Indiana Picked To Win Big Ten; Patberg And Berger Earn Preseason All-Big Ten Honors
ROSEMONT, Ill. – Indiana Women’s Basketball has been selected to win the Big Ten by coaches and media polls while senior guard Ali Patberg and junior guard Grace Berger were selected as preseason All-Big Ten honorees, announced by the league on Wednesday.
The Hoosiers were picked to win the league in 2020-21 by both a vote from the league’s coaches and media. IU was selected to finish ahead of Maryland, Michigan, Northwestern and Ohio State in the coaches’ poll while Northwestern, Maryland, Michigan and Ohio State rounded out in order the ranking from the media. Berger and Patberg each earn a spot on the conference’s 10-person teams by the league’s coaches and media. Indiana is one of two schools (Northwestern) to earn two players on the preseason all-conference list.
This will also mark the first time in school and conference history the Hoosiers have been picked to win the Big Ten in the preseason polls. Records of preseason polls available from the league date back to the 1998-99 season.
“It is a nice honor to be picked at the top of the Big Ten preseason rankings,” Indiana head coach Teri Moren said. “It is a tribute to what these young women accomplished last season. We know, however, that these rankings won’t matter when the games begin this year. We need to continue to do the work every day to get better and prepare for an exciting season. The Big Ten is such a talented and deep conference and every game is a challenge.”
Patberg is coming off a 2019-20 season where she earned All-Big Ten First Team honoree and WBCA All-American honorable mention selection. She returns for her sixth season of eligibility this season after an impressive junior campaign in which she led the team in scoring with 15.6 points per game. She also led the program with 5.3 assists per game (third in the Big Ten) and averaged 4.6 rebounds while shooting 49 percent from the floor. Recently, Patberg was named one of 20 points guards to the Nancy Lieberman Award preseason watch list. As a junior, the Columbus, Ind. native was a finalist for the Nancy Lieberman Award in 2019-20 and was featured on watch lists including the Wooden Award, Naismith Trophy and Ann Meyers Drysdale Award. She is on track to hit 1,000 career points scored at Indiana – coming in to the season with 989 points scored in her two seasons in Cream and Crimson.
Berger returns after a stellar sophomore campaign where she also earned All-Big Ten First Team honors and was a WBCA All-American honorable mention selection. The Louisville, Ky. native increased her scoring nearly eight points from her freshman campaign, finishing as the team’s second leading scorer with 13.1 points per game. Berger also added 5.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists and a team-high 1.4 steals per game while scoring in double digits 21 times. She shot 45.6 percent from the floor and 76.9 percent at the charity stripe in 2019-20.
The 2020-21 NCAA women’s basketball season is slated to begin on November 25 with the Hoosiers still working out details for their final schedule. More information about the season will be made available when it’s ready on IUHoosiers.com.
2020-21 COACHES BIG TEN PRESEASON RANKINGS
1. Indiana
2. Maryland
3. Michigan
4. Northwestern
5. Ohio State
2020-21 COACHES PRESEASON ALL-BIG TEN TEAM
Grace Berger, Jr., G, Indiana
Ali Patberg, Sr., G, Indiana
Monika Czinano, Jr., F/C, Iowa
Ashley Owusu, So., G, Maryland
NAZ HILLMON, Jr., F, Michigan
Nia Clouden, Jr., G, Michigan State
Veronica Burton, Jr., G, Northwestern
LINDSEY PULLIAM, Sr., G, Northwestern
DORKA JUHÁSZ, Jr., F, Ohio State
ARELLA GUIRANTES, Sr., G, Rutgers
2020-21 COACHES BIG TEN CO-PRESEASON PLAYERS OF THE YEAR
Naz Hillmon, Jr., F, Michigan
Arella Guirantes, Sr., G, Rutgers
Unanimous selections listed in ALL CAPS
2020-21 MEDIA BIG TEN PRESEASON RANKINGS
1. Indiana
2. Northwestern
3. Maryland
4. Michigan
5. Ohio State
2020-21 MEDIA PRESEASON ALL-BIG TEN TEAM
Grace Berger, Jr., G, Indiana
Ali Patberg, Sr., G, Indiana
Monika Czinano, Jr., F/C, Iowa
Ashley Owusu, So., G, Maryland
Naz Hillmon, Jr., F, Michigan
Nia Clouden, Jr., G, Michigan State
Veronica Burton, Jr., G, Northwestern
LINDSEY PULLIAM, Sr., G, Northwestern
Dorka Juhász, Jr., F, Ohio State
ARELLA GUIRANTES, Sr., G, Rutgers
2020-21 MEDIA BIG TEN PRESEASON PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Lindsey Pulliam, Sr., G, Northwestern
Unanimous selections listed in ALL CAPS