Aaron

Nope she has a 10 million dollar claws in her contract that prevents her from going to PU (OSU is welcome to put same clause in contract for Holtman if they wanted). PU just hired Katie Gearlds a former alum and player as their new coach anyways today who was very successful, but only coached at NAIA level. Can you imagine if IU did that (and yes PU women are the equivalent of IU men as a once proud program now struggling)? Everyone needs to calm down and see what happens. No harm in reaching out to people and trying. I see no problem in what is happening until we see who is named.

Thats a great move by Purdue I think. Versyp has run her course and they are basically doing the same thing they did with Keady to Painter that has worked so well when Keady started to fall off.

Finally! Now we have accomplished something that no IU team has and makes this yr truly special. Everything from here is gravy and we are going 0 to 90 shifting from Mid-Majors to NC State. We might just have a team good enough to beat them but its a really tough ask. They are on the level of Maryland and better than anyone we beat this yr. but we hung in there with the Terps. Can we get over the hump against a team on that level? Absolutely and we are finally good enough but not counting on it. Still its nice to finally run into the elite teams in the country last couple yrs and not lose by 30.

For now that's correct, but I could easily see that changing if all other Big Ten Schools allow fans. In that case I am sure IU will twist arms to get some fans in. For now, only PU allowing fans and I saw Michigan is holding to friends and family only. I don't think we can say what IU should do until other schools (outside of Purdue) start making decisions on fans. Have not seen anything either way from the other 11 institutions. What is said today with something like this, could easily change tomorrow.

What a huge break. No excuse not to go to Sweet 16 for first time in program history now.

That's kind of been my thought whole time. Especially with Beard gushing about Assembly Hall and not commenting on other jobs.

Yup. That MSU lost cost us a seed line. VCU should be a win but after that Gonzaga is tough and NC State is even tougher. Would be thrilled with Sweet 16 though, but reality is we gave ourselves a much tougher path by losing to MSU. You could argue we still deserved a 3 seed but we made our bed by not showing against MSU. This is a lesson you need to play your best every game. Excited to get going and have IU basketball in March Madness.

Depth was an issue BEFORE the opts out. Nicole Cardano Hillary was not the player she has become until she replaced Penn in starting lineup. Cardano Hillary was an OK bench player before Penn opted out, but one contributing bench player does not equal a lot of depth and starting lineup overall is better with NCD than Penn and that lineup change is not made without the opt out. Danielle Patterson was a massive disappointment before she opted out and was not a quality depth player. Probably why she is no longer playing.

Agreed but even with Penn your depth was not terribly better. Nicole Cardano Hillary really did not thrive until moving into the starting lineup when Penn opted out and she has been better than Penn since then. When Penn was here you had a decent bench player with NCD, but starting lineup was weaker with Penn and even one good bench player is not great depth.

There is no one to substitute. That is the one issue with this team. They have arguably the best starting lineup in the Big Ten, but the bench might be the worst. The only halfway decent substitutes are Kiandra Browne who is a freshmen and is going to be a good player but is incredibly raw now, and Kiana Warthen who as a senior is what she is and can provide you a minute here or there for depth but lacks the talent to play constantly at this level. As bad as the starters were last night they give you the best chance to win and their is a reason they play 35-40 min a game.

Uh no. As a 3 or 4 seed you will play a bad mid-major and could play 5x worse than tonight and still win. We could certainly get knocked out in second round with the same effort, as MSU about on level of team we will play in second round. Fortunately, in two NCAA tournament appearances Moren has hit her ceiling with a 1st round win and a hard fight with a top seed before losing in second round. Following that logic we will get to at least Sweet 16. NCAA Tournament has never been a Moren problem. Only Big Ten Tourney a problem for her.

Like I said this loss is less costly than many Moren has produced in Big Ten Tourney, but at some point she needs to explain why her team is always unprepared for this. She has done so much right (including a couple NCAA tourney wins) but the Big Ten Tourney is an ugly issue on her resume Fortunately, she has hit expectations in NCAA Tourney so we should make at least Sweet 16 run. Guess Women did not want to take spotlight from baseball's big series this weekend;). Huge missed opportunity for some weekend exposure.

Someone needs to yell at Teri Moren. They have now had the double bye four times and this will be the third time they fall in the first game. We can talk about the men struggling, but a big part of that is the struggle in the program. Moren has had issues in Big Ten Tourney after great regular seasons and there is ZERO excuse for it and always losing to inferior teams. The collapse against Purdue cost us an NCAA Tournament a couple yrs ago. Fortunately, we earned our way to a top four seed in NCAA this yr, but this collapse is going to cost us a seed line probably to four seed and make Sweet 16 rather than Elite 8 the ceiling. I would be thrilled with Sweet 16 for first time ever but this is a huge missed opportunity and Moren needs to explain why her team always comes out flat in Big Ten Tourney. Its a massive issue.

That might be the worst I have seen the team play all year. You had control of the game at halftime and let them back in with maybe the worst quarter I have seen team play outside of Illinois game Inexcusable.

Would of flipped Berger and Patberg and put Patberg on First Team and Berger on Second since I think Patberg has had the better year. Otherwise exactly what I would of expected and well deserved. Congrats to the team!

Michigan State is ideal. They are a fringe tournament team but not talented enough to beat the best teams in conference. They are basically a poor man's Iowa as they have beaten everyone they are supposed to and can hang tough with the best teams, but ultimately don't have enough to get over the top. Spartans are just good enough to provide a slight resume boost, but bad enough to most likely not be able to compete with us for full 40 minutes. This is in contrast to Nebraska who is completely bipolar and has the talent to hang with every good team and beaten several, but not the discipline to beat the bad teams and as a result are nowhere near NCAA Tournament. 

We will most likely get MSU in first Big Ten Tourney game which is ideal. They are a fringe tournament team but not talented enough to beat the best teams in conference. They are basically a poor man's Iowa as they have beaten everyone they are supposed to and can hang tough with the best teams, but ultimately don't have enough to get over the top. Spartans are just good enough to provide a slight resume boost, but bad enough to most likely not be able to compete with us for full 40 minutes. This is in contrast to Nebraska who is completely bipolar and has the talent to hang with every good team and beaten several, but not the discipline to beat the bad teams and as a result are nowhere near NCAA Tournament.

That had shades of the Illinois game but ultimately put it away in last half of fourth quarter. Not our best game by any means, but given the competition ramps up from here forward (with the first NCAA Tourney game the exception), this was the game to be less than stellar and still win. Onto the Big Ten Tourney and postseason.

Knew that was coming after PSU-Michigan was cancelled for positive PSU Covid tests earlier in week.

Same story in second half. IU will settle for 2nd (The chances of Maryland losing to PSU is zero).

Forget about the Big Ten Title:(. Maryland is absolutely blitzing Michigan by 20 at the half. Maryland's best which they have brought is better than everyone. However, Michigan has brought their worst possible and looks nothing like the Wolverine team we have seen all year and playing scared. When Maryland is playing their best, they should be 5-10 points better against the top of the conference like they were against IU or NW. The fact they are beating up Michigan is a two sided affair where Wolverines didn't come to play. Either way, as usual Maryland will win the Big Ten Title and IU will settle for 2nd. Part of me knew this was coming when we lost to them early in year and to have any chance to catch them we needed to win out. That one bad night against OSU at Assembly Call will make us brides made rather than bride. To be the Bridesmaid though is a million times better than being in the outhouse as we were for so many years.

Iowa gave it their best but IU is just to good right now. The Big 3 of Patberg, Holmes and Berger showed up big like champions as they always do with 22 points each. The game was over as soon as they got Clark fouled out late and Iowa went to pieces after. May of won anyways but it would of been tougher. Iowa always has a terrific player who is good from the get go. This is just their 'rebuilding year' but as soon as Clark is a sophomore next year, she will be the next great Iowa player and they will once again challenge for Big Ten Title. Iowa always has a player who is elite and leads them to glory and Clark is the next in a long line after Gustafson, Logic, Printy and Alexander. This was not our ideal game in an up and down track meet but we out Iowaed Iowa anyways in their high scoring track meet style. Good practice for NCAA Tourney as Hawkeyes are about as good as the team we will face in second round of NCAA Tournament and we need close games to prepare. This locks us up for second place in Big Ten Tourney and all comes down to Maryland Michigan tomorrow at noon on ESPN2. Wolverines win we have inside track to share of Big Ten Title. Otherwise we will be runner up which either way will be highest finish since 83 championship.

Clark just fouled out! Lead down to 4 but she is only reason this game is close. Time to close it out.

Lead up to 9. Clark keeping Iowa barely in there but Holmes is eating Iowa up in the post this quarter. Very similar to game in Iowa City. Now Finish.

That pace was much more to IU's liking and both teams stop hitting everything they threw up. Good end to quarter and have a bit of space. Now just need to close this out against a tough Iowa team who is kind of a clone of their Men's Team in every way in coach and style.