Indiana’s Lexus Bargesser Hopes Offseason Shot Work Pays Off

The junior guard worked in the offseason to revamp her jump shot. Indiana wants Lexus Bargesser to be a perimeter threat in 2025.

Indiana Hoosiers guard Lexus Bargesser (1) makes move to the basket on during the first half against the Maryland Terrapins at Xfinity Center. / Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana women’s basketball coach Teri Moren said there’s a sign in Cook Hall – the Indiana basketball practice facility – that describes her mantra for all of her players.

“We have a sign in Cook Hall that says, ‘Your confidence can only come from your work’,” Moren said during Indiana basketball media day in September.

Moren was talking specifically about guard Lexus Bargesser when she brought up that sign. Bargesser has been a project of the coaching staff in the offseason as they seek to give her a cleaner outside shot.

Bargesser’s shot prior to the offseason effort to revamp the shot was unique. She leaned ever-so-slightly to her left, brought the ball below her hip, and fired away a two-handed set shot.

Bargesser shot 30% from 3-point range in 2024, but the shot would be easy to block with more defensive attention.

She wasn’t getting defensive attention, however, as teams sagged off of her to account for Indiana’s deadlier 3-point shooters like graduated Sara Scalia, Yarden Garzon, Chloe Moore-McNeil and Sydney Parrish.

Moren wants to make sure that Garzon, Moore-McNeil and Parrish – all of whom return – won’t get extra defensive attention on the arc with Scalia gone, so making sure Bargesser is a 3-point threat is one way to accomplish that.

“Her being consistently ready to catch and shoot beyond the arc – she has to be able to hit one or two of those for us. She knows this,” Moren said.

Bargesser, who also used an unusual one-handed push-style free throw shooting motion in the latter half of the 2024 season to improve her free throw percentage, has been receptive to making sure her shot is what Indiana needs it to be.

“We really just broke it down and started just from the bottom, we built back up again into a different kind of form for myself that feels comfortable and is efficient,” Bargesser said.

No one has yet seen Bargesser’s shot against competition. Indiana’s women did not have a live scrimmage during Hoosier Hysteria last Friday. (Bargesser’s right foot was in a boot during the festivities.)

An X post from the summer showed her new free throw form – she’s using a more traditional two-handed shot.

Also a notable from @IndianaWBB practice today - Lexus Bargesser has completely changed her shot this offseason. pic.twitter.com/1oq7tRC2er

— Talia Goodman (@TaliaGoodmanWBB) July 17, 2024

As with any player in any sport trying to revamp part of their skill set, there have been good and bad days. Bargesser is just trying to stick with the process and not get too low or high.

“It’s been kind of tough. Some days feel better than others and some days it looks better than others, and it's just been a battle every day,” Bargesser said.

“No matter what, no matter how it's feeling, stay locked in, stay focused, and know that each day I am still building. It's not just gonna be like a straight line up, but I'm gonna keep building more each day,” Bargesser noted.

If Bargesser can get her shot honed to where she and the Hoosiers want it, she would add to a repertoire that has already been helpful to Indiana.

Bargesser is a disruptive defender who forces opponents into mistakes. There is little, if any, defensive fall-off when she spells Moore-McNeil.

A tribute to her hard work also came last season when she became a dependable drive-and-dish option for the Hoosiers. Her cutting without the ball made her available for teammates to dish to as well. Bargesser made 49.1% of her 2024 shots while averaging 4.3 points and 2.8 assists per game.

“This year I want to go into the year just a little more aggressive, become more of a threat on offense. And you know, I am working on my shot, but still remember my other skills that I'm good at,” Bargesser said.

Moren appreciates everything Bargesser has done, but she also has one eye in her improvement with her shot.

“She became a great cutter for us. She did whatever we needed her do, and I thought she had a great sophomore season, but now that she's really worked hard this summer on that shot, I think that she's going to be somebody that other opponents are going to guard, and that's a good thing for us,” Moren said.

Bargesser is looking forward to getting the chance to make her work pay off.

“I think that going out there knowing that my mechanics are better and cleaner, I feel more confident shooting the ball and more confident overall on the court,” Bargesser said.

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