Indiana University Athletics
Chemistry, Outside-the-Box Thinking Fuel IU’s Big Ten Title Quest
12/3/2022 2:47:00 PM | Women's Basketball
By Pete DiPrimio
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Today we're going to explain the connection between Sydney Parrish, Teri Moren and Winston Churchill (yes, THAT Winston Churchill), how it helped deliver No. 4/5 Indiana's dominating victory over No. 6 North Carolina Thursday night, and how it could spark the Hoosiers to a 1-0 Big Ten start with Sunday's conference opener against Illinois (7-1) at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.
Brace yourself.
Churchill, as we know from history, was the British prime minister who led Great Britain during World War II when he wasn't delivering rock-your-world quotes. History does not record his basketball shooting prowess.
Moren has coached Indiana to an 8-0 start and the highest national ranking in school history, plus 180 Hoosier victories in nine seasons. She's done that in part with outside-the-box thinking and a strong coaching staff.
Parrish, a former Indiana Miss Basketball from Hamilton Southeastern High School, transferred from Oregon this season. She moved into the starting lineup against North Carolina with the knee injury to All-America Grace Berger. On Thursday, Parrish was 4-for-7 from three-point range and finished with 24 points.
Overall, IU was a season-best 12-for-22 from beyond the arc in the 87-63 win.
"We practice it lot," Parrish said. "Coming into the season, we knew three-point shooting would be big for us. We all worked hard on it."
Hard work guarantees nothing. Parrish entered the game just 8-for-30 from beyond the arc. That followed a two-year run at Oregon in which she'd made 52 three-pointers as a sophomore, and 22 as a freshman.
It led to this post-North Carolina victory press conference revelation:
"I changed my shot this week," she said.
What?
"Yeah. Two days ago. Coach decided to change it."
A pause.
"I guess it worked," Parrish said with a smile.
Such buy-in and open-mindedness by player and coach reflect this famous Churchill quote: "To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often." It's among the reasons why these Hoosiers, as never before, are national title contenders.
There's a bigger reason and it transcends talent.
Chemistry.
"One of the best complements I get is our energy on the bench," Moren said. "It's clear we have great chemistry. We made sure in the recruiting process with the players we bring in that they understand, it's not about me, it's about we. Make sure they embrace that idea."
Parrish certainly embraced it. Most three-year college veterans, two days before a huge game, would treat a let's-change-your-shot idea with the enthusiasm of undergoing an unnecessary root canal without Novocain.
Parrish embraced it and reaped the benefits.
It's a Moren coaching trademark.
"We tell them all the time, winners win and winning is fun," Moren said. "They display not just good basketball, but that we're all about each other. I'm proud of that."
IU thrives with depth and balance. Eight Hoosiers average at least 11.3 minutes. Five average in double figures, and guard Chloe Moore-McNeal just misses with a 9.8-point average.
"We have a lot of weapons and different ways we can score," Moren said. "We hope that will continue to make us difficult to guard."
With Berger out, the bench will play a bigger role.
"The only way to get experience is to play in these big games," All-Big Ten center Mackenzie Holmes said. "We're asking more of those people on the bench and they're stepping up to the occasion. They were huge for us."
Berger, a triple-double threat (she's had three as a Hoosier), is out "indefinitely" with a knee injured suffered during the recent Las Vegas tourney. In six games, the senior guard averages 10.3 points and 5.0 rebounds.
"There's no timetable," Moren said. "She's with our doctors, and it's all hands-on deck for her.
"She's rehabbing every day. She's feeling good. She has to put on a different kind of hat now. I'm not crazy about it, but it will help her grow. We know she will be a pro."
Berger's upbeat attitude impresses teammates.
"She didn't blink," Holmes said. "She's tough as nails. We all know that. It's on and off the court. She knows what she needs to do in her rehab and she will take that head on. We'll all be behind her while she's doing that.
"She has trust in us and we have trust in her. That goes a long way."
Now comes the Big Ten challenge. It starts with an Illinois team that lost at Delaware, but that came back to make 14 three-pointers in a win at Pitt. Then comes a Thursday trip to Penn State before resuming conference play in January.
Ohio State and Iowa join IU as top-10 teams. Michigan and Maryland are in the top 25. Winning a championship requires toughness and maturity, and no one has shown more than the Hoosiers (see winning at Tennessee, overcoming all the Las Vegas trip obstacles and dismantling North Carolina as Exhibits 1, 2 and 3).
Beyond that it takes, as Winston Churchill once said, perhaps while burying a jumper at the top of the key:
"Never, never, never give up."
"If you're going through hell, keep going."
"Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference."
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Today we're going to explain the connection between Sydney Parrish, Teri Moren and Winston Churchill (yes, THAT Winston Churchill), how it helped deliver No. 4/5 Indiana's dominating victory over No. 6 North Carolina Thursday night, and how it could spark the Hoosiers to a 1-0 Big Ten start with Sunday's conference opener against Illinois (7-1) at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.
Brace yourself.
Churchill, as we know from history, was the British prime minister who led Great Britain during World War II when he wasn't delivering rock-your-world quotes. History does not record his basketball shooting prowess.
Moren has coached Indiana to an 8-0 start and the highest national ranking in school history, plus 180 Hoosier victories in nine seasons. She's done that in part with outside-the-box thinking and a strong coaching staff.
Parrish, a former Indiana Miss Basketball from Hamilton Southeastern High School, transferred from Oregon this season. She moved into the starting lineup against North Carolina with the knee injury to All-America Grace Berger. On Thursday, Parrish was 4-for-7 from three-point range and finished with 24 points.
Overall, IU was a season-best 12-for-22 from beyond the arc in the 87-63 win.
"We practice it lot," Parrish said. "Coming into the season, we knew three-point shooting would be big for us. We all worked hard on it."
Hard work guarantees nothing. Parrish entered the game just 8-for-30 from beyond the arc. That followed a two-year run at Oregon in which she'd made 52 three-pointers as a sophomore, and 22 as a freshman.
It led to this post-North Carolina victory press conference revelation:
"I changed my shot this week," she said.
What?
"Yeah. Two days ago. Coach decided to change it."
A pause.
"I guess it worked," Parrish said with a smile.
Such buy-in and open-mindedness by player and coach reflect this famous Churchill quote: "To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often." It's among the reasons why these Hoosiers, as never before, are national title contenders.
There's a bigger reason and it transcends talent.
Chemistry.
"One of the best complements I get is our energy on the bench," Moren said. "It's clear we have great chemistry. We made sure in the recruiting process with the players we bring in that they understand, it's not about me, it's about we. Make sure they embrace that idea."
Parrish certainly embraced it. Most three-year college veterans, two days before a huge game, would treat a let's-change-your-shot idea with the enthusiasm of undergoing an unnecessary root canal without Novocain.
Parrish embraced it and reaped the benefits.
It's a Moren coaching trademark.
"We tell them all the time, winners win and winning is fun," Moren said. "They display not just good basketball, but that we're all about each other. I'm proud of that."
IU thrives with depth and balance. Eight Hoosiers average at least 11.3 minutes. Five average in double figures, and guard Chloe Moore-McNeal just misses with a 9.8-point average.
"We have a lot of weapons and different ways we can score," Moren said. "We hope that will continue to make us difficult to guard."
With Berger out, the bench will play a bigger role.
"The only way to get experience is to play in these big games," All-Big Ten center Mackenzie Holmes said. "We're asking more of those people on the bench and they're stepping up to the occasion. They were huge for us."
Berger, a triple-double threat (she's had three as a Hoosier), is out "indefinitely" with a knee injured suffered during the recent Las Vegas tourney. In six games, the senior guard averages 10.3 points and 5.0 rebounds.
"There's no timetable," Moren said. "She's with our doctors, and it's all hands-on deck for her.
"She's rehabbing every day. She's feeling good. She has to put on a different kind of hat now. I'm not crazy about it, but it will help her grow. We know she will be a pro."
Berger's upbeat attitude impresses teammates.
"She didn't blink," Holmes said. "She's tough as nails. We all know that. It's on and off the court. She knows what she needs to do in her rehab and she will take that head on. We'll all be behind her while she's doing that.
"She has trust in us and we have trust in her. That goes a long way."
Now comes the Big Ten challenge. It starts with an Illinois team that lost at Delaware, but that came back to make 14 three-pointers in a win at Pitt. Then comes a Thursday trip to Penn State before resuming conference play in January.
Ohio State and Iowa join IU as top-10 teams. Michigan and Maryland are in the top 25. Winning a championship requires toughness and maturity, and no one has shown more than the Hoosiers (see winning at Tennessee, overcoming all the Las Vegas trip obstacles and dismantling North Carolina as Exhibits 1, 2 and 3).
Beyond that it takes, as Winston Churchill once said, perhaps while burying a jumper at the top of the key:
"Never, never, never give up."
"If you're going through hell, keep going."
"Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference."
Players Mentioned
Guard
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Forward
/ Women's Basketball
Guard
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Thursday, August 13
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