Lilly Meister’s new role, ideal for transfers

BLOOMINGTON — Lilly Meister knew that as she prepared for this season, she took on responsibilities one of the best players in IU history.

Maester joined IU women’s basketball program in 2022 and backed up Mackenzie Holmes, the program’s leading scorer, for two years. Meister has seen Holmes dominate in the paint, winning Top 10 Defensive Player of the Year in 2022-23, and scoring almost at will in the paint.

Big shoes to fill. It may not be possible to fill shoes.

“I think the biggest question is how are we going to replace Mackenzie Holmes?” IU coach Teri Moren said. “And the answer to that question is: You will not replace Mackenzie Holmes. You will need players like Lilly Meister.”

Before this season, Meister had started just once, in 2023, when Holmes was injured in the NCAA Tournament. She stayed the course in the new world of collegiate athletics, where transitions are easy and unrestricted.

Now, dominating the paint IU wins over Maryville 95-27 on Wednesday evening she begins to see the fruits of her labor. Meister scored six of the Hoosiers’ first eight points and finished with 19 points on 9-of-11 shooting in 17 minutes.

“We’re in a different time in athletics where if you don’t get the playing time that you want or you think you deserve, those kids just wait and keep working and get great rewards, you know, those are the moments when you really really you’re proud of these kids,” Morin said. “She deserves this moment to have a night where she can shine.”

In Holmes’ two-year apprenticeship, Meister’s mentality has helped her transition from a reserve to a starter trusted to set the tone.

“Her confidence is a lot higher this year and she’s a great player. We all trust her,” junior guard Yarden Garzon said. “We know what she is capable of. She’s always consistent.”

After the game, Meister said confidence was what she had worked on the most in the months leading up to this moment.

“A lot of it depends on who I’m surrounded by, you know, my coaches and teammates,” Meister said. “They see me. They see me at my worst, basketball-wise, and if they can still trust me like that, there’s no reason why I can’t do it. And I think it’s just me who taught myself that.”

In the end, no one can replace Holmes. But with this new team, Morin doesn’t need a copy of Holmes. She needs a consistent, dominant player who will play the game her way.

“She just needs to stay resilient for us,” Morin said of Meister. “I don’t want her to feel like she needs anyone other than Lilly.”

Seamless transitions for transfers Shay Chesky, Caroline Striplin

Morin couldn’t have asked for a better transition for her two future transfers, Shay Chesky (Penn State) and Caroline Striplin (Tennessee).

Both came from programs where they were critical pieces – Tsetski was a regular starter for the Nittany Lions, and Striplin received key rotation minutes for the Volunteers. It’s no different here.

“Everything went smoothly,” Morin said. “(Czetzky’s) move to Indiana from Penn State, like Strip’s move from Tennessee, went smoothly. I feel like these two kids have been here the whole time.”

Tsetski was a three-point shooter at Penn State, averaging 11.5 points per game on 36.8 percent shooting from beyond the arc. With Tsetski’s arrival, the Hoosiers made up for the three-point shooting they lost to Sarah Scalia.

Tsetski was immediately inserted into the starting lineup and switched between point guard and shooting guard throughout the game. She played 30 minutes and matched the tempo the Hoosiers like to play, scoring 14 points on 5-for-8 shooting, including a transition break off a cross-court pass from Sidney Parrish.

Tsetski, along with five-year security guard Chloe Moore-McNeil, have become leaders of what is now an empty security room. Leni Beaumont is out with a nagging knee injury suffered in the summer and Lexus Bargesser is out with a foot injury, with no immediate timetable for her return. While Morin called Beaumont’s injury more cautious on Wednesday, the Hoosiers may not have those two rotation players to start the season.

“I mean, she’s a fighter, she’s competitive,” Morin said. “She has a loud voice. She can shoot. She can make it easier. I thought she tried to be more of a mediator in the second half, which I liked. She’s tough, you know, you can play with her for many minutes. You know, she also has a sprained ankle. She’s strong.”

Striplin scored five points on 2-of-7 shooting, 15 minutes behind Meister. The Tennessee transfer showed off her toughness on the boards with six rebounds.

“The strip was really good,” Morin said. “Her 2 for 7 today is not indicative of how Caroline Striplin trained for us. “I mean, she’s really, really good and so she feels very confident with both Lily and Caroline.”

This article originally appeared on the Indianapolis Star: Indiana women’s basketball first impressions of exhibition win