John Marshall grad Lilly Meister has found a resoundingly winning home at Indiana
Feb. 3—BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Being an important part of a 21-1 team that's ranked fourth in the country and having her ears ring during games.
It's all been more than Rochester John Marshall graduate and star basketball player Lilly Meister could have imagined.
Meister is a 6-foot-3 freshman reserve center on that Indiana University team.
"I can't even describe what it's been like," Meister said. "But this is the reason that I came here. The other day, we had a record-high attendance here for women's basketball. That's crazy. There was a point in the game where I couldn't even hear, it was so loud. It gave me chills. It was surreal."
That Meister is making an impact on the Hoosiers isn't surreal. The two-time All-State player at JM was the 87th-ranked senior in the country a year ago when she led her team to the Section 1AAAA championship game and a 21-8 record.
Meister was a do-it-all player for the Rockets as well as the Post Bulletin's Girls Basketball Player of the Year a season ago after averaging 22.3 points, 11.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.8 steals and 1.3 blocks per game.
Meister had her choice of colleges. But she was drawn to Hoosiers head coach Teri Moren and her powerhouse program. Including this season, Indiana has won 20 or more games five straight years under Moren.
Meister says it's Moren's way of capturing everyone's best by making sure they feel cared for and appreciated that makes her special.
"Teri, she loves us and treats us all like family," Meister said. "When you're with a group as often as we are in college athletics — with them every day — it is so important to have someone like Teri who supports us. She tells us if we are doing a good job and gets on us when we need to do better. She does it well."
Moren's support for Meister is obvious. A prime example came following a Jan. 26 win over top-five ranked Ohio State. Meister, who plays behind All-Big Ten center and honorable-mention All-American Mackenzie Holmes, saw just 5 minutes of action that game, 1 minute fewer than she is averaging this season. The 6-3 center finished with five big rebounds, two points and provided her usual solid defense. For the season, Meister averages 2.5 points and 2.1 rebounds and shoots 58% from the field.
Moren concluded her post-game press conference offering raves about Meister.
"I've loved everything about (Meister)," Moren said. "She knows her role and she stars in that role. Lilly knows that she doesn't have to score a basket to impact this game. What she has to do is guard well on the low block, be in our defensive rotations, needs to rebound and play hard every possession.
"It's been great to watch her impact the game and watch her confidence grow as well. She's been playing meaningful minutes for us. When her number is called, it's not just to spell (Holmes). It's to do a job and she's been doing that great for us."
As crucial as Moren has been to Meister's development and contentment at Indiana, so has been Indiana's biggest star, Holmes.
Holmes often leaves Meister in awe with both her basketball abilities and leadership. The 6-3 senior is averaging 22 points and eight rebounds while shooting a blistering 68% from the field.
"Mackenzie is amazing, and getting to practice with her and learn from her is insane," Meister said. "She makes everything. She is so good. She inspires me because she tells me that I'm in the same place (in ability and progress) as she was as a freshman. She tells me I'm going in the right direction. Being around someone like her who is so good on and off the court is great. Mackenzie is one of the nicest people around. She is a really good encourager."
Though Meister admits to having had some down times this season, when her basketball confidence has dipped, she's on a high ebb right now.
She sees herself improving daily, which is her constant goal. She also sees the same thing with her team.
The Hoosiers' only loss came Dec. 29, when they fell to Michigan State. Among their 21 wins was an 87-63 toppling of No. 11-ranked University of North Carolina and its Rochester star, Lourdes graduate Alyssa Ustby. That has been among six Indiana wins over top-25 teams.
On Wednesday, the Hoosiers swallowed struggling Minnesota in a homecoming for Meister, the game played in Minneapolis.
All of that winning has just bred an appetite for more of the same.
Meister and the rest of these Hoosiers have big aspirations.
"We're seeking championships," Meister said. "We want to win the Big Ten. We want to get to the Final Four. Our eyes are set on some big things."
