BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – This is the last story in a series. Is Indiana better than each of its Big Ten opponents?
Nine categories were chosen. There will be no ties in individual categories. Think of it like you would the Supreme Court.
The categories: Point guard play, free throw shooting, inside scoring, perimeter shooting, rebounding, perimeter defense, rim protection, how much proven Power Five talent is on the roster, and intangibles.
The daily series covered both the men’s and women’s basketball teams. The final story in the Is Indiana Better Than Series takes Purdue’s women’s basketball team into account.
The Boilermakers had a tough year in 2024, finishing 15-19 with five Big Ten wins one season after Purdue made the NCAA Tournament. Purdue has not finished even with Indiana in the Big Ten standings since 2017 and last finished ahead of the Hoosiers in 2014.
Coach Katie Gearlds would like to change that, but it won’t be easy. The Boilermakers lost their top four scorers. Included in that group was Jeanae Terry – the rebounding and assist leader from 2024.
Here’s how the battle between the Hoosiers and Boilermakers shakes out.
• Point guard play – Terry (5.1 ppg, 8.4 rpg, 5.9 apg) was a workhorse for the Boilermakers and will be missed. In her place, freshman Amiyah Reynolds – who missed the 2024 season with an ankle injury – could be the starter. Stephen F. Austin transfer Destini Leonard (10.1 ppg, 4 apg) also demonstrated she could move the ball around.
Indiana has a big edge here as Chloe Moore-McNeil is an experienced veteran and Lexus Bargesser is one of the best backup point guards in the conference. Edge: Indiana.
• Free throw shooting – There isn’t a single player with Division I experience on the Boilermakers’ roster who shoots better than Shay Ciezki (90.2%), Sydney Parrish (79.2%) or Moore-McNeil (76.1%). What Purdue does have is a higher quantity of plus-70% shooters. Rashunda Jones (75.9%), UTEP transfer Mahri Petree (72.4%), Leonard (72.4%) and Sophie Swanson (70.6%) have produced at the Division I level.
Note that the first sentence said “with Division I experience.” The tiebreaker in Purdue’s favor involves one of the more intriguing players coming into the Big Ten. Ella Collier made 96% of her free throws at NAIA Marian University. Free throws translate regardless of college level, so in combination with the quantity of other shooters, the Boilermakers take it. Edge: Purdue.
• Inside scoring – Purdue lost Caitlyn Harper (11.6 ppg) to graduation and Mary Ashley Stevenson (9.7 ppg) to Stanford in the transfer portal. In their place, forward Reagan Bass (16.4 ppg, 9.9 rpg) arrives from Akron. Bass was a three-time All-Mid-American Conference selection. Purdue’s depth suffered a blow here when Mila Reynolds suffered a wrist injury that will keep her out.
If Bass can repeat her MAC production in the Big Ten, Purdue will be on to something. However, even in small doses, Lilly Meister and Karolin Striplin have more Power Four experience, and for that, the Hoosiers get the nod. Edge: Indiana.
• Perimeter shooting – Swanson (39.4%) and Petree (34.4%) – sister of former Purdue player Lasha Petree – have proven ability at the Division level. Collier comes into play here again, too. A two-time NAIA National Player of the Year, Collier drained 40.3% at Marian. Unlike free throw shooting, one can’t assume that accuracy transfers in the big leap in the Big Ten. And in any case, Indiana’s trio of Yarden Garzon (42.2%), Moore-McNeil (40.9%) and Parrish (40%) are too formidable. Edge: Indiana.
• Rebounding – Bass (9.9 rpg) was fantastic at Akron and led the MAC in rebounding, but there’s just not anyone else on the Purdue roster with proven ability to clean the glass. Even taking Meister and Striplin out of the equation, Hoosiers like Parrish (6 rpg) and Garzon (4.4 rpg) have more proven ability. Edge: Indiana.
• Perimeter defense – Purdue struggled in this department last season. In Big Ten games, opponents shot 37.3% from 3-point range, second-worst in the Big Ten. Jones could be a tenacious defender, but it’s hard to know what Purdue has defensively. By contrast, Indiana is strong with Moore-McNeil, Parrish and others. Edge: Indiana.
• Defense at the rim – Purdue is a bit of a mystery here too. Bass wasn’t a major shot blocker at Akron and the Zips were generally poor defensively, which drags the advanced defensive metrics down for Bass. None of Purdue’s other post player candidates have the body of evidence to pull the trigger for the Boilermakers – even with Meister and Striplin having come off the bench in their respective roles in 2024. Edge: Indiana.
• Proven Power 5 ability on roster – The standard here is whether a player averaged 25 minutes or more at the Power Five level at their current or former school.
Obviously, with the roster churn, Purdue is going to suffer here. In fact, no returning Boilermaker has reached that 25-minute threshold. Four Hoosiers clear the bar. Edge: Indiana.
• Intangibles – Clearly, with so many different moving parts that don’t have Big Ten experience, getting those pieces put together is a major challenge for Gearlds. The Big Ten can be pretty unforgiving for teams rebuilding like Purdue. By comparison, Indiana is in a different galaxy in terms of where it is as a program. Edge: Indiana.
• Verdict – In their final Better Than battle, the Indiana women prevail 8-1 over its archrivals. In all, Indiana came out ahead of 11 schools. Maryland, USC, UCLA, Ohio State and Michigan State scored better in the categories we chose.
Does this mean Indiana is the sixth-best team in the Big Ten? Not at all. This series was more about the direct matchup between the Hoosiers and their conference foes. Some of the schools that beat Indiana in this series might get beaten by schools Indiana bested, so it shouldn’t be considered a determination of pecking order.
What the entirety of the series demonstrated to me is that if Indiana can get production from the post – something not reflected very well in a series that emphasized experience – the Hoosiers can be a top tier Big Ten team. Indiana coach Teri Moren has also promised a five-out offensive philosophy, so that bears watching as well.
Previous Is Indiana Better Than Women’s Basketball Results
Oregon – Indiana 5-4.
Rutgers – Indiana 5-4.
Maryland – Maryland 7-2.
USC – USC 6-3.
Penn State – Indiana 8-1.
Minnesota – Indiana 6-3.
Michigan – Indiana 9-0.
UCLA – UCLA 8-1.
Ohio State – Ohio State 5-4.
Iowa – Indiana 5-4.
Michigan State – Michigan State 5-4.
Washington – Indiana 5-4.
Wisconsin – Indiana 5-4.
Northwestern – Indiana 8-1.
Nebraska – Indiana 5-4.
Illinois – Illinois 5-4.
