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Hawkeye Women’s BBall Season 2023-2024

The loss the other night stung for sure but they responded well tonight like I thought they would. It’s a long season and they’re still figuring some things out. Last years team had a rough stretch when playing KSU and drake too. This isn’t the same team as last year but they’re fun to watch and I think once Bluder figures out her rotations and more of the non starters gain experience this team has the potential to make some noise in the postseason too.

Outside of Clark I don’t necessarily expect it to be the same players carrying the team to victory each night. I’d be surprised to see Clark have the same kind of offensive chemistry with any of them like she had with Czinano but this new challenge will no doubt elevate her game as well. She did a much better job of letting the game come to her and setting up her teammates tonight. We may not see her assist total as high as we’re used to due to the fact that few can shoot/finish as efficiently as Monica. Should be a fun year though! Go Hawks!
 
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More early shakiness to top teams over the past few days.
  • After utterly embarrassing Indiana, #6 Stanford avoided an upset by Duke (who just got beat by Davidson — which may be a new low for their coach) in a 82-79 OT win. Some cocky Stanford fans were humbled real quick.
  • UCLA (likely #2 tomorrow) squeaked by (unranked) Princeton — 77-74.
  • Maryland almost lost its 3rd game in a row — they hung on to beat Syracuse 83-81. Maryland fans about to panic tbh, there’s even talk of them falling out of the top 25, which would end an insane streak of poll appearances. SC’s W over MD looks less impressive two games later…
  • Minnesota hung with UConn for half of a game (marred by horrendous shooting) before collapsing.
Also, fans of up-start mid-majors may want to keep an eye on Belmont (whom we beat last year)…after beating Georgia last week, they almost did the same vs MS State. They lost 63-62 tonight.
 
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undersized_post said:
That KSU loss stings considering we led by multiple possessions in the closing minutes. But if you would have told me we'd go 3-1 against Virginia Tech, UNI, KSU, and Drake, I likely would have been... pleased? Our teams in 21-22 and 22-23 returned all 5 starters and had loftier expectations than this years bunch, yet in many ways we've already gotten off to a better start in 23-24. I'll take it.
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I anticipated two losses in those games, or one plus the final in the Gulf Coast. Decent chance we'll see K-State again.
 
I'm sure some of you have noticed that Caitlin worked hard on her left hand in the off-season. It was a noticeable hole in her game; yet I've yet to hear a TV commentator make note of the change. Also seems to be reducing her turnovers; though she visibly expresses her frustration on the court when Addy can't handle a pass. I really wish she wouldn't do that publicly. I don't think Addy can fix that. She just doesn't have the reaction time, or the hands to be a top-tier post. One reason (among many) I'd love to see CC return is to work with Heiden for a year. But that's just as a Hawks fan. For her own sake, I do believe CC should go the W. Selfishly, I hope she ends up on the new Warriors team, so I can drive down from Santa Rosa to watch her in person.
 
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shikreto said:
Not really sure where to post this...but something has happened behind the scenes at LSU and it's spilled over onto Twitter and Instagram in a very messy way -- it includes former players as well as mothers of current players.

It's funny and all but at the end of the day, I think the takeaway is that #culturematters (we always knew that though). None of this is surprising to those of who have long followed this game and have seen what Mulkey is really all about.

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This is really only tip of the iceberg...there's a lot more out there and it gets worse lol.

Anyway, the real reason I'm posting this? If nothing else, let's all cross our fingers that this helps nudge Addi Deal in our direction...Iowa may have lost the NC but we've certainly won what I guess can only be described as the "culture" battle lol. NTM that we've certainly started the season off on stronger footing.
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You had to wonder when they got HVL to tansfer there just how the prima donnas like Reese were going to accept her. I mean, they may all say the right things at first, but NOBODY was going to come in and unseat the queen..
 
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Just a quick note to celebrate Coach Bluder's 500th win at Iowa; and approaching 900 overall. Some of us, including me, have occasionally questioned some of her coaching and recruiting choices. But I hope you may agree that Lisa has an uncanny instinct when it comes to building a culture, and finding young women who are great students, great people, can gel as a team, and represent the program proudly. I think she takes that responsibility entirely to heart. I'm sure she's avoided recruiting/signing players who wouldn't be a great fit in those ways, even when it meant fewer wins and accolades. When's the last time she, her staff or players have been involved in the kind of drama we see in other programs? So I absolutely admire her perspective and approach. If she retires at the end of her contract in 2029, she'll be somewhere in the vicinity of 1000 wins, which is pretty incredible, considering the limitations of the state of Iowa as a recruiting platform. That said, I hope she serves up bloodthirsty vengeance upon K ST tonight.
 
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undersized_post said:
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Agreeing to play in a tournament with the potential opponents being BYU, Rice, Rhode Island, and Idaho State makes me think the staff believe that Clark is most likely *not* coming back next year. Just a speculation though.
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I still don’t see how it’s even possible lol so that tracks.
 
shikreto said:
I still don’t see how it’s even possible lol so that tracks.
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Coach Jensen said tonight on Hawk Talk that many times they don't know the makeup of the field until the contracts are signed. Aside from Idaho State, the field is actually fairly solid. BYU and Rhode Island in particular are solid programs and Rice is an up and comer. Caitlin isn't even sure if she's coming back yet so I'm not going to read into this too much. Even if Caitlin doesn't come back, Iowa will be a solid team next season returning experience at several positions and with a solid recruiting class coming in.
 
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Gabe Sifuentes said:
Coach Jensen said tonight on Hawk Talk that many times they don't know the makeup of the field until the contracts are signed. Aside from Idaho State, the field is actually fairly solid. BYU and Rhode Island in particular are solid programs and Rice is an up and comer. Caitlin isn't even sure if she's coming back yet so I'm not going to read into this too much. Even if Caitlin doesn't come back, Iowa will be a solid team next season returning experience at several positions and with a solid recruiting class coming in.
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I can understand not knowing specific teams, but I have to assume they know the caliber of teams the tournament is shooting for. Just with the possibility of Clark returning, Iowa could've landed a marquee tournament if it wanted to.

It looks like the teams in this tournament could be a decent boost to Iowa's strength of schedule. Neutral court wins over back end Top 50 teams are still Quad 1. I also think it's fair to question whether Iowa should seek out more marquee non-conference opponents as it tries to start recruiting nationally and raising its profile.
 
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Latest ESPN bracketology has us back at a 1 seed. I thought this might happen after the tournament shook out with the best possible results for us across the brackets. People seem pretty high on FGCU across the board.

Funnily enough it has us in the same bracket as LSU, K-State, Colorado and Creighton, but I’m (almost) certain they won’t put us in the same bracket as any of them.

My guess is we will end up in the same bracket as Stanford again. We’re not safe from UConn or NC State either (though we've played both in fairly recent Sweet Sixteens -- L to UConn in '21 , W over NC State in '19).

www.espn.com

Women's Bracketology: One upset, one big jump for Maryland

How much can one upset impact the bracket? After toppling Duke, Maryland moved from a No. 5 seed to the No. 13 overall team.
www.espn.com
 
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BraydonRoberts5 said:
I can understand not knowing specific teams, but I have to assume they know the caliber of teams the tournament is shooting for. Just with the possibility of Clark returning, Iowa could've landed a marquee tournament if it wanted to.

It looks like the teams in this tournament could be a decent boost to Iowa's strength of schedule. Neutral court wins over back end Top 50 teams are still Quad 1. I also think it's fair to question whether Iowa should seek out more marquee non-conference opponents as it tries to start recruiting nationally and raising its profile.
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Maryland played in the Cancun Challenge in 2023 so it's a fairly marquee tournament. There are really only a handful of women's holiday tournaments compared to the men's games and as much as we all want to see a top matchup, you're not going to see more than 1-2 power five teams in any given women's tournament. I doubt many of the tournament organizers have the kind of money to attract more than 1-2 name teams. In the end it comes down to TV money and sponsors not willing to fork over the cash just yet. Iowa already plays a tough non-conference schedule and I would not be surprised to see Iowa schedule a few home and homes against individual opponents or agree to travel and play on the road for a chance to play a tougher schedule. Bluder has shown she's not afraid to play high caliber oppenents in the non conference.
 
Gabe Sifuentes said:
Maryland played in the Cancun Challenge in 2023 so it's a fairly marquee tournament. There are really only a handful of women's holiday tournaments compared to the men's games and as much as we all want to see a top matchup, you're not going to see more than 1-2 power five teams in any given women's tournament. I doubt many of the tournament organizers have the kind of money to attract more than 1-2 name teams. In the end it comes down to TV money and sponsors not willing to fork over the cash just yet. Iowa already plays a tough non-conference schedule and I would not be surprised to see Iowa schedule a few home and homes against individual opponents or agree to travel and play on the road for a chance to play a tougher schedule. Bluder has shown she's not afraid to play high caliber oppenents in the non conference.
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FloHoops money presumably not BIG money despite its exorbitant subscription charge
 
Tomorrow's opponent, Bowling Green, is led by Fred Chmiel, who is no stranger to Iowa. Was an assistant at Penn State during their last good run (2010-14), and was at South Carolina last year as an assistant (ending an 8-year run). Also spent one season as an assistant with the Gophers. Chmiel is not afraid to schedule good teams, with Iowa, Indiana and South Carolina all on the schedule this month.
 
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AMAYS said:
Tomorrow's opponent, Bowling Green, is led by Fred Chmiel, who is no stranger to Iowa. Was an assistant at Penn State during their last good run (2010-14), and was at South Carolina last year as an assistant (ending an 8-year run). Also spent one season as an assistant with the Gophers. Chmiel is not afraid to schedule good teams, with Iowa, Indiana and South Carolina all on the schedule this month.
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Have to assume that some/all of these games were scheduled before he took the reins. Still, you have to admire a program that aspires. Of course, some of these may be just for the cash. As an Iowa fan, it would be fun to see BG compete w/ OSU for in-state and nearby recruits. By the way, it was only this year I discovered that BG is in Ohio, and not in Bowling Green, Kentucky.
 
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Well, now that B1G play is on deck, we can take stock of where the team is. I think it’s fair to say they have accomplished some goals:
  • They are “state champs” for the second year in a row. They certainly played worse vs ISU this year as opposed to last, but I think it’s fair to say they played better vs UNI/Drake.
  • They won the Gulf Coast tournament (they lost their tourney last year) — and they were the clear victors. Every team we beat went on to beat another team.
  • Their record is 9-1 (last year they went 5-3). Weaker schedule, but we are still 6 in the NET last time I checked (again, see the tourney results).
  • They are somehow still a projected 1 seed. Idk where we were at this point last year but IIRC we fell hard after loss #3 and never returned to the top line.
  • It wasn’t a direct route but they did avenge K-State. Always good to learn lessons and get a W in the final match up. An early W and later L would probably not sit well, and it would have cost the tourney title as well. I think it’s fair to say we’ll avoid them in the NCAAT.
So they could be doing a lot worse. And they have dashed quite a few (Hokie, Wildcat, Cyclone) dreams to get where they are, which is always fun.

We certainly don’t look in top shape heading into B1G play but no one else does either. Indiana has had real struggles, as have Maryland, Michigan, and Illinois. I haven’t seen much of Ohio State since their season-opening L to USC but from what I’ve heard, they are struggling to make up for Mikesell’s shooting just as we are struggling to make up for Monika’s post-play.

TBH the B1G looks as weak as it has in a long time, which is nuts when you consider we had the strongest post-season in probably a decade. But I think the middle of the pack will be better — Penn State, Minnesota, Nebraska, Michigan State are all ready to make some noise. I expect many nail-biters.
 
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LinusPF said:
Cleveland St. may give them a game for a quarter....they haven't played anyone, but they are 8-1.
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Oh ha I actually forgot there were more non-conf games. I’ll edit my original.
 
shikreto said:
. . .

TBH the B1G looks as weak as it has in a long time, which is nuts when you consider we had the strongest post-season in probably a decade.
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Would be interested to hear more about this opinion. I think I strongly disagree, but it's hard to compare years as they get further apart. Still, while Maryland, so far this year, is way down from where they have been since joining the league in 2014-15, I think the league this year is decidedly better from where it was most of the decade 2010-19.

Apart from Maryland, and the Gustafson team in 2019, the BIG was really mediocre from 2010-2019, and athleticism was in very short supply. The league's NCAA tourney performance during this period was not a fluke. Apart from newcomer Maryland, the league had 1 total Elite 8 and 8 total Sweet 16s in 10 years (by comparison, non-Maryland BIG teams had 8 Sweet 16s and 4 Elite 8s over the last 3 tourneys). The Kelsey Mitchell teams underperformed every year in the tournament because they were overrated.

BIG recruiting still lags on a national basis, but COVID eligibility and the portal have really helped the BIG the last 3 three years, and league recruiting has improved at least somewhat. (As an aside, how critical is COVID eligibility to the Caitlin Clark era? Without Czinano's 5th year and Kate's 6th year, the Clark era would not have been near as good, and we would really be complaining about Bluder's recruiting/portal challenges.) HerHoopStats current rating has 3 teams in the top 12 (Iowa, IU, OSU), and 3 more in the top 33 nationally. I would agree that the BIG may be a step down from last year, but I tend to think it's still a much better league than it was for most of the decade 2010-2019.
 
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AMAYS said:
Would be interested to hear more about this opinion. I think I strongly disagree, but it's hard to compare years as they get further apart. Still, while Maryland, so far this year, is way down from where they have been since joining the league in 2014-15, I think the league this year is decidedly better from where it was most of the decade 2010-19.
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Really I just mean there are only 3 B1G teams in the Top 25 and Indiana tbf could fall out of it if they lose another. Polling has been volatile with big swings in responses to big margins of loss/victory.

I also think that if and when we lose again — unless it’s a tight game to rising Ohio State or a revitalized IU — we will likely fall hard. I could see a scenario where there are no Top 10 B1G teams. I agree the B1G is certainly better than it was 2010-2019 but 2019 was 5 years ago now :) So really referring to just the Clark era tbh.
 
"But I think the middle of the pack will be better — Penn State, Minnesota, Nebraska, Michigan State are all ready to make some noise. I expect many nail-biters." -Shikreto

Agreed, I anticipated a couple of these; but the team that is surprising me is Penn St. I think we'll likely lose at least one of these games this year. Early season rankings are becoming less prophetic as teams become more competitive, and the better players are more widely distributed. So I think we'll still see a lot of movement in the rankings and tourney seedings until the final couple of weeks of the season.

What's concerning about the Hawks is they can have a game where everyone is hitting shots, and they look like a legit 1-seed, but other games where they can't hit a barn with a shotgun, and our post play looks.. uninspiring.

But the Cyclones are very young, and will be much better than their 4-4 record suggests. So I'm not that worried that we had a tough, close game there. That win will be looking better in the seeding algorithm as the season progresses.
 
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Kurt Johnson said:
"But I think the middle of the pack will be better — Penn State, Minnesota, Nebraska, Michigan State are all ready to make some noise. I expect many nail-biters." -Shikreto

Agreed, I anticipated a couple of these; but the team that is surprising me is Penn St. I think we'll likely lose at least one of these games this year. Early season rankings are becoming less prophetic as teams become more competitive, and the better players are more widely distributed. So I think we'll still see a lot of movement in the rankings and tourney seedings until the final couple of weeks of the season.

What's concerning about the Hawks is they can have a game where everyone is hitting shots, and they look like a legit 1-seed, but other games where they can't hit a barn with a shotgun, and our post play looks.. uninspiring.

But the Cyclones are very young, and will be much better than their 4-4 record suggests. So I'm not that worried that we had a tough, close game there. That win will be looking better in the seeding algorithm as the season progresses.
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Penn State - doing so well even w/o their big transfer Ashley Owusu. I don’t think they even need her with Ciezki, Kapunis, and Marisa (pls forgive any misspelling) doing so well. All really good players.
 
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hawkahawk said:
Penn State - doing so well even w/o their big transfer Ashley Owusu. I don’t think they even need her with Ciezki, Kapunis, and Marisa (pls forgive any misspelling) doing so well. All really good players.
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Watch it end up like VTech again. Same thing happened there. By the time she was healthy, they had no need for her bc Taylor Soule was killin it.
 
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Safe to say Northern Iowa is not as good as expected? Preseason pick to win the MVC but has a record of 1-7 so far.
 
UpstreamHawkeye said:
Safe to say Northern Iowa is not as good as expected? Preseason pick to win the MVC but has a record of 1-7 so far.
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Injury bug hasn't been kind to them either. McDermott missed a couple games (got banged up playing us). Now Bofelli is out. They definitely scheduled tough to try to get an at large bid and it's not paying off for them sadly.
 
undersized_post said:
Injury bug hasn't been kind to them either. McDermott missed a couple games (got banged up playing us). Now Bofelli is out. They definitely scheduled tough to try to get an at large bid and it's not paying off for them sadly.
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They also have healthy returning veterans who are not playing as well as last season. I watched a video of their post game yesterday, coach Warren was not pleased.
 
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