Indiana Hoosiers
Overall Rank: #27
Conference Rank: #4 Big Ten
Indiana has finished fourth in the Big Ten for two straight years. Last year though the Hoosiers had to settle for a trip to the WNIT, where they reached the quarterfinals. With the return of Tyra Buss and Amanda Cahill, Indiana has what it takes to get back to the NCAA Tournament. Buss, a 5-8 senior, led the team with 18.2 points per game and knocked down 60 three-pointers. Cahill will knock down plenty of three-pointers too. She connected on 39.3 percent of her attempts from beyond the arc and, at 6-2, is very difficult to defend.
2016-17 Record: 23-11, 10-6
2016-17 Postseason: WNIT
Coach: Teri Moren
Coach Record: 62-40 at Indiana, 261-170 overall
Key Departed Players (starters in bold)
Alexis Gassion, Guard, 12.4 ppg
Jenn Anderson, Center, 9.1 ppg
Karlee McBride, Guard, 6.8 ppg
Ria Gulley, Guard, 3.1 ppg
Key Returning Players (starters in bold)
Tyra Buss, Senior, Guard, 18.2 ppg
Amanda Cahill, Senior, Forward, 14.8 ppg
Kym Royster, Junior, Forward, 4.2 ppg
Bre Wickware, Sophomore, Forward, 1.2 ppg
Key New Players
Alexis Johnson, Freshman, Forward
Lindsey Marchese, Freshman, Center
Ali Patberg, Sophomore, Guard, Transfer, Notre Dame, not eligible
Jaelynn Penn, Freshman, Guard
Keyanna Warthen, Freshman, Guard
Brenna Wise, Junior, Forward, Transfer, Pitt, not eligible
Bendu Teaney, Freshman, Guard
Projection:
Buss and Cahill may be back, but the other three starters are gone. Kym Royster has some starting experience and sophomore Bre Wickware showed some potential last season, but Coach Teri Moren will have to rely heavily on her recruiting class to fill in the holes. It is a good class though. Expect big things from Jaelynn Penn from day one, while Bendu Yeaney, Keyanna Warthen and Linsey Marchese are also highly regarded newcomers who have the talent to compete in the Big Ten. While everybody finds their new roles, Buss and Cahill will have to lead the way.
Projected Postseason Tournament: NCAA
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 74.9 (25th in nation, 5th in conference)
Scoring Defense: 64.9 (190, 6)
Field-Goal Percentage: 44.8 (22, 5)
Field-Goal Defense: 42.0 (285, 13)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 6.4 (119, 7)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 33.9 (82, 6)
Free-Throw Percentage: 73.6 (67, 3)
Rebound Margin: 4.7 (58, 3)
Assists Per Game: 16.6 (17, 4)
Turnovers Per Game: 12.9 (26, 1)
Madness 2017 Women’s Basketball Recruit Rankings:
#45 Jaelynn Penn
#93 Bendu Yeaney
#96 Linsey Marchese
#116 Keyanna Warthen
