It is smart why Lilly Meister may really feel stress this season.
Indiana ladies’s basketball’s junior ahead will likely be tasked with filling the sneakers of Mackenzie Holmes, a former first group All-American and this system’s all-time main scorer. Meister embraced the position as Holmes’ understudy the final two years, but it surely’s clear she’s striving to carve her personal path.
“I need all people to understand it’s Lilly Meister,” Chloe Moore-McNeil stated Wednesday at Indiana’s media day at Cook dinner Corridor. “It’s not ‘Little Mack’, ‘Child Mack’. Lilly, she has her personal recreation.”
After logging 6.5 minutes per recreation as a freshman, Meister averaged 10.5 final season. Regardless of the uptick in her minutes, the offense remained centered round Holmes’ inside capability. That’s not the case anymore.
Whereas Meister has tried simply two 3-pointers in her collegiate profession, she’ll be requested to area the ground and step out past the arc rather more this season. Teri Moren plans to implement rules from Princeton’s five-out offense and emphasize off-ball motion.
For Meister, that’s music to her ears.
“I believe that reinforces my confidence somewhat bit as a result of that’s extra of my recreation,” Meister stated. “I grew up taking part in extra of a 5 out and that simply suits me. It’s who I’m.”
That mentality will likely be key. Moore-McNeil — getting into her fifth season at Indiana — stated it’s straightforward to see Meister’s “fireplace” when she faucets into her confidence. It helps, too, that there will likely be no scarcity of surrounding shooters.
Indiana introduced in junior Shay Ciezki from Penn State to recoup a few of Sara Scalia’s manufacturing taking pictures. Moore-McNeil, Sydney Parrish and Yarden Garzon have confirmed adept from past the arc. In apply, Meister’s teammates are seeing why she may add a brand new dimension to the Hoosiers’ offense.
“Lilly didn’t get an excessive amount of taking part in time behind Mackenzie the final two years,” Parrish stated. “However coming into her new position this yr, you see her stepping out to the 3-point line pulling down shot after shot after shot.”
Whereas Meister’s taking part in time was restricted, her apply reps have been very important. Studying from Holmes, Meister improved each on offense together with her again to the basket and on protection guarding the rim.
It helped her opponent was a Wood Award finalist and pressure on each ends of the ground.
“Defensively, she obtained higher having to try this day in and time out,” Moren stated. “However on the opposite aspect of that, she was additionally going towards Mack offensively, so she needed to study to attain in numerous methods.”
Former gamers making an affect on workers
Moore-McNeil admitted it was bizarre to see Holmes and not using a jersey at apply.
After concluding an illustrious taking part in profession, Holmes was employed as a graduate supervisor on the Hoosiers’ workers in July. However Holmes gained’t be the one acquainted face on the sidelines this season.
Keyanna Warthen performed 116 video games at Indiana and was a member of the 2021 Elite Eight squad. After spending final yr as an assistant coach underneath former IU affiliate head coach Glenn Field at Miami (OH), Warthen was introduced again to Bloomington.
Moren stated it’s invaluable to have staffers who can attest higher than most to this system’s tradition and expectations.
“That goes a great distance, particularly with the dad and mom,” Moren stated. “When you’ve gotten former gamers that need to come again they usually need to be part of this place — need to be part of your program — I believe that speaks volumes to what we’ve been in a position to do.”
The workers makeover included the promotion of Ali Patberg, who will function a full-time assistant coach this season. Patberg earned 4 All-Massive Ten picks as a participant and was drafted by the Indiana Fever in 2022.
Her affect is clear in practices. Sophomore Lenee Beaumont stated Patberg understands the “ups and downs of a season” and always gives reassurance and instills confidence.
Together with the event aspect, Patberg is already offering recruiting wins. When Ciezki entered the switch portal, she had a telephone name with Patberg that marked the start of a tight-knit bond. The 2 mentioned religion and Patberg’s expertise transferring to Indiana from Notre Dame and Ciezki was offered.
“We have been sort of simply joined on the hip since then,” Ciezki stated. “AP is somebody that I didn’t essentially suppose I wanted in my life till I met her. She confirmed me that there’s a love of the sport.”
‘Seamless’ transition for newcomers
Ciezki and Tennessee senior switch Karoline Striplin rapidly turned shut, which helped as a result of they have been the group’s solely two transfers.
The primary day Striplin was on campus, the 2 had dinner at Da Vinci Pizza & Pasta. Sophomore Lexus Bargesser stated the group hangs out often off the court docket and has already developed robust chemistry.
Moren known as the transition “seamless.” For Ciezki and Striplin, it helped too that they walked in with an understanding of Indiana’s mindset. Ciezski — who Moren calls a “bulldog” — was struck by the quantity of gamers coaching on an early Saturday morning when she initially visited.
“It’s Saturday morning,” Ciezki stated. “From that time I used to be like ‘OK they work right here.’ These persons are within the gymnasium always, and I adore it.”
All through the recruiting course of, Ciezki’s golden phrase was “like-minded.” She wished a group that performs relentless protection. She wished a group that might be part of her within the gymnasium to place up additional photographs or run.
At Indiana, Moren preaches simply that.
“Being within the gymnasium, doing greater than what’s required right here isn’t simply an expectation,” Moren stated. “It’s grow to be a way of life for our gamers.”
As for Striplin, who averaged a career-best 7.2 factors and three.1 rebounds final season, that work ethic was established at Tennessee. She backed up No. 4 WNBA draft decide Rickea Jackson and understands the usual a powerhouse program requires.
Striplin suits proper in on a group the place toughness and grit are conditions.
“Particularly being a publish, I believe you’ve gotten to have the ability to take a variety of hits with out essentially getting the entire glory,” Striplin stated. “That’s one thing I’m happy with. I really feel like that’s sort of the tradition coach Moren has constructed right here.”
(Picture credit score: IU Athletics)
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