‘Uber Mature’ Garzon Raises Awareness Amid Sweet Sixteen Stakes
3/29/2024 9:35:00 AM | Women's Basketball
By Pete DiPrimio
IUHoosiers.com
ALBANY, N.Y. - Yarden Garzon can't forget, won't forget. The tragedy that rocked her native Israel when Hamas attacked in early October hurt when she first heard, and still does.
Tragedy remains. Violence and death continue. Even as the sophomore guard prepares for Friday's Sweet Sixteen showdown with top-seeded South Carolina (34-0), she thinks about her country, her family, the hostages, her friends serving in the Israel Defense Forces, the protests, all of it.
Yarden wears a necklace that says, "Bring Them Home." It helps keep the urgency of returning the hostages at the forefront of everything she does, from social media to press conferences and more.
"It's hard with everything going on at home with my family, friends who are serving in the IDF," she says from a NCAA tourney press conference setting in Albany, N.Y. "My teammates and the staff are doing a great job of supporting me, and they understand what I'm going through and they give me great feeling about being here and feeling like I'm part of something bigger than myself. They are here for me for everything I need."
That reflects the team chemistry that has helped boost IU (26-5) to this Sweet Sixteen opportunity, and Garzon to this public platform.
"Everything I do right now is trying to raise the awareness about what's going on in Israel with the hostages," she says. "I have great support from the team, and I'm happy to be here."
Coach Teri Moren praises Garzon's maturity and focus.
"It's been a tough year for Yarden," Moren says. "She is uber mature."
Garzon is also uber appreciative of her Hoosier opportunity. She was a four-star prospect with extensive experience on the Israel Senior National Team. Her poise, mental toughness and three-point shooting excellence (43.8 percent for Maccabi Ironi Ramat Gan) was exactly what Moren was looking for to provide another outside complement to All-American forward Mackenzie Holmes' inside dominance.
"Coach Moren brought me to this program as a kid who didn't grow up in the U.S. I barely knew English. She brought me in with open arms."
Open arms included IU's elite developmental program that targets strength and fitness as well as basketball skills.
"She is competitive," Moren says. "She is still getting used to the work that's required at this level. Not that she doesn't work when she plays at home in Israel, but the practices are a little longer in duration.
"Strength and conditioning, all of that's different. Everything that we have here that they might have over there, but not to the extent that we have. The training for her has been something that she's had to get used to."
The numbers show how well Garzon has adapted. She earned All-Big Ten honors this season and ranks third on IU in scoring (11.5 points), second in three-point baskets made (59) and third in steals (29). Her pressure-packed jumper against Oklahoma in the final minute during last Monday night's comeback victory -- despite previous shooting struggles -- provided crucial separation.
"She's continued to improve," Moren says. "She is made for big moments. She is not afraid of taking a big shot. That's what I've always loved about her and what we've respected about her."
Respect includes a center's height (Garzon is listed at 6-3), and an all-around game that allows her to play any position.
"She's very quiet by nature," Moren says. "She's a great teammate. She's intelligent on and off the floor. She understands the game. You can play her at 1 (point guard) through 5 (center), which makes it fun for a coach."
It's also fun playing for Moren, Yarden says. Indiana's nine straight 20-victory seasons, three straight with at least 24 wins and home attendance that averaged more than 10,000 a game this season reflects it.
"She taught us everything she can," Garzon says. "She keeps bringing the best out of us. She's doing a great job with this program from all of these years. Our fan base is getting bigger every year. I'm glad that I'm able to be coached by her."
Now comes the South Carolina challenge with its dominating offense and defense.
Still, the Gamecocks aren't without vulnerability. They needed a banked-in three-pointer from All-American Kamilla Cardoso to edge Tennessee 74-73 in the SEC tourney. IU beat Tennessee 71-57 during the regular season, and while neither game will affect Friday night, it reinforces the upset mystique that makes March so basketball special.
"Everybody is beatable in the NCAA Tournament," Indiana guard Chloe Moore-McNeil says.
Moren says she wants the Hoosiers to feel "joy" when playing South Carolina. Moore-McNeil embraces that.
"We don't feel any pressure at all," she says. "We know everybody expects South Carolina to win. They're a great team. They're undefeated. But it's March Madness. You throw all those things out the window and focus on winning."
Adds Garzon: "We focus on ourselves. We're going to bring our best."
Moren pushes a play loose-and-together approach in which the Hoosiers have nothing to lose. She finds the positive in their underdog status.
"I don't know that anybody believes that South Carolina can be beaten," she says. "You can use that. I hope it motives (our players)."
IU has beaten South Carolina before -- during the 2019-20 season in what was its only loss. Holmes played in that game. She was a focal point of the Gamecock's defense then, and will be again.
"Holmes does her damage in the paint," South Carolina coach Dawn Staley says. "If we can get her to take some 15-footers, we're doing our job. But we know that 90 to 95 percent of what she's going to do is work us over in the paint.
"Our positioning is going to have to be great in order to contain her. Then their perimeter players have the ability to shoot. They're one of the most efficient teams offensively in the country. so we need to disrupt, we need to make them play faster than they want to play, and our defense definitely has to show up."
As for her team's early NCAA tourney dominance -- winning by 52 and 47 points after a shaky SEC tourney run, Staley adds, "I think we're playing our best basketball."
IUHoosiers.com
ALBANY, N.Y. - Yarden Garzon can't forget, won't forget. The tragedy that rocked her native Israel when Hamas attacked in early October hurt when she first heard, and still does.
Tragedy remains. Violence and death continue. Even as the sophomore guard prepares for Friday's Sweet Sixteen showdown with top-seeded South Carolina (34-0), she thinks about her country, her family, the hostages, her friends serving in the Israel Defense Forces, the protests, all of it.
Yarden wears a necklace that says, "Bring Them Home." It helps keep the urgency of returning the hostages at the forefront of everything she does, from social media to press conferences and more.
"It's hard with everything going on at home with my family, friends who are serving in the IDF," she says from a NCAA tourney press conference setting in Albany, N.Y. "My teammates and the staff are doing a great job of supporting me, and they understand what I'm going through and they give me great feeling about being here and feeling like I'm part of something bigger than myself. They are here for me for everything I need."
That reflects the team chemistry that has helped boost IU (26-5) to this Sweet Sixteen opportunity, and Garzon to this public platform.
"Everything I do right now is trying to raise the awareness about what's going on in Israel with the hostages," she says. "I have great support from the team, and I'm happy to be here."
Coach Teri Moren praises Garzon's maturity and focus.
"It's been a tough year for Yarden," Moren says. "She is uber mature."
Garzon is also uber appreciative of her Hoosier opportunity. She was a four-star prospect with extensive experience on the Israel Senior National Team. Her poise, mental toughness and three-point shooting excellence (43.8 percent for Maccabi Ironi Ramat Gan) was exactly what Moren was looking for to provide another outside complement to All-American forward Mackenzie Holmes' inside dominance.
"Coach Moren brought me to this program as a kid who didn't grow up in the U.S. I barely knew English. She brought me in with open arms."
Open arms included IU's elite developmental program that targets strength and fitness as well as basketball skills.
"She is competitive," Moren says. "She is still getting used to the work that's required at this level. Not that she doesn't work when she plays at home in Israel, but the practices are a little longer in duration.
"Strength and conditioning, all of that's different. Everything that we have here that they might have over there, but not to the extent that we have. The training for her has been something that she's had to get used to."
The numbers show how well Garzon has adapted. She earned All-Big Ten honors this season and ranks third on IU in scoring (11.5 points), second in three-point baskets made (59) and third in steals (29). Her pressure-packed jumper against Oklahoma in the final minute during last Monday night's comeback victory -- despite previous shooting struggles -- provided crucial separation.
"She's continued to improve," Moren says. "She is made for big moments. She is not afraid of taking a big shot. That's what I've always loved about her and what we've respected about her."
Respect includes a center's height (Garzon is listed at 6-3), and an all-around game that allows her to play any position.
"She's very quiet by nature," Moren says. "She's a great teammate. She's intelligent on and off the floor. She understands the game. You can play her at 1 (point guard) through 5 (center), which makes it fun for a coach."
It's also fun playing for Moren, Yarden says. Indiana's nine straight 20-victory seasons, three straight with at least 24 wins and home attendance that averaged more than 10,000 a game this season reflects it.
"She taught us everything she can," Garzon says. "She keeps bringing the best out of us. She's doing a great job with this program from all of these years. Our fan base is getting bigger every year. I'm glad that I'm able to be coached by her."
Now comes the South Carolina challenge with its dominating offense and defense.
Still, the Gamecocks aren't without vulnerability. They needed a banked-in three-pointer from All-American Kamilla Cardoso to edge Tennessee 74-73 in the SEC tourney. IU beat Tennessee 71-57 during the regular season, and while neither game will affect Friday night, it reinforces the upset mystique that makes March so basketball special.
"Everybody is beatable in the NCAA Tournament," Indiana guard Chloe Moore-McNeil says.
Moren says she wants the Hoosiers to feel "joy" when playing South Carolina. Moore-McNeil embraces that.
"We don't feel any pressure at all," she says. "We know everybody expects South Carolina to win. They're a great team. They're undefeated. But it's March Madness. You throw all those things out the window and focus on winning."
Adds Garzon: "We focus on ourselves. We're going to bring our best."
Moren pushes a play loose-and-together approach in which the Hoosiers have nothing to lose. She finds the positive in their underdog status.
"I don't know that anybody believes that South Carolina can be beaten," she says. "You can use that. I hope it motives (our players)."
IU has beaten South Carolina before -- during the 2019-20 season in what was its only loss. Holmes played in that game. She was a focal point of the Gamecock's defense then, and will be again.
"Holmes does her damage in the paint," South Carolina coach Dawn Staley says. "If we can get her to take some 15-footers, we're doing our job. But we know that 90 to 95 percent of what she's going to do is work us over in the paint.
"Our positioning is going to have to be great in order to contain her. Then their perimeter players have the ability to shoot. They're one of the most efficient teams offensively in the country. so we need to disrupt, we need to make them play faster than they want to play, and our defense definitely has to show up."
As for her team's early NCAA tourney dominance -- winning by 52 and 47 points after a shaky SEC tourney run, Staley adds, "I think we're playing our best basketball."
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