Calls For Firing Staff Are Crazy For IU, But An Upgrade In Interior Size And Athleticism To Compete In This League Are A Must Regardless Of Cost

Hoosiers Season Likely Ends With Big Ten Tourney Loss To Ohio State

Gainbridge Fieldhouse In Indianapolis Where The Indiana Women Took On Ohio State In The Big Ten Tourney On Thursday

INDIANAPOLIS —While my role at The Assembly Call is to cover the IU women’s basketball team, the themes of this column could easily apply to both sides of Branch McCracken Court. The program's direction and the necessary fixes are nearly identical for both the men and women, but I will focus on the women’s side—that is my beat.

After years of competing at the highest level, Coach Teri Moren’s squad took a serious step back this season. However, Moren deserves immense credit for keeping the locker room together after a devastating 0-10 start to conference play.

Indiana eventually took advantage of the league’s lower tier, winning six of its final eight games and picking up a win in the Big Ten Tournament. The fact that IU “brought it” every night—despite knowing a seventh straight NCAA Tournament bid was out of reach—speaks volumes about the culture and DNA Moren has established. That identity didn’t vanish during the rough patches of 2025-26, which is a massive silver lining.

However, the harsh reality is that this roster lacks high-end talent. Outside of senior Shay Ciezki’s phenomenal season, Indiana simply didn’t have the horses to compete consistently in an unforgiving Big Ten. This deficiency must be corrected as the program heads into 2026-27.

Ciezki said she was proud of the turnaround but understands the standard is higher for future squads.

“The adversity hit us, and all we did was just put our head down and work even harder than the start of the season,” she said. “Obviously you’ve seen that through our wins. In four years, you’re going to face a lot of adversity, more than you’d think, and it’s how you respond to that is what really matters.”

Let’s be clear: the reactionary corners of the fan base calling for a coaching change should consign that thought to the nearest waste bin. Moren built this program from scratch, taking it to heights no rational fan once thought possible. This staff has earned the right to walk away on its own terms. While expectations have rightly risen, one bad season, especially amidst a rebuild following heavy transfer portal losses, is no reason to “throw the baby out with the bathwater.”

There is a light at the end of the tunnel. While Ciezki departs, the promise shown by freshmen Maya Makalusky and Nevaeh Caffey are the highest we’ve seen since Yarden Garzon arrived four years ago. Makalusky offers elite scoring gravity, while Caffey provides the point-of-attack athleticism and rim pressure the team has lacked. Along with Lenee Beaumont, they form a future-proof core.

Help is also on the way via the nation’s sixth-ranked recruiting class, featuring two prospects ranked even higher than Makalusky and Caffey were coming out of high school. New recruiting coordinator Colsten Thompson has made an immediate impact, landed top prospects and filled the board with elite names. This resurgence follows a period where recruiting momentum stalled, even while the Hoosiers were winning at a high level.

This shift in profile must continue. Caffey is certainly more athletic than previous guards in her position, and incoming recruit Gigi Battle fits this same mold perfectly. Battle brings the kind of physical, downhill presence that Thompson and Moren are clearly prioritizing to bridge the talent gap in the new Big Ten. More of these types of prospects are a must to get back near the top of the league.”

But first, Indiana must find size and athleticism on the interior. This year’s “swings” in the portal were largely misses, except for UCLA transfer Zania Socka-Ngeuman, who was sidelined by injury much of the season. A healthy, Big Ten-caliber starting center is the “skeleton key” that makes Moren’s system click. Edessa Noyan played her heart out this season, but she is ideally an elite backup rather than a primary post defender.

Moren spoke like someone who understood the need to improve the roster and reiterated how much they like the newcomers for 2026-2027.

“Moving forward we’re super excited about the freshman class that we have coming in here to Bloomington next year,” Moren said “I think they will provide some depth. We’re going to have to do some work here in the spring, I think in the portal as well. There’s no doubt that you can’t play in a league like the Big and you can’t play in a tournament like this or the NCAA Tournament without it.”

Friday’s 83-59 loss to Ohio State that likely ended the season was a microcosm of these issues. The Buckeyes used an elite press to showcase their superior athleticism, bothering Indiana into turnovers. When the Hoosiers did break the pressure for an open look, they simply didn’t have the tired legs to knock them down.

Lack of athleticism and inconsistent shooting have haunted IU all season. If fans remain patient and let Moren and Thompson reload, they will be rewarded. While an 18-14 (6-12 B1G) record was the norm before Moren arrived, her track record suggests this season will be an anomaly, not the new standard.

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