Sweet Rematch -- Hype Builds for Indiana, North Carolina State
12/1/2021 9:48:00 PM | Women's Basketball
By Pete DiPrimio
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Revenge thoughts?
They will be there.
Another chance to showcase Cream and Crimson women's basketball national title potential?
Darn straight.
Big-picture implications that could lead to Indiana hosting opening-round NCAA tourney games?
Absolutely.
Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall will resonate with that, and more Thursday night, when the No. 6 Hoosiers (5-1) face No. 2/3 North Carolina State (6-1) in a Big Ten-ACC Challenge nationally televised (ESPN2) showdown.
The keys to victory, IU coach Teri Moren says, start by thriving amid hype.
"We have to be that much more determined and focused and understand what we're trying to take away.
"We can't turn it over. We have to take great care of the ball. Our ability to rebound and push the pace, as well as guarding, is crucial."
This national matchup follows a home win against then No. 13 Kentucky and a neutral-site loss to defending national champ Stanford in the Bahamas, part of a ramped-up non-conference schedule designed to steel the Hoosiers for what's coming.
"This will serve us well as we go into Big Ten play," Moren says. "This whole thing is a process.
"Our goal is to be able to host the NCAA Tourney. To have a team like North Carolina State come here, which was similar to Kentucky (coming to Assembly Hall), a chance to play ranked teams early in the season."
A pause.
"This game is not bigger than the rest of our games."
The big picture says otherwise, of course.
Go 2-1 against top-15 teams, split with two top-10 squads, and it validates preseason hype and sets up the Hoosiers for a potential monster March.
Moren won't look that far ahead. A one-game-at-a-time approach is part of a coach's DNA.
"We're not looking at the end result. We take each game as they come, learn from each of them, some things we do well or can get better at."
Now for the revenge theme.
The Wolfpack were a NCAA tourney top seed last season when Indiana ended their season in the Sweet Sixteen by a 73-70 score in San Antonio.
Moren figures they remember.
"This will be a team that will come in here with a lot of motivation. We knocked them out of an opportunity to perhaps get to a Final Four.
"There's a lot of built-up motivation there."
Since a season-opening 66-57 loss to South Carolina, North Carolina State has dominated, winning by at least 18 points during its six-game win streak.
Last week in the Bahamas, the Wolfpack beat No. 8 Maryland 78-60 and Washington State 62-34.
IU also was in the Bahamas -- splitting games with Stanford and Miami -- and got to see what it will face Thursday night.
"They are who we think they are," Moren says. "We have to be much better than in the Bahamas, without a doubt."
With a veteran lineup that includes five starters averaging in double figures, led by forward Mackenzie Holmes (team-leading averages of 15.3 points and 7.5 rebounds) and guards Ali Patberg (13.8 points) and Grace Berger (13.8), IU seems poised to be much better.
North Carolina State is led by 6-5 senior center Elissa Cunane, the preseason ACC player of the year, who averages 14.4 points and 7.4 rebounds while shooting over 50 percent from the field.
Guard Diamond Johnson, a transfer from Rutgers, averages 13.3 points, 6.0 rebounds and 3.1 assists.
The Wolfpack shoot 48.6 percent from the field and average 80.3 points.
They are coached by veteran Wes Moore, who has won 754 games over 32 seasons.
Hoosier preparations include viewing film of last year's Sweet Sixteen victory. Moren calls it a "tool" as the coaches develop a game plan. It helps that IU assistant coach Ashley Williams once played for Moore.
"She knows Wes better than anybody," Moren says. "She refers to him as a creature of habit. He doesn't change a lot.
"We've used our game against them last year to remind our players how we had success against them."
Still, Moren adds, "They are different. They have (forward Kayla Jones, who averages 7.4 points and 3.0 rebounds) back in the lineup. They didn't have her last year. Diamond Johnson is a transfer from Rutgers. She's really good.
"They are better than they were a year ago. More explosive offensively."
North Carolina State is also as deep as any team IU will face this season.
The best counter -- defense.
"We try to be stingy defensively no matter who we play," Moren says. "They are outstanding beyond the arc, so we're going to have to try to run every one of them off the line. Hopefully, we can contest all their shots.
"Cunane is a problem. She has three to four inches over Mackenzie and (Aleksa Gulbe). You have to double her and make her have to pass out of the paint.
"This is the deepest team we'll play all year. They are really good at every position."
The Wolfpack also are really big, which could once again cause Hoosier rebounding issues.
Could.
"We've done a poor job rebounding," Moren says. "We emphasize it every day. It is skill related. It's also heart related. We have to be more relentless than them. They will be bigger than we are. They are probably better athletically than we are. But that doesn't give us an excuse to not put ourselves in positions to box out or chase down long rebounds or chase down loose balls.
"Rebounding is a huge deal. It will be one of the major keys to figure out how to be successful against a good North Carolina State team."
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Revenge thoughts?
They will be there.
Another chance to showcase Cream and Crimson women's basketball national title potential?
Darn straight.
Big-picture implications that could lead to Indiana hosting opening-round NCAA tourney games?
Absolutely.
Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall will resonate with that, and more Thursday night, when the No. 6 Hoosiers (5-1) face No. 2/3 North Carolina State (6-1) in a Big Ten-ACC Challenge nationally televised (ESPN2) showdown.
The keys to victory, IU coach Teri Moren says, start by thriving amid hype.
"We have to be that much more determined and focused and understand what we're trying to take away.
"We can't turn it over. We have to take great care of the ball. Our ability to rebound and push the pace, as well as guarding, is crucial."
This national matchup follows a home win against then No. 13 Kentucky and a neutral-site loss to defending national champ Stanford in the Bahamas, part of a ramped-up non-conference schedule designed to steel the Hoosiers for what's coming.
"This will serve us well as we go into Big Ten play," Moren says. "This whole thing is a process.
"Our goal is to be able to host the NCAA Tourney. To have a team like North Carolina State come here, which was similar to Kentucky (coming to Assembly Hall), a chance to play ranked teams early in the season."
A pause.
"This game is not bigger than the rest of our games."
The big picture says otherwise, of course.
Go 2-1 against top-15 teams, split with two top-10 squads, and it validates preseason hype and sets up the Hoosiers for a potential monster March.
Moren won't look that far ahead. A one-game-at-a-time approach is part of a coach's DNA.
"We're not looking at the end result. We take each game as they come, learn from each of them, some things we do well or can get better at."
Now for the revenge theme.
The Wolfpack were a NCAA tourney top seed last season when Indiana ended their season in the Sweet Sixteen by a 73-70 score in San Antonio.
Moren figures they remember.
"This will be a team that will come in here with a lot of motivation. We knocked them out of an opportunity to perhaps get to a Final Four.
"There's a lot of built-up motivation there."
Since a season-opening 66-57 loss to South Carolina, North Carolina State has dominated, winning by at least 18 points during its six-game win streak.
Last week in the Bahamas, the Wolfpack beat No. 8 Maryland 78-60 and Washington State 62-34.
IU also was in the Bahamas -- splitting games with Stanford and Miami -- and got to see what it will face Thursday night.
"They are who we think they are," Moren says. "We have to be much better than in the Bahamas, without a doubt."
With a veteran lineup that includes five starters averaging in double figures, led by forward Mackenzie Holmes (team-leading averages of 15.3 points and 7.5 rebounds) and guards Ali Patberg (13.8 points) and Grace Berger (13.8), IU seems poised to be much better.
North Carolina State is led by 6-5 senior center Elissa Cunane, the preseason ACC player of the year, who averages 14.4 points and 7.4 rebounds while shooting over 50 percent from the field.
Guard Diamond Johnson, a transfer from Rutgers, averages 13.3 points, 6.0 rebounds and 3.1 assists.
The Wolfpack shoot 48.6 percent from the field and average 80.3 points.
They are coached by veteran Wes Moore, who has won 754 games over 32 seasons.
Hoosier preparations include viewing film of last year's Sweet Sixteen victory. Moren calls it a "tool" as the coaches develop a game plan. It helps that IU assistant coach Ashley Williams once played for Moore.
"She knows Wes better than anybody," Moren says. "She refers to him as a creature of habit. He doesn't change a lot.
"We've used our game against them last year to remind our players how we had success against them."
Still, Moren adds, "They are different. They have (forward Kayla Jones, who averages 7.4 points and 3.0 rebounds) back in the lineup. They didn't have her last year. Diamond Johnson is a transfer from Rutgers. She's really good.
"They are better than they were a year ago. More explosive offensively."
North Carolina State is also as deep as any team IU will face this season.
The best counter -- defense.
"We try to be stingy defensively no matter who we play," Moren says. "They are outstanding beyond the arc, so we're going to have to try to run every one of them off the line. Hopefully, we can contest all their shots.
"Cunane is a problem. She has three to four inches over Mackenzie and (Aleksa Gulbe). You have to double her and make her have to pass out of the paint.
"This is the deepest team we'll play all year. They are really good at every position."
The Wolfpack also are really big, which could once again cause Hoosier rebounding issues.
Could.
"We've done a poor job rebounding," Moren says. "We emphasize it every day. It is skill related. It's also heart related. We have to be more relentless than them. They will be bigger than we are. They are probably better athletically than we are. But that doesn't give us an excuse to not put ourselves in positions to box out or chase down long rebounds or chase down loose balls.
"Rebounding is a huge deal. It will be one of the major keys to figure out how to be successful against a good North Carolina State team."
Players Mentioned
Guard
/ Women's Basketball
Forward
/ Women's Basketball
Forward
/ Women's Basketball
Guard
/ Women's BasketballFB: Under the Hood with Indiana Football - Week 2 (Kennesaw State)
Thursday, September 04
FB: D'Angelo Ponds Media Availability (9/2/25)
Tuesday, September 02
FB: Pat Coogan Media Availability (9/2/25)
Tuesday, September 02
Indiana University Athletics: Hoosier the Bison's First Entrance
Saturday, August 30