Their goal is the Final Four in March. Already the IU women look the part to AP voters in November.
Indiana women’s basketball jumped four spots to No. 4 in the Associated Press Top 25 week two poll on Monday.
It marks another historic feat for the Hoosiers, appearing for the first time in the top-5 in program history. The ranking comes on the heels of a 2-0 start to open the 2021-22 season where the Hoosiers defeated Butler on the road on Wednesday and No. 13/13 Kentucky at home on Sunday.
The Hoosiers shot 53.2 percent in the two games last week behind a pair of 29-point performances. Point guard Nicole Cardaño-Hillary had 29 against the Bulldogs and Mackenzie Holmes reached a career high 29 points against the Wildcats.
IU is averaging 87.0 points per game while converting 89.7 percent at the free throw line.
Kentucky was just the first of several non-conference tests for IU. The Hoosiers will face defending national champion Stanford, Miami (Fla.) and N.C. State over the next few weeks.
For her efforts Holmes has been named the Big Ten Player of the Week, announced by the league on Monday. This marks Holmes second career player of the week honor as she earned the last weekly award during the 2020-21 season (March 7, 2021).
During the two-game stretch, Holmes went 64.0 percent from the field and averaged 20.0 points per game. She also shot 66.7 percent from behind the arc (2-for-3) and went a perfect 6-for-6 at the free throw line.
In the season opener against the Bulldogs, the Gorham, Maine native shot 50 percent from the floor to score 11 points and added eight rebounds, two steals and a block. She hit her first career triple in the game and didn’t commit a single foul in 25 minutes of action.
On the national stage on Sunday, Holmes went an impressive 11-for-15 from the floor. She hit a 3-pointer and went 6-for-6 at the free throw line while pulling down seven rebounds, picking up two steals and adding a block.
Up next, IU will host Norfolk State in action on Tuesday. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. ET.
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