Women's basketball preview

In his first year as head coach, IU Coach Curt Miller and the IU women’s basketball team went 11-19, up from 6-24 in 2011-2012.

Still, the Hoosiers managed only two conference wins in the Big Ten last season.

This, though, is the first of a two-part series to preview the Hoosiers’ 2013-2014 schedule.

Part one will analyze Indiana’s non-conference schedule, where the Hoosiers went 9-5 last year.

Indiana has 14 non-conference games, the same number as the previous season. Of the 14, eight of them are home games.

The Hoosiers were 9-8 at home last season.
IU starts the season off against Georgetown (Ky.) at home on Oct. 29.

Georgetown (Ky.) boasted a 23-10 record last year, the best of any other non-conference team IU is set to play this year.

IU’s first road game is against IPFW, who the Hoosiers defeated at home last season 64-47. IPFW went 13-17 in the Summit League last season.

In addition to IPFW, the Hoosiers play games against three other in-state teams: Indiana State, Butler and IUPUI. IU went 3-1 in in-state play last season, losing only to Butler by 3.

In the annual ACC/Big Ten Challenge, Indiana faces off against Virginia Tech at home. The Hokies were 10-20 last season, finishing last in the ACC. The Hoosiers played Virginia in last year’s ACC/Big Ten challenge, losing to the Cavaliers 65-49.

Indiana rounds out its non-conference schedule with four of its last five games on the road, starting at Morehead State and finishing at Xavier before they begin Big Ten play.

Of its 14 non-conference opponents this season, only five teams had winning records in 2012-2013. Last year the Big Ten alone had nine of its 14 teams above .500.

Follow reporter John Bauernfeind on Twitter @JBauernfeindIDS.