Last year’s women’s basketball team finished fifth in the Big Ten in rebounding, in large part thanks to the now-graduated Simone Deloach, Sasha Chaplin and Tabitha Gerardot. But when you lose your top three rebounders, the next season is presented with a big ?question mark.
“We don’t have the depth in the post, that’s clear,” Moren said. “But at the same time, we’ve got to have more post touches. Although we’re small, we have to try to get some high percentage touches.”
IU sophomore Jenn Anderson has stepped in and been running with the first team this season. The 6-foot-3 Anderson saw only 104 minutes last year behind Deloach and Chaplin but said she hopes to fill their shoes this season.
“I’m ready,” Anderson said. “Last year we had four post players in front of me so I know I have to step up and be what they were last year for our team.”
With five contributing post players on the roster last year, the Hoosiers were able to spread the minutes around and keep everyone fresh for the most part. Deloach, who lead the team in rebounding, played only 18.4 minutes per game.
But this year, with only three post players, bench time will be hard to come by, making conditioning all the more important.
The other player most likely to step up and earn minutes down low is freshman Amanda Cahill. Moren called her a “nice surprise” after she saw what Cahill could do on the block.
“She just makes plays,” Moren said. “She’s around the ball and has a knack for where the ball is going to come off the rim. She’s been a nice shot in the arm for us.”
Cahill also adds a stretch element to her game when she steps outside the 3-point line.
But with an already shooter-heavy roster, Moren might need her to stay inside and rebound more than ?Cahill is used to.
“If the opportunity presents itself, I think I can (step out),” Cahill said. “I think it’s one of the strengths of my game, but whatever the team needs, I’ll just apply myself and do what I can.”
With an offense teeming with explosive guards, the need for scoring down low may end up being marginal, but the rebounds will still have to come from ?somewhere.
Moren said they’re relying a lot on Anderson and Cahill to battle inside but that rebounding will be an overall team responsibility.
A team of male students has been practicing with the Hoosiers all preseason. That’s not unusual for a women’s team, but Moren said there has been an increased focus on aggressively going after rebounds against “the guys.”
“Having the guys on the floor forces us to really focus and concentrate on the contact box out,” Moren said. “Rebounding is going to be by committee, and all of us have responsibilities to box out.”
But with likely only one player taller than 6 feet on the floor at a time, the burden will be placed on Anderson and Cahill to step up.
“Our guards are working to rebound, but in the post we know that’s one of our main jobs,” Anderson said. “We’ll box out and they can crash and clean it up, but in the end, it’s our ?responsibility.”
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