Caitlin Clark- Wow!!

[wbrhawkeye]

27 points first college game against a scrappy UNI team.

She is the best guard under Bludder’s regime. Much more impressive than Sam Logic who was also highly ranked coming in.

Her quickness and ability to penetrate and finish is a thing of beauty. She’s also a great shooter and makes amazing passes.

She exceeded my expectations. We’ve never had a player like her. They go to UCONN.

 

[AMAYS]

Very impressed with Clark. Has a lot of game, but could use more of a left hand.

 

[UpstreamHawkeye]

Clark can bomb it. She's got Bohannon's range.

 

[Gabe Sifuentes]

I was very impressed. I'd like to see her drive and kick out to the perimeter a little more. She won't be able to do it alone every night. She made more of a concerted effort to dish in the third and fourth quarter. She had one long pass to Goodman in particular that was a thing of beauty. Clark has the ability to score at will but Iowa will be better if she is distributing as much as she is scoring.

Iowa as a whole looked good. I was very impressed with Goodman. She will definitely be a great center in own right when she succeeds Czinano. Lauren Jensen also showed her shooting touch but she has a ways to go getting adjusted to the college game on the defensive side of things. Couple of silly fouls but likely can be attributed to first game jitters and playing a physical team.

Although, Iowa won the refs swallowed their whistles way too much. Clark was mugged on several occasions. Once she was bear hugged and pushed out of bounds and there was no call. The refs are lucky no one was seriously injured.

Iowa needs to work on their spacing on defense. Several late closeouts that led to UNI having a really good night behind the arc. This is really an Achilles heel of Iowa's zone. I think Bluder has the talent to play more person to person defense this year and I would like to see her incorporate more person defense. It will be needed if Iowa has any chance of making a run.

 

[Franisdaman]

And remember, this year does not count. If she wanted, she could play a total of 5 years for Iowa.

 

[oldhawk56]

27 points first college game against a scrappy UNI team.

She is the best guard under Bludder’s regime. Much more impressive than Sam Logic who was also highly ranked coming in.

Her quickness and ability to penetrate and finish is a thing of beauty. She’s also a great shooter and makes amazing passes.

She exceeded my expectations. We’ve never had a player like her. They go to UCONN.

Agreed, knew she could shoot but her passing is phenomenal especially for a freshman.. some of her teammates were not quite up to the test...

 

[The Deplorable Sleeping Dog]

Hawks boys and girls scored 97 and 96 respectively. That is 193 Hawkeye points.

 

[Auger]

Womens team looked better than expected. Solid team this year. Could be scary good next year. I heard Goodman at times has gone toe to toe with Czinano.

 

[Franisdaman]

Watch:

 

[CloydWebb]

She plays like a guy.

Cloyd the Chauvinist Pig

 

[millhawk]

She makes the game look so easy.

 

[no_one_]

Thanks for the highlights Fran. Damn very impressive!

 

[hawkssox1]

Where are all the naysayers?

 

[FrankBurns00]

I saw Clark play a handful of times during her Jr & Sr years in HS. Every time I saw her, she made several plays that made my jaw drop. She would have been the secong best player on the Iowa squad if they would have let her play as a high school junior. She's that good. In 20 years of watching HS bball in the midwest, the only playerthat comes close to Clark is Jaime Printy before she hurt her knee in high school. Clark is probably a better passer though.

I thought even before last nights game that Clark will become Iowa's All-time leader scorer. She will probably be 1st team All BIg Ten this year. Enjoy the ride Hawkeye fans

 

[LarryMullenJr.]

There aren’t going to be many who can handle the full-speed drive, stop on a dime, and quick jumper she’s got. Someone should set a number of how many gals guarding her end up on the floor because of it.

 

[David1979]

She is ridiculous.

 

[oldhawk56]

I saw Clark play a handful of times during her Jr & Sr years in HS. Every time I saw her, she made several plays that made my jaw drop. She would have been the secong best player on the Iowa squad if they would have let her play as a high school junior. She's that good. In 20 years of watching HS bball in the midwest, the only playerthat comes close to Clark is Jaime Printy before she hurt her knee in high school. Clark is probably a better passer though.

I thought even before last nights game that Clark will become Iowa's All-time leader scorer. She will probably be 1st team All BIg Ten this year. Enjoy the ride Hawkeye fans

Mmm.. Printy didn’t seem to have the inclination to pass like Clark appears to. The only passer I would think she appears to compare to is Logic and she looks to be better.
Will be interesting to see how she defends against more athletic guards in conference play.
Team Defense, as usual, will be suspect but man they are gonna be fun to watch. Go Hawks!

 

[littlez]

That behind the back step back 3 was just dirty. That was beautiful. She is a total stud.

 

[Gabe Sifuentes]

Mmm.. Printy didn’t seem to have the inclination to pass like Clark appears to. The only passer I would think she appears to compare to is Logic and she looks to be better.
Will be interesting to see how she defends against more athletic guards in conference play.
Team Defense, as usual, will be suspect but man they are gonna be fun to watch. Go Hawks!

The team defense doesn't have to be an issue. It's scheme and execution. The two biggest issues are allowing opposing guards to split defenders in the paint and drive. Our guards need to react quicker and force the charge call in that situation by getting under the driving guard and standing their ground. The other issue is the helper in the zone not closing out quick enough or just leaving the smaller guard to guard the perimeters instead of playing the top of the zone. Case in point, Meyer and Sevillian are 5'4"/5'5" and should never be forced to defend six foot guards/forwards on the perimeter because it's too easy for the taller guards to shoot over the defender. There are also far too many open shooters on the perimeter as a team they need to adjust better reacting to screens and motion so the defender isn't forced to sprint 6-10 feet to cover the the shooter on the perimeter.

The smaller guards should be guarding the top or helping in the paint where the speed would negate any size advantage. This is a young team and I'm sure the defensive issues can be addressed through coaching. With better communication and quicker reaction, they can be sure to be in the right spot to better control the outcome.

 

[Franisdaman]

Nice story.

 

[Franisdaman]

Check this out & Watch:

 

[Franisdaman]

38 point 3rd quarter.

 

[Franisdaman]

Her range?

Watch:

 

[Franisdaman]

She scored Iowa's first 4 points of the game

Watch:

 

[OutbackBowl2017]

I saw Clark play a handful of times during her Jr & Sr years in HS. Every time I saw her, she made several plays that made my jaw drop. She would have been the secong best player on the Iowa squad if they would have let her play as a high school junior. She's that good. In 20 years of watching HS bball in the midwest, the only playerthat comes close to Clark is Jaime Printy before she hurt her knee in high school. Clark is probably a better passer though.

I thought even before last nights game that Clark will become Iowa's All-time leader scorer. She will probably be 1st team All BIg Ten this year. Enjoy the ride Hawkeye fans

Daughter played some competitive bball in her youth and her team played against Caitlin Clarke’s team at about the same age and all you could do is say wow. The kid was a nine or ten year old with unbelievable ball handling skills, can shoot the rock like nothing I’ve ever seen from a boy or girl that age. You knew back then that her skills, drive, competitiveness would lead her to where she is today. Best of luck to her and Go Hawks.

 

[BBHawk]

Caitland?

 

[UpstreamHawkeye]

Case in point, Meyer and Sevillian are 5'4"/5'5" and should never be forced to defend six foot guards/forwards on the perimeter because it's too easy for the taller guards to shoot over the defender.

Megan Meyer is not as tall as her big sister but she's listed at 5'8, taller than average point guards. Last night Iowa had three blocks, two from Goodman and one from Meyer.

 

[UpstreamHawkeye]

I'm not too worried about clark defending athletic guards. On the other hand, compared to Logic and Doyle, she's a bit skinny right now so playing against stronger guards might be somewhat an issue. Although, she is 6 feet tall, so the base weight is there.

 

[Hawksfor3]

Hawks boys and girls scored 97 and 96 respectively. That is 193 Hawkeye points.

I haven't had a paid membership in awhile now, lol. I kinda miss the Lounge a Lil bit. How's it goin' in there?

 

[L. Wade Childress]

That behind the back step back 3 was just dirty. That was beautiful. She is a total stud.

My daughter made me rewind that like 10 times. Which is actually quite difficult on the app.

 

[Hawksfor3]

Her range?

Watch:

You mean she's challenging JBo already?? 😃

 

[Gabe Sifuentes]

Megan Meyer is not as tall as her big sister but she's listed at 5'8, taller than average point guards. Last night Iowa had three blocks, two from Goodman and one from Meyer.

She certainly didn't look 5'8" when UNI guards were shooting over her last night. Regardless, Iowa has better options defending the perimeter. I wouldn't say the average point guard is 5'8" or shorter. This was true in the past but in today's game there is a plethora of G and combo G/F who are approaching 6' and even taller. It necessitates keeping taller guards and forwards outside defending the perimeter shooters and allowing the shorter guard to be the helper at the top to close out on shooters or cut off driving lanes. If there's no avoiding having a smaller guard matched up against a taller shooter, then the defender needs to deny the shooter space. I'm not saying this to call out Megan. I think she has grown leaps and bands, especially when it comes to running the offense. But it pains me that perimeter defense has been the Achilles heel of Bluder's defensive scheme for some time. I don't know if it's a coaching issue, communication, or losing the shooters by not reacting quick enough to screens/motions but it's painful to watch at times and could end up being a dagger once conference play begins.

 

[Gabe Sifuentes]

I'm not too worried about clark defending athletic guards. On the other hand, compared to Logic and Doyle, she's a bit skinny right now so playing against stronger guards might be somewhat an issue. Although, she is 6 feet tall, so the base weight is there.

I think Clark is just lanky. I don't know how much bulk her frame will support. I'm not worried about strength. She certainly has shown her toughness already and I didn't seen any issues with her defense. Being strong isn't always an advantage, especially if you don't have speed to match.

 

[littlez]

The Iowa women’s team has the same problem the men’s team has had for years defensively. Just not enough quickness. Plenty of skilled offensive players but lacking quickness and physicality.

 

[BraydonRoberts5]

She certainly didn't look 5'8" when UNI guards were shooting over her last night. Regardless, Iowa has better options defending the perimeter. I wouldn't say the average point guard is 5'8" or shorter. This was true in the past but in today's game there is a plethora of G and combo G/F who are approaching 6' and even taller. It necessitates keeping taller guards and forwards outside defending the perimeter shooters and allowing the shorter guard to be the helper at the top to close out on shooters or cut off driving lanes. If there's no avoiding having a smaller guard matched up against a taller shooter, then the defender needs to deny the shooter space. I'm not saying this to call out Megan. I think she has grown leaps and bands, especially when it comes to running the offense. But it pains me that perimeter defense has been the Achilles heel of Bluder's defensive scheme for some time. I don't know if it's a coaching issue, communication, or losing the shooters by not reacting quick enough to screens/motions but it's painful to watch at times and could end up being a dagger once conference play begins.

I don't really think it's an Achilles heel. It's more just a feature of the defenses Iowa runs. A 2-3 zone is meant to limit penetration and opportunities around the basket. One of its weaknesses is that if teams move the ball quickly around the perimeter, shooters will be left open because the defensive rotations can't keep up. Usually you're happy if teams are content to take a bunch of threes because that means they're not getting better looks inside. The cost is that if a team has a really good shooting night, you're in trouble. Iowa is usually willing to take the gamble, because Bluder's teams usually score well enough that it takes exception shooting nights, or exceptional offensive rebounding nights, for the other team to win.

The triangle and 2 Iowa plays can fix some of the issues of the 2-3 zone by putting the two players playing man defense on the two best shooters. But the triangle and two also can leave the third or fourth perimeter players completely unguarded in some situations. And if the zone defenders are forced to defend out to the three-point line a lot, the zone gets stretched too far and breaks down.

 

[cyberhawk]

Watch:

I believe Caitlin could set a new Hawkeye career record for triple doubles.

 

[CanadaHawk]

As a tall PG who does it all as a frosh, Caitlin Clark is the women’s BB version of Cade Cunningham.

 

[UpstreamHawkeye]

As a tall PG who does it all as a frosh, Caitlin Clark is the women’s BB version of Cade Cunningham.

I say Magic Johnson

 

[cyberhawk]

I was thinking Sabrina Ionescu.

Sabrina Ionescu - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

 

[unIowa]

Watch:

Looks great! WTF is with the PA guy, how much coke do you think he sniff before the opening tip...good lord dude tone it down.