Indiana Hoosiers
Overall Rank: #23
Conference Rank: #3 Big Ten
Indiana returns all five starters and seven key contributors to a team that reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament last year. Tyra Buss will again lead the way after averaging 18.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 2.1 steals. The 5-8 guard attacks the basket as well as anybody in the country. She went to the free-throw line 263 times and made 77.2 percent of her attempts. That means nearly one-third of her scoring comes from the charity stripe and that is very impressive for a player who averages 18.8 points per game.
2015-16 Record: 21-12, 12-6
2015-16 Postseason: NCAA
Coach: Teri Moren
Coach Record: 36-28 at Indiana, 235-158 overall
Key Departed Players (starters in bold)
Jess Walter, Guard, 2.8 ppg
Lyndsay Leikem, Forward, 1.9 ppg
Key Returning Players (starters in bold)
Tyra Buss, Junior, Guard, 18.8 ppg
Amanda Cahill, Junior, Forward, 14.7 ppg
Alexis Gassion, Senior, Guard, 11.3 ppg
Jenn Anderson, Senior, Center, 7.8 ppg
Karlee McBride, Senior, Guard, 7.7 ppg
Kym Royster, Sophomore, Forward, 4.5 ppg
Tyshee Towner, Senior, Guard, 2.1 ppg
Laken Wairau, Sophomore, Guard, 0.5 ppg
Danielle Williams, Sophomore, Center, 1.0 ppg
Key New Players
Amber Deane, Senior, Guard, Graduate Transfer from Dayton
Tia Elbert, Sophomore, Guard, Transfer from Marquette
Darby Foresman, Freshman, Forward
Ria Gulley, Freshman, Guard
Bre Wickware, Freshman, Forward
Projection
Buss is a capable three-point shooter, but Amanda Cahill and Karlee McBride were more consistent from beyond the arc last season. Cahill, a 6-2 forward, connected on 40.8 percent of her three-point attempts and can shoot over most opposing defenders. She was second to only Buss with 14.7 points per game. Alexis Gassion is a very good secondary ball handler and a dangerous scorer attacking the basket. Center Jenn Anderson rounds out the returning starters. The 6-3 senior is not the flashiest center, but she does a lot of the hard work in the paint. With sophomore Kym Royster showing a lot of potential as a freshman and incoming freshman Darby Foresman joining the fray, the Hoosiers have plenty of quality depth in the frontcourt. They also have the talent on the perimeter to make a serious NCAA Tournament run.
Projected Postseason Tournament: NCAA
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 71.5 (52nd in nation, 9th in conference)
Scoring Defense: 68.0 (259, 5)
Field-Goal Percentage: 43.2 (44, 8)
Field-Goal Defense: 41.8 (278, 8)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 5.3 (184, 11)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 32.2 (117, 11)
Free-Throw Percentage: 72.8 (74, 9)
Rebound Margin: 0.4 (156, 8)
Assists Per Game: 14.2 (93, 10)
Turnovers Per Game: 14.5 (73, 7)
Madness 2016 Women’s Basketball Recruit Rankings:
#81 Darby Foresman
