For the 2015-16 season, the Indiana University women’s basketball team shocked the Big Ten and much of the country with its performances night in and out.
Headed by second-year coach Teri Moren, of Seymour, the Hoosiers finished 21-12.
After an early exit from the Big Ten Tournament as the No. 4 seed, the Hoosiers waited for their names to be called to the grand stage.
The Hoosiers made their first NCAA Tournament since 2002 on Selection Monday, in March, drawing a No. 9 seed.
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For the first time since 1983, the Hoosiers won a game in the tournament by defeating Georgia before falling to No. 1 Notre Dame.
Following her speech on attitude at the American Legion Annex this past week, Moren opened up for a Q&A session with the audience.
Q: What is the team up to this summer?
A: “This is the couple months where we can work on our chemistry. We have cookout and dinners. Right now, we’re most worried about the Hoosiers. It’s about us getting better and growing together.”
Q: A highlight from this past season?
A: “For us, we didn’t win a Big Ten game on the road in my first year. Our first road win, at Northwestern, was a culture change. Finally, we figured out how to win on the road. We then won other games on the road. From that point on, we won seven games when we trailed at halftime. We were picked 12th in the Big Ten and finished fourth.”
Q: Best memory from this past season?
A: “Selection Monday. I thought our body of work throughout the year was good enough for us to earn the right to be in the NCAA Tournament. We had to wait 10 days between the Big Ten Tournament and Selection Monday. We didn’t have a single player who had played in the tournament. We captured a shot, and we have a team photo of the reaction in our office. That to me, was one of the most special moments.”
Q: How did it feel to be named Big Ten Coach of the Year?
A: “I never get caught up in that. I didn’t expect it. That award is so much bigger than me. It’s the team and the supporting staff. It was really a team award, I just claimed it. It was unbelievable. It was really about the kids and what they accomplished. I was very much a part of that, but I didn’t take a charge, score a basket or get a rebound.”
Q: What does the recruiting process look like in the offseason?
A: “We can’t call (athletes) or the parents (of underclassmen). We can only have communication if they call us or are on campus. We can only talk with the Class of 2017 starting in September. It’s crazy; we’re already looking at eighth-graders and freshmen already — we don’t really like it. Most of those girls don’t even know what they’re wearing to school the next day.”
Q: What do you think about kids pairing down to one or two sports?
A: “I’m a believer that you don’t have to choose one sport. I played volleyball, basketball and (attempted) tennis. I don’t like that kids are pressured to choose on sport in high school. I think of Seymour, and if we had one-sport athletes we wouldn’t have had success in other sports. I encourage kids to play as many sports as they want. I think there’s an advantage, different sports give you different skill sets.”