What Coach Teri Moren Said at Indiana Basketball Media Day
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Indiana women’s basketball coach Teri Moren and returning players Sydney Parrish and Sara Scalia spoke to media Wednesday at the Indiana Basketball media inside Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.
Last season, the Hoosiers earned their first-ever No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, but they were upset by Miami 70-86 in the Second Round. Following the departure of top-10 draft pick Grace Berger to the Indiana Fever, the Hoosiers return All-American forward Mackenzie Holmes, and starting guards Parrish, Scalia, Yarden Garzon and Chloe Moore-McNeil.
Here’s what the reigning Associated Press National Coach of the Year said at media day.
Opening Statement:
Moren: "We've had a little bit of an early start from our trip over to Greece this summer in August, which was amazing. The only athlete that was not with us on that trip was Henna [Sandvik]. She was at home in Finland, representing her country playing basketball."
"But got a really good look at our squad for this upcoming season. Got a lot of very interesting, talented pieces. Got some big shoes to fill with the departure of Grace Berger, but very, very confident that we have added some really great pieces in Lenée [Beaumont], and Jules [LaMendola], and Sharnecce [Currie-Jelks]."
"So we are just really excited about what's ahead of us. Our schedule is incredibly difficult, but that's how we want it. I'm just happy to be up here with Syd and Sara today for the start of what's going to be, I think, an exciting season."
On building culture, trying to maintain success:
Moren: “Well, I think you have to continue to be able to articulate to recruits, prospects, how we got here and what we believe that are the standards in our program and why we are to the place that we are. Syd said it perfectly. You have to find the recruits that are about the things that we value. And that's the work piece. That's the character piece. That's the team piece.”
“As we all know, in athletics, it's one thing to build it, it's another thing to sustain it. So recruiting has changed for us in terms of the talent pool that we are now recruiting. We're up against the very best. We wouldn't have it any other way. But we still are who we are: we’re the team that has always prided itself on its work ethic. We’re the team that will continue to play with a chip on his shoulder. We’re the team that kind of feels like we still have so much to achieve.”
That's why we are who we are, is because we walk into whether it's Cook Hall or Assembly Hall every day with this workman-like attitude that we haven’t achieved anything. And that's what I love about our team, their mindset. There's still, as we always say, there's still more work to be done.”
On if any player could have breakout season this year, similar to Chloe Moore-McNeil last year:
Moren: “I was right, right? That's a great question. You know, I don't know that. I feel like you know, with the returners that we have, the experience that we have and the veterans that we have, here's what I do know: The three that we brought in, those three kids are going to have to help us.Tthey're going to have to grow up quicker than normal.”
“We usually say by the time that they returned from Christmas break, you're no longer a freshman. You gotta be wiser and you have to grow up faster. But yeah, I think we're gonna need the three of them from the beginning, right out of the gates to show up and give us really good minutes. And I think they’re capable of that.”
On experience as an assistant coach to the United States’ U19 FIBA gold medal women’s team:
Moren: “Being a part of USA Basketball is always a special invite. Anytime you have the opportunity to represent your country that's a big deal. I will say that Madrid, Spain, which was far different from Greece, but nonetheless, they were still both really, really great trips.”
“The trip to Spain was more of a work trip, though. And yes, in order to go over there and win a gold you're going to be up against some really great international teams. What I always love about that experience… Having to prep and do scouting reports, you pick up a lot of subtle things that they do over there in terms of their spacing, how they play. You hope that you can come back and put some of those in place with your own team.”
“But it was a summer of you always want to get better, you know, just like as a team, as the coach here, I'm always looking for opportunities to get a little bit better. Being over there in Colorado for a week and then certainly in Spain for two weeks served the purpose of me becoming what I hope is a better basketball coach.”
On what went wrong during late-game situations in the three close losses at the end of last season:
Moren: "Well, a couple of different things happened. When we were at Iowa, you know, for the end of that… hindsight is 20/20 and would you do something differently in terms of schematically we might have done that. It was unfortunate, Chloe falls falls down. Can't get to Caitlin [Clark] quick enough. And she has to shoot one hell of a shot in order to beat us at their place.”
"You fast forward to, I'm gonna assume you're talking about the Big Ten Tournament. You know, where Mack[enzie Homes] gets dinged up in the first round against Michigan State, and she's not the same Mackenzie against Ohio State. And then we go into the NCAA tournament with Mackenzie not practicing for 12 days before we play. And so, even though she doesn't play in the first round against Tennessee Tech, she plays, starts in the first half, a little bit rusty, she had to get her feet, which we knew was going to be the case.”
“But we didn't get off to a very good start there either. You got to give credit where credit’s due. Miami came out and punched us pretty, pretty good in that first half and we didn't respond, but we did play from behind. We made it a game. I thought we had a chance there. It could have easily gone into overtime, but it didn't. I think to hear these guys talk about it, It's something that they remember. It's something that motivates them.”
“But, you know, for me, I think, as I've gotten older in this game, I think I’m more wise. That one game, those three games don’t define the season that we had, it was incredible. I don't want to take anything away from from that, when you win the first-ever Big Ten championship in 40 years. You get the No. 1 seed –– never happened in this program. So there's a lot of things that could have you know, you might miss that did go wrong. But that list of all the things that went right is far greater.”
On growth of interest in the program and the implementation of reserved seating:
Moren: “It's interesting, how often prior to us going to reserved seating, how often I do get stopped ans asked, well, first of all, how much they enjoy watching our program. Then there's always that follow up question, what are you going to do with the seating problem? What are you going to do with the parking problem? As I always tell them, I have a bigger job and that's to coach women's basketball, and I will take your concerns elsewhere and, and we've done that.”
“We’re excited that we've, I wouldn't say created problems, because I think Scott [Dolson] would tell you that it is not a problem at all to have to have reserved seating and parking for women's basketball. But you know, it did become a little bit of an issue. Because our fans you know, we tried to get down here and warm up and 90 minutes prior to tip off, there's a lot of people that are trying to hustle down here to get great seats. That to me is a great problem to have. But yeah, we're we're obviously thrilled and we're grateful that it’s turned into what it's become. I think I can speak for our entire program and especially those players that play: there's nothing like being in Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall playing in front of our fans.”
On Mackenzie Holmes’ current legacy and the one she can leave behind:
Moren: “To be the first All-American, you can end there, right? Again, the best part of my job is watching our players come in as freshmen and then watching their transformation or the evolution of them as players and also as people. And so Mack’s been such a great story, you know, as far as when she came in here and she couldn't give anybody eye contact. She was very shy and timid and I don't think it was until probably halfway through the Big Ten season her freshman year where she started becoming just a little bit, not as confident as she is, but a little bit more confident that she could play at this level. And I don't know in her wildest dreams has she ever thought that she could become the All-American that she's become here.”
“You can only do that one way and that's to get in here and do your work every single day. And so she and coach Rhet have continued to, you know, every day. Days off, there's no such thing for Mackenzie and, and so she should be really proud of herself. I know I'm extremely proud of her, not for the player that she's become, for the person that she’s become and how she's gone about her work. She's a pure example of there's no secret sauce to any of it. It’'s what your habits are every single day and I think her legacy will be one that Grace Berger left us.”
“How you build this is by coming in and wanting to do the work, wanting to be passionate about the work, wanting to be passionate about this place, and helping us be successful. Whatever that looks like, whatever it takes, they'll do and so she will, has a chance to become the [program’s] all-time leading scorer. Nobody's going to be cheering harder for her than I will be.”
On if there’s unfinished business due to last season’s early exit:
Moren: "I think again [Parrish] answered it, for all of us, for all those players, especially. I think Lenée [Beaumont], and Jules [LaMendola], and Sharnecce [Currie-Jelks] certainly were a part of that. There's no question with the chemistry and the closeness of this group that they've had conversations regarding that. So that's okay for them to. It can't be all of their motivation, because like I said, I don't want them to take away from all the other great things that we accomplished a year ago, but certainly, if they want to use it for fuel, I'm okay with that.”
On what it means to Moren and the program to be regarded as a leader in women’s basketball:
Moren: “We're extremely grateful. None of it's done without having a great staff. None of it can be done without having great players and then great support from whether it's Scott [Dolson], Matty all of it, Lowe, Kevin [Konopasek], our strength and conditioning coach, Ben [Tate], our athletic trainer. It takes a small village to do something like we've been able to do and I'm so grateful for all those people.”
“It's cool that that I can represent us and I can talk about Indiana women's basketball. When Coach Rhet and arrived here nine years ago –– it's hard to believe we're going into our 10th season … the tradition had always been on the men’s side. We wanted to build our own tradition so when people spoke of Indiana basketball, it wasn't exclusive just to men’s basketball.”
“Anybody who knows me knows that I'm a huge Indiana men's basketball fan. But you know, one of the goals here was for us to create this site in Bloomington, in Indianapolis and the surrounding areas that people wanted to come and watch Indiana women's basketball. So to sit here and be able to say, now that the state of Indiana has two teams that they can be really proud means a lot.”
On if Moren is ready to embrace the expectation of the first banner:
Moren: “There's no question. I said a year ago, I think it was at Hoosier Hysteria that we wanted, you know, one of those back there. I continue to say it, we've been so close. Anytime that you have the opportunity to get to a Sweet 16, get to an Elite Eight the way we have, you realize it’s just that one game and you know, you're playing for a Final Four or for a national championship.”
“We've tasted it, if you will, we know what it takes to get there. There's no question we have everything we need in order to be able to do that, to win a national championship. And so I think everybody's excited. I think maybe pundits on the outside maybe you know Grace Berger, those are some huge shoes to fell, but I still really, really like our pieces. I'll bet on these guys, knowing by seeing what I've been able to see with them inside of practice. I do think we have a chance.”
On what stood out to Moren about Sharnecce Currie-Jelks in the transfer portal:
Moren: “I think one of the concerns for us was how do we help do we protect Mack a little bit in terms of her reps. And so I think going out and finding a post player that can come in like Sharnecce, obviously she was terrific player at UT Martin and has the statistics to back some of that up.”
“But I really feel like we needed to have another post player that could come in and not just help us, but take some of those reps away from Mackenzie. I think Mack’s back there she’s not gonna like to hear that. But the reason is, is because we know that the last few years you know, Mack has battled some issues or injuries down the stretch.”
“I'm not gonna call it load management. But I will say that we try to have to… protect Mack as well as we can in practices, long practices. This is a long season. And a lot of those reps are going to be going to Sharnecce. I think you're going to see a young lady in Sharnecce, that’s going to continue to improve inside of our program and really, really help us. But great kid. She and Chloe [Moore-McNeil] played summer ball together. So good friends there. Another kid from the Tennessee area, so we're very excited. She has a tremendous upside to her.”
On telling Yarden Garzon where to grow an area of her game:
Moren: “One of the particular areas and she's been working with [Ali Patberg] a lot in her player development is she obviously shot the ball as you mentioned Zach at a really high clip.
“But I want to be able to utilize her like we used Grace Berger as a post, right. There was oftentimes that we would, we felt good about the matchup that Grace had on her and we had playcalls that would send Grace to the low block, to play with her back to the basket. And so we feel like we can do some unique things because you know, [Garzon's] a big guard and put her in positions with her back to the basket, and not always revert back to her little fade away – that international fade away that she brought with her from Israel.”
We want her to play with more moxie, play with more more tenacity, and as we call it in our practices, put people in the basket, which means you play through contact, you score, you get yourself to the free throw line. So that's really been the summer. That and her conditioning, her strength.”
“When she showed up in Greece, I felt like she had gotten taller. But, it wasn't that her height changed, her shoulders had changed. She filled out in her shoulders and so Kevin and her trainer over in Israel stayed in contact those couple of months that she was back there. And so she really has filled out shoulder-wise, she’s still shooting ball really well. But I like to be able to be creative with her. Like I said, with her back to the basket… and she can take advantage of her size.”
On the fewer new pieces and the comfortability to keep building upon last season:
Moren: “I think Syd hit it on the head again. Anytime that you can take international trips the way we did, it just helps, you know, with those new kids. When Lenée and Jules, they already understood the journey to the work piece. Just the time that you can spend together and getting to know one another. There's a real just camaraderie with chemistry. This is a group that really enjoys being around each other.
“We just had a recruit in on the weekend and it's not often that you know, they left my house to go and I think get ice cream and do something. It's not often that you have your entire team do that. It’s usually the host and maybe two or three other teammates. But the entire team went and so that's unusual, you know, especially when you have some older kids like we have with Mack.”
“Mack’s a fifth-year, she's been here forever, but Mack’s always wanted to be a part of the recruiting process for us. And I think that that's where it starts. There's a specialness that this group has. They really, really enjoy one another. Doing this as long as I have, that will translate onto the floor. Teams that like each other seems to be teams that play well with one another.”
