The guard will now be eligible to play through 2021 after missing time due to injury and transferring.
The Indiana University women’s basketball team received some extra insurance in the offseason. The NCAA has granted a sixth year of eligibility to guard Ali Patberg, who was a second-team All-Big Ten honoree in 2018-19. According to Indiana, Patberg will be eligible to play for the Hoosiers through the 2020-21 season.
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Patberg led Indiana to a 21-13 record and the second round of the NCAA Tournament in the 2018-19 season. She also finished the year with nearly 16 points and five assists per game, both team-high marks. Patberg scored 10 or more points in all but nine contests in her redshirt junior season, her first playing for the Hoosiers after transferring in 2017, including in the second round game against Oregon.
The native of Columbus, Ind., spent two years at Notre Dame beforehand but only played one season after suffering a torn ACL during practice in 2015.
IU head coach Teri Moren took to Twitter to respond to the news, as did Patberg herself.
So happy for AP and IUWBB! ⚪️🔴⚪️🔴 #work https://t.co/w7WHJ7DG7f
— Teri Moren (@TeriMoren) July 5, 2019
Thank you so much. The love and support I have received means the world to me ❤️ I want to make everyone from home proud 🙏🏻
— Ali Patberg (@alipatberg) July 5, 2019
Patberg had a stellar high school career before the ACL injury, finishing with a 99-9 record at Columbus (Ind.) North High School. Her transfer to Indiana brought her much closer to home, as Columbus is only almost an hour away from Bloomington while South Bend is more than three hours away.
Patberg will look to lead the Hoosiers back to the postseason when the 2019-20 season begins in November. IU is set to take part in the Paradise Jam tournament (November 28-30) against defending national champion Baylor, South Carolina, and Washington State. The Hoosiers will also travel to Miami (Fla.) for the Big Ten/ACC Challenge (December 4).
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