Hawkeye Women’s BBall Season 2021-2022
- Thread starter huntermmm
- Start date
Printy had one in HS and one at Iowa. I also remember Lindsay Richards and Johanna Solverson having multiple ACL injuries, but those were all years ago.
I believe Solverson had 3. Really too bad, she was an extraordinary athlete.
Here is a bit of trivia for you. Pete Solverson, her dad, was a star OT for Drake back in the early 70s.
O'Grady will be the backup 5. Ediger might be the backup 4. Affolter might be the backup 1.
To put things another way, we will see some combination of Taiwo/Feuerbach/Affolter splitting minutes at the 1, 2, and 3, and O'Grady/Ediger/Cook/Wetering at the 4 and 5. (Cook and Wetering haven't been mentioned as much in these discussions, but Cook has experience that can't be discounted, and we never got to see much of Wetering because of that concussion.) It would be amazing to have enough reliable depth to be able to mix and match different combinations of players from these groups to bring more size, speed, etc depending on matchups. (More realistically though, we'll probably see players slotted into pretty specific roles as Braydon is implying by the time the conference season gets underway.
I expect to see Bluder try out different rotations in the non-conference season to see who:
1) Clicks together.
2) Makes good decisions on offense.
3) Who shows up with the defensive energy that we so desperately needed more of last season, including closing out possessions with defensive rebounds!!! I would truly love nothing more than to see us crack down on those second chance points that burned us in so many close games last year...
It will definitely be interesting to see how this all plays out early on. For example, at this point last year, I would have been pleasantly surprised to be told that Taiwo would be our first guard in off the bench by the end of the season.
I expect to see Bluder try out different rotations in the non-conference season to see who:
1) Clicks together.
2) Makes good decisions on offense.
3) Who shows up with the defensive energy that we so desperately needed more of last season, including closing out possessions with defensive rebounds!!! I would truly love nothing more than to see us crack down on those second chance points that burned us in so many close games last year...
It will definitely be interesting to see how this all plays out early on. For example, at this point last year, I would have been pleasantly surprised to be told that Taiwo would be our first guard in off the bench by the end of the season.
Baylor’s NaLyssa Smith, UConn’s Paige Bueckers lead The Athletic’s women’s college basketball preseason All-Americans
With a new head coach at Baylor expect Smith's role and skillset to grow and give her a chance to shine as our preseason player of the year
theathletic.com
why is the athletic the only place reporting on Iowa womens basketball? They had the Big Ten media day, and almost no articles about the teamBaylor’s NaLyssa Smith, UConn’s Paige Bueckers lead The Athletic’s women’s college basketball preseason All-Americans
With a new head coach at Baylor expect Smith's role and skillset to grow and give her a chance to shine as our preseason player of the year
I will after team media day on October 28th. Coach Bluder talked for 5 mins at Big Ten Media Day and got 3 questions. We get 30 mins with her and 30 mins with players for team media day.
We are long time season ticket holders but have not received ours yet. Anyone else?
Clark named preseason All American
Caitlin Clark was named as a preseason All American by The Athletic.
The Athletic has a couple writers that cover women's basketball (WNBA and college) exclusively. At most other places, the Iowa beat writers also cover football or other sports in the fall.
Speaking for myself, the basketball season always seems to sneak up on me. I knew that the season started sometime in early November, but I didn't know the regular season opener was 3 weeks from today until I checked.
Some thoughts on rankings:
It's crazy how much one high-profile win + having a star like Clark affects the perception of the program in terms of rankings and stuff. Last year heading into the NCAA tournament, despite crushing Michigan towards the end of the season as well reaching the Big Ten tournament finals, we still hadn't cracked the AP Top-25. But after beating Kentucky to make the Sweet-16 and then Clark being the U-19 Worlds MVP and a preseason All-American, the voters have us ranked #9 in the country. I know we added some depth, but did we really grow that much in the off-season? I hope so, but I worry it's more accurate that we were underrated most of last season and are now ranked a few spots too high. Not that we are "overrated," but that we haven't earned a top-10 ranking just yet. Anyway, I'm just trying to say that rankings are weird things and voters are fickle. #9 is awesome but now we have to prove it on the court.
In my opinion, #1-5 (UConn, South Carolina, Stanford, Maryland, and NC State) are a step above the rest, while any of the teams from #6 through about #30 could end up as top-16 seeds and hosting NCAA tournament games come March. I expect lots of sliding around in those spots.
Looking at the rest of the conference, am I the only one who would exchange Michigan St and Ohio St? I also think Northwestern is being slept on - yes they lost Pulliam, but she honestly didn't have as good of a season last year as the year prior. Burton was and still will be their star. Their backcourt defense will be as good as ever and they will have more experience and depth in the front court as well so teams won't be able to exploit them there quite as much. Time will tell...
It's crazy how much one high-profile win + having a star like Clark affects the perception of the program in terms of rankings and stuff. Last year heading into the NCAA tournament, despite crushing Michigan towards the end of the season as well reaching the Big Ten tournament finals, we still hadn't cracked the AP Top-25. But after beating Kentucky to make the Sweet-16 and then Clark being the U-19 Worlds MVP and a preseason All-American, the voters have us ranked #9 in the country. I know we added some depth, but did we really grow that much in the off-season? I hope so, but I worry it's more accurate that we were underrated most of last season and are now ranked a few spots too high. Not that we are "overrated," but that we haven't earned a top-10 ranking just yet. Anyway, I'm just trying to say that rankings are weird things and voters are fickle. #9 is awesome but now we have to prove it on the court.
In my opinion, #1-5 (UConn, South Carolina, Stanford, Maryland, and NC State) are a step above the rest, while any of the teams from #6 through about #30 could end up as top-16 seeds and hosting NCAA tournament games come March. I expect lots of sliding around in those spots.
Looking at the rest of the conference, am I the only one who would exchange Michigan St and Ohio St? I also think Northwestern is being slept on - yes they lost Pulliam, but she honestly didn't have as good of a season last year as the year prior. Burton was and still will be their star. Their backcourt defense will be as good as ever and they will have more experience and depth in the front court as well so teams won't be able to exploit them there quite as much. Time will tell...
Goodman to miss season due to ACL injury
The Iowa Women’s Basketball team announced Thursday morning that Sophomore backup Center Sharon Goodman had suffered a
We brought in a starter from another round of 32 team (Iowa state) that adds to our guard depth. We also added two top 100 post players for the front line 6 4"" Ogrady and 6 2" Ediger (losing Goodman is going to hurt though). The team improved significantly over the course of the year. I think the perception is that they were playing at a top 10 level at the end of the year. They returned all the starters, so #9 seems fair.Some thoughts on rankings:
It's crazy how much one high-profile win + having a star like Clark affects the perception of the program in terms of rankings and stuff. Last year heading into the NCAA tournament, despite crushing Michigan towards the end of the season as well reaching the Big Ten tournament finals, we still hadn't cracked the AP Top-25. But after beating Kentucky to make the Sweet-16 and then Clark being the U-19 Worlds MVP and a preseason All-American, the voters have us ranked #9 in the country. I know we added some depth, but did we really grow that much in the off-season? I hope so, but I worry it's more accurate that we were underrated most of last season and are now ranked a few spots too high. Not that we are "overrated," but that we haven't earned a top-10 ranking just yet. Anyway, I'm just trying to say that rankings are weird things and voters are fickle. #9 is awesome but now we have to prove it on the court.
In my opinion, #1-5 (UConn, South Carolina, Stanford, Maryland, and NC State) are a step above the rest, while any of the teams from #6 through about #30 could end up as top-16 seeds and hosting NCAA tournament games come March. I expect lots of sliding around in those spots.
Looking at the rest of the conference, am I the only one who would exchange Michigan St and Ohio St? I also think Northwestern is being slept on - yes they lost Pulliam, but she honestly didn't have as good of a season last year as the year prior. Burton was and still will be their star. Their backcourt defense will be as good as ever and they will have more experience and depth in the front court as well so teams won't be able to exploit them there quite as much. Time will tell...
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Some thoughts in response to yours:Some thoughts on rankings:
It's crazy how much one high-profile win + having a star like Clark affects the perception of the program in terms of rankings and stuff. Last year heading into the NCAA tournament, despite crushing Michigan towards the end of the season as well reaching the Big Ten tournament finals, we still hadn't cracked the AP Top-25. But after beating Kentucky to make the Sweet-16 and then Clark being the U-19 Worlds MVP and a preseason All-American, the voters have us ranked #9 in the country. I know we added some depth, but did we really grow that much in the off-season? I hope so, but I worry it's more accurate that we were underrated most of last season and are now ranked a few spots too high. Not that we are "overrated," but that we haven't earned a top-10 ranking just yet. Anyway, I'm just trying to say that rankings are weird things and voters are fickle. #9 is awesome but now we have to prove it on the court.
In my opinion, #1-5 (UConn, South Carolina, Stanford, Maryland, and NC State) are a step above the rest, while any of the teams from #6 through about #30 could end up as top-16 seeds and hosting NCAA tournament games come March. I expect lots of sliding around in those spots.
Looking at the rest of the conference, am I the only one who would exchange Michigan St and Ohio St? I also think Northwestern is being slept on - yes they lost Pulliam, but she honestly didn't have as good of a season last year as the year prior. Burton was and still will be their star. Their backcourt defense will be as good as ever and they will have more experience and depth in the front court as well so teams won't be able to exploit them there quite as much. Time will tell...
Is Iowa overrated- I've had concerns about this too. Clark, the BTT run, and the Sweet 16 run have certainly enhanced the team's national standing, perhaps higher than the full season's results would merit. That said, it did look like the team turned a corner in the last month of the season. Clark started trusting her teammates more, and the offensive balance between Clark, Czinano, and our 3-point shooters got better. The late-season Iowa team probably would've won some of the close games it dropped earlier in the season.
Iowa also has a lot of growth potential. The team was very young last year, and players tend to take the biggest developmental steps early in their college careers. The team was also so bad defensively, that a renewed defensive focus might make a big difference even if the team still ranks relatively poorly defensively. Combined the late-season improvement in form with the growth potential, and I think it justifies a Top 10 pre-season ranking.
Top 5 Better than the Rest- I agree. The Covid year really had an impact in that regard. Teams like Maryland that would've lost senior impact players now get them for another season. Some of those teams have also benefited significantly from the transfer portal. Combine those two developments, and these top 5 teams might all be better than any top team from the last few seasons.
The Rest of the Big Ten- Ohio State has a ton of questions. It was one of the best teams in the conference for the first half of last year, then fell off a cliff in the second half and lost its two best forwards. I could certainly see Ohio State being a middle-of-the-pack unranked team this year. Michigan State probably has a higher floor. I could easily see Michigan State >Ohio State.
I'm not sure Northwestern will be as good as it's been the last few years. Pulliam did have a bad season, but someone has to score for them. Beyond Burton, who will do that? I also have concerns about their defense. Czinano destroyed them in the post last year. The Big Ten also has plenty of other good posts like Hillmon and Holmes. Defense-first teams like Northwestern don't have a huge margin for error due to fewer possessions in the game. If they take any step back offensively or defensively, last year's close wins could easily turn into close losses.
Creighton Basketball Practice Report: 10/23/21 - White and Blue Review
Some updates from the Creighton women's and men's basketball teams this past week.
whiteandbluereview.com
Creighton Women's Basketball Report. It mentions their upcoming (closed) scrimmage with us on October 30. In the practice that this reporter is reporting on, Lauren Jensen scored 20 points against their male practice players. Hope she has a great season!
"Speaking of Lauren Jensen, her game is smooth. She handles the ball really well and transitions from dribble to shot on the move as well as anybody on the team. Probably better than anybody on the team, actually."
Creighton went 10-12 last season with a Big East Tournament semifinal appearance a WNIT appearance.Creighton Basketball Practice Report: 10/23/21 - White and Blue Review
Some updates from the Creighton women's and men's basketball teams this past week.
Creighton Women's Basketball Report. It mentions their upcoming (closed) scrimmage with us on October 30. In the practice that this reporter is reporting on, Lauren Jensen scored 20 points against their male practice players. Hope she has a great season!
"Speaking of Lauren Jensen, her game is smooth. She handles the ball really well and transitions from dribble to shot on the move as well as anybody on the team. Probably better than anybody on the team, actually."
They lost to Drake, UNI x2 and UConn x2, while beating Nebraska.
The Fight for Iowa podcast just dropped an hour-plus interview with Clark and J.Jensen.
hawkeyesports.com
Podcasts | FIGHT FOR IOWA
hawkeyesports.com
Can someone explain to me why the Big Ten always has 10 players on the first team for women's basketball and only five for the men? I've asked several members of the Iowa media this question and none have an answer.
Tomorrow is Women’s Basketball Media Day at Carver. We will get the chance to talk with Coach Bluder, as well as the players.
If anyone has any specific questions for Coach Bluder/Players go ahead and throw them out there and I will consider them.
If anyone has any specific questions for Coach Bluder/Players go ahead and throw them out there and I will consider them.
I stand corrected... The Big10 just released its mens' pre-season team and it has ten players this year
For Coach Bluder 1- Last year the rotation was only 7 or 8 deep. Does she anticipate a deeper rotation this year?
For Coach Bluder 2- What impact will having fans back this season have on the team and on recruiting?
For Caitlin- How does she plan to reduce turnovers this year while still being aggressive with drives and passes?
For Monika- What has she done to improve her rebounding and defense for this season?
For Kylie- What are some differences between her experience at Iowa State last year and her experience with Iowa so far this year.
For the Freshman- How has their transition to college basketball gone so far?
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