Teri Moren Says the Big Ten Will Be Most Difficult Conference in the Country

Indiana women's basketball coach Teri Moren said she believes the Big Ten conference will be the most difficult one in the country. With four teams in the AP Poll and two in the top 10, Moren and her Hoosiers have every reason to enter conference season with more toughness than ever.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — As most fans know, Indiana women's basketball is one of 14 teams in the Big Ten conference. Out of these 14 teams that have grown to become elite, the Hoosiers rank second behind Ohio State.

"I think the Big Ten conference by itself will be the most difficult conference in the country, and you can quote me on that," Indiana head coach Teri Moren said.

Indiana's Yarden Garzon (12) looks for options around Illinois' Adalia McKenzie (24) in the Hoosiers, Fighting Illini game on Dec. 4 in Bloomington, Ind / IU Athletics

As of the new year, Ohio State has the best offense averaging 87.3 points per game while Indiana isn't too far behind at 81.9 points. However, the Hoosiers' bread and butter has always been their defense, and their No. 1 ranking proves that as the team holds opponents to 58.2 points per game. The Buckeyes rank sixth in this category.

Ohio State is the only undefeated team left in the conference and in turn ranks No. 3 in the Associated Press Top 25 Poll with a 15-0 record. Indiana has only one loss and sits at No. 6 while Maryland and Michigan follow at No. 13 and 14.

The Big Ten is tied with the Big 12 as the conference with the most teams in the poll behind the ACC and Pac-12. The Big East follows with three schools while the SEC and West Coast round out the poll with 2 and 1 respective schools.

But rankings don't matter, right? It's really just a benchmark to see where each team measures up compared to its conference and national foes during the season. However, when it comes to March Madness, it's anyone's game, and the rankings seem like old news. 

Indiana's Sydney Parrish (33) shoots over Michigan State's Julia Ayrault (40) in the Hoosiers, Spartans contest on Dec. 29 in East Lansing, Mich / IU Athletics

Moren said she likes to split her season into two sections — non-conference and conference. Her Hoosiers breezed through the non-conference season knocking off then ranked No. 11 Tennessee and No. 6 North Carolina in the process. Now, the team is without star point guard Grace Berger, who's been out with a right knee injury since late November.

Moren has said multiple times in post game press conferences the team needs Berger back. That was evident as Indiana struggled to get going in its overtime win over Nebraska on New Year's Day. The Hoosiers were only up one point at the half and couldn't get many triples to fall, but sound defense and a home crowd plus a 12-0 overtime run kept them alive.

Indiana's Mackenzie Holmes (54) is fouled by Nebraska's Sam Haiby (4) during the second half of the Indiana versus Nebraska women's basketball game at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall on Sunday, Jan. 1, 2023 :: © Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK

Nebraska isn't ranked. The Cornhuskers have lost five games this season. It doesn't matter. Every Big Ten team presents a unique challenge.

"It's a great league with great players, great coaches, and I'm grateful we're always trying to grow this game," Moren said.

Moren said you'll see close games like the Indiana, Nebraska contest every week. The good news is you might be able to catch some of the action on the main ESPN just like this past Sunday.

"It's good not just for the Big Ten, but it's good for women's basketball," Moren said.

"It's good for other people nationally to be able to watch the Big Ten and realize it's a really, really good league."

Moren said as the league continues to rise, it will gain more attention and respect. Plus, USC and UCLA will join the conference in summer 2024 to add in another time zone and yes, long travel plans for the midwest and east coast teams. 

That's all part of expanding a growing conference, and you can count on the Big Ten schools to be top contenders across both men's and women's sports.

Related stories on Indiana women's basketball

• LEXUS BARGESSER GETS MORE POINT GUARD MINUTES Freshman guard Lexus Bargesser has been helping take over the point guard position since star guard Grace Berger went down with an injury. Bargesser's high school injury experience plus her 'can do', determined attitude and talent has earned her more and more minutes in Big Ten play. CLICK HERE
• HOLMES NAMED CO-BIG TEN PLAYER OF THE WEEK For the second time this season, Indiana women's basketball senior forward Mackenzie Holmes earns conference honors as the Co-Big Ten Player of the Week for her performances versus Michigan State and Nebraska. CLICK HERE
• HOOSIERS DROP TWO SPOTS IN AP POLL After four weeks at No. 4 in the AP Top 25 Poll, the Indiana women's basketball team dropped a couple of spots while three other Big Ten teams are still chasing the Hoosiers and Ohio State tops the conference. CLICK HERE