VOTE: What's Realistic Ceiling for Iowa Women's Basketball team? Outlook for next year?

[Franisdaman]

They will host the first 2 games in Iowa City, so the Sweet 16 looks very realistic.

But can they realistically win the next game, to get to the Elite 8?

Could they beat a 1 seed (UConn, Notre Dame, etc) to advance to the Final 4? hmmmmm.......

 

[MepoDawg#]

Elite 8. They’d have to have a perfect game to beat a #1 seed. Not out of the question but unlikely.

 

[Franisdaman]

Elite 8. They’d have to have a perfect game to beat a #1 seed. Not out of the question but unlikely.

Yeah, I think Sweet 16 is very attainable with home court advantage the first 2 games.

The next game gets very tricky because you likely are playing a Top 20 team in the country.

Get past that game, and we are likely playing a UConn or a Notre Dame. Remember when we played Notre Dame earlier this season? Yikes....

 

[CeMar_Clone]

They will host the first 2 games in Iowa City, so the Sweet 16 looks very realistic.

But can they realistically win the next game, to get to the Elite 8?

Could they beat a 1 seed (UConn, Notre Dame, etc) to advance to the Final 4? hmmmmm.......

I voted them sweet 16, but they will likely have to face Baylor I am guessing, and they are 30-1. ISU will be playing them tomorrow night at 8.

 

[gonegolfing]

The first team that has an athletic big girl is going to be problems for Iowa. Let's hope that's not until the sweet 16.

 

[Franisdaman]

The first team that has an athletic big girl is going to be problems for Iowa. Let's hope that's not until the sweet 16.

agreed

it will be interesting to see who is in Iowa's bracket!

hopefully the opposing bigs are all under 6'3 and fat and slow!

 

[BGHAWK]

The first team that has an athletic big girl is going to be problems for Iowa. Let's hope that's not until the sweet 16.

As long as she stays out of foul trouble, I'll take Megan. It's the other 6 players that need to have good games. Hopefully they can win 2 at CHA. Winning one more to get to the Elite 8 would be great.

 

[Crazy Hawk]

If Iowa can hit their threes, with MG in the paint, they can make the Elite 8.

 

[Franisdaman]

If Iowa can hit their threes, with MG in the paint, they can make the Elite 8.

yep. if they are missing from outside and nerves come into play, that might be it.....

also, i don't like how Iowa turns the ball over so much....didn't they have 7 turnovers in the first 10 minutes?

 

[Crazy Hawk]

If Iowa can hit their threes, with MG in the paint, they can make the Elite 8.

yep. if they are missing from outside and nerves come into play, that might be it.....

also, i don't like how Iowa turns the ball over so much....didn't they have 7 turnovers in the first 10 minutes?

I was actually impressed how they handled the Rutgers press for a majority of the game. They let things get out of control for awhile but we’re able to regroup and prevail.

There were times where they were literally putting on a clinic on how to beat the press.

 

[Ihawkhoops]

Vast difference between the men's and women's teams. Women's team has real chemistry not coach speak chemistry like the men's. Women have guards that play d, break down the d, set others up for good shots and control the flow of the game. Men's guard play is bad. Gustafson is extremely smart, unselfish and makes everyone around her better. Cook quit a few games ago. Bluder has assembled the right pieces and knows which buttons to push. Fran can't figure what game he is playing to know what pieces he needs.

Iowa will be a tough out until the Elite 8 as long as they hit some 3's to take some of the pressure off MG. I don't watch a lot of women's hoops but MG and the team has been a refreshing change from the predictable Fran March collapse.

**Forgot to mention that watching Davis and Doyle play should serve as a wake up call to the Fran apologists who think guard play doesn't matter. Those two personify what you want guards to do. Davis is a catalyst offensively and Doyle is disruptive defensively.**

 

[Psyclone]

I voted Elite Eight. That is more an expectation than a ceiling. In reality, there is no ceiling.

 

[Walleye70]

The real top 8 teams in country are probably out of our league athletically. They will have 3-4 girls like Maryland’s # 5

 

[BGHAWK]

I was actually impressed how they handled the Rutgers press for a majority of the game. They let things get out of control for awhile but we’re able to regroup and prevail.

There were times where they were literally putting on a clinic on how to beat the press.

I, like the announcer mentioned she was surprised Maryland didn't start pressing, at least try it much earlier. But I also thought Maryland looked a little tired through out the game compared to Iowa.

 

[haightt]

We'll probably be the lowest #2 seed which means we'll be in the same Region as Baylor. First 'quesstimate' bracket I noticed last night had Baylor, Iowa, NC State, and Texas A & M in the Greensboro, NC, site. We'd then play the 'host' team Wolfpack.

 

[gojojo]

Shouldn't they be a 2 or 3 seed? I really don't follow women's college bball, but top 10 big ten champion should get at least a 3 I'd think.

I'd think sweet 16 should be expected with two home games and a decent shot at elite 8, but again I'm not too familiar with the women's game.

We really handled Maryland. Our PG is pretty damn good and Megan gets great position down low...uses her body very well that I'd think she'd do ok against a girl 6'5. They play really well together, nice to see an Iowa team play like that.

 

[haightt]

I, like the announcer mentioned she was surprised Maryland didn't start pressing, at least try it much earlier. But I also thought Maryland looked a little tired through out the game compared to Iowa.

Their shots from the 3 didn't look good either. Think their game v Michigan took a lot out of them.

 

[haightt]

Yeah, I think Sweet 16 is very attainable with home court advantage the first 2 games.

The next game gets very tricky because you likely are playing a Top 20 team in the country.

Get past that game, and we are likely playing a UConn or a Notre Dame. Remember when we played Notre Dame earlier this season? Yikes....

I don't think we had Doyle for the ND game, right? Also didn't have her for the MSU game that we lost @ East Lansing. But, #3 ND destroyed #2 L'ville by 20 yesterday so there's that.

 

[IowaNiceHawk]

Elite 8. They’d have to have a perfect game to beat a #1 seed. Not out of the question but unlikely.

The folks saying it's 'unlikely' they beat a #1 seed, were also picking
Maryland to beat the Hawkeyes, yesterday. LOL

GO HAWKS !!!

 

[Franisdaman]

I don't think we had Doyle for the ND game, right? Also didn't have her for the MSU game that we lost @ East Lansing. But, #3 ND destroyed #2 L'ville by 20 yesterday so there's that.

yeah, we did not have Doyle for the ND game but not sure if it would have mattered.

I just think the top 4 in women's basketball are too good. I hope I am wrong. I am sick of UConn every damn year.

keep in mind, too, that in women's basketball you can have 15 on scholarship. UCONN every year can go deep into their bench with little drop off. Iowa? Not so much.

 

[jockos]

Of all the projected #1 seeds Iowa probably matches up best against Baylor. Their 6'7 center (Kalani Brown) is skilled but MG's movement might give her trouble & Stewart would have to battle their PF (Lauren Cox). The Iowa guards would have to play extremely well for them to even get to the Elite 8 but it can be done.

 

[Franisdaman]

 

[Robster Raws]

“The ceiling...is the roof”

 

[anon_i8nzeu2gbf0ba]

The first team that has an athletic big girl is going to be problems for Iowa. Let's hope that's not until the sweet 16.

I don't know about that. Sometimes it may seem like Iowa is a one-woman team, but it really isn't. The other girls are all outstanding in their own rights and would be even more so on a team with a less dominant, national POY candidate in the middle.

There is clearly an ultra high level of 4 to 8 teams in women's basketball, and then everybody else. I think Iowa has a good shot at the Elite 8. It may be too much to make it beyond that, but how great would it be to get that far? It would be awesome. And no matter what, this Iowa team is great fun to watch, and I wish them luck.

 

[dconifer]

I'm going to say Elite Eight. They are strong and balanced enough to beat everybody except for the monster teams at the very top. And beating those teams is not out of the question in my opinion...

 

[fish1hawk]

The first team that has an athletic big girl is going to be problems for Iowa. Let's hope that's not until the sweet 16.

Purdue,Maryland and Rutgers all had athletic centers and we did ok. NCAA runs need Good guard play, shoot to at least our average, limit turnovers, and create some. When our guards play well we are a hard out. The team that beats us I think will have superior guards that turn us over and we can't guard

 

[hoffmkr]

Looks like either Baylor in Greensboro or Notre Dame in Chicago. Baylor is the “true” matchup. However, if Iowa/Stanford switch spots due to 350 mile proximity rule, it would be Chicago.

 

[Herky T Hawk]

Ceiling depends upon the bracket. This isn’t a national title winning team. But if they get put in the right region with a vulnerable #1 seed, they have a shot at the final four. Who knows, maybe someone can spring an upset and take down the #1 in their region before they would have to face them.

In all likelihood I could see a round of 32 loss all of the way up to an elite eight, with a slight possibility of the final four, depending upon the matchups. I’ve seen too many times where Bluder had a really good team that underperformed in the NCAAs. 2001, 2009, 2011, and 2018 she was eliminated earlier than our seed. 2002 and 2013 are the only years she’s done better than her seed, and that was winning the 8/9 game as a 9 which isn’t really an upset. I was out at a Virginia Tech when we lost to them in the first round in 2004 and that sucked as they could have won that game with a rematch with PSU on the line, but faded in the 2nd half.

 

[Kurt Warner]

If Iowa can hit their threes, with MG in the paint, they can make the Elite 8.

This is the key i think. The guards played very very well in the btt, if they keep it up the skys the limit with the best player it the country MG tearing it up in the middle.

 

[chuck285]

The first team that has an athletic big girl is going to be problems for Iowa. Let's hope that's not until the sweet 16.

You must be right. Maryland was number 8 in the country because they were terrible and only one player over 6'3". The top 4 teams win because they have outstanding guards and not a dominate inside game imo?? I don't watch any other teams but the Hawks...
We'll more like get killed because of our small slower guards....

 

[hawkahawk]

You must be right. Maryland was number 8 in the country because they were terrible and only one player over 6'3". The top 4 teams win because they have outstanding guards and not a dominate inside game imo?? I don't watch any other teams but the Hawks...
We'll more like get killed because of our small slower guards....

The top 4 teams all have players at or over 6’4” (and two have players at 6’7”), except Notre Dame. They have 2 starters at 6’4”. Baylor, the team ranked at #1, has a NPOY candidate at 6’7”, and her front-court mate at 6’4”. They work together like larger versions of Megan and Hannah. The 3-ball needs to be working against them.

 

[Walleye70]

Baylor would beat us by 18- about like they did to ISU. Same with any of the really top ten teams. They are just on another level athletically

 

[DodgerHawki]

Baylor would beat us by 18- about like they did to ISU. Same with any of the really top ten teams. They are just on another level athletically

Yes the most likely outcome against a Baylor, UConn, or Notre Dame would similar to the Iowa-Notre Dame game earlier this year. But that's why they play the game. Iowa was so overmatched athletically against Notre Dame it went from 11 to a blowout in the third quarter in a heartbeat. Gustafson did her thing with 26 and 10, but Iowa turned it over 18 times. Irish had 54 points in the paint, 32 second chance points and 19 fast break points. Iowa had 38 points in the paint and 6 fast break points. At literally every position Notre Dame was taller and faster. When you combine that with excellent skill and good coaching, that is hard to beat.

Doyle would certainly help a lot against a real good opponent. Get to a Sweet 16 and see if the bracket opens up.

 

[NorthernHawkeye]

Never underestimate Blunder’s ability to lose in the second round. Only one Sweet Sixteen appearance in her long tenure.

 

[Herky T Hawk]

Never underestimate Blunder’s ability to lose in the second round. Only one Sweet Sixteen appearance in her long tenure.

That’s what I was referencing earlier. She has a history of never overachieving in the NCAAs. And it isn’t like Dr. Tom who ended up playing a final four team in the 2nd round almost every season. She’s been in a lot of 8/9 games where she had to play a 1 seed, but there are a bunch others where she had a higher seed and lost early.

Having said that, let’s hope they prove me wrong.

 

[Gabe Sifuentes]

That’s what I was referencing earlier. She has a history of never overachieving in the NCAAs. And it isn’t like Dr. Tom who ended up playing a final four team in the 2nd round almost every season. She’s been in a lot of 8/9 games where she had to play a 1 seed, but there are a bunch others where she had a higher seed and lost early.

Having said that, let’s hope they prove me wrong.

Aside from 2015 where Iowa was a 3 seed, Bluder has never really had a high seed. Average seed has been between 6 and 8 seed. Besides that this team is the best team and the deepest team she has ever assembled. This team played a very tough non-conference schedule and will be ready. I would expect at least an Elite 8 appearance this year.

 

[BGHAWK]

Never underestimate Blunder’s ability to lose in the second round. Only one Sweet Sixteen appearance in her long tenure.

Never underestimate your ability to show disrespect. You must be very proud of yourself. If you have children, is this what you expect of them as well?

 

[UpstreamHawkeye]

Iowa is undefeated at home this year, including against several very good teams. I see no reason why Iowa can't do it again against two lower seeds while hosting them. Sweet Sixteen is all but guaranteed. The 2015 team was also undefeated at home and remained so after hosting the first two rounds.

Iowa also hosted in 2009, 2013 and 2014, back when the NCAA tried to do away with top teams hosting first two rounds. Iowa was a 8, 9, and 6 seed in those three years. 2009 was disappointing because Iowa was beaten by 9 seed Georgia Tech handily in the first round. In 2013, Iowa lost to Notre Dame in the second round by double digits and there's no shame to that. In 2014 Iowa lost to 3 seed Louisville in the second round, which was expected but the 30-point margin in defeat was bad. Iowa should have hosted in 2001 as a 4 seed but Carver was unavailable, and they lost to 5 seed Utah at Utah in a tight game. I think it would have been different if Iowa had hosted Utah instead.

I agree with Psyclone that Elite Eight is expected for this year's team.

 

[the24fan]

Vast difference between the men's and women's teams. Women's team has real chemistry not coach speak chemistry like the men's. Women have guards that play d, break down the d, set others up for good shots and control the flow of the game. Men's guard play is bad. Gustafson is extremely smart, unselfish and makes everyone around her better. Cook quit a few games ago. Bluder has assembled the right pieces and knows which buttons to push. Fran can't figure what game he is playing to know what pieces he needs.

Iowa will be a tough out until the Elite 8 as long as they hit some 3's to take some of the pressure off MG. I don't watch a lot of women's hoops but MG and the team has been a refreshing change from the predictable Fran March collapse.

**Forgot to mention that watching Davis and Doyle play should serve as a wake up call to the Fran apologists who think guard play doesn't matter. Those two personify what you want guards to do. Davis is a catalyst offensively and Doyle is disruptive defensively.**

This is a damn good post sir.....
Been watching the women last couple weeks and it's absolutely stunning how much more cohesive they look than the men. Great teamwork, chemistry, and plus 1,000,000 on the guard play. Its been huge. If teams sag inside too much on MG she finds an open shooter....thing of beauty to behold.
]Guard play is EVERYTHING

 

[Franisdaman]

The Iowa women are ranked #8 in the country.

Here are Megan's National Ranks:
#1--28 PPG
#1--69.6 FG%
#1--369 FGs Made
#1--897 Total Pts
#2--424 Total Rebs
#4--13.2 Reb/Game

I hope for a couple things:

* That the @NaismithTrophy & @WoodenAward voters are not biased & that they don't ignore these stats when they vote.

* That we are not matched up with a team where they don't have to double team Megan. Our offense is so much more effective when they can play inside out.

#votegustafson