INDIANA UNIVERSITY BASKETBALL MEDIA CONFERENCE

September 22, 2022

Sydney Parrish

Press Conference

Q. Kind of the cliche question, but what has it meant for you, and especially as it starts to become more real, practice is starting, the season is approaching, to be back close to home and playing for Indiana?

SYDNEY PARRISH: It means a lot. I'm very excited to be here. Things didn't really start to get real until we started practicing in Assembly, and just walking in and seeing like the big arena and stuff, it's just started to get really real, but it's been great since I've come back home.

Q. What's it like to be home? You're back home again in Indiana. What's it mean to you on stage, media days, and you're home, close to home, fans, friends, family can come down to see you?

SYDNEY PARRISH: It means everything. Coming back home, I wasn't expecting to come back home, so being here has just been great. It's been great being with my friends and family. I see my parents all the time now. My grandparents are just down the road. I get to see friends and family a lot, and just representing the state of Indiana, I loved playing high school basketball in Indiana, so now I can say I get to play college basketball here.

Q. Curious what you think the adjustment is going to be like going from playing in the Pac-12 to the Big Ten.

SYDNEY PARRISH: I'd say there's a lot of adjustment. I think the two conferences are very different. Big Ten is very fast, lots of shooters, play very fast, and the difference with the Pac-12 is they're really tall, so I think it's a big difference with my position and stuff, as well, so it'll be an adjustment, but I think I'm getting used to in practice and just seeing how my teammates work through it.

Q. With so many new faces around the program, how have you and everybody else kind of bonded and come together and built relationships, and where is the group at now heading into the season?

SYDNEY PARRISH: Yeah, a lot of new faces, a lot of new faces from last season. A lot of us didn't know each other coming in. It was not hard at the beginning, but just almost that awkward stage of not knowing everyone, but we've gotten really close together.

We actually had a team bonding exercise yesterday, and after it a couple people, including myself, were like, that actually really made us closer, even though we didn't think we needed to get any closer. I think that was really good for us, and it's looking really right in the right direction right now.

Q. Obviously you're from Indiana, but when you entered the portal, what was that decision-making process like? What made IU the fit for you?

SYDNEY PARRISH: Entering the portal, I kept my options really open, but as soon as IU contacted me, it kind of opened my head a little bit and just realized, okay, I can go back home and play, I can be close to family, I can be on a winning program. This team is really good, and everyone knows that. They're nationally known now. That was big for me.

I just wanted to come in and contribute as much as I can and hope to get really far in both tournaments.

Q. Ali Patberg kind of followed the same path as you, being a really good high school player in the state of Indiana who didn't choose IU, went elsewhere and decided to come back. What changed and made IU more interesting or exciting for you?

SYDNEY PARRISH: I'd just say the winning culture they have right now, and just what Coach Moren has done with the program. Not just Coach Moren but the staff and players like Ali and Grace and Mackenzie, they've really put a face to this program, and I think that's really what's putting us on the national level.

Q. What's your relationship like with Teri Moren? And obviously her recruiting you the first time, and the second time, how would you describe your relationship with her?

SYDNEY PARRISH: Yeah, it's crazy I've known Coach Moren since I was in about eighth great. I remember her at my middle school games sitting on the sidelines.

Second time around, it was a little different just because we hadn't talked in two years, so it was kind of the awkward stage of hey, do you want to come back? That kind of thing. But it's been really good. She's been great. We've been working really hard with her, and she's put together a really good team.