Indiana Women’s Basketball Notebook: Big Ten Tournament awaits as Hoosiers eye ‘new season, another opportunity’

The Indiana women’s basketball program is getting prepared for postseason play — but not without some question marks and hurdles in its way.

Whether it’s injuries or other roadblocks, Indiana’s path to a Big Ten Championship will be difficult. At the same time, it’s a veteran group that has been in these types of situations.

On Wednesday, Indiana women’s basketball head coach Teri Moren spoke with reporters ahead of their opening game on Friday night — with an opponent yet to be determined.

Here are some of the key storylines and takeaways from Teri Moren.

Mackenzie Holmes, Lilly Meister still ‘day-to-day’

When Indiana takes the court on Friday night, it may be shorthanded. All-American forward Mackenzie Holmes and reserve forward Lilly Meister are both dealing with injuries they suffered in the season-finale last weekend.

Moren, who said she was ‘optimistic’ on Monday, said on Wednesday that both players are still going through the rehab process.

“Still don’t know if they will be available Friday night. They’re day-to-day right now. They’re in rehab,” Moren said over Zoom on Wednesday. “Lilly had quite a sprained ankle, so we’re just trying to tend to that. And then Mackenzie is just rehabbing her knee, per usual. So, we’re still day-to-day. Neither one of them were in practice yesterday (Tuesday). Neither one of them will be in practice today (Wednesday).”

For Holmes — this isn’t new. It’s the same injury she’s been dealing with for much of the past two years.

“It’s what she’s done in the past. She has a kneecap that wants to shift in and out,” Moren added. “So that’s basically what it is again.”

If Indiana wins on Friday, it will likely play Iowa on Saturday in the Semifinals.

With the potential to play three games in three days, rest will be key — especially ahead of the NCAA Tournament looming next week — Moren mentioned the absolute need for some minute management if either of Holmes or Meister are able to play this week.

Lineup shifts to ‘small ball’ Yarden Garzon at the 5

It’s happened before and it’ll happen again if Mackenzie Holmes and / or Lilly Meister can’t go this week — Yarden Garzon at the five.

Garzon typically plays out on the wing but at 6-foot-3, she has the size and length to play more of a ‘5’ role. Albeit a much different skillset than that of Meister and certainly than that of Holmes, her IQ and versatility would bring a different look to the Indiana offense.

“Yep, just like we did the other night, going down the stretch with Maryland,” Moren said about using Garzon at the 5. “That’s the great thing about Yarden. She’s super smart, you can move her in a lot of different spots for us. But yeah, we would as you call it ‘small ball’, but Yarden’s not small. She can easily play a five. So some of yesterday (in practice) was directed right at that, with Yarden playing at the five spot.”

Garzon is averaging 11.7 points and 4.2 rebounds per game. But the versatility as a passer, with 3.1 assists per game, and a shooter, at 45.5 percent from three, would open up an already efficient offense to even more of an outside-in look.

“She’s super smart,” Moren said. “She had to do this a little last year when Mack (Holmes) went out, and so this isn’t new to Yarden. And as I’ve mentioned and I’ll continue to say it, it’s kind of fun to have a player like Yarden that you can move around because of her IQ, because of her size, because of her passing ability. She’s going to — she has the potential to create matchup problems for other fives who have to guard her. We think it’s — I hope we don’t have to go to it, but if we do, our staff feels pretty good about what she can be at that position for us.”

Additional goal for Big Ten Tournament — “I’m trying to protect home court advantage for us”

Indiana enters the Big Ten Tournament as the three seed and ranked No. 12 in the final AP Poll. Why is that important? The top 16 seeds in the NCAA Tournament play host to its first two games of the tournament.

While Indiana is eyeing a Big Ten title, it’s also about ensuring it secures a top-16 spot.

“It’s about trying to protect a home court advantage for us. We want to host,” Moren said. “That’s what — that’s the only thing on our mind. Doing our job. I don’t know what ramifications will happen, with whatever the Big Ten Tournament is, lose or win. We win, obviously that’s pretty easy. We just want to host. Our record speaks for itself and what we’ve done speaks for itself and I just think we’re in a really good position.”

Not only did Indiana women’s basketball go undefeated this season at home, it went 17-1 last year. So, a 32-1 record over the last 33 games shows just what a home court advantage looks like.

“It’s so important,” Moren added. “The comfort level we feel being in our own beds, our own environment. I love the fact that the’ll be in class, there will be a routine in their daily schedules. I like that part of it. But certainly our fanbase and how they’ve shown up this year for us. The energy that’s in the building, all of it is positive. We want to be able to host for our fans. It’s important — as they are important to us, we want to give them the opportunity to confine to support our program.”

“I still have a lot of confidence in this group”

There’s a lot at stake for this team and regardless of the injuries, Teri Moren has made it clear; there’s no change in expectations.

“I really like and have a lot of confidence in the pieces that we have, regardless if Mack (Holmes) can’t go or Lilly,” Moren said. “I still have a lot of confidence in this group, and I think that they have confidence in each other.”

Led by a core group of Sara Scalia, Chloe Moore-McNeil, Sydney Parrish and Yarden Garzon, Indiana women’s basketball still has a lot of firepower and potential.

While the main goal is getting — and staying — healthy in advance of the NCAA Tournament, this week is still another change ‘to win a championship’. And that’s been one of the key messages to the group.

“I’ve tried to — this is a new season, another opportunity we have in front of us to win a championship,” Moren said. “Regardless of the injuries, right now that we’re facing, we still have enough to get the job done … they’ve been laser focused. What’s unsettling for this group is they don’t’ know who they are going to play. They are creatures of habit. We like to know exactly who we are prepping for. That was the biggest conversation, most important conversation we had to have yesterday.”

SEE ALSO: Four Indiana women’s basketball players earn All-Big Ten honors, headlined by two First-Team selections

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