Freshman used to not be able to play college basketball. Not at the varsity level at least. The verdict was that freshmen just weren’t ready to compete.
The rule was changed ahead of the 1973 season, but if you look at some of head coach Teri Moren’s lineups over her first 11 seasons at Indiana, you might think the rule never passed.
Moren’s teams were known for their veterans once she rebuilt Indiana into a perennial tournament team, not the freshman. At least not in the starting lineup. There have been exceptions, players like Yarden Garzon did it a few seasons ago.
Freshman starting just hasn’t been the norm in Bloomington, but now, 52 years after the rule was changed, Indiana found themselves starting two freshmen against the University of Louisiana Monroe.
Down to nine players due to injury. Coming off their worst performance of the year. Somebody had to step up.
On Thursday night, it was the freshmen’s turn as Indiana would rout ULM 98-54 to move to 9-2 on the year.
Nevaeh Caffey had started every game this season due to her relentless defensive energy. She had even been compared to former Hoosier Nicole Cardaño-Hillary, a former Big Ten All-Defensive team member, by Moren earlier this season.
Caffey was joined in the starting five by highly touted freshman and 2025 Indiana Miss Basketball Maya Makalusky. Makalusky came off the bench in Indiana’s first 10 contests behind Valentyna Kadlecova but got her first starting nod from Moren against the Warhawks.
“(After) the game at Illinois, we needed to do something to mix it up a little bit,” Moren said about the decision. “She deserved to have an opportunity to be in the lineup tonight because she talks, she has a great energy level.”
The decision paid off for Moren and the Hoosiers as Makalusky had her best game of her young career.
Makalusky set a new high in points, 22, on 6-for-10 shooting from downtown in addition to a pair of steals. The highlight of the night was a circus-shot 3-pointer as Makalusky fell out of bounds from the wing.
Moren’s favorite highlight? Makalusky opening the game with a charge.
Makalusky felt good about her performance but is making sure to not let complacency creep in.
“It definitely feels great for your hard work to pay off, but the job’s not done,” Makalusky said. “I got to continue to maintain that role and do what I need to do to stay on the court.”
For Caffey, she delivered yet another good defensive performance with two steals while adding in six points but was limited by foul trouble at times.
“Nevaeh has to stay out of foul trouble for us,” Moren said. “Nevaeh has played well for us. She just has to be better and more sound defensively.”
It was a display that encapsulates the potential that a young Indiana team has and how good they could be when firing on all cylinders.
The youth movement combined with the veterans Shay Ciezki and Lenée Beaumont who added 31 and 18 points, respectively, has the Hoosiers back on the upturn after an ugly performance against Illinois to open conference play.
The trio of Ciezki, Makalusky and Beaumont outscored ULM as a team 71-54 which helped the Hoosiers in their best offensive night of the regular season, topping their 95-point performance against Iowa State.
All of this without star center Zania Socka-Nguemen, as she continues to be labeled as “week to week,” Moren said. Despite ditching the scooter, she is still in a walking boot as she continues to work back from her injury.
Socka-Ngueman wasn’t the only player absent as Jerni Kiaku missed with the flu and Faith Wiseman missed due to a collision in practice. The Hoosiers especially missed Wiseman and Socka-Ngueman inside as ULM outrebounded Indiana 37-33 while grabbing 19 offensive rebounds to Indiana’s one.
Despite the rebounding woes, it was a necessary bounce back win for the Hoosiers and it shows a payoff for Moren’s youth movement in the rebuild in Bloomington.
For decades there was a belief that freshmen weren’t ready to compete at the highest level and at times under Moren, this belief rained true.
But on a night where the Hoosiers needed a spark, two freshmen stepped up and brought the energy that Indiana needed.
