The Hoosiers welcome the No. 1 team in the country to Assembly Hall on Saturday.
Indiana welcomes the No. 1 team in the country to Assembly Hall on Saturday with a matchup against UCLA set to tip off at noon.
The Bruins have every bit earned that distinction as No. 1 thanks to a 77-62 win over Dawn Staley’s South Carolina earlier this season. This is a proven group with plenty of talent and experience.
The Hoosiers are going to have their hands full with this one. Here’s three things to watch:
Lauren Betts
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Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images
Indiana had long enjoyed a substantial scoring advantage in the post over most other teams with Mackenzie Holmes. The program is in a bit of a transition away from that and will have a matchup nightmare on its hands with Betts.
I’d note Indiana doesn’t really have a ton of talent you’d feel good about guarding Betts down low, but nobody does. At 6’7” she’s typically the tallest player on any court she sets foot on.
If that doesn’t tell you how much of a problem she is, her season averages of 19.3 points, 9.8 rebounds and 2.4 assists should. Lilly Meister and Karoline Striplin are going to have to be ready for that matchup.
Indiana may look to send a few timely doubles at Betts if possible, but UCLA has enough talent around her that it becomes a gamble to do so.
Three Point Shooting
Indiana’s greatest strength offensively is its shooting ability from beyond the arc. You’d feel good about all but one of the Hoosiers’ usual starters (Meister) taking shots from deep.
When Indiana had to contend with South Carolina’s size in last year’s Sweet Sixteen, Teri Moren leaned on a gameplan that heavily emphasized the Hoosiers’ shooting ability from deep and it helped the team nearly come back and threaten the Gamecocks in the closing minutes.
UCLA’s Cori Close is well aware of Indiana’s shooting and is preparing the Bruins to run the Hoosiers’ off the three point line. Any attempts in the paint are going to have to contend with Betts looming, so Indiana has to find a way to shoot.
The Hoosiers will need big games from Yarden Garzon and Shay Ciezki in order to have a shot in this one. Help from Chloe Moore-McNeil, Sydney Parrish or even Henna Sandvik off the bench would go a long way.
A chance at another statement
Indiana got off to a rough start to the season with losses to Harvard and Butler, but Teri Moren and co were able to right the ship with a win over Stanford and an overall impressive showing in the Battle 4 Atlantis.
You shouldn’t count out a Moren coached Indiana team, ever. Last year’s game against South Carolina and the response to a rough start should say enough of that.
UCLA is another world of talent and challenge. The odds are absolutely stacked against the Hoosiers in this one, but pulling off the home upset would send a massive message to the college hoops world.