Laken Wairau will return as student only

[ccgeneral]

Laken Wairau will not return to Indiana for her junior season and will instead finish her time at the school as a student, the program announced Friday. The seldem-used 5-foot-10 guard played three total minutes last season.

Wairau joined the Hoosiers during the semester break in December 2015 after playing four seasons at Christchurch Girls' High school in Christchurch, New Zealand.

Little was known about her game when she joined the program, but she did help lead Christchurch to a National Championship in 2013. As a senior in New Zealand she averaged 16.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, 4 assists and 2.3 steals per game but was never able to translate that to the NCAA Division I level in the U.S.

Wairau's exit continues a trend of significant roster turnover for Moren's team. Would-be rising sophomore guard Ria Gulley announced her intentions to transfer about a week ago and would-be rising junior guard Tia Elbert announced earlier this month she would graduate early and forego her final two years of eligbility.

Throw in the fact that Indiana also lost five seniors to graduation and suddenly the roster is comprised of just six scholarship players with five true freshmen set to join the program this summer.

https://indiana.rivals.com/news/laken-wairau-leaves-iu-women-s-basketball

[Class of '66 Old Fart]

IMO this departure is absolutely not a surprise.  Writing was pretty clear on the wall that she was not likely to ever be a significant contributor.  

[WayneFleekHoosier]

Plenty of needed playing time for a talented freshman class.


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[Hoosierfan31]

This isn't one that would upset me tbh..moren seemed like she was doing an old coaching buddy a favor. We don't need people under scholly that aren't ever gonna see the floor. That's 2 out of 4 I heard about but I will be fine if no more are announced.

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[ccgeneral]

Starting 5: Buss, Yeaney, Penn, Cahill and Royster or grad xfer. Foresman or Warthen may have a shot for a spot.

Unknown: Wickware, Marchese and Johnson. Williams mop up minutes again.

[Sammy12]

Buss.. 1.. Cahill..4 ..Yeaney..2 .. Warthen or Penn.. 3 .. Royster.. 5.. ( Marchese , Royster and Foresman in a battle) 

With Foresmen getting minutes at the 4...

Marchese has the body and toughness of a B1G center over the other two .. 

Warthen is nowhere near the body or toughness for B1G Center.. Nor do I believe she wants to play or recruited to play the 5..

Wickare and Johnson in a battle as well for playing time...

Prospect Nation and ESPN has seen all these players in action on the AAU circuit and has them evaluated.

From my perspective high school accolades don't carry all that much weight as the AAU circuit and evaluations.

 

[Class of '66 Old Fart]

10 minutes ago, Sammy12 said:

Buss.. 1.. Cahill..4 ..Yeaney..2 .. Warthen or Penn.. 3 .. Royster.. 5.. ( Marchese , Royster and Foresman in a battle) 

With Foresmen getting minutes at the 4...

Marchese has the body and toughness of a B1G center over the other two .. 

Warthen is nowhere near the body or toughness for B1G Center.. Nor do I believe she wants to play or recruited to play the 5..

Wickare and Johnson in a battle as well for playing time...

Prospect Nation and ESPN has seen all these players in action on the AAU circuit and has them evaluated.

From my perspective high school accolades don't carry all that much weight as the AAU circuit and evaluations.

 

Solid first post.  Welcome aboard and hope to see you as an active poster.

[Hoosierfan31]

Just got good news..the other player who was in question about leaving is going to stay on the team. This is someone we really want to stay...but out of respect for her and the person who told me, I'm not going to name her. She had a conversation with her parents and she is gonna stick it out. Go hoosiers!

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