Assuming she stays healthy and continues to develop, Hannah at the 4 could be an upgrade. Kate still has some room to improve her shooting and moves. Gabby needs to work on confidence shooting the 3. The real question is the 5, where I think we can expect Sharon to get healthy and return to form, and hopefully they can really focus on developing Ogrady. I think Ogrady has a lot to offer on defense, but there would be some dropoff on post offensive efficiency. I'm not sure your going to just pull an AA caliber center that fits the Iowa offense out of the portal.
**NEW** Iowa Women's Basketball Recruiting Thread
- Thread starter KyleHuesmann
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There is often a surprise from some each year. I'm not sure that Stuelke is a surprise because much was anticipated if not expected. No other real positive surprises, but we returned all starters. I wish Marshall had her shot all season, but she has improved defensively and her shot has been there recently. O'Grady hasn't had enough reps to be sure, but I hoped for more. Next year, I could see Martin upping her scoring which ever position (3 or 4) she ends up at.
I think Stuelke is best at the 4, and when Martin played the 4 with Warnock out last year the team struggles. Some of that could be because Iowa plays the 3 much different than the 4, but I thought a lot of it was Kate wa undersized at the 4. I think Kate at 4 with Hannah at the 5 would be a step down. Maybe wetering at the 4? Also Jayda is a 3/4 as well. Neither one has had enough reps to really get a good feel for yet.
Inoticed Cailtlin and Taylor seem to sit together at the mens games. I would not be shocked it Taylor gets some weight romm time this summer to see her pick up minutes at the 2 next year. She is usually ready to shoot as some as the ball comes to her, so lots of possible assists for Caitlin there, as well as stretching the floor. She showed in one game here, and Lisa put her in against Mariland when looking for a spark. She didnt hit, but its very possible with offseason development she could make a jump.
Stuelke has been dominant at the 5 in limited minutes. It would make absolutely no sense for her to start at the 4 with Monika leaving. Stuelke has been so good in the low post.
Typically our 4s need to stretch the floor. Hannah was solid from 3 in HS but hasn't really been a perimeter threat this season,
Kate was solid at the four. The team struggled because McKenna and Gabbie were hurt and our rebounding last year was horrid along with our defense. The team has learned to be average on defense and the rebounding is vastly improved. I think Kate at the 4 next season is our best chance to win with Wettering as the backup. We have multiple options at the 3 and I see the 2/3 as being somewhat of a rotation with players sliding back and forth between the positions depending on who needs a breather.
I think she has potential to play the 4 but has shown more playing the 5 the past two seasons. Reminds me a little of Amanda Ollinger. She just needs to work on her range as a whole. Wetering already has the range, defends well, and can get to the rim which I why I see her as the backup four.
It will be a struggle to get extended minutes. I want to see Bluder go with a 25-30 for Clark and 20-25 for the other starters and then get the backups between 10 and 18 and the deep reserves 3-5. That way everyone can stay fresh and the team can be aggressive on D.
Right now I think Ediger is competing for the backup 5 with O'Grady and Goodman. O'Grady could see spot minutes at the 4.
It's sort of a logjam right now unless we see players transfer or suffer injuries. But it's so much better to have bodies than it was to suffer through last season when we had 8 players for a stretch and the reserves were really being asked to do more than they probably should have been.
If Hannah doesn’t improve her FTs dramatically, and plays the 5, if I’m coaching the other team it turns into Hack-A-Shaq time.
That would be risky because the women only get 5 fouls and then 2 shots all the way. Hannah had a stretch where she was doing pretty well but has hit a cold spell. I think she'll be much improved by next season.
Chad Greenway interviewed on KXNO this afternoon; went out of his way to gush about his trip to "Carver North" this past weekend in Minneapolis. Hope he had Maddyn in tow!
There's no way Clark plays 25 or so minutes unless this team develops another really consistent point guard. The effciency of the offense seems to drop off the table when she sits. Even if Davis returns she's not a dynamic facilitator at this level.
My thought was get her down to 28. Molly just needs to play well enough keep the team even. I don't know we have the seen the best of Molly yet.
Frankly there's no way Clark is playing less than 35 minutes of a competitive game even if we had a really good PG to sub in for her.
One part of Clark's game no one really talks about (me included) is her stamina. She can play 35+ minutes per game and her play never really seems to suffer. There are nights she doesn't shoot well, but I don't think stamina plays a large role in those.
I would agree. I like what she brings to the table, but seems a bit too timid at times. TOTALLY understandable when you've got 22 on the floor with you.
One thing that helps this season is that, even when Clark is on the floor, other players bring the ball up more often, particularly Martin and Marshall along with Davis when she is playing with Clark. It may not seem like much, but it gives Clark little "microbreaks." My analysis is based on not much really.
I'm hoping Molly Mages a jump next year. I think she is starting to settle in. She can focus on making adjustments in the off-season for the parts of her game that need to be adjusted for day in and day out against high major competition. There are places she needs to be more aggressive, and places where she needs to take the pull up because the post players are bigger, stronger, and faster at this level.
Agreed, she's an alpha dog. (no disrespect intended). You'd have to chain her to the bench.
No disrespect, but shes not going to get taller, or more athletic at this point in her career......
I think it's unrealistic to expect her to score 18ppg like she was at CMU. I don't think it's unrealistic for her to average 6-8 pts per game on mostly 3s/free throws with the occasional game where she scores more like 10.
But if we're talking about who will be the next player to become a reliable double digit scorer, I'd say we should look to Stuelke and Affolter. Which tbh is all we really need since Marshall and Martin have proven they can be relied upon for that much next year as well.
I also think there will be more pressure on O'Grady and McCabe to become reliable 6-8 pt contributors than Davis.
Molly is the best I've seen so far at running the fast break, catching a pass way over her head and laying it in while she's hitting the floor under the basket. lol at that play.
Affolter is playing really well I think . Why no mention of her?
There's actually been some positive discussion in another thread, people are definitely noticing her.
Kyle was the source of 90% of the content and he no longer posts here b/c Go Iowa Awesome took over for Hawkeye Report, where he still works.
Afolter will get a lot more minutes next year. She’s athletic, reasonably fast, can jump and defend. She has a good level of intensity. She will be a great backup at the 3 (Martin) and depending on the matchup, the 2 or 4. I like her game a lot. She has to find her shot other than layups.
I’ve wondered for awhile now what Jasmine Brown must think of Illinois after their dynamic season. Tonight will be an interesting game thru that lens — Illinois plays Mississippi State in the First Four.
No hard feelings toward her, but I found her choice of Mississippi State rather unserious (she committed to play for someone who had never been a HC before). I’m sure the other coaches who recruited her feel the same, including Shauna Greene lol.
In any case, I’ll be cheering for Illinois tonight and hope they continue to impress!
No hard feelings toward her, but I found her choice of Mississippi State rather unserious (she committed to play for someone who had never been a HC before). I’m sure the other coaches who recruited her feel the same, including Shauna Greene lol.
In any case, I’ll be cheering for Illinois tonight and hope they continue to impress!
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You guys Illinois is NOT good. Honestly, how the hell did we lose to them? I've now seen them play quite a few bad games, their game versus had to have been their best showing by far.
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Illinois's starting front court both were playing through injuries. Bostic in particular was hobbling up and down the floor and taking possessions off to ride a stationary bike. Eventually got benched for good in the second half. That's a recipe for a loss against a team with a dominant center in Jessika Carter.
Illinois is a pretty decent team. They haven’t played in a tournament in 20 years and today they were a bit short handed. They were missing s guard and their best interior player (Bostic) was playing injured. It was a 1 point game at halftime and MSU ratchet up the physicality and Illinois went cold.
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Georgia is 1-9 against NCAA Tournament teams and the 1 win was over Mississippi State. The bar for at-large teams is pretty low in a 68 team tournament.
IMHO, Bluder should be able to find a Bona fide post player in the portal. Hannah has athleticism we usually don’t see and can play the 4.
We really need a 6’4 or taller player at the 5 if we truly want to be in the national championship conversation. Clark is already talking about 2 more years, so Bluder could possibly find a real post player out there who has watched Iowa and realize that 20 of Czinano’s 24 points per game are all due (directly or indirectly) to Clark. The prospect of playing with Clark for 2 more years should be appealing to some gifted center out there.
Having said that, I think it is time for O’Grady to put on her big girl pants. I recall how bad I thought Czinano was when Gustafson was the star and Monica would spell her for a minute or 2. I was screaming at the TV to get Monica out of the game and get Meghan back in. (Sadly, the screaming at the TV is a regular occurrence at my house). Anyway, the point is that I never believed Monica could be a center that would contribute much, but Jan Jensen worked her magic. Maybe O’Grady can take that big step forward next year.
Stuelke, Wettering and Gyamfi can man the 4 and possibly what we give up in outside shooting can be made up in better defense and rebounding than we get there now.
Kate Martin and Affolter are perfectly suited for the 3. Keep them there. I really think McCabe could be that Melissa Dixon-type sharp shooter we need at the 2. Gabby did great these last half-dozen games … can she keep it going during the NCAA’s?
The team will also take their biggest step forward when the guards (including Caitlin) realize that YES! You do have to box out, every single shot, even if you are 22 feet from the basket. Had they done that, even every other time on defense vs Creighton, we win that game easily. Not that I am still bitter about that game…
We really need a 6’4 or taller player at the 5 if we truly want to be in the national championship conversation. Clark is already talking about 2 more years, so Bluder could possibly find a real post player out there who has watched Iowa and realize that 20 of Czinano’s 24 points per game are all due (directly or indirectly) to Clark. The prospect of playing with Clark for 2 more years should be appealing to some gifted center out there.
Having said that, I think it is time for O’Grady to put on her big girl pants. I recall how bad I thought Czinano was when Gustafson was the star and Monica would spell her for a minute or 2. I was screaming at the TV to get Monica out of the game and get Meghan back in. (Sadly, the screaming at the TV is a regular occurrence at my house). Anyway, the point is that I never believed Monica could be a center that would contribute much, but Jan Jensen worked her magic. Maybe O’Grady can take that big step forward next year.
Stuelke, Wettering and Gyamfi can man the 4 and possibly what we give up in outside shooting can be made up in better defense and rebounding than we get there now.
Kate Martin and Affolter are perfectly suited for the 3. Keep them there. I really think McCabe could be that Melissa Dixon-type sharp shooter we need at the 2. Gabby did great these last half-dozen games … can she keep it going during the NCAA’s?
The team will also take their biggest step forward when the guards (including Caitlin) realize that YES! You do have to box out, every single shot, even if you are 22 feet from the basket. Had they done that, even every other time on defense vs Creighton, we win that game easily. Not that I am still bitter about that game…
As long as I am bringing up the portal - and I realize this might be tampering - but could you imagine the possibilities if you convince the Ohio State player - whose name escapes me, but she got the technical foul for sending Caitlin sprawling - to transfer.
She decided to take the ball to the hole in the second half of the championship game and we really couldn’t stop her.
Now pair that slashing ability with a combination of Clark, Martin, Gabby or McCabe on the perimeter and a Bona fide center and you have an even more potent offense that can beat anyone, including South Carolina or UConn.
She decided to take the ball to the hole in the second half of the championship game and we really couldn’t stop her.
Now pair that slashing ability with a combination of Clark, Martin, Gabby or McCabe on the perimeter and a Bona fide center and you have an even more potent offense that can beat anyone, including South Carolina or UConn.
I like how you are thinking, however, there is zero chance that Iowa brings in a post from the portal (currently no scholarships available) unless one of the 3 posts coming back transfers. O'Grady, Goodman, and Edinger are all juniors next year. That's not even counting Stuelke. They also have highly ranked recruit Ava Heiden coming for the 25-26 season.
I do like your reasoning and I agree that a proven quality post would make Iowa VERY dangerous next season. I just don't see it happening. We will just have to hope that Jan Jensen can work her magic on the 3 posts coming back.
Cotie McMahon, the player after knocking Caitlin down laughing and slapping hands with a teammate about it? I doubt she would be someone Lisa would want on her team.
This is so interesting to me bc Hannah, while athletic, doesn’t seem to have much of a midrange shot or a 3 pt shot. In contrast, O’grady does have a very nice jumper as far out as the elbow, but she isn’t as fast as Stuelke. Her mismatch in the low post has been discussed ad nauseum here already but she is also an excellent shot blocker.
I do think Hannah will be an excellent slasher, tho Bluder has understandably put a leash on that this season owing to her inability to not travel/foul. She gave her the green light early on enough that it’s clear Bluder knows what she can do. I very much look forward to that part of her game.
Also, not sure if you’re aware but we’re full for next year so someone has to txfr out first before we can bring a txfr in.
Heiden is coming in for ‘24-‘25.
I doubt McMahon is going anywhere but I didn’t read that reaction as actually high fiving about the T, just that she realized she looked like a clown and didn’t know what else to do but paint a fake smile on her face and laugh thru the rest of the game, which was going to be excruciating. In the handshake line at the end, she and Clark exchanged pleasantries in a pretty positive way.
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“You knocked me on my ass, but we kicked yours”.
If she didn't know what to do then I feel sorry for her. I don't think she looked like a clown, she acted like one.
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