The crazy thing is, our defensive results are legitimately better than last year. We surrendered more than 80 points per game last year on average. We haven't given up 80 points in a single game yet this season.
Hawkeye Women’s BBall Season 2021-2022
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This is the first time I have watched them this season. The lack of rebounds and horrible passing is stunning.
Frustrating for sure, but I hope people don’t give up on this team. They have all the pieces they need to turn this around and be the team that was talked about in the preseason.
You have to expect the 3pt shooting to change right? 40% last year and I believe they are right around 29% after tonight. With the shooters they have the probability that the numbers don’t improve are astronomically small.
That’s the big thing with Caitlin. She’s putting up the same or better numbers in almost every category expect 3pt shooting. Have to assume it comes soon.
As for finding other contributors, it’s confusing. Kate Martin, Gabbie Marshall, Addison O’Grady, Tomi Taiwo and Kylie Feuerbach have all shown the ability to score 8-10 points in a game. Consistency is lacking big time.
It just feels like this team is underperforming so much right now that they have to turn it around at some point.
You have to expect the 3pt shooting to change right? 40% last year and I believe they are right around 29% after tonight. With the shooters they have the probability that the numbers don’t improve are astronomically small.
That’s the big thing with Caitlin. She’s putting up the same or better numbers in almost every category expect 3pt shooting. Have to assume it comes soon.
As for finding other contributors, it’s confusing. Kate Martin, Gabbie Marshall, Addison O’Grady, Tomi Taiwo and Kylie Feuerbach have all shown the ability to score 8-10 points in a game. Consistency is lacking big time.
It just feels like this team is underperforming so much right now that they have to turn it around at some point.
I havent looked at the box score but Northwestern must have had at least a dozen offensive rebounds and, as usual, Iowa surrendered a ton of second chance points again. Iowa's defense - especially rebounding - is horrible.
14 offensive rebounds and 18 turnovers, but surprisingly NW only turned that into 25 points.
Only 11 second chance points.
Go Iowa Awesome - Iowa women fall to Northwestern
It was a disappointing night for the Iowa women's hoops team as they fell to Northwestern at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
iowa.rivals.com
The defense is still bad, yes, but if I told everyone before the season that on January 7 we would be surrendering 15 fewer points per game on average than we did last year, everyone would've assumed we would be undefeated or have 1 loss. That would've been cause for celebration. It still might be if the team's offense can rebound.
I really thought Feuerbach would be an offensive spark plug for this team, able to do things others can't - slash, get to the rim, etc... hasn't happened at all. Czinano is a lane clogger in the middle offensively, and might be the worst offensive rebounding 5 in the B1G. What it means is everyone standing around the 3 pt line and relatively no offensive rebounding at all. I think the standing around offensively has also been a detriment to their defense, where they are consistently caught standing around, and late reacting to everything. Watch how often they trail cutters, are late on hedges/switches. Just really disappointing.
On top of that, Bluder made it a special point that the Hawkeyes were especially concentrating on defensive improvements during the offseason. I think the team started with more defensive intensity to start the season but old patterns (e.g. too much standing around, as you mentioned) have re-emerged. When I've watched, they still don't consistently crash the boards hard on defense.
They started out shooting 46, 36, 36 and 34% from three. The last 6 games they have averaged 24%. They shot 32% against MSU along with a 16% and 18% for two other games that they lost and 23% last night. edit, the three has been one of their strong points for a long time. There are other problems as well probably, assists ratio, etc.
Braydon, you seem to be a stat guy, how many possessions per game is Iowa averaging this year compared to last year? The offense seems to have slowed down this year, some of the games Clark just walks the ball up the court.
Not Braydon here, but I can answer. Last year we averaged 75.0 PACE (possessions for each team per 40 minutes). This year so far, 76.8. So about the same actually.
They make some of the dumbest passes ever, and not only the ones they throw away. They seem to make multiple passes every game that they complete, but scare the heck out of me every time. I think what I'm trying to say is that they get by with a few that are almost TOs, just dumb passes. This isn't a new thing for them though.
Like I said, I haven't watched much, but even Clark had some really WTF moments. Marshall was brutal last nite.
Won’t probably be exact numbers, but here is the formula for possessions
(FGA – OR) + TO + (Y * FTA)
Last season- (1849-268) + 436 + (.4*495)
= 2215 possessions/30 gms = 73.8 per gm
This season- (685-104) + 176 + (.4*189)
= 832.6/11 gms = 75.7 per gm
Actually 2 possessions more per game
One other ? Northwestern had 12 turnovers last night which seems to be alot for them. Are we turning teams over more this year so far than last year, which might account for the 2 extra possessions per game.
Yes 12.9 last year. 16.9 this year.
14.5 for Iowa last year and 16.0 this year
Iowa has always struggled to rebound in games I've watched under Bluder.
So than one could say that our defense is better this year than last year, which would support Braydon's stat that teams are scoring less points this year. I don't know how the rebounding numbers compare to last year, but this team just needs to improve their shooting %. Last night even Czinano only shot 57%, I noticed that the games we lost seems to be in the 50 something % range rather than the closer to 70%. If they improve their shooting % they will be the team they were last year. Less turnovers & better rebounding will be a plus, and we will see the team we all thought we would see this year.
Last Season: 86.1 pts per game, 80.3 opp. pts per game, 57.9% 2-point percentage, 40.8% 3-point percentage, 80.0% free-throw percentage, 35.6 rebounds per game, 20.1 assists per game, 14.5 turnovers per game
This Season: 79.9 pts per game, 65.2 opp. pts per game, 57.6% 2-point percentage, 29.4% 3-point percentage, 85.2% free-throw percentage, 39.6 rebounds per game, 18.5 assists per game, 16.0 turnovers per game
This Season: 79.9 pts per game, 65.2 opp. pts per game, 57.6% 2-point percentage, 29.4% 3-point percentage, 85.2% free-throw percentage, 39.6 rebounds per game, 18.5 assists per game, 16.0 turnovers per game
Not when Gustafson was playing.
So far from last season, we are better defensively, better at the charity stripe, and (surprisingly) better rebounding. Our turnovers and 3-point shooting are killing us.
I was hoping Bluder would put O'Grady in towards the end for some rebounding and defense.
Turnovers late in the game was the reason last night. Iowa tied the game and had the ball to take the lead with 2 minutes to go. Then a weak pass by Marshall and an easy breakaway layup for Northwestern. Iowa then turned the ball over again in the next two possessions.
Thinking about future, I hope O'Grady can make the improvement offensively next season like Gustafson and Czinano. Then we'll have a center that can score, rebound and block shots.
O'Grady has impressed me. Gets down the floor really well for her size and just needs to keep building the confidence.
I think she will. Right now she just looks like what she is, a freshman. Hopefully, Sharon will be back healthy next season as well.
I wonder if Marshall and Taiwo are particularly affected by the increased 3-point distance. Feuerbach didn't shoot well last season to start with. Warnock seems OK. Not certain about Martin. Clark has always shot way beyond the line, but maybe she misses the two lines for calibration.
I know we're only 11 games into the season but a little glaring note is so far is this is our worst 3-point shooting since before the 2009-2010 season. The second worst was the 2016-2017 season when our 3-point percentage was 31.1%. This was when Alexa Kastanek, Ally Disterhoft, and Hailey Schneden were seniors.
For those interested in pace, this article shows the possessions per game for every team in the Big Ten. Unsurprisingly, we lead the conference. As mentioned above, we have more possessions per game this year, though it's only a slight increase, and the increase in turnovers per game might make up most of the difference.
https://herhoopstats.substack.com/p/2022-ncaa-wbb-big-ten-indiana-nebraska-pace
https://herhoopstats.substack.com/p/2022-ncaa-wbb-big-ten-indiana-nebraska-pace
I've been to every home game this season and the remarkable difference between last year and this year is 3 point shooting: plain and simple.
This team was sloppy with the ball last year and may be even sloppier this year. Last night was head shaking how careless they were with the ball, but team speed was the biggest difference last night. NW simply blew past every defender Iowa had on the floor. It was stunning.
Gabby Marshall has not elevated her game this season and gets beat defensively by quicker guards.
Czinano and Warnock looked gassed early in the game. Covid must have impacted them.
Caitlin Clark is really struggling with her deep shot and she looks hesitant to take her trademark deep 3's now.
Love Addie O'Grady's upside and maturity, but last night she lacked in most every department. At one point in the 2nd half during a timeout, Clark could be heard barking at Addie to get tough.
Kate Martin is tough as nails but looked really slow last night and out of synch at times.
Feuerbach looks pedestrian so far, but has some quickness to her game. She needs to contribute more offensively.
Cook will never be more than a replacement for Monika when she gets in foul trouble or needs a breather. She's just a step slower to react than most everyone else on the floor.
Last night's game was very disappointing. NW is very well coached and a good team, as was IUPUI, but this team is regressing. They turned it around last year and I'm hoping that happens again soon.
This team was sloppy with the ball last year and may be even sloppier this year. Last night was head shaking how careless they were with the ball, but team speed was the biggest difference last night. NW simply blew past every defender Iowa had on the floor. It was stunning.
Gabby Marshall has not elevated her game this season and gets beat defensively by quicker guards.
Czinano and Warnock looked gassed early in the game. Covid must have impacted them.
Caitlin Clark is really struggling with her deep shot and she looks hesitant to take her trademark deep 3's now.
Love Addie O'Grady's upside and maturity, but last night she lacked in most every department. At one point in the 2nd half during a timeout, Clark could be heard barking at Addie to get tough.
Kate Martin is tough as nails but looked really slow last night and out of synch at times.
Feuerbach looks pedestrian so far, but has some quickness to her game. She needs to contribute more offensively.
Cook will never be more than a replacement for Monika when she gets in foul trouble or needs a breather. She's just a step slower to react than most everyone else on the floor.
Last night's game was very disappointing. NW is very well coached and a good team, as was IUPUI, but this team is regressing. They turned it around last year and I'm hoping that happens again soon.
I have seen a number of theories in this and other threads for the drop off in performance. Longer 3-point line, Covid pauses, lack of focus, turnovers, rebounding, better scouting by opponents, pressure of playing in front of fans, and more. I think it is a combination of all of the above. I'll add two more. Conditioning is off this year for whatever reason, which leads to late collapses. And lack of leadership. The senior captains, Cook and Taiwo, don't play much. Martin is a captain too, but I don't see her taking charge like past leaders did (e.g. Logic, Doyle.) This is a very passive bunch.
I think it's worth mentioning in this three-point percentage discussion that the problem is mainly just Clark.
Taiwo, Warnock, and Marshall are all under their percentages from last year, but it's fairly close and the sample is small. Add one additional made three for Taiwo this year, and she's at last year's average. Add two for Warnock and three for Marshall and they're both there too. We aren't losing games because Warnock and Marshall combined make 1 fewer three every other game.
Clark, meanwhile, is 16% below last year at a pretty decent volume. And I don't really have an explanation for that. I think most of the threes she's shot the last few games have been good ones and they just aren't going in. And many are just barely missing, so it doesn't look like a mechanical issue.
Martin is also significantly below last year (12% below), but she has only shot 26 threes all year, so her drop doesn't have a huge impact either.
Taiwo, Warnock, and Marshall are all under their percentages from last year, but it's fairly close and the sample is small. Add one additional made three for Taiwo this year, and she's at last year's average. Add two for Warnock and three for Marshall and they're both there too. We aren't losing games because Warnock and Marshall combined make 1 fewer three every other game.
Clark, meanwhile, is 16% below last year at a pretty decent volume. And I don't really have an explanation for that. I think most of the threes she's shot the last few games have been good ones and they just aren't going in. And many are just barely missing, so it doesn't look like a mechanical issue.
Martin is also significantly below last year (12% below), but she has only shot 26 threes all year, so her drop doesn't have a huge impact either.
O'Grady was struggling last night. I think long term she will be a better rebounder and overalll defender than Monica. I also think she has a chance to be really good on offense. I think she needs more minutes, but I think due to scoring Monica was the better option last night.
Yeah, O'Grady just didn't have the speed or ball awareness to keep up with NW's athleticism on the glass last night. Not a knock on her -- it will improve a bit with more experience. And I think that gave us some insight into why she hasn't been seeing more minutes just yet, even though a lot of us here have been calling for that.
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I suspect the focus on defense is wearing her down. Tired legs make for missed 3 pointers. The lack of a good backup point guard is a real problem this year. I'm hoping McCabe can play an effective point. I also think reps are an issue. I expect her to adjust and bounce back. She seems to like shooing in the Nebraska gym, hopefully she breaks out of her slump there.
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