Ten games into the season, and IU women’s basketball has itself in great shape, ranked 12th in the nation, winners of four in a row and sitting at 9-1.
That’s all without mentioning that its roster has returned to full strength, with sophomore guard Grace Berger returning from a concussion and junior guard Bendu Yeaney making her season debut after an Achilles injury.
The Hoosiers got their first look at a full roster Wednesday night in Indianapolis, winning 64-53 over Butler University.
It was far from a perfect game for IU, and it highlighted some things IU still needs to improve upon. But fortunately for IU, it doesn’t have to wait too long to get back on the floor and make some adjustments.
Before IU welcomes Youngstown State University, here are three things to know.
Ball security is key
One of the big issues for IU in its win Wednesday was turnovers.
The Hoosiers turned it over 21 times, well above their season average of 12 turnovers per game. It was quite uncharacteristic for a team that is generally fundamentally sound.
Berger turned it over six times in her return, but it was junior guard Ali Patberg who took the blame, saying that sloppy play starts with the point guard.
IU head coach Teri Moren echoed this sentiment, but added that she attributed the overall poor play to fatigue from the long stretch of games in Florida and the Paradise Jam.
With the Hoosiers returning home Sunday, Moren was confident that Patberg would come out motivated to right the ship.
Home sweet home
Speaking of home, IU has played just one game at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall since Nov. 22. That changes Sunday as the Hoosiers play five of their next six games on their home court, starting with the Penguins.
IU is 4-0 at home this season, and after three successful weeks spent primarily on the road, the team will have a warm reception waiting for them.
Deep cuts
With the return of Berger and Yeaney, the Hoosiers got a taste of what their regular rotation could look like for the rest of the season.
This team can easily run nine to 10 players deep each game, meaning that teams that run shorter benches will be out of gas by the end of games while the Hoosiers should be well rested by closing time.
It presents what Moren called a good problem, however, as Yeaney will come off the bench most of the time. After making 33 starts last year, being relegated to the bench will be an adjustment.
It will be an adjustment for the team as it figures out who plays when and where. Its next chance comes Sunday.
