Great perspective. I don’t follow recruiting for the ladies but am wondering why we don’t have recruits on the team or signed as replacements v having to hope for portal help.
To be clear they do have recruits signed for the future who could really help. They will just take time to develop similar to Chloe Moore-McNeil currently and Beaumont and LaMendola who were top-80 freshman this year.
For 2024, Faith Wiseman is a big who is in the top-60 and only a few spots below Holmes herself in the rankings.
In 2025, Maya Makalusky is in the top-50 and a wing similar Parrish who is from Indiana as is Wiseman. Navaeh Caffey is also in that 25 class from Missouri. While she does not have a ranking yet she is the athletic guard many have asked for.
Why does the team not have the cream of the crop committed? For the same reason Matt Painter and Greg Gard never do. Moren like them, runs a system that focuses more on defense and fundamentals with the sum greater than the parts. You can often have a Zach Edey, Frank Kaminsky, or Mackenzie Holmes who way outlive their ranking and that is the years they become true championship contenders.
Just like Painter and Gard, I would not expect much to change with solid but not elite recruits who fit system and develop while mixing in a few elite transfers. That is why I said if you are looking for a yearly national contender you are in the wrong place. However, a yearly postseason team where things come together every few years to make a run at a title potentially is very much within the realm of possibility.
The Wisconsin system was originally started by Dick Bennet and he invented to help his teams compete against better talent than he could get while at Wisconsin Green Bay. Purdue likewise is not going to compete for 5 stars so he created biggie tackle ball. I think we are resourcing ladies basketball to be more than a Wisconsin men’s equivalent but perhaps not.
Under the current way Moren does things it is fairly equivalent to Painter’s with tough defense and a big surrounded by four shooters but none are 5* kids. Unless she changes how she does things I would expect similar going forward.
Great article, Ari. I always enjoy your big-picture perspective. My only quibble is the age of the super team is over. There are too many good players and good teams for any one team to dominate like Tennessee first and then UConn used to.
So proud of Coach Moren and all of the Women on our Indiana basketball team. Congratulations on a great year! Thank you for all the joy you brought to the Hoosier Nation this season!
Easy portal replacement for Sara - Amber Scalia at St Thomas. Her sister can shoot the lights out!!!!
Great perspective. I don’t follow recruiting for the ladies but am wondering why we don’t have recruits on the team or signed as replacements v having to hope for portal help.
To be clear they do have recruits signed for the future who could really help. They will just take time to develop similar to Chloe Moore-McNeil currently and Beaumont and LaMendola who were top-80 freshman this year.
For 2024, Faith Wiseman is a big who is in the top-60 and only a few spots below Holmes herself in the rankings.
In 2025, Maya Makalusky is in the top-50 and a wing similar Parrish who is from Indiana as is Wiseman. Navaeh Caffey is also in that 25 class from Missouri. While she does not have a ranking yet she is the athletic guard many have asked for.
Why does the team not have the cream of the crop committed? For the same reason Matt Painter and Greg Gard never do. Moren like them, runs a system that focuses more on defense and fundamentals with the sum greater than the parts. You can often have a Zach Edey, Frank Kaminsky, or Mackenzie Holmes who way outlive their ranking and that is the years they become true championship contenders.
Just like Painter and Gard, I would not expect much to change with solid but not elite recruits who fit system and develop while mixing in a few elite transfers. That is why I said if you are looking for a yearly national contender you are in the wrong place. However, a yearly postseason team where things come together every few years to make a run at a title potentially is very much within the realm of possibility.
Interesting take. I wonder if Coach sees herself that way.
Not sure!
The Wisconsin system was originally started by Dick Bennet and he invented to help his teams compete against better talent than he could get while at Wisconsin Green Bay. Purdue likewise is not going to compete for 5 stars so he created biggie tackle ball. I think we are resourcing ladies basketball to be more than a Wisconsin men’s equivalent but perhaps not.
Under the current way Moren does things it is fairly equivalent to Painter’s with tough defense and a big surrounded by four shooters but none are 5* kids. Unless she changes how she does things I would expect similar going forward.
Great article, Ari. I always enjoy your big-picture perspective. My only quibble is the age of the super team is over. There are too many good players and good teams for any one team to dominate like Tennessee first and then UConn used to.
So proud of Coach Moren and all of the Women on our Indiana basketball team. Congratulations on a great year! Thank you for all the joy you brought to the Hoosier Nation this season!