Indiana ladies’s basketball cruised to a 2-0 begin this season, however its subsequent contest received’t be determined so simply. The Hoosiers will go on the highway for the primary time this season, taking over the No. 11 College of Tennessee.
“It’s every little thing we want proper now,” Indiana head coach Teri Moren stated Sunday. “An early check in a ruckus atmosphere that they’ll present.”
The Woman Volunteers dropped six spots within the AP ballot after falling on the highway to now-No. 8 Ohio State of their season-opener. Nevertheless, Tennessee’s early loss not at all diminishes the expertise and formidability of Indiana’s foe.
The Woman Vols convey again 4 starters from a 25-9 staff which reached the Candy Sixteen final season. Together with the returners, Tennessee added a number of key items through the switch portal, most notably senior ahead Rickea Jackson.
Tennessee was picked to complete second within the Southeastern Convention, behind defending champions and present No. 1-ranked College of South Carolina. Jackson and senior guard Jordan Horston and senior middle Tamari Keys have been chosen to the preseason All-SEC staff.
Moren stated rebounding is Indiana’s main focus heading into the sport. Headlined by the six-foot-six Keys, the Woman Volunteers have loads of dimension and guards who aren’t afraid to crash the boards.
“Protecting them off the boards is gonna be our primary key,” Moren stated. “Not permitting them to get putbacks or run-outs is the important thing for us defensively.”
Indiana has dominated the glass by its first two video games, outrebounding its opponents by 10 on common. Moren stated the rebounding battle will come all the way down to coronary heart and dedication moderately than talent and boxing out.
Tennessee’s rowdy atmosphere together with its expertise and status will definitely check Indiana. Nevertheless, Moren isn’t involved concerning the Hoosiers not being as much as the duty.
“It is a mature group,” Moren stated. “All people is aware of the historical past and custom they’ve had and nonetheless do. They already know that it’s going to be an amazing problem.”
Moren particularly famous the maturity of freshman ahead Yarden Garzon, who has impressed on the court docket to start out her collegiate profession. Garzon has averaged 11.5 factors and 5 rebounds per recreation up to now and is anticipated to be pivotal if Indiana is to flee Knoxville with a win.
“Yarden is a particular expertise,” Moren stated. “She wants the true recreation expertise in an effort to develop, as a result of we want her to develop up shortly.”
In response to Moren, the beginning lineup is to stay the identical because it has been. Moreover, she’s been impressed with the bench unit, an space Indiana has struggled with in recent times.
The sport might be a conflict of two elite packages and with that comes a star-studded court docket. Between Tennessee’s trio and Indiana’s stars – who embrace graduate guard Grace Berger, senior guard Sara Scalia and junior ahead Mackenzie Holmes – every staff has gamers who will vie for nationwide awards this season and put their abilities on full show Monday night time.
Tennessee leads the all-time collection 2-0. The 2 groups final met in 2020, when the Woman Volunteers beat the Hoosiers 66-58 in Bloomington.
Tip-off in Knoxville is scheduled for six p.m. Monday at Thompson-Boling Enviornment. The sport might be aired on ESPN2.
Comply with reporters Will Foley (@foles24) and Matt Sebree (@mattsebree) and columnist Matt Press (@MatthewPress23) for updates all through the Indiana ladies’s basketball season.
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