When looking at the 2016 Hoosiers, there is one thing that jumps out: the depth of this team.
IU comes into this season with high expectations as IU Coach Todd Yeagley has been to the NCAA Tournament in every season he has been head coach in Bloomington. They come in ranked No. 13 and have high-profile matches on their schedule.
But there is no more Femi Hollinger-Janzen, IU’s leading goal scorer in 2015. There is no Matt Foldesy, who started in every game. There is no graduate transfer Ben Maurey or forward Kyle Sparks. They all graduated, which means others are now required to step up to fill those roles.
The question is, who is filling in for these guys and what depth does this team have to offer?
One player looking to provide a spark for this team is sophomore midfielder Rees Wedderburn. He said it isn’t necessarily about replacing former players who are gone.
“It’s not about replacing people. It’s about getting better overall,” Wedderburn said. “Femi was a great player for us, but now as a team we have to separate those goals between us and everyone must step up now. We can still be a better team without him, with all respect to Femi.”
IU comes into the 2016 season with competition throughout the squad, and Coach Yeagley said he is pleased with where the team is right now.
“We’re healthy, and the guys have played well,” Yeagley said. “I think there are a lot of tough decisions for the staff, and you want that. We have a lot of options in our wide positions, and it’s an area where you’d like some depth with the way we like to press and dictate the game.”
The possibilities are plentiful for Yeagley and his staff, and a few of those have been on display in the few exhibition matches.
Belmont transfer and junior forward Rashad Hyacenth is a name that could be up front for the Hoosiers as he has scored a goal in each of the last two games. There are others like redshirt-senior midfielder Richard Ballard, Wedderburn and sophomore forward Austin Panchot, who could see time up front or flanking each other on the wings.
There is the experience of the sophomores, juniors and seniors, but there is also a freshman class Yeagley said he really likes.
“I like this group. I like their personality. They inherently fit in fantastic with the group,” Yeagley said. “Some might come quicker than others in terms of time on the field, but I see a lot of really good potential players within this group.”
Players like forward Ian Black and defenders Spencer Glass and A.J. Palazzolo have already put their marks on exhibition matches thus far.
Playing time is up in the air, but they are making good progression, Yeagley said.
“They’ve only been with us a short time, so we might see another difference in a week’s time,” Yeagley said. “Overall, they are pushing, and that is making our team better, and whether that translates to on the field, we can’t tell at this point.”
From the back, preseason All-American and junior defender Grant Lillard said he likes what he sees so far, and if they really can play 18 like he says they can, it could make for more tough coaching decisions for Yeagley and his staff as the season progresses.
“The competition in practice is great. You can’t really take a day off because you’re required to bring 100 percent to practice,” Lillard said. “It’s nice that we have so many people we can play. I’m comfortable playing 18 deep, and it’s nice to have that luxury as a team.”
