A look at the newest homegrown Hoosier.
Hailing from just up the road in Martinsville, Faith Wiseman brings a local flavor to Bloomington and the Indiana women’s basketball 2024 recruiting class.
Wiseman, a 6-foot-4 forward out of Indian Creek High School, dreamt of playing for the Hoosiers as a youngster and grew up attending games in Assembly Hall. She committed to Indiana head coach Teri Moren nearly two years ago and was the state’s No. 2 2024 recruit. ESPN ranks the 4-star, 93 overall forward No. 61 in the class nationally.
Wiseman was truly dominant during her time at ICHS. The 2024 Senior Supreme 15 All-Stater led the Braves to four consecutive sectional titles, totaling 1,456 points and 1,072 rebounds in red, white, and blue.
This past season, she averaged a double-double (18.2 points, 11.9 rebounds) plus 3.9 blocks, 4.8 assists, and 1.8 steals per game to wrap up one of the best careers in Johnson County history. High school opponents struggled to answer her length and athleticism.
Telling the 6-4 girl to post up makes too much sense, and Indian Creek did it often, but Wiseman is so much more than a traditional post.
Wiseman’s ball-handling skills are above average—borderline elite if you consider her size. She’s at her best when facing up defenders in the high post and finishes consistently from 6 -12 feet out. She can score with both her left and right hands and loves to drive baseline before rolling back for a pretty midrange floater.
That’s when the defense doesn’t rotate. When doubled Wiseman is great at reading the help defender and finding open teammates in the lane. Her height makes her entry passes dependable and she made a ton of them while playing the three for Indiana Elite on the AAU circuit.
Wiseman will shoot an open 3 if it’s there but is more comfortable playing either part in the pick-and-roll when settled on the perimeter.
Defensively she takes away skip lanes and hedges slashers into shots she can alter as the help defender. Wiseman is reliable on the boards and will lay out for a loose ball. Her defensive motor is up there with that of fellow in-stater Sydney Parrish.
Wiseman is seriously fun to watch and versatile enough to fit all three frontcourt positions. The knock on her is usually her frame but that’s what Indiana’s Strength and Conditioning program is for.
Besides, the modern game allows all types of players to find success. Just look at Cameron Brink, who Wiseman likened her game to on the SportsLifeTalk podcast.
Junior forward Lilly Meister looks ready to be the starting five but Wiseman is already the tallest player on the roster. Indiana’s seldom played two forwards at once over the last two seasons but a Meister-Wiseman combo as part of the Hoosiers’ four-out offense sounds enticing.
I’m not saying she’ll start or anything, as freshmen frontcourt players need real time to acclimate to the college game, but Wiseman was so great in high school… how steep will her learning curve be?