IUWBB - News and Notes

[Class of '66 Old Fart]

For the second year in a row Grace Berger named to the Cheryl Miller Award pre-season watch list.

https://iuhoosiers.com/news/2021/10/27/womens-basketball-grace-berger-selected-to-2022-cheryl-miller-award-preseason-watch-list.aspx

[Class of '66 Old Fart]

Story on Grace Berger from Pete DiPrimio

https://iuhoosiers.com/news/2021/10/28/womens-basketball-grace-berger-speaks-softly-but-carries-a-big-game.aspx

[Class of '66 Old Fart]

https://iuhoosiers.com/news/2021/11/2/womens-basketball-offenses-beware-face-nicole-carda-o-hillary-at-your-own-risk.aspx?fbclid=IwAR0GcA8PsWywymxT3gyBzaYcko5QEDX1upm12EHgDCsea7nq8v6I52TwYAs

[Class of '66 Old Fart]

All seven games will be broadcast on @FloHoops.

@BahaMarHoops

Bahamarhoops.com

 

 

[Class of '66 Old Fart]

https://indiana.rivals.com/news/indiana-hoosiers-set-for-season-opener-ranked-no-7-in-country

[Class of '66 Old Fart]

Berger and Patberg Earn Spots On Wade Watch List

https://iuhoosiers.com/news/2021/11/9/womens-basketball-berger-and-patberg-earn-spots-on-wade-watch-list.aspx

[Class of '66 Old Fart]

 

Senior guard Grace Berger has been named to the John R. Wooden Award presented by Wendy's preseason Top 50 watch list on Tuesday. Chosen by a preseason poll of national college basketball experts, the list is comprised of 50 student-athletes who are the early front-runners for the most prestigious honors in college basketball, the Wooden Award All American Team™ and Most Outstanding Player Award.
 
Last season, Berger was nation's leader in triple doubles while averaging 15.4 points, 6.8 rebounds, 4.6 assists and shooting 44.1 percent from the floor. Berger earned WBCA and USWBA All-American honorable mention honors and was also an All-Big Ten first team selection. She scored in double figures 23 times as a junior including seven games scoring 20 points or more. The Louisville, Ky. native and 2021-22 preseason All-Big Ten honoree and 2022 Cheryl Miller Award preseason watch list candidate looks to be the 29^th member of IU's 1,000-point club as she enters the 2021-22 season with 996 career points.
 
The players on the list are considered strong candidates for the 2022 John R. Wooden Award Women's Player of the Year presented by Wendy's. Players not chosen to the preseason list are still eligible for the Wooden Award™ midseason list, late season list, and the National Ballot. The National Ballot consists of 15 top players who have proven to their universities that they meet or exceed the qualifications of the Wooden Award. Nearly 1,000 voters will rank in order 10 of those 15 players when voting opens prior to the NCAA Tournament and will allow voters to take into consideration performance during early round games. The Wooden Award All American Team™ will be announced the week of the "Elite Eight" round of the NCAA Tournament. The winner of the 2022 John R. Wooden Award will be presented by Wendy's following the NCAA Tournament in April.
 
Berger and the No. 8/7 Hoosiers will open up the 2021-22 regular season on Wednesday at Butler. Tip at Hinkle Fieldhouse is set for 7 p.m. ET.

[Class of '66 Old Fart]

One last pre-season story before tomorrow night's opener in Hinkle Fieldhouse against Butler.

https://www.heraldbulletin.com/sports/iu-women-looking-to-build-off-historic-season/article_cd7aca0c-419d-11ec-bd8b-270138b9102e.html?utm_campaign=blox&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&fbclid=IwAR1U0gZ07oJSXsyFTJVjlx1vDiDwIlxT-Z58oe6ZrbLZwNq3BNH49zcLPBg

[Class of '66 Old Fart]

Tough break for the Buckeyes.  Ohio State WBB junior point guard Madison Greene is out for the season with a knee injury; she averaged 13.4 PPG, 4.3 APG, and 3.5 RPG last season

[Todd41]

Holmes on this week's starting five over at NCAA site for last week's performance.

FGCU's Kierstan Bell leads this week's starting five in DI women's basketball | NCAA.com

[LIHoosier]

The NCAA has expanded the womens tourney to 68 teams. The play-in games this year will be at the location the winners would play at and they'll have their own Dayton starting in 2023.

https://www.espn.com/womens-college-basketball/story/_/id/32656250/ncaa-announces-expansion-women-college-basketball-tournament-68-teams

[Class of '66 Old Fart]

The women were supposed to have a road game against Rutgers on Thursday but you know the drill.  And if I remember correctly, Rutgers was a repeat offender last season.  A week without any IU basketball.  What a lousy way to end the year although it pretty well sums up 2021 as a whole.

From Indiana Women's Basketball:  Thursday's game between #iuwbb and Rutgers has been postponed due to positive COVID-19 results within the Scarlet Knights program.

[mamasa]

Son of a buck!! 

[LamarCheeks]

She had played a total of five minutes in three games. She likely wasn't going to contribute much this season, but eventually Patberg, Berger, Gulbe, etc., are gonna leave -- and we'll need replacements. 
 

 

[Class of '66 Old Fart]

Freshman guard Keyarah Berry is departing the Indiana women’s basketball program, according to a release from the team Wednesday. Berry will continue her academic pursuits at IU.

Berry played a total of five minutes across three games this season, her only season with the team.

She is the second player to part ways with Indiana this season after senior guard Caitlin Hose left the program to focus on completing her master’s degree in December 2021.

Berry’s departure leaves Indiana with 11 players on its roster.

[Aaron]

2 hours ago, Class of '66 Old Fart said:

Freshman guard Keyarah Berry is departing the Indiana women’s basketball program, according to a release from the team Wednesday. Berry will continue her academic pursuits at IU.

Berry played a total of five minutes across three games this season, her only season with the team.

She is the second player to part ways with Indiana this season after senior guard Caitlin Hose left the program to focus on completing her master’s degree in December 2021.

Berry’s departure leaves Indiana with 11 players on its roster.

Totally a guess but this probably had something to do with the concussion she got recently. 

[Chris007]

13 hours ago, LamarCheeks said:

She had played a total of five minutes in three games. She likely wasn't going to contribute much this season, but eventually Patberg, Berger, Gulbe, etc., are gonna leave -- and we'll need replacements. 
 

 

I know nothing about IUWB or any CWB other than were ranked 5th. But we have had a lot of transfers during Moren's time. Looking at the minutes this year she only plays 6 girls. Two things I noticed is she doesn't recruit the state hardly at all and the majority of the transfers are black girls. We're going to be really bad for the next few years. 

[Aaron]

3 hours ago, Chris007 said:

I know nothing about IUWB or any CWB other than were ranked 5th. But we have had a lot of transfers during Moren's time. Looking at the minutes this year she only plays 6 girls. Two things I noticed is she doesn't recruit the state hardly at all and the majority of the transfers are black girls. We're going to be really bad for the next few years. 

Could be.

I am worried to, but they finally have two higher ranked recruits coming in this year with Lily Meister and Alexis Barger who are both Top-75 four-star players. Recent recruits and transfers have almost all been three-star and lower. Also, high on the girl from Israel. The transfers have been of both races at the end of the bench. Moren is not everyone's cup of tea and demands a lot, but the players who like her, really like her. We also need to see what she does in the transfer portal in the offseason, as that is an avenue to get terrific players as Nebraska's best player Jaz Shelley is now (who IU plays tonight).

What do Mackenzie Holmes, Ali Patberg and Grace Berger have in common? Five-star recruits. Holmes is actually back next yr as a true junior and Gulbe, Cardano-Hillary and Berger all have options to come back. The rankings do matter despite what people tell you even though they are not perfect. 

Moren has a very strong defensive system and I wonder when she actually has to replace people and plug in players if it will work. It remains to be seen but it could.  

 This team's depth is awful, but has the best starting line-up in the Big Ten and no bench. You know who else had this problem? The 2012-2013 IU men's team with Zeller and Oladipo with no bench outside Sheehey, but best starting line-up in the conference. The two teams have a lot of similarities in almost every way. Holmes and Zeller are both star centers in the post, Cardano-Hillary and Hulls are both underdog guards who are good shooters, Berger and Oladipo match as terrific all-around players and really good defenders, Watford and Gulbe are both hybrid big's who can step out and shoot a three, Patberg and Ferrell are less of a comparison, but it's the best available, and 2016 Yogi and Patberg work well as the veteran team leader, Browne as IU's top sub likes to take charges and provide energy and annoy other opponents like Sheehey, Moore-McNeil like Abel is the only other decent player off the bench and can every once in a while give you a good game. The rest of the players are not worth a lick on either team. The point is you would like to have more depth, but both the 2012-2013 IU men's team and 2021-2022 women's team can both win the conference, get a one seed in tourney and make a long run with what they do have.

Moving forward there is a a lot of uncertainty but it could also work out. There is no guarantee they will be 'really bad'. This years baseball team is in same boat with a bunch of new players. There is uneasiness and a lot of unknowns, but until you see them play there is very much optimism it could definetely work out.

Also, if Moren tanks after this yr, she will still be far and away the best coach IU has ever had by a large margin. This will be her fourth NCAA Tournament Appearance in her career (and would of been a fifth  if not for COVID). Prior to her tenure there were four tournament appearances in all of history and with her it will be basically five in her eight yr tenure.         

The most likely possibility with the IU women here, is what happened with baseball where the College World Series with Tracy Smith was never repeated, but you settle in as a solid Big Ten team that makes tournament most years instead of the bottom feeder you were prior to this big run.    
 

[Class of '66 Old Fart]

Problem is clearly more than just with Nicole C-H.

From Indiana Women's Basketball:  Due to COVID-19 protocols within the Indiana program, Wednesday's game (Jan. 19) against Michigan State has been postponed.

[TheWatShot]

If we can make this "Covid outbreak" last the rest of the regular season, do we win the Big Ten title for being undefeated?