too much. With the addition of those two transfers, and a couple of others we have on the roster, and the incoming kids next year, we're in a really good situation."
That situation starts for real in the Nov. 7 season opener against Milwaukee at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.
As Royster puts it, "We have high expectations. We're willing to put in the work."
The short answer – why not?
The longer answer – why not?
Hey, math isn't our strong point!
Anyway, coach Teri Moren likes the foundation she's put in place to deliver sustained success.
"I do," she says when asked if last season's first-ever WNIT championship could jump start the Hoosiers to March Madness success
"We feel good about pieces we have. We're more talented and deeper. We have a connectiveness. They are all about each other. They share the ball. They want everyone to do well. They depend on each other. That gives us an edge."
IU had enough of an edge last year to win its final six games and earn that WNIT title. That momentum has carried over, Moren says, even without graduated standouts Tyra Buss and Amanda Cahill.
"They really want to be good, to win, to help this program have success and continue. We have the foundation to make strides and gains in terms of getting in the NCAA Tournament and being relevant in the tournament."
Or, as redshirt junior guard Ali Patberg says, "If we continue to get better every day, the sky is the limit for this team. I believe that that's our focus -- to grow. It's going to be exciting if we continue to grow and do all of this together."
It helps to return three starters -- senior forward Kym Royster and sophomore guards Jaelynn Penn and Bendu Yeaney. Then there are difference-making transfers Ali Patberg from Notre Dame (a former Indiana Miss Basketball out of Columbus North) and Brenna Wise from Pitt.
Penn showed star potential while averaging 10.8 points and 4.9 rebounds as a freshman last season. Royster was one of the Big Ten's most improved players after averaging 10.2 points and 6.0 rebounds. Yeaney played beyond her years while averaging 8.4 points with 79 assists.
Those three were instrumental in helping Indiana win 15 of its final 17 games last season.
Wise was a double-double threat at Pitt. Injuries limited Patberg at Notre Dame, but she scored more than 2,000 points in high school and earned McDonald's All-America honors.
The Hoosiers also return veterans Keyanna Warthen, Linsey Marchese and Alexis Johnson, plus bring in three promising freshmen in guards Chanel Wilson and Grace Berger, and forward Aleksa Gulbe from Latvia.
Success depends on two main keys, Moren says -- tenacious defense and balanced offense.
"First, we have to be able to defend at a high level. We have to be able to play in different ways, which I think we can because we're more athletic.
"We'll play different defensively. We'll be able to switch 1 (point guard) through 4 (power forward), switch some 1 through 5 (center).
"We still lack in size. Kym is only 6-foot-2. Marchese is 6-3. Aleksa is 6-3 and inexperienced, and Brenna on a good day is 6-foot. We have to figure out how we can guard better on the inside.
"Second, we have to figure out how we score. We relied on Tyra for so long. She dominated the ball a lot of the time. We have to figure out how to share the ball. Be more balanced.
"We have to have better balance in our scoring. We relied on B (Cahill) and Tyra so much. We have to rely on some of those young kids to give us some scoring.
"Ali has to score. Kym certainly has to score. And we need scoring off the bench."
The Hoosiers' approach, Moren says, is exactly what she hoped for entering Friday's exhibition game against Northwood.
"It's been a great group. They worked hard over the summer. This group is really connected, which is a good thing. They realize that a lot of things that we have to do will have to be by committee. They all realize they have to contribute on both sides of the ball."
As far as the WNIT success, "We put that behind us as soon as our summer started," Moren says. "We have a new group with Tyra and Amanda graduating. We're searching for a new identity.
"This used to be Tyra and Amanda's team. Now it's a team full of younger players with two junior transfers and one lone senior (Royster)."
For those wondering if there is Cream and Crimson life after Buss and Cahill, Moren says, "People need to not worry too much. With the addition of those two transfers, and a couple of others we have on the roster, and the incoming kids next year, we're in a really good situation."
That situation starts for real in the Nov. 7 season opener against Milwaukee at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.
As Royster puts it, "We have high expectations. We're willing to put in the work."
Players Mentioned
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