Hoosiers seek 15th consecutive win

IU Coach Curt Miller said that an undefeated start and a win against former No. 22 Iowa in the Hoosier’s Big Ten opener does not change the mindset of his team as they look toward Ohio State.

He pointed out that IU was predicted to finish 12th in the Big Ten in the preseason Coaches’ Poll—dead last. With that much doubt surrounding a young team, it could have been easy for IU to struggle, especially in Big Ten play.

Instead, Miller and his Hoosier team have embraced the roll as underdogs. With the Big Ten season just getting underway, IU is trying to use the roll of underdog to their advantage as they look to build upon what has been a historic start to the season.

“We try to take the underdog role,” Miller said. “We try to exceed expectations. There’s not anyone that follows women’s basketball that has picked us anywhere but 12th out of 12 in this conference this year, so we wanted to play that way.”

The results have been unprecedented and unexpected. Despite stretches where IU has struggled, the Hoosiers are 14-0 with a second Big Ten game against Ohio State (10-4) on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. in Assembly Hall.

On paper, IU has become the favorite in the matchup against the Buckeyes. The undefeated, No. 22 ranked Hoosiers are no longer the mathematical underdog at home.

Despite being favored in the rankings, Miller said he will not let ranking dictate the way his team plays.

“Rankings aren’t going to define is. We are going to define ourselves on getting better ourselves and hard work,” Miller said.

The Big Ten has been full of parody early on in the season. No. 16 Nebraska had to rally late to defeat an unranked Northwestern at home. Ohio State defeated nationally ranked Purdue in its Big Ten opener and followed that up with a 15 point loss to unranked Michigan on Monday.

With all of the parody in the conference, being favored on paper does not necessarily mean much. Instead, IU players and coaches are trying to continue playing like the perennial underdog.

“Inside the locker room, we just challenge ourselves to exceed expectations,” senior forward Simone Deloach said. “I don’t think it changes anything, it just makes us work harder. Honestly, whatever the opponent may feel about us coming into the game, we have a mindset of executing our plays, talking on defense and just playing Indiana basketball and that’s most important.”

Moving forward with Saturday’s game against Ohio State and the other Big Ten matchups ahead, IU has caught the attention of the national spotlight after a historic start to the season. In the upcoming games, IU will not always be the mathematical underdog that they try to embrace being.

But in the locker room, that is the mindset players and coaches are trying to maintain. They still remember being picked to finish last in the Big Ten at the beginning of the year and are still trying to use that to their advantage.

“I think we’ve been underdogs all season,” senior forward Tabitha Gerardot said. “I think it’s played to our advantage for us. It’s just another thing to motivate us and push us forward.”

Follow women's basketball reporter Sam Beishuizen on Twitter @Sam_Beishuizen