When I saw this years schedule, I projected a 50- 50% record. Now, I did think we would win at Illinois and expected a win at home against Indiana... so I am not without some disappointment. But some perspective is needed. Indiana played with 3 hard core veterans and several subs with significant playing time. The freshmen, plus McCabe (little used last year) played 102 minutes, scored 39 points, had 20 rebounds, took 33 shots, had an assist-turnover of 6-3 and accounted for 7 of 8 Hawkeye steals. Only 2 of our players were starters last year and one played at Villanova! Realistically, what can a reasonable fan expect? ( I would like to see USC, Ohio State or Indiana have a similar transition year. I don't think those teams would accomplish much more than our team.) I am watching games to see the improvement. We have a team that plays hard... no giving up by this fan!
I like this team!
- Thread starter r448chlpo
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Neither optimist or pessimist, I am a realist. I am still waiting for improvement.
Conference play is hard. Some of our "veteran" players have had their confidence seemingly shaken. For teams like this, they kinda have to learn how to win (consistently) in conference play.
I like the team too ... but it still clearly has quite a ways to go.
I like the team too ... but it still clearly has quite a ways to go.
offensive timing and spacing is bad. passing is terrible….even when there is no turnover passes are not on target. Hannah is not a wing player, they need to either play her as a center or go to a high low offense….use her quickness and rebounding instead of allowing teams to provide weak side help with her inability to hit shots at the wing position.
I like the future of this team. I don't like how this years roster fits together. Iowa has gone from 9th in the nation in 3 point shooting (thanks CC) to 147th at only 32%. I still have hope for Syd, but Feuerbach should only be used as a defensive replacement. Stuelke is stifled by the half court offense and hasn't expanded her skills beyond inside. And Heiden has so much more upside than O'Grady. I was glad to see more playing time for McCabe, Guyton, and Stremlow.
I think a lot of fans, myself included, got a bit too hyped off beating a lot of bad teams. I thought with the experience we brough back + Lucy and a bunch of talented freshman we could make some noise.
Obviously the issues started showing up immediately as we started playing good competition. There is still a lot of season left, unfortunately the Big Ten is not a league where you can easily make up ground either.
I will still in tune to watch if I'm free but I will no longer make them "must watch TV" as I've done for the last few years.
Obviously the issues started showing up immediately as we started playing good competition. There is still a lot of season left, unfortunately the Big Ten is not a league where you can easily make up ground either.
I will still in tune to watch if I'm free but I will no longer make them "must watch TV" as I've done for the last few years.
I'd say that Virginia Tech, Iowa State, and Drake and all good teams. It's not a lot of bad teams. Iowa had a very solid showing in the pre-season, and we all thought Iowa would play even better after Stuelke, Affolter and Guyton recovered from their surgeries. There's an appearance that the team has regressed. That's what's disappointing. I don't know, maybe Illinois and Indiana are just that better than the teams that Iowa beat. They are for sure a lot more familiar with Iowa that Iowa's pre-season opponents do. And maybe, just as some have said, Tennessee showed how to beat this Iowa team, or the Tennessee loss caused a mental block in the Iowa players and coaches that they still can't overcome.
I'll add that indiana has beaten iowa 3 of the last 5 meetings, and only a CC signature shot prevented that from being 4 of 5. Illinois also took down the Hawks in 2023. Conference play is a different animal and the Hawks will get every teams best shot after the last few seasons.
I like the way Lisa and now Jan build their team, bring in a good player and continue to build with freshmen. Maryland and others would have run Kylie and Syd and AJ off and would have done like Maryland did, bring in 7 transfers. I like where we're at, and it makes it fun to root for them, good and bad. The future looks pretty good to me.
And the freshman are getting experience for Addie Deal and her group next year. Addie will get CC attention and open the court for others next year. Play the long game and let them get to jun and senior year
You all are way more hard on Sydney than I am. I know she has struggled mightily this year but she thrived being the 3rd or 4th option. She just doesn't have that freedom this year.
The one thing I will totally agree with the OP on is how hard these girls play. They make a ton of mistakes but they are always playing hard.
The one thing I will totally agree with the OP on is how hard these girls play. They make a ton of mistakes but they are always playing hard.
I really thought this year that Kylie Feuerbach would finally show the abilities she showed at ISMoo and now another year removed from major surgery become this year's version of Kate Martin.... obviously not which is sad. Its not for lack of trying. I see the same with Affolter.. obviously a step slow this year. But the future looks incredible.
On another thread I started, I said three point shooting is our biggest liability. Teams are collapsing into the lane and we have missed too many open threes to make them pay. Unfortunately Jan pushes this team to feed the post which has resulted in inordinate numbers of turnovers. No more CC stepback threes, no more Gabby hot shooting streaks, no more Kate improbed shooting.
I had hoped Mallegni would bring her shooting to the forefront, Guyton has been a big surprise. McCann has been good but she is not a creator. Fierbach and Affolter are not consistent threats from the arc. I think they should utilize a high/low offense more with a big at the key and one down low.
It doesn't help that we've been missing some bunny layups ... and then missing free-throws to boot. Had that not been happening ... I think that is enough to account for 2-losses already.
But yeah ... poor shooting from the outside hasn't helped either.
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