IUWBB vs ULM - Thursday, 12.11.25 @ 7:00 pm B1G+

[Class of '66 Old Fart 96,202]

ULM = University Louisiana Monroe (5-3) and 0-2 in road games.  Women really need a strong win to regain some confidence as well as get used to playing without Z.  Initial reports I saw said the Dec. 29th game vs. Minnesota was "optimistic" for her return and then subsequent reports were far less encouraging.  Only news continues to be that she has a lower leg injury.  ULM is not a high scoring team averaging just 61 ppg shooting 41% FG and 34% on 3s.  They have a +4 rebounding margin and turn the ball over 21/gm.  Their leading scorer is J'Mani Ingram at 10 ppg.  Marcavia Shavers is their leading rebounder at 7/gm.  After this game, the women host Eastern Michigan (5-3) on the 14th and Western Carolina (2-9) on the 21st.  After that it's all conference games for the rest of the season.  IMO, anything less than 3-0 in these next 3 games will be very disappointing.

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[TheWatShot 16,112]

1 hour ago, Class of '66 Old Fart said:

 IMO, anything less than 3-0 in these next 3 games will be very disappointing.

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If we lose any of these three games, then we can focus all our attention on next season and beyond. 

 

I just looked at the top 25 and there are nine Big Ten teams ranked. That's not even including Illinois, who received 1 vote for plastering us last weekend, or Minnesota, who took a top 10 Maryland team to 2OT. In just 2 years, we've completely disappeared from the national landscape. 

[NatHillIV 79]

It pains me greatly to say it, but TheWatShot is absolutely correct in his assumptions.
Think of it.  HALF of the Big10 women's teams are in the top25, and a team that isn't quite in the top 25 beat us like a drum.

[ronzo4IU 491]

There seems to be a sever lack of judgment in recruiting the right players IMO.  Terri had the world by the tail on a downhill pull and then completely lost it it seems. Good thing she at least got Chesky.

[Aaron 4,710]

37 minutes ago, ronzo4IU said:

There seems to be a sever lack of judgment in recruiting the right players IMO.  Terri had the world by the tail on a downhill pull and then completely lost it it seems. Good thing she at least got Chesky.

Clearly you are not up on program and its 'Ciezki'. You are correct Moren was slow to adapt to NIL and her recruiting coach Linda Sayavongchanh was totally ineffective recruiting hence the talent fall off you are seeing IU is paying for at moment.

However, losing Garzon opened an eye up to Moren that she needed NIL and was not recruiting well. Moren brought in a new recruiting coach Colsten Thompson who recruited top players at Alabama and has already made his mark at IU. Already the two freshman this year in Maya Makalusky and Nevaeh Caffey are showing much more promise then any newcomers since Mackenzie Holmes (but still raw) and are the highest ranked recruits in program history. Next years class has two higher ranked recruits then this yr even and is no. 6 nationally.

It could well be rough this year due to past failures, but help is on the way and the future should be bright with correct adjustments made now.

[Stuhoo 93,688]

11 minutes ago, Aaron said:

Clearly you are not up on program and its 'Ciezki'. You are correct Moren was slow to adapt to NIL and her recruiting coach Linda Sayavongchanh was totally ineffective recruiting hence the talent fall off you are seeing IU is paying for at moment.

However, losing Garzon opened an eye up to Moren that she needed NIL and was not recruiting well. Moren brought in a new recruiting coach Colsten Thompson who recruited top players at Alabama and has already made his mark at IU. Already the two freshman this year in Maya Makalusky and Nevaeh Caffey are showing much more promise then any newcomers since Mackenzie Holmes (but still raw) and are the highest ranked recruits in program history. Next years class has two higher ranked recruits then this yr even and is no. 6 nationally.

It could well be rough this year due to past failures, but help is on the way and the future should be bright with correct adjustments made now.

Great post.

It is also currently really rough because we have only one effective big, and Zania is a really good one; tall, long, ultra-athletic, and with a great motor and attitude. 

Before she got hurt we were competitive with ranked tems; without her we will not be very competetive at all.

[TTT 1,581]

Though playing behind Betts and others in the front court I think Z had injury problems last year during her freshman year at UCLA as well…and now, currently this year.

[ronzo4IU 491]

41 minutes ago, Aaron said:

Clearly you are not up on program and its 'Ciezki'. You are correct Moren was slow to adapt to NIL and her recruiting coach Linda Sayavongchanh was totally ineffective recruiting hence the talent fall off you are seeing IU is paying for at moment.

However, losing Garzon opened an eye up to Moren that she needed NIL and was not recruiting well. Moren brought in a new recruiting coach Colsten Thompson who recruited top players at Alabama and has already made his mark at IU. Already the two freshman this year in Maya Makalusky and Nevaeh Caffey are showing much more promise then any newcomers since Mackenzie Holmes (but still raw) and are the highest ranked recruits in program history. Next years class has two higher ranked recruits then this yr even and is no. 6 nationally.

It could well be rough this year due to past failures, but help is on the way and the future should be bright with correct adjustments made now.

NIL or not, the program she was building should not at this juncture be one player injury away from being a bottom feeder in the Big. She has 3 back ups that are not close to ready to give meaningful minutes.  I understand all that about how she didn't use NIL to her advantage etc...etc...,  but that is all part of the job.  Help is on the way for now, but if we have a major bad losing season, those winds might blow elsewhere.   I hope not and sure wish we had CIEZKI for a few more years.

[HoosierHoopster 9,557]

Is Socka back from her injury or out for tomorrow? I thought her current injury was minor.

[Class of '66 Old Fart 96,202]

22 minutes ago, HoosierHoopster said:

Is Socka back from her injury or out for tomorrow? I thought her current injury was minor.

Early on Dec. 29, was mentioned as an "optimisitc" date but after that, I've see comments that suggest it's going to keep her out into January.  Haven't seen anything more specific than that.  Austin Render does a 30-min. preview show prior to each game but injuries are hardly ever discussed.  Doubtful he might mention any potential timetable for a return but you never know.  With a 7:00 tipoff Thursday, he'll go on the air at 6:30.

https://wbwb.com/djs

Edited Wednesday at 05:25 PM by Class of '66 Old Fart

[HoosierHoopster 9,557]

5 minutes ago, ronzo4IU said:

NIL or not, the program she was building should not at this juncture be one player injury away from being a bottom feeder in the Big. She has 3 back ups that are not close to ready to give meaningful minutes.  I understand all that about how she didn't use NIL to her advantage etc...etc...,  but that is all part of the job.  Help is on the way for now, but if we have a major bad losing season, those winds might blow elsewhere.   I hope not and sure wish we had CIEZKI for a few more years.

This team isn't a 'bottom feeder' in any sense and will be fine. Aaron already covered your comment about a severe lack in recruiting the right players. But what happened is that there was almost a complete roster turnover last year with publicly stated problems in the locker room -- that was on top of the prior recruiting by the assistant. Moren publicly recognized that the program needed to get bigger and more athletic to compete beyond what it's done so far, and with Colsten Thompson in the fold that's exactly what she/the program is doing right now. That's the point. The incoming frosh are outstanding top-tier recruits, and while Ciezki is a senior, Lenee is a R-Soph, Caffey's a frosh, Maya's a frosh, Socka's a soph, and Stotijn's a soph. That's a strong core with really talented incoming frosh and likely additions from the portal. The program is clearly headed in the right direction, including in recruiting.

[HoosierHoopster 9,557]

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

Early on Dec. 29, was mentioned as an "optimisitc" date but after that, I've see comments that suggest it's going to keep her out into January.  Haven't seen anything more specific than that.  Austin Render does a 30-min. preview show prior to each game but injuries are hardly ever discussed.  Doubtful he might mention any potential timetable for a return but you never know.  With a 7:00 tipoff tonight, he'll go on the air at 6:30.

https://wbwb.com/djs

Well that stinks. She's definitely key

[Class of '66 Old Fart 96,202]

NOTE:  I made another oopsie today implying the women play tonight.  WRONG.  They play Thursday night and that's when Austin Render's pre-game radio show will start at 6:30.  Whatever was playing havoc with our site appears to  have been passed on to me.

[ronzo4IU 491]

2 hours ago, HoosierHoopster said:

This team isn't a 'bottom feeder' in any sense and will be fine. Aaron already covered your comment about a severe lack in recruiting the right players. But what happened is that there was almost a complete roster turnover last year with publicly stated problems in the locker room -- that was on top of the prior recruiting by the assistant. Moren publicly recognized that the program needed to get bigger and more athletic to compete beyond what it's done so far, and with Colsten Thompson in the fold that's exactly what she/the program is doing right now. That's the point. The incoming frosh are outstanding top-tier recruits, and while Ciezki is a senior, Lenee is a R-Soph, Caffey's a frosh, Maya's a frosh, Socka's a soph, and Stotijn's a soph. That's a strong core with really talented incoming frosh and likely additions from the portal. The program is clearly headed in the right direction, including in recruiting.

Without Z I doubt we win many games in the Big.  For a program that was picking up steam and fan support there has been an unusual amount of mismanagement is my point.  I sure hope Z comes back healthy soon because we are a completely different team without her.

[Class of '66 Old Fart 96,202]

Game preview

https://iuhoosiers.com/news/2025/12/10/womens-basketball-five-game-homestand-starts-thursday-against-ulm

[TTT 1,581]

referring to Z injury though being monitored day to day T. Moren refers to her injury as week to week suggesting it’s going to be a while as it has already turning into a while.  Z is in a boot and she’s also using scooter or has used scooter to get around.  When her injury was first announced I thought I heard the date January 29, but then seeing others talking December 29 I assumed I misunderstood the possible return date.

[TTT 1,581]

ULM could be a tough game for IU Ladies…..especially if they don’t respond well.

[TheWatShot 16,112]

They scored 34 points against Sam Houston State. If this is a tough game, the next 3 months will suck. 

[HoosierHoopster 9,557]

4 hours ago, ronzo4IU said:

Without Z I doubt we win many games in the Big.  For a program that was picking up steam and fan support there has been an unusual amount of mismanagement is my point.  I sure hope Z comes back healthy soon because we are a completely different team without her.

Def agree we need her, she’s key

[mamasa 16,344]

I'd really like to see more team play tonight, with more sustained improvement. I don't feel like we've looked like an actual team very often this year. It's unlike me to not by super hyped for IU Women (even in the down years), but just having a hard time connecting with this group.