TTT

How much does Merkle slow down a team that wants to get out and run? Was she signed or can you change your mind after signing? Or does the coach and player both have to come to agreement?

https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.insidethehall.com/2025/05/12/former-iu-all-american-mackenzie-holmes-waived-by-seattle-storm/&sa=U&sqi=2&ved=2ahUKEwjH_Ji-gZ-NAxUNKFkFHdgXDrkQFnoECDIQAQ&usg=AOvVaw0yTmZ1tsqv9EY2LeaHA8f6

Mackenzie waived.

Bryn Martin originally committed to Washington has reopened her recruitment. 6’1” ( some list at 6’) 4 at 92 espn player profile. Springboro OH. (Several major programs were recruiting her)

Emily Rodriguez visit Iowa today 5/12 and IU Ladies 5/13.

My point is that coach Woodson is another example of Societal elites (career/job/financial)….politicians are notoriously and often very successful at this)….even when they do not perform anything close to a competent performance in a job/career. And usually there are lots of money/ financial security involved.

Coming home to lead Indiana Men's Basketball was an honor. It was a great opportunity to represent the program that helped shape my college career, and I'm deeply grateful for the full-circle journey back to Indiana. Thank you to the fans for your support through the ups and downs, my players, my dedicated coaching staff, team managers, the IU professors who guided our young men off the court, the medical staff and trainers who kept us healthy, and the strength coaches who challenged us daily. To my wife, Terri, and our daughters, Mariah and Alexis, your love and support have made this journey worthwhile. To my family and friends, thank you for giving me strength to continue building my vision while staying grounded. Coming back to my Alma Mater to coach brought me fulfillment. I'm proud to watch the young men I've coached transition into gentlemen on and off the court. I want them to know how proud I am of them. Our journeys will continue, and I'll always be here for them. MIKE WOODSON @MIKEWOODSONNBA

Coach Woodson’s success at IU has prepared him for the Lead Assistant coaching position with the Kings as his other NBA coaching positions prepared him for the IU coaching success while at IU. Not just winning but success in such a high character as well. That’s kind of how Woodson would describe his coaching journey that qualifies him for all his coaching and financial success as an elite because that’s what the elite part of society does.

Couple years ago T. Moren attitude was that some rules and regulations of fairness and distribution were going to be needed. How silly of her to even think about addressing common sense and integrity solutions.

I guess IU could offer $250,001/year Lol. A choice…..Turn it off and shut it down as a fan or not. Find something else to do. Sports/Athletics can do and be what they choose and a fan or ex- fan can be or do what he or she chooses.

Indiana High School Choice, IHSAA, Indiana State Legislation……Effective June 1, 2025 any athlete (pool, tiddlywinks, basketball, football or basically any sport/athletics) can have a one time transfer for athletic reasons within three year period….for such reasons as playing time, forming a better championship team, or to improve whatever is deemed needed/wanted/necessary. The new legislation reason is to streamline the process removing obstacles/barriers to transfer possibilities. Yes, recruiting players among schools has always happened. However, this new legislation does not apply to the rest of the public school students. So, what has the public high school education experience become? Does high school NIL version follow? An observation….years ago high school gyms throughout basketball season both, city, suburbs, country were pretty full and was a popular thing and often football as well. After millions upon millions $$ invested in new modern facilities over decades many if not most set pretty empty for most of the seasons. Gyms often third of the way full and football facilities often a third full as well. (Yes, there are some exceptions and in certain games/circumstances/situations).

Looks like Emily Rodriguez visit to Iowa May 12 and Indiana May 13. Can it get any more difficult for IU Ladies? Just not as easy vs many teams. Good Grief! T. Moren head coach under 19 FIBA coach again in Czech Republic…..Seems like it should translate into a more high level recruiting but it doesn’t appear to be the case….Wonder if that ever becomes a full time gig for her?….doubt it would pay enough. Maybe, a good way to experience some travel doing what you like leaving behind a legacy. (Zoe Jackson 2026 Australia looks like she can play at 6’4”)….how good remains to be seen.

So much for Kubek as she goes to Florida State.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DJQD9SEydKj/?igsh=cG15bjlzYmJrZGFq IU Ladies and the Holmes era just a normal play in a day at the office.

Holmes a nice little pre season first game outing. In 21 minutes 4 for 5 fgs and a ft = 9 points and 8 rebounds. Good for MacKenzie Holmes.

Rodriquez and Kubek to IU Ladies would put IU Ladies on a completely different trajectory upward and the sky is the limit. Two tough scoring players. So hard, IU Ladies have to compete so hard for every single player. (T. Moren is a victim of her own coaching talent….by taking lesser players, developing them beyond their ability level, getting them to believe they are better than they are and achieving above their ability level to try to play at a level required in a major league conference…..T. Moren and staff….teaching and player and team development is exemplary. T. Moren and staff is exactly what both, Kubek and Rodriguez.

No indication of happening but Kubek would be a good trade for IU. Good shooter/scorer, good rebounder, and tough.

And Garzon best chance for WNBA was to stay with T. Moren though I think she is probably overseas player due to lack of strength, she gets thrown off her game with physicality and toughness and who is she going to guard. T. Moren was trying to continue to make her stronger and develop her game and was very very flexible with her and supportive letting her play through shooting/scoring/defensive/slumps etc.

I pretty much posted Gazon wanted to play for honestly better team a month or so ago….Recent IU recruiting was just not enough as in championship contention for her final year. However, Garzon seems very dismissive about T. Moren and staff, she was on a big ten championship team as a starter, highly ranked team and a sweet 16 (though things may have not been perfect) the good far outweighs the bad talking about her campus life. Gazon had excellent support overall. Garzon is a very good player but not as good as she thinks she is. If she stayed at IU with current transfer players IU would have only been one big player short from being pretty good which she could have continued to excel. Maryland has showed her the strength of their Jewish community but at IU was supportive as well. She may or may not run into an obstacle at 1 year at Maryland and that vs 3 years at IU. 3 years communication while in high school with T. Moren who supported her at a distinguished level and developed her game at IU under T. Moren and staff with supportive players around her (maybe Garzon didn’t like the inside game challenges put on her) but Garzon was getting better at it including her overall game. And Garzon just seems so dismissive of what she spent 3 high school years and 3 college years. Her development as a player seems she thinks it’s all her. T. Moren and IU program was responsible for much of her development. Only to use her final year where her growth may be somewhat stunted in a new system (then that could be an excuse for her). Garzon could have stayed with her current IU team of transfers growing in a system her final year at IU watching her statistics continue to rise if she wants to go WNBA which is a ? Maybe it’s her way of moving forward and not looking back giving Brenda Frese who has not set her on the bench yet for poor play all her love that she should be giving T. Moren as T. Moren gave Yardon Garzon.

A while back I noted General Manager for college basketball on the men’s side. on the women basketball side UCLA coach plans to prioritize to hire a GM because there is not enough time to attend to coaching duties and recruiting transfers. Maybe, a similarities to recent Alabama hire for IU Colston Thompson.

Amber Scalia to Miami of Ohio. Good for her and Miami of Ohio.

A parallel to what IU Ladies basketball was this year (and other years)…like a farm team (in professional baseball) go to IU Ladies program and develop your skills and get professional coaching (though unintentional but this year it turned out that way) but recruited players that needed and received player development in so many ways….and transfer to another program…..inability to recruit at high enough level to sustain (were very significant for a period of time) significance. IU Ladies with a significant hire are looking to return to significance. sidenote: wondering why he left Alabama for IU.

Unless it’s Kubek (don’t know if IU is even involved) and Rodriguez = 2 Rodriguez= 1 Neither Rodriguez nor Kubek = 1 but who knows who it would be…..Scalia’s sister was or still is in portal and could be a maybe. I am sure she would try hard and give it her best. Without a taller dominant center as in really good big ten star caliber….doubt if she starts but will have to make a small miracle of improvement especially scoring is Faith Wiseman that has not been seen and wondering what she is currently doing to develop her game for next year. This is a situation that is one of the biggest opportunities for her in the whole country bar none. (the question…is she good enough. sidenote: thoughts…Caitlin Clark though she did not stay for her 5th year at Iowa, however, she did stay at Iowa after her main partner the Iowa center Cinzano graduated…..something that Garzon did not do after being treated well within program. Garzon abandon ship. Yes, it was Clark at Iowa but…Garzon is no Clark ….and at IU T. Moren especially outwardly treated Garzon as royalty.

Williams/Wisconsin to UCONN

Rodriguez has IU Ladies on her list of several programs and is going to be a challenge but would be an A+ get for both her and IU Ladies.