I quit trying years ago to predict who would be the easiest for us to beat. I of course would pick The Sisters of the Poor, and we'd be in the dogfight of the year anyway.
I’m open to being corrected, but believe the votes for AP POY and USBWA POY are already in the can. Believe those votes turned in at same time as AP and USBWA All American teams. In past years, thought there was verbiage that made that clear. Wade, Naismith and Honda votes are not yet in, I believe. Anyone with more concrete info, please correct.Im just annoyed that there has been a monumental push for Boston this past week for NPOY despite it being debated to death weeks ago and Clark not letting up.
I don't know about all the different award you named, but I believe the Wooden Award ballots are due today/tomorrow.I’m open to being corrected, but believe the votes for AP POY and USBWA POY are already in the can. Believe those votes turned in at same time as AP and USBWA All American teams. In past years, thought there was verbiage that made that clear. Wade, Naismith and Honda votes are not yet in, I believe. Anyone with more concrete info, please correct.
Im just annoyed that there has been a monumental push for Boston this past week for NPOY despite it being debated to death weeks ago and Clark not letting up.
The Colorado vs Iowa Sweet 16 matchup is a battle between 2 atypical Elite 8 profiles.Not sure Iowa could've asked for a better path. 6 seed Colorado in the Sweet 16, then 5 seed Louisville or 8 seed Ole Miss in the Elite Eight with a win. Nothing is guaranteed of course, but Iowa a pretty decent favorite at minimum.
I'll discuss it more when I do my game preview, but I think Iowa will play a lot of zone for some of the reasons you mention. Miller and Sherrod could be matchup issues in our player defense, but a zone should make it much harder for them to drive. Colorado also seems to take a bunch of two-point jumpers when they can't drive, and those are the shots the team wants them taking and that our zone is designed to give them.We have a shot. Each game has its own dynamics. If we shoot well with Gabbie and Warnock contributing we are a tough out. Colorado has their mobile center and point guard as their big 2 scorers and defense to turn us over for easy scores. I take CC over theirs for outside shooting and passing. Theirs is super quick bur not elite in either shooting or assists. But if she has a hot night shooting along with others who knows. I like our chances
Perfect, it's against her home state's school.Shout out to O'Grady tonight! Wasn't perfect but stepped up when needed and got the job done. She played 10+ minutes, which she hadn't done since December 10th vs Minnesota.
I think of all the teams left, Maryland and UConn are the two teams most likely to beat them. UConn because they might actually have the post players to hang with them inside + superior guards. Maryland is more of a long shot, but they do have the athleticism, and their 5-out style offense is more difficult with SC to matchup with. Of course, SC would still kill them on the glass.I keep hoping that South Carolina trips up before we get a chance to face them, but it doesn't look like that's happening today.
Wow! Maybe Lisa needs to send Geno the the “how to break a press tape” too! If Indiana is done with it,that is.Ohio State upsets UConn! They forced 24 turnovers. Three of the Elite 8 teams are from the Big Ten!
I thought that the ball was in Warnock's court on whether to return. She decided not to delay her entry into dental school and decided not to try to do it while continuing her basketball career.All season long I was really hopeful that Warnock would return for a 5th season, since it seemed glaringly obvious that her having good games was essential to us winning. She was much more difficult to neutralize than Czinano, much more story. I also read that in terms of her minutes/production she was the *most* efficient guard in the B1G. It seemed like a no brainer to bring her back to make up for Czinano’s prorduction and I was initially kind of stumped why Marshall and Martin were offered spots over here.
However, now that we are where we are, I’ve become pretty okay with the judgment call. Warnock is an excellent 3 pt shooter and rebounder and she has improved her abilities in terms of running the floor and battle for balls, but among our top 8 players, she is our biggest liability from a TO perspective. You can see defenders laser in on her when the ball comes her way, trying to bump and fluster her, it works all too often.
I think Bluder realized that with Marshall and Martin returning along with Davis/McCabe continuing to improve, we’ll be just fine at the perimeter. Furthermore, Stuelke and Affolter will be able to make up for her rebounding. If Feuerbach recovers in time, she may also significantly contribute on both fronts. And most importantly, pretty much everyone mentioned here is a step up when it comes to ball handling (Stuelke is still a bit raw, but we know she’ll clean a lot of that up in time).
I should have known not to question Bluder.
Perhaps. Feels more to me like a mutually beneficial decision. I just think that if Bluder had fought for her to come back, they could have made it work. Kids and schools always do when this thing arises.I thought that the ball was in Warnock's court on whether to return. She decided not to delay her entry into dental school and decided not to try to do it while continuing her basketball career.
All season long I was really hopeful that Warnock would return for a 5th season, since it seemed glaringly obvious that her having good games was essential to us winning. She was much more difficult to neutralize than Czinano, much more story. I also read that in terms of her minutes/production she was the *most* efficient guard in the B1G. It seemed like a no brainer to bring her back to make up for Czinano’s prorduction and I was initially kind of stumped why Marshall and Martin were offered spots over here.
However, now that we are where we are, I’ve become pretty okay with the judgment call. Warnock is an excellent 3 pt shooter and rebounder and she has improved her abilities in terms of running the floor and battle for balls, but among our top 8 players, she is our biggest liability from a TO perspective. You can see defenders laser in on her when the ball comes her way, trying to bump and fluster her, it works all too often.
I think Bluder realized that with Marshall and Martin returning along with Davis/McCabe continuing to improve, we’ll be just fine at the perimeter. Furthermore, Stuelke and Affolter will be able to make up for her rebounding. If Feuerbach recovers in time, she may also significantly contribute on both fronts. And most importantly, pretty much everyone mentioned here is a step up when it comes to ball handling (Stuelke is still a bit raw, but we know she’ll clean a lot of that up in time).
I should have known not to question Bluder.
I just finished up an article that does the same. Clark was the star of course, but it took every one of Iowa's starters, role players, reserves, and staff to get to the Final Four.Iowa's starters leads Hawkeyes back to Final Four - The Next
In their 90th start together, Caitlin Clark Monika Czinano and Iowa's starters were able to take the Hawkeyes back to the Final Four.www.thenexthoops.com
One of the better articles I've read about the team. I like that it puts the spotlight on all of our starters, not just the big two! Don't agree 100% with all of the author's claims but really appreciate what it was going for.
Thanks for sharing! Appreciate how you identified everyone's role and how you framed our current run as part of a narrative arc that extends so far back in time. Love it!I just finished up an article that does the same. Clark was the star of course, but it took every one of Iowa's starters, role players, reserves, and staff to get to the Final Four.
https://iowa.rivals.com/news/caitlin-clark-leads-iowa-to-the-final-four-dreams-come-true
If Clark doesn't sweep the POY awards, Iowa Twitter is going to melt down.Naismith POY announced tomorrow (3/29) afternoon. Like all of the WBB POY awards, the Naismith has been really hard for a BIG player to win.* For those with late voting processes (Naismith, Wooden, Honda, and Wade), perhaps Iowa's and the BIG's NCAA performance can help push Clark over the top. (Jackie Stiles used her tournament performance to win 2 [Wade, Honda, not the Naismith] of the then 3 awards with traditionally late voting processes, but did not win either the AP or USBWA POY awards, where voting, I believe, has been historically completed pre-NCAA tournament.)
*Gustafson is the only BIG WBB player to win the Naismith (given since 1983), AP (since 1995), & USBWA (since 1988) POY awards.
Gustafson and Steph White of Purdue are the only BIG WBB players to win the Honda (since 1977).
No BIG WBB player has ever won the Wooden (began 2004).
Steph White of Purdue and Carol Ann Shudlick of Minnesota are the only BIG WBB winners of the Wade (given since 1978).
Michelle Edwards won the BIG's only WBCA POY award in 1988, an award that was discontinued after 2000, when the WBCA took over the Wade Trophy.
I love that as well! Was thinking about Monika's class specifically:Just realized a nice example of growth for this program: Two of our players — Monika and Kate — can say they’ve been to two Elite 8s.
Mentally I always assign 2019-2020 as another Sweet Sixteen. We had a good chance of hosting that year before the tournament was cancelled. Obviously an upset could've happened, and the second round game would've probably been 55/45 or closer, but being able to mentally assume an outcome is the one benefit of the games not being played.I love that as well! Was thinking about Monika's class specifically:
18-19: Elite 8
10-21: Sweet 16
21-22: Round of 32
22-23: Final 4 (at least)
We obviously would have loved to have made a deeper run in 21-22, but as it stands on paper, it's cool that they advanced to a different level of the tournament in each of their years.
True -- this was also a really great season all around, so many upsets, including IU and MD. Undefeated at home. Really surprised a lot of people that year and then to top it off with Doyle being named B1G POY was cherry on the cake.Mentally I always assign 2019-2020 as another Sweet Sixteen. We had a good chance of hosting that year before the tournament was cancelled. Obviously an upset could've happened, and the second round game would've probably been 55/45 or closer, but being able to mentally assume an outcome is the one benefit of the games not being played.
What an incredible run of success Czinano's class had.
Top 5!!But as it turns out, we were one of the few preseason top 10 teams to actually live up to our ranking.
Funnily enough, I've been thinking about IU's record the past few years (i.e., Grace Berger's tenure):I love that as well! Was thinking about Monika's class specifically:
18-19: Elite 8
10-21: Sweet 16
21-22: Round of 32
22-23: Final 4 (at least)