She might be the worst ball handling guard I've seen as a 4* out of high school. I literally cringe when she starts dribbling because it's only a matter of time before she turns it over.
She's not
that bad of a ball-handler, though it's certainly not her strength either (her strengths are clearly her length, speed, and height -- great for defense). Bluder wouldn't have given her all the minutes she has since day 1 if she couldn't at least bring the ball down the court (she is definitely a better handler than Warnock, for example). Ball-handling is one of the most important things Bluder takes into account when allocating minutes.
Her problems, IMO, are that she needs to learn how to slow down, she needs to work on her passing, and she needs to make better decisions. And of course she needs to work on her shooting lol. She is a streaky shooter but she
is a
shooter. She has shown up when needed with big buckets in AAU and as a Hawk (pre-ACL injury). A lot of that
should come with regular reps and more minutes.
It may not though -- the moment may be too big for her. I'm hopeful that the reset we'll see next year with so many guards leaving will relieve some of the pressure that she likely feels when she is subbed in (esp from CC, who always had lofty expectations).
I think her time at ISU was really bad for her -- she was thrown into the starting lineup as a freshman, when she probably shouldn't have been, and got reamed by CBF over and over again for doing freshman things. Cyclone fans even noticed this and would express concern for her on their message board. One fan said that what they'd miss most about her was her "fearlessness" but when she came to Iowa she looked scared basically her entire first season.
Despite that, Bluder has always trusted her and given her not only minutes but the green light since basically her first day as a hawk, so either she does better in practice than in games, or Bluder believes in her upside. We have to remember that an ACL tear can really set you back and mess with your mental game too.
I think Feuerbach will start at the 2 to kick off the season, but McCabe will be competing fiercely for it. Reducing turnovers and getting her shooting over 30% would go a long way in helping Feuerbach stay there. As a 2 she won't be expected to drive to the basket as much as when she played the 3, and that should help with the TOs.
Bluder really prioritizes defense for the SG position and Feuerbach clearly is the superior defender to McCabe. Look at Gabbie -- her two biggest duties were 1) to catch and shoot 2) play great defense. That's really it. Fortunately catching and shooting is one of the easiest things to improve for a Guard. If Feuerbach can get her shooting closer to 33%, I think the spot is hers for the year, and I wouldn't be shocked to see Bluder invite her back for a COVID year.
