Random IUWBB Recruiting

[TTT 1,300]

3 hours ago, mike vannice said:

How good is she?

8 points per game.  She could play.  Not a high impact player but solid role player.  Overall, would fit T. Moren and IU Ladies and contribute.  A few points, a couple rebounds.  Defense would as usual need to improve but seems like a buy in type player if she were to go to IU.  High character.

[Aaron 4,457]

31 minutes ago, TTT said:

8 points per game.  She could play.  Not a high impact player but solid role player.  Overall, would fit T. Moren and IU Ladies and contribute.  A few points, a couple rebounds.  Defense would as usual need to improve but seems like a buy in type player if she were to go to IU.  High character.

A last starter or first player off bench ceiling. Can play at power five level but definitely not a star. Different player but probably can contribute at a similar level to Bargesser.

Would be a nice depth piece but not a difference maker. A center like Williams or Merkle would be difference maker and what team needs right now more than anything.

[TTT 1,300]

FEATURED

Column | Gracie Merkle has become a liability for Penn State

• Noah Aberegg | The Daily Collegian
•  
• Jan 27, 2025
•  
•  
•  2 min to read

 

 

Center Gracie Merkle (44) shoots the ball during the Penn State women's basketball game against Rutgers at the Bryce Jordan Center on Sunday, Jan. 26, 2025 in University Park, Pa. The Scarlet Knights beat the Nittany Lions 73-77.

Samantha DiCamillo

 

Coming into the 2024-25 campaign, 6-foot-6 center Gracie Merkle was hailed as the biggest acquisition for Penn State.

"We are thrilled to welcome Gracie to our Penn State family," coach Carolyn Kieger told Penn State Athletics. "Her dominance in the post is unparalleled.”

Merkle led Bellarmine in scoring, rebounding and field goal percentage last season – the latter of which she led the nation, draining 70.2% of her shots.

 

Through 12 games, Merkle displayed that success at Penn State, leading the team with 20.3 points per game. Her scoring ranked in the top five in the Big Ten, and Merkle’s play was unstoppable.

That was, until the final game of 2024, when she was shut out against Minnesota. With only one field goal attempt in 21 minutes, Merkle was empty for the first time.

While she’s found the net in each game since, the Bellarmine transfer hasn’t returned to her early-season level of productivity. Arguably, she’s been worse, and her play has been a liability for the blue and white.

Physically, Merkle has all the attributes of a successful center. She’s 6-foot-6 and has the height to out-rebound opponents. She also has a large frame, giving her the ability to work in the paint.

However, Merkle doesn’t often out-rebound opponents and her paint play is minimal.

When the Mount Washington, Kentucky, native is on the court, she simply stands under the basket waiting for a pass and an opportunity to score. This worked through the first two months as she put up double-digit field goal attempts in nine games.  However, teams began scouting how she scored and planned against that, which was highlighted against Minnesota. Double-teamed and denied down low, Merkle hasn’t found another way to score.

 

With her big frame, Merkle has the size to work from the high post and back down defenders to the basket. She has the body to be physical and fight for points – but she doesn’t.

Instead, she stands as a liability to the Lady Lions, committing 2.4 fouls per game and 3.2 turnovers per game.

When Merkle does occasionally drive, she does so forcefully – too forcefully with her frame. She often commits a charging foul and turns the ball over as a result.

The Lady Lions have committed too many turnovers to succeed this season, but Merkle’s frequent dropped passes in the paint have turned what should’ve been easy points into turnovers.

Against Rutgers on Sunday, Merkle came off the bench for the first time this season after starting 20 straight games for the blue and white. When asked why Merkle came off the bench, Kieger offered a simple, yet telling answer.

“Practice. Whoever practices hard earns it,” Kieger said.

Merkle has been seen as one of the slower players on the court, and while her large frame can slow her down, her level of hustle isn’t on par with the rest of the Lady Lions.

Some thoughts on Gracie Merkle playing at Penn State.

 

[Certified Sunshine Pumper 11,250]

Pass 

[Class of '66 Old Fart 89,594]

Not sure why we'd want a Meister clone based on Meister's performance this season.  And I'm in no way saying Lilly doesn't practice hard I'm just comparing on-court results and I don't see any better player in Merkle.

[TTT 1,300]

Faith Wiseman 6’4”.  Just pointing out that she is available to play a little bit as a sophomore and develop more playing time her junior and senior year.

Gracie Merkle is a pass for me as well after reading the article I posted.

[IvanRenkosillegitimatechild 588]

Not sure if anyone posted it or not but IU’s prized recruit Nevaeh Caffey incoming PG just won her 4th straight Missouri title. She goes to the top program in the Midwest. They have won 8 straight Missouri state championships. Her record while she’s been on the team is 119-2. Their only losses were to a team that is nationally ranked #3 and a team that is nationally ranked #24. They are ranked #23 nationally

[Stuhoo 88,209]

On 3/20/2025 at 8:47 AM, Class of '66 Old Fart said:

Not sure why we'd want a Meister clone based on Meister's performance this season.  And I'm in no way saying Lilly doesn't practice hard I'm just comparing on-court results and I don't see any better player in Merkle.

15 scholarships.

Playable at D1 level.

If she's a good culture addition we need "Langdon Hatton-quality" kids.

[PartyintheVillas 977]

5 minutes ago, IUCrazy2 said:

I don't know where they expect all this money to come from....

Wealthy Donors

[Chris007 61,103]

2 minutes ago, IUCrazy2 said:

I don't know where they expect all this money to come from....

Well, the women have the 3rd highest attendance at the university behind football and MBB. You have to find some money for them if you want to keep what Moren has built going in that direction. You can't blame her for going to get more money

[DChoosier 9,477]

1 hour ago, ebridges24 said:

Why??????

Why did Garzon enter the portal?
I’ll take an educated guess…….$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

[IUCrazy2 2,846]

1 hour ago, Chris007 said:

Well, the women have the 3rd highest attendance at the university behind football and MBB. You have to find some money for them if you want to keep what Moren has built going in that direction. You can't blame her for going to get more money

I guess I am kind of saying this is all unsustainable.  It sucks it has come to this, the women's game is already top heavy as it is.  I just don't see how they can continue to milk the fans to support 3 sports to the tune of millions each, every year.

The WNBA league minimum is $62k....

[Chris007 61,103]

1 hour ago, IUCrazy2 said:

I guess I am kind of saying this is all unsustainable.  It sucks it has come to this, the women's game is already top heavy as it is.  I just don't see how they can continue to milk the fans to support 3 sports to the tune of millions each, every year.

The WNBA league minimum is $62k....

With revenue sharing at 20 million and then add Hoosier Connect we can’t throw them a bone. 

[Asha’man 699]

2 minutes ago, Chris007 said:

With revenue sharing at 20 million and then add Hoosier Connect we can’t throw them a bone. 

Rather it go to Mens basketball. 

[Trish 14,401]

4 hours ago, Chris007 said:

Does the women's open up today or tomorrow?

Tomorrow!

[PartyintheVillas 977]

3 hours ago, IUCrazy2 said:

I guess I am kind of saying this is all unsustainable.  It sucks it has come to this, the women's game is already top heavy as it is.  I just don't see how they can continue to milk the fans to support 3 sports to the tune of millions each, every year.

The WNBA league minimum is $62k....

I'm not being milked, are you? It is completely sustainable as long as people worth tens of millions to billions keep donating so their team can win. For some of these folks their NIL donations are rounding errors in accounting.

[IUCrazy2 2,846]

1 hour ago, Chris007 said:

With revenue sharing at 20 million and then add Hoosier Connect we can’t throw them a bone. 

We can, Just saying that maybe a million to million and a half should be enough for the whole program.  Caitlin Clark's salary is $78k for the Fever.  Granted she is banking from endorsements but still....and maybe that is what Garzon is asking for, it just seems like at a certain point this is a big ask from fans to kick these kids the money we do.  Thankfully (if we accept all this) revenue share is coming along as the University should be the ones kicking in for this.  The fans get double charged.

[IUCrazy2 2,846]

5 minutes ago, PartyintheVillas said:

I'm not being milked, are you? It is completely sustainable as long as people worth tens of millions to billions keep donating so their team can win. For some of these folks their NIL donations are rounding errors in accounting.

I guess I am just getting a little curmudgeonly about all this.  The NIL world kind of sucks.

[Pagoda 4,122]

9 hours ago, IUCrazy2 said:

We can, Just saying that maybe a million to million and a half should be enough for the whole program.  Caitlin Clark's salary is $78k for the Fever.  Granted she is banking from endorsements but still....and maybe that is what Garzon is asking for, it just seems like at a certain point this is a big ask from fans to kick these kids the money we do.  Thankfully (if we accept all this) revenue share is coming along as the University should be the ones kicking in for this.  The fans get double charged.

This leads to an interesting topic of what programs should get what resources -- it's a tricky one.  Outside of FB and MBB, every sport generates a loss.  The WBB crowds are pretty darn good, but the ticket prices are low and revenue is modest, meaning WBB generates something like a $5-6M annual loss.

So, which loss generating sport should get the remaining rev share/NIL after FB and MBB take 90% of it?  Our best programs like men's soccer and swimming/diving?  A highly attended sport like WBB?  A sport rising in popularity like WVB?  Tough to say.

Personally, I would push a little more towards WBB due to the high levels of fan interest and the upside for anything basketball at Indiana.  I also like how WBB is getting a lot of kids and families involved and the program has a lot of great role models. 

I'm sort of surprised some subset of our MBB NIL donors aren't more into WBB -- Cindy Simon-Skodjt can find enough for Garzon in her couch cushions.   And to be fair she may be checking those cushions right now to keep her.

I don't buy that Teri doesn't need more NIL/rev share, no matter what any coach says they want more money for players.  Hopefully the athletic dept can find her more support, but I know it's not easy with all the other mouths to feed.

As for the fans getting milked, I get it, it's annoying and I feel it too, but I guess it's just what athletic depts do in as many ways as they can.  The revenue share is paid for by the athletic dept, which gets 1/3 to 1/2 of their revenue from fans buying tickets, donating, paying for parking, etc.  And technically it's even more, like almost all of it, because fans ultimately fund the media rights too when we buy cable and streaming, and advertising is directed at us because we will buy stuff from sponsors.  Sort of is what it is. 

I suppose a positive spin is we could say us normal fans get a good deal in that we are technically freeloaders on the big money donated from Cook, Simon, Ned, Andy, and others.  That is assuming this group of people is not also trying to be the Athletic Director, which we know they like to do from time to time, especially with men's bball... fortunately it appears they got that out of their system for at least a few years.

[Claxdj01 46]

On 3/24/2025 at 7:14 PM, Asha’man said:

Rather it go to Mens basketball. 

All those millions have done so well there so far, kind of like flushing it down the toilet.