Indiana University Athletics
Worth the Wait – Parrish Ready to Make a Hoosier Impact
10/25/2022 1:31:00 PM | Women's Basketball
By Pete DiPrimio
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Sydney Parrish didn't know. Not really. Become, at long last, an Indiana Hoosier? It didn't seem possible.
"I wasn't expecting to come back home," she says.
And yet, this former Indiana Miss Basketball out of Hamilton Southeastern School is back home. This is a very good thing considering her experience and skill after two seasons at Oregon, and the Hoosiers' title-winning prospects.
"This team is really good, and everyone knows that," Parrish says. "They're nationally known now. That was big for me.
"I want to contribute as much as I can and hope to get really far in both (the NCAA and Big Ten) tournaments."
In recruiting, saying no doesn't always last forever, especially in these transfer portal times. Parrish turned down coach Teri Moren and the Hoosiers once. She couldn't do it a second time.
"Entering the portal, I kept my options open, but as soon as IU contacted me, it opened my head a little bit," she says. "I realized I can go back home and play, I can be close to family, and I can be on a winning program."
The Hoosiers have won big in recent years, making the Elite Eight in 2021 and the Sweet 16 last spring. They are a preseason No. 11 team and a Big Ten title contender with a strong mix of returning veterans, transfers and intriguing high school prospects.
Standouts Grace Berger (16.2 points, 6.2 rebounds, 4.7 assists last season) and Mackenzie Holmes (15.2, 7.0, 60 percent shooting) are back, as is rising star Chloe Moore-McNeil. Do-it-all guard Ali Patberg has used up her eligibility, but not her Hoosier impact. She's now team and recruitment coordinator.
Parrish considered all of that after making the move from Oregon.
"I'd say the winning culture they have right now, and what Coach Moren has done with the program," she says about becoming a Hoosier. "It's not just Coach Moren, but the staff and players like Ali and Grace and Mackenzie. They've put a face to this program, and I think that's really what's putting us on the national level."
The 6-2 Parrish seems ready for a break-through season after averaging 6.0 points and 2.7 rebounds in two Oregon seasons that included a Sweet 16 run. She has scored as many as 26 points and made as many as seven three-pointers.
She comes from an athletic family. Her father, Shawn, played basketball at Ball State. Her mother, Aimee, played at Valparaiso. Sister Lauryn swam at Kansas.
With plenty of other family around, coming back to Indiana, she says, "means everything."
"Just representing the state of Indiana. I loved playing high school ball in Indiana. Now I get to play college ball here."
Parrish says she's known Moren since middle school when the coach showed up at games. Parrish ultimately chose Oregon, and never expected to wear the Cream 'n Crimson.
Until now.
"The second time around, it was a little different because we hadn't talked in two years," Parrish says. "It was the awkward stage of 'Hey, do you want to come back?'
"It's been good. She's been great. We've been working really hard. She's put together a really good team."
Moren's transfer portal success is well documented, and necessary. While recruiting outstanding high school players remains the top priority, signing quality transfers is crucial to national success.
Parrish, 5-10 guard Sara Scalia from Minnesota and 6-4 forward Alyssa Geary from Providence reflect that.
"They're vets," Moren says. "They're experienced. They understand the expectation. They understand the level of success we've enjoyed.
"In the recruiting process, we talk about the expectations, the standards. It's one thing to climb. It's another thing to sustain.
"We're pretty clear on that in the recruiting process, what our expectations are, and how we want to continue to build off the success, but there's still more that we want to accomplish. We have goals that we have yet to accomplish."
The transfers could help get IU there.
Scalia averaged 14.5 points, 88.8 percent free-throw shooting and 38.1-percent during her Minnesota run while earning all-Big Ten honors. Last season, she averaged 17.9 points and shot 41.3 percent from three-point range, 91.5 percent from the line.
Geary averaged 11.4 points and 4.8 rebounds as a Provident junior, 9.5 and 4.2 last season.
Scalia's three-point-shooting prowess could be huge for a Big Ten title contender that needs a jump in perimeter shooting. She had seven three-pointers at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall last season.
"We know she likes this gym," Moren says. "A year ago, she was one of the best three-point shooters in the country. We certainly are excited about her firepower."
Scalia also has impressed with her defense and passing.
"She's been a great facilitator," Moren says.
"One of the things that we were curious about was how interested she would be in defending. That's such a huge part of who we are, and she's been a very interested defender. She's probably better than what we thought she would be."
National success has found the Hoosiers under Moren, but major championships have been just out of reach other than the WNIT title in 2018.
IU's only regular-season Big Ten title came in 1983. It's only conference tourney championship came in 2002.
That fuels Hoosier focus as they prepare for their Nov. 4 exhibition against Kentucky Wesleyan and their Nov. 8 season opener against Vermont.
"The expectations are high," Moren says, "but those are the things that will keep us hungry and will keep that invisible chip that we've always played with."
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Sydney Parrish didn't know. Not really. Become, at long last, an Indiana Hoosier? It didn't seem possible.
"I wasn't expecting to come back home," she says.
And yet, this former Indiana Miss Basketball out of Hamilton Southeastern School is back home. This is a very good thing considering her experience and skill after two seasons at Oregon, and the Hoosiers' title-winning prospects.
"This team is really good, and everyone knows that," Parrish says. "They're nationally known now. That was big for me.
"I want to contribute as much as I can and hope to get really far in both (the NCAA and Big Ten) tournaments."
In recruiting, saying no doesn't always last forever, especially in these transfer portal times. Parrish turned down coach Teri Moren and the Hoosiers once. She couldn't do it a second time.
"Entering the portal, I kept my options open, but as soon as IU contacted me, it opened my head a little bit," she says. "I realized I can go back home and play, I can be close to family, and I can be on a winning program."
The Hoosiers have won big in recent years, making the Elite Eight in 2021 and the Sweet 16 last spring. They are a preseason No. 11 team and a Big Ten title contender with a strong mix of returning veterans, transfers and intriguing high school prospects.
Standouts Grace Berger (16.2 points, 6.2 rebounds, 4.7 assists last season) and Mackenzie Holmes (15.2, 7.0, 60 percent shooting) are back, as is rising star Chloe Moore-McNeil. Do-it-all guard Ali Patberg has used up her eligibility, but not her Hoosier impact. She's now team and recruitment coordinator.
Parrish considered all of that after making the move from Oregon.
"I'd say the winning culture they have right now, and what Coach Moren has done with the program," she says about becoming a Hoosier. "It's not just Coach Moren, but the staff and players like Ali and Grace and Mackenzie. They've put a face to this program, and I think that's really what's putting us on the national level."
The 6-2 Parrish seems ready for a break-through season after averaging 6.0 points and 2.7 rebounds in two Oregon seasons that included a Sweet 16 run. She has scored as many as 26 points and made as many as seven three-pointers.
She comes from an athletic family. Her father, Shawn, played basketball at Ball State. Her mother, Aimee, played at Valparaiso. Sister Lauryn swam at Kansas.
With plenty of other family around, coming back to Indiana, she says, "means everything."
"Just representing the state of Indiana. I loved playing high school ball in Indiana. Now I get to play college ball here."
Parrish says she's known Moren since middle school when the coach showed up at games. Parrish ultimately chose Oregon, and never expected to wear the Cream 'n Crimson.
Until now.
"The second time around, it was a little different because we hadn't talked in two years," Parrish says. "It was the awkward stage of 'Hey, do you want to come back?'
"It's been good. She's been great. We've been working really hard. She's put together a really good team."
Moren's transfer portal success is well documented, and necessary. While recruiting outstanding high school players remains the top priority, signing quality transfers is crucial to national success.
Parrish, 5-10 guard Sara Scalia from Minnesota and 6-4 forward Alyssa Geary from Providence reflect that.
"They're vets," Moren says. "They're experienced. They understand the expectation. They understand the level of success we've enjoyed.
"In the recruiting process, we talk about the expectations, the standards. It's one thing to climb. It's another thing to sustain.
"We're pretty clear on that in the recruiting process, what our expectations are, and how we want to continue to build off the success, but there's still more that we want to accomplish. We have goals that we have yet to accomplish."
The transfers could help get IU there.
Scalia averaged 14.5 points, 88.8 percent free-throw shooting and 38.1-percent during her Minnesota run while earning all-Big Ten honors. Last season, she averaged 17.9 points and shot 41.3 percent from three-point range, 91.5 percent from the line.
Geary averaged 11.4 points and 4.8 rebounds as a Provident junior, 9.5 and 4.2 last season.
Scalia's three-point-shooting prowess could be huge for a Big Ten title contender that needs a jump in perimeter shooting. She had seven three-pointers at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall last season.
"We know she likes this gym," Moren says. "A year ago, she was one of the best three-point shooters in the country. We certainly are excited about her firepower."
Scalia also has impressed with her defense and passing.
"She's been a great facilitator," Moren says.
"One of the things that we were curious about was how interested she would be in defending. That's such a huge part of who we are, and she's been a very interested defender. She's probably better than what we thought she would be."
National success has found the Hoosiers under Moren, but major championships have been just out of reach other than the WNIT title in 2018.
IU's only regular-season Big Ten title came in 1983. It's only conference tourney championship came in 2002.
That fuels Hoosier focus as they prepare for their Nov. 4 exhibition against Kentucky Wesleyan and their Nov. 8 season opener against Vermont.
"The expectations are high," Moren says, "but those are the things that will keep us hungry and will keep that invisible chip that we've always played with."
Players Mentioned
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Forward
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