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The Indiana women's basketball program is presented with another huge program-changing opportunity on Monday night as it travels to Knoxville to face the No. 4 Tennessee Lady Volunteers.
For the Hoosiers, coming off of back-to-back Sweet 16 appearances and a preseason No. 11 ranking, there is no longer the desire to try to compete against the top teams in the country. They are there. Now, it's about winning some of these games and being able to finish in late-game situations.
"We certainly have changed the way that people on the outside have always looked at this program," IU head coach Teri Moren said at Indiana media day this fall. "That's what's most exciting, that there's a buzz about Indiana women's basketball."
From Tennessee to UConn, who Indiana lost to in the NCAA Tournament a year ago, two of the last four games for Indiana will have been against two of the most historic programs in women's college basketball history.
Playing in these big games year after year and now almost game after game, Moren knows that the message may be about IU 'coming up short', but she also knows that her team is ready for these moments.
"To be able to get to back to back Sweet 16s, this is something that these guys are going to have forever," Moren said following the UConn loss last year. "You can talk about the games and perhaps coming up short... our goals will be high once again for our program, and the standards will stay what they are."
While Indiana doesn't have the exact same roster from last year -- and even the year prior -- there are still some of the same key players wearing Indiana across their chest. That big-game experience will look to carry the Hoosiers into a difficult road environment on Monday.
Indiana also added notable players from other power-five programs this offseason. Sara Scalia transfer to Indiana from Minnesota and adds a scoring punch to the backcourt. An All-Big Ten Second Team selection last year, Scalia is averaging 13.0 points (second on the team) and shooting 46.2 percent (6-of-13) from three, leading the team with a six made 3s. Sydney Parrish, a transfer from Oregon, is also adding a scoring punch off of the bench, averaging 8.5 points per game.
Returning for Indiana from the main core are forward Mackenzie Holmes and guard Grace Berger, both All-American honorable mentions a year ago.
A freshman that looks to be a key player immediately is 6-foot-3 forward Yarden Garzon. She had 19 points in her debut, going 5-of-8 from three. While she is just beginning her college career, she comes from Israel where she has been part of the Israeli National Team.
“She’s a crazy competitor," Moren said after her 19-point debut. "Let’s remember she’s been playing with pros. At times I think she can play one through five if you need her to. She just makes plays that I don’t know that I’ve seen a freshman make in some time.”
For Tennessee, it heads into this matchup as one of the more experienced teams in the country, starting four seniors and one grad student. The Volunteers split the two games in their opening week, falling to No. 15 Ohio State.
They have two of the best players in the country with projected top-6 draft picks in Rickea Jackson (16.5 pts, 8.5 reb), a 6-foot-2 forward, and Jordan Horston (12.5 pts, 8.0 reb), a 6-foot-2 wing. Adding to that is transfer from Minnesota and All-Big Ten Second Team point guard last year Jasmine Powell (11.5 pts).
Win or lose, Teri Moren knows this will be a great measuring stick early in the season. With other notable non-conference matchups and the Big Ten slate still ahead, this is a game that could set the groundworks for the season.
“It’s a great challenge for us, an early great challenge for us. I think it’ll give us sort of a barometer to some of the things we’ve put in," Moren said on Sunday. "... It’s everything that I think we need right now. An early, early test in a raucous environment like they’re gonna provide for us.”
Tip is set for 6 pm ET on ESPN2.
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