Other B1G Team Notes 2023-24

[GopherGal_]

Ashley Owusu to… Penn State

Penn State lands former All-Big Ten guard Owusu

Ashley Owusu, who spent three seasons at Maryland one at Virginia Tech, has transferred to Penn State, the school announced Thursday.

www.espn.com

 

[Ignatius L Hoops]

Ashley Owusu to… Penn State

Penn State lands former All-Big Ten guard Owusu

Ashley Owusu, who spent three seasons at Maryland one at Virginia Tech, has transferred to Penn State, the school announced Thursday.

www.espn.com

Cool. Welcome back

 

[GringaGopher]

They need her offense if she can regain her previous form. 3rd time a charm ?

 

[Ignatius L Hoops]

Teri Moren agrees to contract extension through the 2028-29 season

Indiana announced Friday that women's basketball coach Teri Moren has agreed to a contract extension that will keep her in Bloomington through the 2028-29 season.

www.insidethehall.com

Teri Moren contract extension

Indiana announced Friday that women’s basketball coach Teri Moren has agreed to a contract extension that will keep her in Bloomington through the 2028-29 season.

Here are the details, via a release from IU media relations:

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana University and IU head women’s basketball coach Teri Moren have agreed to an extended contract that will make her among the highest paid women’s basketball coaches in the country.
Moren’s deal features an average annual compensation of more than $1.3 million, which ranks second in the Big Ten and among the top coaches nationally. The contract has also been extended by two years thru the 2028-29 season and includes more significant performance bonuses that can enhance the deal, including the following:
• Big Ten regular and postseason championships;
• Top three Big Ten regular season finishes;
• NCAA Tournament participation and victories; and
• Conference and/or national coach of the year accolades.

 

[Ignatius L Hoops]

Pina Joins Northwestern as Graduate Transfer - Northwestern Athletics

Northwestern women's basketball will welcome graduate transfer Maggie Pina to their roster for the 2023-24 season, Head Coach Joe McKeown announced Frida...

nusports.com

Northwestern adds Boston University grad transfer Maggie Pina:

EVANSTON, Ill. – Northwestern women's basketball will welcome graduate transfer Maggie Pina to their roster for the 2023-24 season, Head Coach Joe McKeown announced Friday. Pina, a 5'7" guard and the 2020 Patriot League Rookie of the Year, joins the Wildcats after four years at Boston University.

"We're excited about Maggie being a part of Northwestern," McKeown said, "She is an outstanding student athlete and fits our goals both on and off the court. She brings a level of experience that will positively impact our program. Her ability to shoot the ball and score the basketball is one of her strengths and will certainly help in the rugged Big Ten conference schedule. Love her toughness and attitude and her energy. We are thrilled to welcome her to the Wildcat family."



In her four years at BU, Pina played in 109 games and started 94, including all 33 contests during the Terriers' 2022-23 season. She averaged nearly 30 minutes per game last year for Head Coach Melissa Graves and set single-season career highs in steals (40), assists (60) and rebounds (79). After contributing 9.4 points per game on 44.1 percent shooting during her senior campaign, Pina will enter the upcoming season with 939 career points.

The grad student will bring dynamic athleticism and sharp three-point shooting to the roster. Pina hit 29 or more three-pointers each of her four seasons in Boston, including a team-best 51 last year. All that added up to 186 made threes in her BU career - good for third in program history.

The dominance from deep began for Pina in her first year in Boston, when she hit 70 treys en route to Rookie of the Year selection. The three-pointers contributed to 17 games in double-digit scoring for Pina that season, including four 20+ point performances. Her debut season also included five Rookie of the Week selections, an All-Rookie Team nod and Third Team All-Conference honors.

In addition to her on-court performance, Pina excelled on the field and in the classroom at BU. She spent her final season in Boston as a dual-sport athlete after joining the field hockey team in spring of 2022 as a midfielder/back. While competing in both sports, Pina was named to the Academic All-Patriot League Team and the NACDA Division I-AAA ADA Scholar-Athlete Team.

Pina will join three incoming first years as the fourth addition to the Wildcats' 2023-24 roster

 

[SHGopher]

Program news from pro basketball, AKA Big Ten Maryland.

 

[Ignatius L Hoops]

Starting five, key contributors for Illinois women's basketball

Jun. 8—The full schedule isn't known yet. But the roster is. Shauna Green will enter her second season in charge of the Illini with heightened expectations. That's what happens after a 22-10 record and the program's first trip to the NCAA tournament in two decades. Even with the season not...

news.yahoo.com

An Illini roster review

Jun. 8—The full schedule isn't known yet. But the roster is. Shauna Green will enter her second season in charge of the Illini with heightened expectations. That's what happens after a 22-10 record and the program's first trip to the NCAA tournament in two decades. Even with the season not tipping off until early November, beat writer Joe Vozzelli Jr. breaks down Illinois' 14-player roster amid renewed interest in the program:

The starting five ...

Makira Cook
The 5-foot-6 guard will have some serious competition just to join the conversation for Big Ten Player of the Year honors (see: Iowa guard Caitlin Clark and Indiana forward Mackenzie Holmes), but don't be surprised if the Cincinnati native is at least in the mix by season's end. Cook is the clear catalyst to how far the Illini will go this coming winter after putting up 18.3 points, 4.2 assists and 3.4 rebounds as a junior with a shooting slash of .414/.342/.866.

Genesis Bryant


Illinois was a different team — in a good way — when the 5-6 guard was moved from a bench role to the starting five last December. Her triple-double of 22 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists in a blowout win against Florida Atlantic saw the Jonesboro, Ga., native's junior season in C-U really take off. Bryant also played a big role in convincing center Camille Hobby to transfer from North Carolina State to Illinois this offseason as a former Wolfpack guard herself.

Adalia McKenzie

Nobody on the Illini might have bigger upside this coming season than the 5-10 wing from Brooklyn Park, Minn. McKenzie tapping into her full potential will come down to two aspects: Developing a more consistent jump shot — especially from beyond the three-point arc — and taking another leap as a defender, particularly against other wing players. Still, McKenzie's ability to get downhill and beat opponents to the hoop with a quick first step is her best attribute.

Kendall Bostic

Bostic could thrive as a more natural producer at the 4 spot. Green has admitted as much. The Illinois coach said the 6-2 senior forward has "a beautiful shot from 15-17 feet." What the Illini will also want to see more of from the Kokomo, Ind., native is what has made Bostic one of the best rebounders in the Big Ten the last two seasons. Bostic pulled down 9.8 boards a game as a junior after averaging 11.4 as a sophomore.

Camille Hobby

ESPN.com's Charlie Creme had Hobby at No. 30 on his list of top-35 transfer portal additions for the 2023-24 season. The 6-3 graduate student gives Illinois a true post player. A repeat of what the N.C. State transfer did as a senior — read: career-highs in minutes (21.3), points (8.8), rebounds (4.2) and field-goal percentage (51.8) — could move the Illini into legitimate contenders in the Big Ten regular-season title race along with Iowa, Indiana and Ohio State.

Key bench contributors ...

Jada Peebles

Peebles has developed into a three-point specialist. The 5-10 fifth-year senior guard from Raleigh, N.C., was a unicorn of sorts last season. Peebles, after all, shot better on her three-point attempts (45.2 percent) than inside the arc (43 percent) in year four in C-U.

Brynn Shoup-Hill

Shoup-Hill could shift to a role off the bench with Hobby in the starting rotation. The 6-3 forward — who started all 28 of the games the Goshen, Ind., native played in as a sophomore — will look to build off averages of 6.1 points and 5.6 rebounds last season.

Shay Bollin

Will a change of scenery be just what Bollin needs? A top-35 recruit out of high school, according to espnW, the 6-3 transfer forward never found her footing in one season at Duke (averaged 5.1 minutes in eight games played).

To-be-determined roles ...

Camille Jackson

An offseason upper-body injury set the Chicago native back. And the former Butler College Prep standout had a hard time carving out a role amid a veteran-heavy Illini backcourt as a freshman.

Kam'Ren Rhodes

Unlike Jackson, who was recruited by the previous coaching staff, Rhodes came aboard a month into Green's tenure. The 5-6 guard from Chandler, Ariz., was solid (2.0 points) while playing spot minutes.

Aicha Ndour

Foul trouble was a big problem for the 6-6 post in her transition from junior college back to the Big Ten. Ndour had 31 fouls in only 107 minutes on the floor.

Samantha Dewey

Late-season injuries led to an increased role for the 6-2 forward as a freshman. Dewey played 11 or more minutes in four of the Illini's final five games — and was productive, too.

Cori Allen

The incoming 5-10 freshman guard from Nashville, Tenn., by way of Montverde Academy (Fla.), tallied 8.8 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.8 assists for the Eagles. Montverde won a national title at the GEICO High School Nationals for a second straight year after a second-half comeback to beat Long Island Lutheran.

Gretchen Dolan

Dolan has been known to stuff the stat sheet. Named Miss New York Basketball after her final season at Williamsville South High School near Buffalo, N.Y., the 5-10 guard was responsible for a remarkable 38.7 points, 9.8 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 3.7 steals, 1.7 blocks and 2.7 three-pointers per game this past winter.

 

[SHGopher]

NCAA and Big Ten News:

Panel approves flopping rule in women’s basketball - NCAA.org

Women's basketball players judged to have flopped will be issued a warning on the first offense, with a technical foul being charged for any subsequent infractions,

www.ncaa.org

Panel approves flopping rule in women’s basketball​

A warning will be given on a first offense, and a technical foul will be issued on any subsequent offenses.

My view: Overdue. How often will it be called?

 

[Ignatius L Hoops]

Amber Smith Named Assistant Coach - Indiana University Athletics

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana women's basketball head coach Teri Moren has announced the hiring of Amber Smith as an assistant coach to her staff.

iuhoosiers.com

Indiana hires Amber Smith as an assistant coach

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana women's basketball head coach Teri Moren has announced the hiring of Amber Smith as an assistant coach to her staff.

Smith arrives in Bloomington after a total of seven seasons with Kentucky Women's Basketball. She served as an assistant coach for the last five seasons (2018-23) and two seasons as director of player development (2016-18).

"I am thrilled that Amber is joining us in Bloomington" Moren said. "Amber is passionate, high energy, excellent at building relationships and is the ultimate competitor that will fit in perfectly to our culture. We are excited that she has decided to become a part of our Hoosier family."

A native of Winter Haven, Florida, Smith helped the Wildcats to four NCAA Tournament appearances in her seven seasons and was instrumental in development of Kentucky's guards including the overall 2022 No. 1 WNBA draft pick in 12-time All-American and two-time SEC Player of the Year Rhyne Howard. In five seasons as an assistant coach, UK won the 2022 Southeastern Conference tournament title and finished in the top four of the conference on multiple occasions. Smith helped develop starting point guard and freshman Jada Walker, who averaged 10.4 points per game on 41.4 percent shooting from the field and 35.5 percent from long range. Walker was named to the SEC All-Freshman Team.

While serving as the director of player development, Smith helped coordinate student-athlete community service, while working with the players in a variety of other areas. Her development work has been rewarded by UK producing the SEC Women's Basketball Scholar-Athlete of the Year in both 2018 and 2019. The UK women's basketball program also made history under Smith's leadership with two players selected in the 2017 WNBA Draft in third-overall pick Evelyn Akhator and 33rd-overall pick Makayla Epps. Akhator was the highest draft pick in program history.

Smith returned to Lexington in the spring of 2016 as the director of player development after spending three years in the coaching ranks at the Division I level. Smith started her coaching career as a graduate assistant coach at Tennessee before a two-year stint as an assistant coach at Louisiana Tech, where her main roles were recruiting and on-court development. During her time in Knoxville, the Lady Vols won 29 games, including winning the Southeastern Conference Tournament Championship and advancing to the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16.

A member of the most successful senior class in Kentucky women's basketball history, Smith played in 123 career games for UK at guard with 109 starts. She was a member of the 2008 SEC All-Freshman Team and ranks sixth all-time in program history in assists and eighth all-time in assists per game. During her tenure, Smith averaged 7.0 points per game and 3.4 assists per game, helping Kentucky advance to four consecutive postseason tournaments, including two trips to the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight.
A May 2011 graduate from UK with a bachelor's degree in integrated strategic communications, she recently earned her Master's in sports management from Morehead State University in May 2020.

 

[Ignatius L Hoops]

Greco Roman Hooping: Wisconsin travels to Italy and Indiana to Greece

Women's Basketball to Tour Italy in August | Wisconsin Badgers

MADISON, Wis. – The Wisconsin women's basketball team will trek to Italy from August 6-15, with the itinerary set for competition and sightseeing in Rome, Florence

uwbadgers.com

Indiana Women’s Basketball Set For Foreign Tour Of Greece August 1-10 - Indiana University Athletics

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana women's basketball will take its first foreign tour in six years when it travels to Greece August 1-10.

iuhoosiers.com

 

[Ignatius L Hoops]

Purdue women's basketball team to open season against UCLA

The Purdue women's basketball team will head west to face future Big Ten foe UCLA on the opening night of the 2023-24 college basketball season, Nov. 6, at Pauley Pavilion

www.purdueexponent.org

Purdue Boilers Up and opens at UCLA

The Purdue women's basketball team will head west to face future Big Ten foe UCLA on the opening night of the 2023-24 college basketball season, Nov. 6, at Pauley Pavilion in Los Angeles.

The game against the Bruins is the first announced contest of the Boilermakers' 2023-24 campaign. Future opponents and dates will be announced later.

The season opener will mark the second time in three seasons under head coach Katie Gearlds that Purdue will start the year on the road, according to a news release from Purdue.


The Boilermakers own a 2-1 all-time record against UCLA. Gearlds played in all three contests against the Bruins from 2003 to 2006, averaging 10.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and four assists in the series. The last time the two programs met was in the second round of the 2006 NCAA Tournament at Mackey Arena, when Purdue pulled away to a 61-54 win behind Gearlds' team-high 15 points.


Purdue will open the season in California for the first time since a two-game swing to start the 1996-97 season at Loyola Marymount and Stanford. The Boilermakers hold a 12-9 mark in games played in The Golden State, including the 1999 NCAA Championship Game in San Jose.

The Boilermakers will start a campaign against a Pac-12 opponent for the first time since Nov. 19, 1994, against Stanford.


Gearlds enters her third season at the helm of her alma mater after leading the Boilermakers to the postseason in back-to-back campaigns. Last season, Purdue returned to the NCAA Tournament for the 27th time and finished the year with a 19-11 record. The Boilermakers recorded back-to-back ranked wins against No. 22 Illinois and No. 2 Ohio State, the latter being the first true road win against an AP top-5 team in program history.

Purdue returns five players from last year's roster, including All-Big Ten Second Team selection Jeanae Terry and Abbey Ellis, who garnered an honorable mention nod from the league.

Gearlds brought in eight newcomers for the 2023-24 season. The five freshman who signed for the Boilermakers in November were tabbed the No. 21 class by ESPNW. In the spring, Purdue added incoming freshman Amiyah Reynolds and Maryland transfer Mila Reynolds, both top-60 recruits, to the fold. Grand Canyon transfer and sixth-year senior Caitlyn Harper's younger sister Alaina Harper inked her transfer to West Lafayette in May.

Purdue's roster will feature three sets of sisters – the Reynolds and Harpers, as well as McKenna Layden and Madison Layden.



In addition to the host of newcomers on the court, Gearlds added associate head coach and Purdue great Kelly Komara from Marquette, as well as assistant coach and recruiting director Mark Stephens from Toledo.

UCLA reached the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 last season behind a 27-10 record. The Bruins fell in the Pac-12 Championship Game after finishing fourth in the regular season. Bolstered by Stanford transfer Lauren Betts and the No. 1 recruiting class in 2022, UCLA will enter the season presumably ranked in the top 5 nationally and a favorite to win the PAC-12 in their final year as a member.

 

[Ignatius L Hoops]

Ohio State women’s basketball starts the season in Las Vegas, facing Southern California

The Buckeyes and the Trojans tip the season off part of a triple-header in Nevada

www.landgrantholyland.com

Ohio State kicks off the season versus Southern Cal in Vegas.

In March, the The 22/23 Ohio State women’s basketball season ended with a 10-point defeat to the Virginia Tech Hokies in the NCAA Tournament’s SweeWednesday, the In March, the Ohio State women’s basketball team’s season ended with a 10-point defeat to the Virginia Tech Hokies in the NCAA Tournament’s Sweet Sixteen. Wednesday, the Buckeyes announced how their 23/24 season will begin. On Nov. 6, the Buckeyes travel west to face the USC Trojans in Las Vegas, Nevada, part of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Series.

For the scarlet and gray, it’s the second season in a row beginning with a Power Five conference opponent. To start the 22/23 season, the Buckeyes faced the No. 5 Tennessee Volunteers, stunning the Volunteers in Columbus in an 87-75 win for Ohio State.

“I’m extremely excited to have our team open the year at the 2023 Basketball Hall of Fame event at T-Mobile Arena,” said head coach Kevin McGuff. “The environment will be incredible, and USC is an outstanding opponent who will provide a challenging start to the season.”

This time around, USC isn’t likely to be a top five school in the nation in preseason rankings, but they’re a difficult side that’s becoming even stronger. Last season, the Southern California went 21-10, losing in the first round in a slight upset by the South Dakota State Jackrabbits, with the No. 9 side beating USC at No. 8.

Outside of that NCAA defeat, and losing their lone Pac-12 Conference Tournament game, USC had marquee victories. The biggest spotlight shining on a Jan. 15 win over No. 2 ranked Stanford University. It was a victory that propelled USC, even putting the Trojans in the AP Top-25, hitting No. 25 for one week in the beginning of February.

Leading USC is head coach Lindsay Gottlieb. The former Cal head coach and assistant coach with the Cleveland Cavaliers of the NBA has USC into territory it isn’t used to being in, making the NCAA Tournament just once in the past 10 years.

The tip in November will feature a USC opponent that’s added four players from the transfer portal, three graduate transfers from Ivy League schools Harvard, Columbia and Penn. However, the most exciting piece of the Trojans might be the freshman class.


Southern California added not only two top-100 recruits in the nation, but the No. 1 overall recruit in Juju Watkins. The freshman is a 6-foot guard named Gatorade National Player of the Year and is a McDonald’s All-American.

Overall, the Buckeyes are 4-3 in seven meetings against the Trojans dating back to 1983. That history is inevitably going to add more chapters when USC and UCLA join the Big Ten conference for the 24/25 season.

Ohio State and USC is one of four games in Las Vegas to start the season. The other women’s basketball game is between the National Championship-winning LSU Tigers, facing the University of Colorado Buffaloes. On the men’s side, Georgia faces the Oregon Ducks and the USC men’s team faces off against Kansas State.

Schedule-wise for the scarlet and gray, this is the first confirmed game of the 23/24 season. Outside of the Big Ten schedule that’s likely to release late in the summer, Ohio State also has a date unknown game against the Volunteers, in Tennessee.

Also, the Buckeyes are rumored to take part in the Baha Mars Pink Flamingo Championship in the Bahamas between Nov. 20 and 22. The tournament already includes USC and two Big Ten schools in the Purdue Boilermakers and Penn State Nittany Lions. As of publishing, Ohio State hasn’t been formally announced, but the official tournament website has two teams still pending announcement

 

[Ignatius L Hoops]

Indiana women’s basketball: Scouting the Hoosiers’ newcomers in 2023-24

AP National Coach of the Year Teri Moren added some talent to the Hoosiers’ roster this offseason.

www.crimsonquarry.com

Indiana women’s basketball lost some players to the transfer portal and exhausted eligibility this offseason, but the Hoosiers were ready to handle that with two incoming freshman and a key addition through the transfer portal.

Having just sent a player to the first round of the WNBA Draft, won the Big Ten and earned an AP National Coach of The Year honors, Teri Moren has only added more accomplishments to point to in a recruiting pitch for the program.

Here’s how the Hoosiers’ roster has taken shape:

---

Departing​

• G Grace Berger -> WNBA Draft/Indiana Fever
• F Alyssa Geary -> Exhausted eligibility
• F Kiandra Browne -> Transfer Portal/Duquesne

Incoming​

• G Leneé Beaumont (Freshman)
• G Jules LaMendola (Freshman)
• F Sharnecce Currie-Jelks (Sophomore/Transfer)

---

Berger is obviously a massive loss as arguably the greatest player in the history of the program, but her being the only departing starter should ensure some measure of stability. Indiana will need someone else who can handle the ball alongside Chloe Moore-McNeil, who has only gotten better year by year.

The two incoming freshmen, Beaumont and LaMendola, will likely challenge for roles in the rotation immediately and provide some depth at guard. Both are 6-1, with bigger guards becoming a staple of Moren’s teams.


Beaumont is an athletic, versatile guard that we see as being a bit similar to Berger in style of play/skillset. LaMendola is similarly athletic with an impressive set of moves in the post, driving ability and some prowess on the boards.

The loss of Browne meant Indiana needed another forward, so the staff went out and added the Ohio Valley Conference Freshman of the Year: UT Martin’s Sharnecce Currie-Jelks.

Currie Jelks was the tallest player on the Skyhawks’ roster last year at 6-2 and operated as a post player partially as a result. Her rebounding ability will be crucial in the second unit.

Wanna learn more? Click on the links above to read our full reports on each player.

 

[Ignatius L Hoops]

Lady Lions Add Six New Players Throughout Spring Recruiting

Five of the signings came via the transfer portal, while the team also snagged one high school recruit.

onwardstate.com

A Lady Lion spring recruiting roundup:

Throughout the last few months, Penn State women’s basketball announced six commitments to its roster for the coming seasons.

Five of those signings, Tay Valladay, Grace Hall, Kylie Lavelle, Jayla Oden, and Ashley Owusu, came to Penn State via the transfer portal, while the Lady Lions also picked up a commitment from Jill Jekot of the high school recruiting Class of 2024.

Valladay, a graduate transfer from Virginia, spent the past two years with the Cavaliers after her transfer from Marquette. She played in 51 out of 55 games during her two seasons for the Cavaliers and averaged 9.7 points, 3.7 assists, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.4 steals per game while leading her team in assists and steals.

At Marquette, Valladay was recruited by Lady Lion head coach Carolyn Kieger. “This is an amazing full-circle moment for us,” Kieger said in a press release.


Hall hails from Wabash Valley College. Before her time at Wabash, Hall spent a season in LSU managing to average three points per game during her seven games for the Tigers. Hall redshirted during her time at Wabash, leaving her with three years of eligibility.

Lavelle also arrives with three years of eligibility after spending one season in Drexel. During her season, she started 23 out of 24 games averaging a total of 11.1 points and 3.7 rebounds per game. She also helped the Dragons to a CAA regular season championship and a trip to the NIT Tournament. Lavelle accomplished all of this while receiving CAA Rookie of the Week four times and earning placement onto the CAA All-Rookie team.

Oden joins the Lady Lions with experience in the Big Ten after playing her last two seasons in Illinois, leaving her with two years left of eligibility. She averaged 5.2 points per game for the Fighting Illini and started in 18 games.

Another veteran of the Big Ten Conference, Owusu joins Penn State from Virginia Tech after a previous stint at Maryland. As a Terrapin, Owusu averaged 14.6 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 5.0 assists. She has named to the All-Big Ten first team in 2021 and All-Big Ten second team in both 2020 and 2022. Owusu also won Big Ten Tournament titles in both 2020 and 2021 and received the Jim and Kitty Delany Most Outstanding Player Award for her ability in both runs.


Owusu joins the Lady Lions after winning the 2021 Ann Meyers Drysdale Award, which is given to the best shooting guard in the NCAA. Additionally, she was named an Associated Press Third-Team All-American in the 2020-21 season and earned All-American laurels according to the United States Basketball Writers Association.

After finishing her junior year at Cumberland Valley, Jekot will follow in the footsteps of her family to Happy Valley for the 2024-25 season. The shooting guard’s sister, Kelly Jekot, spent two seasons with the Lady Lions as a graduate transfer from 2020-22.

During her time at Cumberland Valley, Jekot has been twice named a first-team all-state selection and led her high school to a 12-11 record in her junior season while recording 22.9 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per game. She chose the Lady Lions over offers from Pitt and Wake Forest.

 

[Ignatius L Hoops]

Women's Fort Myers Tip-Off – 2023 Team Quick Facts

November 23-25: Who will #OWNTHEFORT

www.womensfortmyerstipoff.com

Indiana and Wisconsin head to Fort Meyers Tipoff over Thanksgiving.

Indiana is in the Island division with Oklahoma, Princeton and Tennessee

Wisconsin is in the Shell division with Boston College, Marquette and Arkansas

 

[Ignatius L Hoops]

Jacy Sheldon Returned to Ohio State For Chance to Go “Even Further” in NCAA Tournament, Thinks 2023-24 Team Has “Really Good Shot At It”

Jacy Sheldon returned to Ohio State to be a part of a group she believes has a "really good shot" to make it "even further" in the NCAA Tournament in 2023-24.

www.elevenwarriors.com

Jacy Sheldon Wasn't Ready to Leave Ohio State

Even after four years at Ohio State, culminating in the program’s deepest NCAA Tournament run in 30 years – during which she displayed more than her fair share of individual heroics – Sheldon felt there was more to be accomplished.
As a senior in 2022-23, Sheldon knew all season she’d have a decision to make. But it didn’t take long for her to make it once the year wrapped up in late March. Just two days after Ohio State fell short in its bid for a spot in the Final Four, Sheldon publicly announced she’d use her fifth and final year of eligibility to return to the program. Fittingly, Sheldon introduced her statement with just two words.
Unfinished business.

 

[Ignatius L Hoops]

Ohio State Transfers “Willing to Do Whatever” to Help Highly-Motivated Buckeyes Win: “It Feels Like A National Championship Team”

Former Duke guard Celeste Taylor and MSU forward Taiyier Parks are “willing to do whatever” to help Ohio State, which they say "feels like a national championship team."

www.elevenwarriors.com

More Buckeye mania: Eleven Warriors highlights the impact transfers, Celeste Taylor and Taiyier Parks

For former Duke guard Celeste Taylor and former Michigan State forward Taiyier Parks, Ohio State made perfect sense.

Growing up in Valley Stream, New York, on Long Island, Taylor fostered a relationship with fellow Long Island native Jalen Powell, who will enter her third year as an assistant coach at Ohio State in 2023-24. And even before Powell joined Kevin McGuff’s staff, the Buckeyes had already made a great impression on Taylor during her high school recruitment.

So when Taylor was looking for a final destination to close out her college basketball tenure, Ohio State already had a leg up.

“For me personally, coming out of high school I actually really loved Ohio State, but it just wasn't the right fit at the time for me. So when I got my fifth year, I had a coaching change at Duke with one of my assistant coaches and I'm really close to assistant coach Jalen Powell,” Taylor said Monday. “She's known me since I was a little kid and so it was kind of a no-brainer choosing where I wanted to do my fifth year.”

Despite playing her first four seasons with one of Ohio State’s Big Ten rivals, Parks – a Cleveland native – was intrigued by the prospect of returning to her home state for her final year of college basketball. Not to mention, Parks played AAU basketball with Ohio State star Jacy Sheldon in high school, and that bond only aided in her decision to come to Columbus.

“More so coming home, just being a part of a winning culture right away. Last season they did pretty good, so it seems like a win-win situation for me,” Parks said. “… (Sheldon) did text me. She just dropped the little eye emoji. So I did take Ohio State into consideration. They were recruiting me before I committed to Michigan State, so that were actually one of my top schools. So it was a no-brainer, honestly, just to be back playing with Jace.”

 

[Ignatius L Hoops]

Nneka Enemkpali Joins Women's Basketball Coaching Staff - Rutgers University Athletics

PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Coquese Washington has announced her second addition to the Rutgers women's basketball coaching staff, welcoming Nneka Enemkpali. An established

scarletknights.com

Nneka Enemkpali joins Rutgers coaching staff.

PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Coquese Washington has announced her second addition to the Rutgers women's basketball coaching staff, welcoming Nneka Enemkpali. An established and proven recruiter, Enemkpali joins the team as an assistant coach and Director Recruiting for the Scarlet Knights.

"Adding Nneka Enemkpali to our staff is an incredible gift for the Scarlet Knight program," Washington said. "Nneka enjoyed a remarkable career as a player at Texas, whose work ethic helped her achieve outstanding successes both on and off the court. We are quite fortunate to have Nneka here, sharing her experiences as an elite player and coach, and it's exciting to imagine all the ways she will positively impact this team."

Both recent coaching staff additions, Enemkpali and Jeanine Wasielewski, joined the team as a result of the NCAA Division I Council modernization rules for coaching limits. Decided in January of 2023, women's basketball programs were granted permission to add two additional assistant coaches.

Enemkpali most recently spent two seasons as an assistant coach on Lindsay Gottlieb's USC coaching staff while also serving as the recruiting coordinator this past season.

During her time in Troy, Enemkpali helped to recruit and develop historic talent for the Trojans. In her first year in the role of recruiting coordinator, Enemkpali led efforts to bring in the No. 1 prospect in the 2023 class. She also coached Kadi Sissoko, who was chosen by the Phoenix Mercury with the 29th pick overall pick in the 2023 WNBA Daft and was an All-Pac 12 honoree. In addition, last season, Enemkpali guided Rayah Marshall to All-PAC 12 and All-Defense honors as a sophomore. She went onto be selected to represent USA at the 2023 Americup games.

To end the 2022-23 campaign, Enemkpali helped USC to capture a No. 8 seed in its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2014.

Enemkpali spent the 2020-21 season as an assistant at UNLV after two seasons in that role at UC Santa Barbara, where she oversaw skill development of the post players, helping develop Ila Lane to the nation's No. 1 rebounder and Big West Freshman of the Year honors in 2019-20 for the Gauchos. With the Rebels, she also guided Desi Rae young to Mountain West Freshman of the Year.

That year, Enemkpali herself earned accolades as one of the 50 Impactful Assistants in D1 Women's Basketball named by Silver Waves Media.

Prior to UC Santa Barbara, Enemkpali served two seasons as a video coordinator at Gonzaga. In those years, the Bulldogs went 53-13 overall and won two West Coast Conference titles to make NCAA appearances in 2017 and 2018.

Enemkpali is a 2015 graduate of Texas, where she averaged 10.0 points and 8.0 rebounds over her four years, earning three All-Big 12 selections and finishing ranked No. 10 all-time in career rebounds (899) and No. 30 in career points (1,116). She also was a three-time Academic All-Big 12 honoree as a Longhorn and was recognized as a Senior CLASS Award Second Team All-American for excellence in the community, classroom, character and competition.

After completing her degree in African American and African Diaspora Studies at Texas, Enemkpali was drafted 26th overall (third round) in the 2015 WNBA Draft by the Seattle Storm, although her playing career was brought to a close by a knee injury sustained in her senior season at Texas.

A native of Pflugerville, Texas, she attended Pflugerville High School.

"I am excited to be joining the rich tradition and legacy that is Rutgers women's basketball," Enemkpali said. "Coquese has a clear vision for the direction in which she wants to grow this program. I look forward to working alongside her and the incredible staff to support this program and our student-athletes."

 

[SHGopher]

I wonder what others will do?

UCLA and USC started it by leaving Pac-12 for Big Ten.

 

[Ignatius L Hoops]

 

[Ignatius L Hoops]

 

[Ignatius L Hoops]

https://www.si.com/college/indiana/basketball/three-takeaways-from-indiana-dominant-wins-in-greece-teri-moren-womens-basketball

Indiana cruises through Greece...but:

Sadly, the main headline might be the injury status of Scalia, who left the game against the Patras All Stars late in the fourth quarter after landing awkwardly on her knee. The team has not yet issued an update on Scalia's injury.

Other than that:

It's clear Parrish and Scalia carried the bulk of the shooting load in Greece, but they're not the only good shooters on this team. Garzon is a proven deadeye, having converted 45.8% of her three-point attempts as a freshman last season. Additionally, LaMendola shot 3-for-6 from three in the first game before an 0-for-4 performance tanked her percentage for the foreign tour.

And:

Even without star center Mackenzie Holmes (who the team seemingly sat as just a precautionary measure, not due to any unknown injury), the Hoosiers did whatever they wanted on the court.

 

[Ignatius L Hoops]

Good news:

 

[60's Guy]

Good news:

Hopefully, everything truly is a healthy outcome.

 

[Ignatius L Hoops]

Kate Barnosky Named Head Women's Basketball Coach at Babson - Babson College

BABSON PARK, Mass.— Pamela P. and Brian M. Barefoot Associate Vice President for Athletics and Athletics Advancement Mike Lynch announced the hiring of Kate Barnosky

babsonathletics.com

Badger associate head coach, Kate Barnosky, leaves Wisconsin for head coaching position at DIII Babson College.

BABSON PARK, Mass.— Pamela P. and Brian M. Barefoot Associate Vice President for Athletics and Athletics Advancement Mike Lynch announced the hiring of Kate Barnosky as the new head women's basketball coach at Babson College on Monday.

The eighth head coach in program history, Barnosky replaces Judy Blinstrub who retired with 719 wins following her 39th season back in July.

A rising star in the coaching industry, Barnosky comes to Babson following two seasons at the University of Wisconsin. She was promoted to associate head coach in April 2022 and helped the Badgers to their most Big Ten victories since 2010-11 and their highest finish in the conference standings in more than a decade

 

[SHGopher]

-UCLA is traveling to Germany and Senegal, a trip spanning two continents.

Women’s Basketball Announces Foreign Tour to Senegal, Germany - UCLA

The late-August trip will be the only collegiate foreign tour that spans two continents this summer.

uclabruins.com

-UCLA is joining B1G next season... UCLA went 27-10 this last season, earning a #4 seed in the NCAA tournament before losing to #1 seed South Carolina. 4 of 5 starters return.


-UCLA added top talents this season in 6'7" C transfer Lauren Betts (#1 overall prospect last season) and #32 2023 prospect 6' 4" C/PF Amanda Muse, a McDonald's All-American who averaged 14.5 points, 12.1 rebounds and 4.1 blocks per game in 2022-23.



-Last season UCLA added four top-50 prospects, including #2 overall prospect PG Kiki Rice, #19 prospect Gabriella Jaquez, PG Londynn Jones, and C/PF Christeen Iwuala).

Kiki Rice and Gabriella Jaquez were co-MVPs of last season's McDonald's All-American game, and then they made a big impact in year one at UCLA.






-For next season, two top-20 prospects with a grade of 96, both, have committed to UCLA: W Kendall Dudley and G Avary Cain.

 

[SHGopher]

The two highest-rated prospects coming into the Big Ten this season are #1 overall prospect 6' 0" guard Juju Watkins to USC (that will join the B1G next season) and #18 McDonald's All-American wing Riley Nelson to Maryland.

Nelson averaged 16.6 points, 10.9 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.2 blocks as a senior.

Watkins was Gatorade National Girls Basketball Player of the Year, averaging 27.5 points, 13.7 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 2.5 steals and 1.7 blocks per game as a senior.






Minnesota, of course, also added a top-100 ESPN prospect in wing Grace Grocholski this season, a Coach P recruit.

 

[BigTenGuy]

The two highest-rated prospects coming into the Big Ten this season are #1 overall prospect 6' 0" guard Juju Watkins to USC (that will join the B1G next season) and #18 McDonald's All-American wing Riley Nelson to Maryland.

Nelson averaged 16.6 points, 10.9 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.2 blocks as a senior.

Riley Nelson to Maryland in the '23 class (#18) is the first BIG top 20/McDonald's AA recruit since the 2020 class, which featured # 2 Angel Reese, # 4 Caitlin Clark, and # 6 Diamond Johnson. The 2019 BIG class also featured # 7 Ashley Owusu, # 8 Kierstan Bell, # 14 Maori Davenport, and # 17 Diamond Miller.

With the notable exception of Caitlin Clark, the improvement in the BIG at Iowa, IU and Michigan has not been fueled by elite high school recruiting, but by good-not-great recruiting, development, the portal and international recruiting. With UCLA, USC and Oregon set to bring a large number of elite HS prospects to the BIG, will be interesting to see if the existing BIG teams (other than MD/OSU) can up their recruiting games and how the existing BIG teams will fare against the high level talent at the west coast BIG schools.

 

[SHGopher]

Oregon last season had 4 ESPN top-100 freshmen, including #7 overall PG Chance Gray, #13 F Grace VanSlooten, #36 W Jennah Isai, and #59 C/post Kennedy Basham.




Washington had 3 players in the top-100, although the highest rated was #40.

(Minnesota had 3).

That's right... Oregon and Washington are quickly joining the Big Ten in 2024 too, a quick move in.

This topic has already been debated in other threads but it probably makes life a bit easier for UCLA and USC to have more teams to play out west. That also makes for cool Minnesota road trips to the mild Pacific during winter.

The Big Ten is the big time.

 

[Ignatius L Hoops]

Illinois Basketball: Illini returning at least 82% of production across the board

The women's Illinois basketball team managed to get to 22 wins last season, and now the Illini are returning at least 82% of production across the board.

writingillini.com

Illinois Basketball: Illini returning at least 82% of production across the board​

by Rees Woodcock5 hours ago
Coming off one of the best seasons in program history, the women’s Illinois basketball team is going to be running it back.

I would argue that the Illini were at the lowest point in program history during the 2021-22 season. The team finished 7-20 overall and 1-13 in the Big Ten. This bad of a record had become the norm in Champaign.


In steps Shauna Green and everything changed. She brought in a few big pieces and developed the talent already on the roster. In year one under Green, Illinois would go 21-8 overall and 11-7 in the regular season. We won a Big Ten Tournament game and made the NCAA tournament for the first time in recent memory.


Usually, when a team goes from worst to one of the best teams in the Big Ten, there are a ton of seniors who catch fire and lead the program. That wasn’t the case with the Illini. In fact, Illinois is running it back with most of the talent we had from the 2022-23 campaign.

Illinois basketball is poised to have another great year with so much talent returning​

Illinois had some tremendous play from some great players last season. Makira Cook led the Illini with 18.3 points and 4.2 assists per game, Kendall Bostic led the team with 9.8 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game, and Adalia McKenzie led Illinois with 1.4 steals per game.

All of that talent returns for the 2023-24 season.

Cook, Bostic, and McKenzie are all back for the Illini, but they aren’t the only talented players suiting up for the Orange and Blue.

All but three players are back from the roster that won 22 games last season. Illinois returns at least 93% of our points, assists, steals, and blocks. The statistical category that has the lowest percentage returning is the rebounding department, and Illinois still has 82% of the rebounds coming back from 2022-23.


Let’s not forget about the players Green added in the offseason. Gretchen Dolan is coming off a senior season in high school where she averaged 39.4 points, 9.6 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 3.4 steals, and 1.6 blocks per game. She also shot 35% from three-point range. Illinois also landed Cori Allen from the class of 2023. She is a four-star guard who is coming in and will likely play decent minutes in year one.

Green also added some help in the frontcourt to make up for the rebounding production that was lost in the offseason. Illinois was able to add transfers Shay Bolin and Camille Hobby from the ACC. They will help Bostic in the paint.

Illinois is poised to have another tremendous year on the basketball court. We return nearly everyone from a 22-win team. Buckle up college basketball fans, there could be a special season on the horizon.