Wentland winding down her career at Indiana State

<p>Indiana State women’s basketball player Regan Wentland will never be accused of squandering her college years.</p><p>Wentland arrived on the Indiana State campus the summer of 2015 and immediately went to work. The Center Grove graduate learned to better manage her time, secured a bachelor’s degree in accounting in only three years — making the dean’s list last spring — and expanded her social circle.</p><p>Oh, and she’s represented her university in 96 games, including 39 starts — and is in the process of adding more.</p>[sc:text-divider text-divider-title="Story continues below gallery" ]<p>“Personally, I think it is going fast,” said Wentland, a 6-foot-1 senior forward averaging 7.6 points and a team-high 6.9 rebounds for ISU this season. “When they say that your four years fly by, they really do.</p><p>“Coming to college, you meet a lot of people with different backgrounds. It’s made me value my family more and value the friends I’ve made here.”</p><p>Athletically, Wentland has also experienced plenty of change.</p><p>Former Sycamores coach Teri Moren, who recruited Wentland, took the same job at Indiana and was replaced on the Sycamores bench by then-ISU assistant Joey Wells. The latter resigned in January with a record of 44-59 after ISU won only two of 13 games to start the 2017-18 season.</p><p>Associate head coach John Keister served as interim coach the remainder of the season. Indiana State finished with a record of 11-19 before hiring Vicki Hall, the 1988 Indiana Miss Basketball and a former Toledo assistant, in March.</p><p>Hall played for Indianapolis Brebeuf and was voted national player of the year by Gatorade, Naismith and Parade magazine. She went on to score 1,831 points at the University of Texas, being named first team All-Southwest Conference three times.</p><p>Her hoops credentials speak for themselves.</p><p>“Obviously, Vicki’s style is a lot different,” said Wentland, 21, who is working on her MBA and expects to be done next fall. “This season I’ve been more aggressive going to the boards and tried to play composed and smart. I’m trying to make good decisions. A lot of it, too, is confidence.”</p><p>Wentland started the season strong, recording a double-double of 13 points and 13 rebounds in Indiana State’s 62-53 victory at Marshall. In a recent home loss to IUPUI, she finished with 12 points and 11 boards.</p><p>The Sycamores took a 5-3 record into Monday night’s game at Butler.</p><p>Hall, a 2013 Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame inductee, is relishing the one season she gets to coach Wentland. Hall has challenged the senior to improve certain aspects of her game, and Wentland is responding.</p><p>“First and foremost, it’s just getting her to be physical, and Regan has done a good job with that. When she decides to lock someone down, she can do it,” Hall said. “The other thing was for Regan to work on her leadership.</p><p>“She’s a great kid. Her teammates respect her. Regan has gotten better about being more vocal, and when she does that, everybody follows along.”</p>