2019-20 Big Ten Women’s Basketball preview and predictions

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - MARCH 10: The Iowa Hawkeyes are the 2019 Women's B1G Tournament championship game between the Maryland Terrapins and the Iowa Hawkeyes on March 10, 2019 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, in Indianapolis Indiana.(Photo by Jeffrey Brown/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - MARCH 10: The Iowa Hawkeyes are the 2019 Women's B1G Tournament championship game between the Maryland Terrapins and the Iowa Hawkeyes on March 10, 2019 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, in Indianapolis Indiana.(Photo by Jeffrey Brown/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
5 of 16
INDIANAPOLIS, IN – MARCH 08: Indiana Hoosiers Head Coach Teri Moren calls out to her offense during the Women’s B1G Tournament game between Indiana Hoosiers and the Iowa Hawkeyes on March 08, 2019 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, in Indianapolis Indiana.(Photo by Jeffrey Brown/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN – MARCH 08: Indiana Hoosiers Head Coach Teri Moren calls out to her offense during the Women’s B1G Tournament game between Indiana Hoosiers and the Iowa Hawkeyes on March 08, 2019 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, in Indianapolis Indiana.(Photo by Jeffrey Brown/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Indiana Hoosiers

2018-19 Record / Finish:

  • 21-13 (8-10 B1G, 10th in standings)
  • Lost to Iowa in quarterfinals of Big Ten Tournament
  • Lost to Oregon in Second Round of NCAA Tournament

2018-19 Leaders:

  • Ali Patberg (15.8 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 4.8 apg) – Returns as a redshirt junior
  • Brenna Wise (12.0 ppg, 6.8 rpg) – Returns as a senior

Key Additions:

  • #52 overall prospect, 5-star wing Jorie Allen from Indiana
  • #53 overall prospect, 5-star forward MacKenzie Holmes from Maine

Indiana received great news this offseason when it learned that the NCAA granted last year’s statistical leader, Ali Patberg, a sixth year of eligibility. The transfer from Notre Dame will be allowed to play for Indiana through the 2020-21 season. A Second-Team All-Big Ten honoree, Patberg tore her ACL after playing one season for the Irish but emerged as a catalyst for the Hoosiers in Bloomington.

Head Coach Teri Moren’s team understandably took a marginal step backwards in their first season following the graduation of Tyra Buss, the three-time First-Team All-Big Ten standout. Fortunately for the Hoosiers, Indiana should see more success in Patberg’s second year with the program. Elsewhere on the roster, the Hoosiers return their three other top scorers from a season ago — Jaelynn Penn, Brenna Wise and Bendu Yeaney. Despite the loss of Kym Royster to graduation, who started all 34 games for Indiana last year, the program will benefit from adding two five-star prospects.

“I’m really proud of the things that we’ve been able to accomplish to this point,” Moren told the Indiana Daily Student. “But I’ve got to be honest, we still have more to do. We still have more to do, and we have players to do it with.”

While Indiana admirably competed in the Big Ten last season — earning them just their second NCAA tournament bid since 2002 — the Hoosiers face an incredibly difficult non-conference schedule, playing South Carolina, Baylor, Miami and UCLA all prior to conference play.