Aaron

Like it or not this is the about the right ranking for them. What you are saying isn't wrong. While you could certainly argue they have three losses to top-10 teams on road, I could turn it around and say they have not beaten a ranked team or anyone projected higher than a seven seed. Yes, they have handled every matchup against potential second round level teams at any venue (Tennessee, Princeton, Michigan, Nebraska, PSU, Maryland). This is why they are projected a 3-4 seed in NCAA Tourney that will host and can handle first two rounds with teams on that level. However, until they beat a likely second weekend team that has good shot at Sweet 16, I can't be mad at that ranking or see a ceiling higher than losing in final 16. Until they beat Iowa at home or Ohio State or Iowa in Big Ten Tourney, I can't be on board with them being better then about 15th nationally and a low three seed or high four seed. It is about who you have beaten as much as who you have lost to, and so far they have not beaten anyone that has a chance to be around for the Sweet 16. I know they have had few opportunities, but you have to evaluate who they have beaten and I am trying to look at this objectively like a neutral pollster or the committee. If they can beat Iowa or OSU before March Madness, then they can get to low two line or high three line with a ceiling of the top two seed if they win Big Ten Tourney. They have beaten a lot of good teams which is why they are correctly around 15. However, until they beat a great team which they are 0-3 against, I can't be mad at this ranking. The Iowa home game will tell us a lot and if team deserves to be closer to 10 than 15, but until when/if they win that, I have zero issues with current ranking. Ranking is based on whole season. Not one week. Being the 14th best team in the country is nothing to be mad at, and until five years ago any fan would give a body part to be that good. I hope last year didn't blow expectations out of proportion. If this year is who they are going forward, everyone needs to take it and that goes even if they are just a solid tourney team from now on. No different than baseball, post Kyle Schwarber years. Good tourney team, but not great and that is just fine.

The vast majority of her NIL deals and the one that pay her the most of her money are not Iowa related. The 80k salary will more than make up for the little bit of Iowa NIL lost.

All her millions in NIL money carries over to WNBA and then gets the 80k salary on top of it.

I have no inside info but would be shocked if Parrish plays for at least a week or two. Very rare to go from crutches one game to on the court the next.

No more staying in dorms during Regionals for IU and some other tweaks to the NCAA Baseball Regionals: https://www.ncaa.com/news/baseball/article/2024-01-05/walk-songs-ncaa-tournament-new-selection-process-headline-changes-2024-di-baseball

Finally an elite scorer up the middle at striker.

Just to clarify there is zero guarantee Josh Maher makes it to campus in the fall and doesn't bypass straight to pros. Top Drawer indicates he will come, but no one has any confirmation of this. The official addition of Elliott today as a defender to replace Bebej as an almost sure starter makes me question Maher being here as three starters are accounted for now with Elliott, Barger, and Miller even though you are still short a center back. Josh could take the final defensive slot in lineup but needs to make it to campus.

Also not so fast on Sellers: https://dbknews.com/2024/01/29/maryland-womens-basketball-shyanne-sellers-knee-injury-status/ Not sure she actually play Wednesday but not off the table yet. Certainly looked much worse at time. Austin Render called Sellers 'questionable' on his radio show with Teri Moren tonight.

Day-to-day is a stretch for Syd. It's really more week-to-week if it is the injury I am guessing it is (and I have zero confirmation of this) and has a widely variable timeline from a couple weeks to a couple months. This would make Moren saying timeline is really not known, pretty truthful. However, it almost certainly be at least a few weeks in best case scenario. Would not hold my breath that she is back until at least later in February.

Missed that and updated. Thanks! Either way was a reserve for IU and not one of the top 11 players and didn't factor much into their plans. Can probably start and thrive for the Dukes so good for him!

Spring schedule out: https://iuhoosiers.com/news/2024/1/29/mens-soccer-indiana-mens-soccer-announces-spring-schedule

Spring Exhibition Roster Out: https://iuhoosiers.com/sports/mens-soccer/roster Observations: 1. Nate Ward transferred for his COVID year. 2. Logan Oliver and Austin Himebaugh transferred after not playing last season but probably would never have seen meaningful minutes here. 3. Maher and Bacharach are obviously gone to the pros (or in Maher's case another school potentially). 4. Karsen Henderlong, Brett Bebej, and Maouloune Goumballe are obviously gone since all eligibility expired for them (spring eligibility is contingent on still having eligibility for following fall). 5. Luka Bezerra is still listed and hopefully can finally take the leap forward to be the 5* main scorer for team he was recruited to be. 6. Every other contributor not listed above from last season is back. 7. Josh Maher is not on roster as expected and this likely means will never make to campus after deferring last year and will go straight to pros from his academy at some point. Not clear at all at this point. However, IU is still a center back short at moment so maybe spot is reserved for him in fall. 8. Quinten Elliott the sought after Louisville transfer from previous page of this thread is now official from team and on roster now. Really needed him for Bebej's defensive spot as only defensive freshman coming in as of now for fall for sure is Jackson Lindimore who could contribute as a top-150 recruit nationally (he is towards back end of top 150 though) but I doubt he is expected to play right away. Players on spring roster would be more than enough to compete for a national title with Harms in goal, Miller, Demian, Barger, Elliott on D (although that is 3 D wings and only one CB in Miller so not sure how this works out for now), Sarver, Mihalic, Oduro, McDonald for sure in Mid and either Helmer or Waggoner in 5th spot. Forward would be new transfer Josh Weiss who is the dynamic scorer up the middle team has lacked since Victor Bezerra. I would feel very comfortable running that lineup out in the fall of 24 to chase a 9th star in several months even with no further additions.

We will be lucky if she is back by Iowa at all. I expect to see her by end of season, but earliest would be towards end of month putting Iowa in borderline status. I have no firm info but just an educated guess on timeline based on her still being on crutches and what I think the injury is (although I have not confirmed what happened to her foot but have a hypothesis based on talking to a doctor who saw her picture but admittedly is not treating her).

Syd won't be back for a while. We are talking weeks at least. Not days. Zero chance she plays this week and near zero she plays next couple. However, Maryland will almost certainly be without top scorer Shyanne Sellers Wednesday who was on crutches after yesterday's game (got injured in second quarter).

Mara Braun, Minnesota's best player is out for an extended time with injury her team just announced. Between her and Sellers for Maryland that is two bubble teams who's NCAA Tourney hopes may have gone up in smoke missing their top scorers for a while.

Maryland lost leading scorer Shyanne Sellers to potentially a serious knee injury today. Never wish ill on anyone but that more than evens up not having Parrish Wednesday. Don't think we see either for an extended time. Sellers was on crutches as well after.

God point. However, she could simply decide to not take her COVID year. Would be great get though and IU fans have first hand account of it.

Is she in the portal? IU has beaten her twice at Princeton so could have if 'you can't beat them join them despite my best efforts' situation ala Sara Scalia when she was at Minnesota.

Any update on Parrish? Didn't get to listen.

https://purduesports.com/documents/2024/1/20/Purdue_WBB_Game_Notes_-_18_vs._Indiana.pdf Something odd Purdue put in their game notes for tomorrow online is: "A Win Would.... Be Better Than A Loss".

I expect a step back to a bubble team IF this is the roster. However, Moren has worked magic in the portal. Don't forget Parrish and Scalia both came from portal and were elite right away so could easily find players on that level who contribute big next year. To early to know what roster could look like next season. Could be huge step back or as good as now.

This was an error and is now corrected in postgame recap on website. Started 6-0 in 21-22: https://iuhoosiers.com/news/2024/1/10/womens-basketball-no-14-indiana-improves-to-5-0-in-big-ten-play-with-win-over-penn-state

Important to note their two best players Makenna Marisa and Ashley Owusu are out. Marisa played in OSU game till she got hurt in it very late. They are not same team since the injury but still a team to be wary of. Northwestern worst team in Big Ten.

Every arena home and road for Iowa games this year is already sold out except for the game at Purdue this week that has a limited number left.

Blame the NFL for point one. Think most peoples mind was on Colts even at game checking their phone. I was one of them. Crowd is always less enthusiastic for these break games but NFL moving Colts game to same slot at last minute took a lot of juice away.