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WBB 2020 postseason/preseason

cyberhawk

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Thanks to everyone for your contributions to the WBB threads. I enjoy reading them.

Interest in the Iowa women’s basketball has never been higher. Home attendance for this past year averaged just over 7100. That is an increase of over 2700, or more than 60 percent greater than the not quite 4400 that they averaged just 3 years ago for the season ending in 2017. The all-time high attendance for this season came on the heals of an elite 8 finish for the previous season and a modest level of expectations entering the season. With the loss of AA Kathleen Doyle and two other important senior starters, expectations are sure to be muted again for next season. Despite this, I think there is a groundswell of hope and optimism among the Hawkeye fans.

I have started this new thread in order to facilitate and perpetuate the interests of the members here on this forum for this off season. Go Hawks!

WBB 2019 season in general https://iowa.forums.rivals.com/threads/wbb-2019-20-season-in-general.270779/

WBB recruiting thread
https://iowa.forums.rivals.com/threads/wbb-recruiting-for-the-future-2020-and-beyond.270782/page-18
 
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ESPN's way too early top 25 ranking has five teams from the Big Ten, Maryland, Ohio State, Northwestern, Indiana and Michigan.

https://www.espn.com/womens-college...llege-basketball-way-too-early-top-25-2020-21

I think Northwestern, indiana and Michigan are in because they all have star players returning for the coming season, Pulliam, Patberg and Hilmon, among others. It's understandable that Iowa is not in. Losing three starting seniors for two consecutive years, including Big Ten player of year and all American twice in the row, this team has got to be down, right, experts? Hope Iowa prove them wrong again!
 
Maryland & Northwestern are ranked too high in my opinion. Maryland lost a lot in their SR class, then add Austin & Owens too that its a lot to overcome. NW lost their entire front-court which was consistent for them, their guards are good but not very efficient/consistent. Indy & OSU are my top two in the conference, especially with Indy getting Danielle Patterson (6'2 Notre Dame transfer) into the line-up. Michigan should be good, but Kim Barnes-Arico has always done less with more during her time in Ann Arbor.

Iowa should battle for a top 6 spot in the conference. The offense should open up even more for Monika with McKenna bringing a better deep threat. Combine that with Caitlin, Gabby, Lexi, Tomi, & Lauren teams could pay dearly for doubling. Defense & rebounding will be the key to the season. McKenna rebounds better than given credit for & Monika attacked the glass aggressively in high school so hopefully she gets back to that. Her biggest issue is transitioning from defense to boxing out/rebounding which is correctable as is better defensive positioning & court awareness. It's about desire/will to do it & she has great work ethic so lets hope for the best.
 
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We will be the youngest team for awhile. Lexi and Monica will be the only upper classmen for sure to play a lot. Sixth sounds about right but our next two classes coming in on paper are an upgrade for the classes we lose. Our guard court looks deep with good talent. If we can get some more bigs Jan will do her magic. We need depth and rebounder. I love Iowa Wbb. Lisa always seems to put out a nice team that competes, graduates, and without drama.
 
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Nebraska loses another player to transfer (Verbeek, Mershon) in leading scorer & BIG 6th Player of the Year Leigha Brown 6'1 SO. She hopes to transfer to a school closer to her home in Indiana. Nebraska lost 4 players to graduation & 3 to transfer this off-season leaving them with 6 returning players & 3 incoming recruits for next season at this point.
 
Let's get back to basketball, enough already! Bluder's bunch very probably will not be champions next year, but the goal is 27-0 until they lose their first... certainly, exceeded expectations last year.
 
Excited about incoming freshman guards Clark & Jensen. Do we think they both start? Maybe with Marshall? Alexis & Tomi coming off the bench?
 
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I agree the starting 5 is likely to be Clark, Sevillian, Marshall, Warnock, and Czinano. Of those, I think Marshall's spot is the least secure. She was inconsistent in her freshman season; the beginning and end were really good, the middle wasn't. If she takes a step in the off-season or becomes more consistent, she'll probably be a starter all year. If she's inconsistent again, I could see someone beating her out. I'd be shocked if Sevillian doesn't start the whole year.
 
Let's get back to basketball, enough already! Bluder's bunch very probably will not be champions next year, but the goal is 27-0 until they lose their first... certainly, exceeded expectations last year.

Enough already what? This IS the WBB thread.
 
Maggie can be an amazing scorer, she has great form when playing with confidence. She has good ball skills. But she is a bit undersized and not real physical. I agree someone has to beat her out. Some on here were high on Martin and some think Jensen will play. I hope the Goodman girl is ready to help inside
 
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Maggie can be an amazing scorer, she has great form when playing with confidence. She has good ball skills. But she is a bit undersized and not real physical. I agree someone has to beat her out. Some on here were high on Martin and some think Jensen will play. I hope the Goodman girl is ready to help inside
I assume you were talking about Gabbie Marshall -- I drew a complete blank trying to remember any past or present Iowa player named Maggie:) As for Marshall, I agree she is not very physical, and not the quickest player either. However I had an impression that she is actually taller than her reported height of 5'9. That's sufficient for a guard. Now Sevillian is indeed a bit undersized.

I hope Goodman can play some minutes too, and learn from Czinano in the process. I've read somewhere that physically she is ready for the college game.
 
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I assume you were talking about Gabbie Marshall -- I drew a complete blank trying to remember any past or present Iowa player named Maggie:) As for Marshall, I agree she is not very physical, and not the quickest player either. However I had an impression that she is actually taller than her reported height of 5'9. That's sufficient for a guard. Now Sevillian is indeed a bit undersized.

I hope Goodman can play some minutes too, and learn from Czinano in the process. I've read somewhere that physically she is ready for the college game.
don't know if spell check or brain fart but yes Gabbie. She has such nice form
 
Sevillian will start at the beginning of the season. I expect to see Clark, Marshall, Sevillian, Warnock and Czinano in the starting lineup. It may well change as the season goes on.

I'm going to be bold and predict Martin starts over Marshall mainly becomes of Martin's size and ability to play inside out. Marshall may see more minutes however as 6th hawk and may be the best option as backup PG and Bluder may keep her as 6th hawk primarily for that reason. Martin's ability to rebound and play 4 of 5 positions on the floor also fits well in the 5 out. I think we will see more balance in the way minutes are distributed as well. I also think Martin will take a huge leap in productivity.
 
I'm going to be bold and predict Martin starts over Marshall mainly becomes of Martin's size and ability to play inside out. Marshall may see more minutes however as 6th hawk and may be the best option as backup PG and Bluder may keep her as 6th hawk primarily for that reason. Martin's ability to rebound and play 4 of 5 positions on the floor also fits well in the 5 out. I think we will see more balance in the way minutes are distributed as well. I also think Martin will take a huge leap in productivity.
Lisa praised Kate last fall prior to the start of the season, at least partially due to her performance during the foreign trip. She was one of the main ‘stat stuffers’ with points, rebounds and steals. I thought she might be due for a break out season. She did show some glimpses late in the season so I would not be surprised if you are right.
 
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Martin's freshman season was weird because she really didn't play guard much. Most of her minutes came at the 4 as part of a smaller lineup. Even when Gabbie was struggling mid-season, she didn't really make it into the guard rotation. We'll see if that changes this year.
 
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Martin's freshman season was weird because she really didn't play guard much. Most of her minutes came at the 4 as part of a smaller lineup. Even when Gabbie was struggling mid-season, she didn't really make it into the guard rotation. We'll see if that changes this year.

Martin proved very effective inside and I really see her as a wing who can move inside and play PF as well. But in HS she played quite a bit as shooting guard and she can certainly drive and be effective at the point as well. She needs to work on developing her range that has eluded her thus far. Granted it may be the weight training which can cause some players to adjust. If her shooting range returns to her HS form, in particular 3 point shooting I could see Martin's game resembling Lindsey Pulliam of NW. I think starting her brings more balance to the lineup whereas Gabbie is more of perimeter shooter in the mold of Melissa Dixon.
 
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Coach Bluder would have to do a lot of lineup shuffling in-game for Kate Martin to play mainly at the 3 but I could see it happening. There is no other backup at the 4 for McKenna Warnock other than Logan Cook who has yet to prove she can handle a regular backup spot & Shateah Wetering might be ready at some point. A lot will depend on how the guards perform... Gabbie Marshall, Alexis Sevillian, Tomi Taiwo, & Lauren Jensen will probably dictate where Kate Martin ends up playing most of her minutes which will likely be 20+.

I see Kate Martin moving to the wing full-time the following season with the arrival of AJ Ediger & Addison O'Grady. She probably will have to battle McKenna Warnock for time there too as both are likely to move to the 3. Kate can be a nice contributor & I hope her knee is strong enough to wear a smaller/no brace as it was really holding her back especially early in the season.
 
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Coach Bluder would have to do a lot of lineup shuffling in-game for Kate Martin to play mainly at the 3 but I could see it happening. There is no other backup at the 4 for McKenna Warnock other than Logan Cook who has yet to prove she can handle a regular backup spot & Shateah Wetering might be ready at some point. A lot will depend on how the guards perform... Gabbie Marshall, Alexis Sevillian, Tomi Taiwo, & Lauren Jensen will probably dictate where Kate Martin ends up playing most of her minutes which will likely be 20+.

I see Kate Martin moving to the wing full-time the following season with the arrival of AJ Ediger & Addison O'Grady. She probably will have to battle McKenna Warnock for time there too as both are likely to move to the 3. Kate can be a nice contributor & I hope her knee is strong enough to wear a smaller/no brace as it was really holding her back especially early in the season.

In fairness to Logan, she has not been provided much of an opportunity to show what she can or can't handle. She flashed low post moves when she is able to get deep position and she is a solid rebounder. Bluder didn't give many players opportunities last year. I understand Mack and Doyle were stars but many other players could have seen more minutes especially with Doyle showing signs of being worn down and Mack's tendencies to disappear on defense for long stretches. I think Bluder might have relied to heavily on the starters and didn't allow an opportunity to build depth. Logan might have played 15 minutes all season and Megan Meyer maybe 10 all season. Towards the end of the season we saw Tomi and Zion more (which was needed because both improved the defense when they were in) but she should be trying to get players at least 2-4 minutes a game and not just in garbage time.

Cook does still need to develop. She lacks confidence and doesn't let the game come to her and has trouble being aggressive without fouling. But she also has a huge plus side that was under utilized, especially on the glass and creating her own 2nd chance opportunities. She can be another Amanda by the time she is a senior if she dedicates herself. I think Cook will grow and learn to play within herself and the game will start to come to her once she is provided the playing time (at least five minutes a game) to do so.

I was extremely disappointed that Megan Meyer didn't get more playing time. She was a much more complete guard coming out of HS than Mack and I though she might see 2-4 minutes at the point. She played well in extremely limited garbage time and I think she can be even more successful than Mack if given the opportunity.

I also though Cook and Martin both needed more PT, particularly when Amanda was in foul trouble. They really only saw significantly increased minutes when Monica was out. In Martin's case, she needed 7-10 minutes a game last year and her production warranted it but she rarely saw that.

I would say let's reserve judgement until we get through the non-conference. The team that begins the season might look much different at the end.
 
Excited about incoming freshman guards Clark & Jensen. Do we think they both start? Maybe with Marshall? Alexis & Tomi coming off the bench?
I too am excited about the incoming freshmen guards. However, Alexis will be an incumbent returning starter and while her minutes might be somewhat limited, I doubt she will be demoted to the bench. There is a general consensus that Caitlin Clark will step in right away to start. Lauren Jensen is no doubt a very skilled player at this stage of her career, but she will have to out-battle Gabby, Megan and Tomi as well as possibly Kate for the second wing. Other than Alexis (and Zion), this guard court will be relatively young and inexperienced, but they have a lot of potential, versatility and balance. They should be able to sustain steady improvement throughout the season and enable the team to exceed expectations for a second season in a row.
 
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In fairness to Logan, she has not been provided much of an opportunity to show what she can or can't handle. She flashed low post moves when she is able to get deep position and she is a solid rebounder. Bluder didn't give many players opportunities last year. I understand Mack and Doyle were stars but many other players could have seen more minutes especially with Doyle showing signs of being worn down and Mack's tendencies to disappear on defense for long stretches. I think Bluder might have relied to heavily on the starters and didn't allow an opportunity to build depth. Logan might have played 15 minutes all season and Megan Meyer maybe 10 all season. Towards the end of the season we saw Tomi and Zion more (which was needed because both improved the defense when they were in) but she should be trying to get players at least 2-4 minutes a game and not just in garbage time.

Cook does still need to develop. She lacks confidence and doesn't let the game come to her and has trouble being aggressive without fouling. But she also has a huge plus side that was under utilized, especially on the glass and creating her own 2nd chance opportunities. She can be another Amanda by the time she is a senior if she dedicates herself. I think Cook will grow and learn to play within herself and the game will start to come to her once she is provided the playing time (at least five minutes a game) to do so.

I was extremely disappointed that Megan Meyer didn't get more playing time. She was a much more complete guard coming out of HS than Mack and I though she might see 2-4 minutes at the point. She played well in extremely limited garbage time and I think she can be even more successful than Mack if given the opportunity.

I also though Cook and Martin both needed more PT, particularly when Amanda was in foul trouble. They really only saw significantly increased minutes when Monica was out. In Martin's case, she needed 7-10 minutes a game last year and her production warranted it but she rarely saw that.

I would say let's reserve judgement until we get through the non-conference. The team that begins the season might look much different at the end.
I remember last fall Lisa singling Logan out as one of the most improved over the previous year (along with Kate). I thought both would have more significant roles. As it turned out, neither one showed much in their limited minutes. Maybe Lisa will spread the minutes out a little more next season and both of them (and Tomi too) will have greater contributions.
 
I hope you guys are right about Logan as a team can never have too much depth in womens basketball. She has to get a lot stronger & more minutes at the end of games would have helped her because in analyzing her game since her HS days I just don't see what you do Gabe. I do wonder about the backup point guard, will it be Gabbie sliding over or will Megan Meyer get some time there (forgot to list her at guard in my last post).

I hope Lisa goes 9-10 deep but also hope she does it out of a normal rotation & not the "platoon" system she used previously. Players said they had a hard time getting into a rhythm & were glad she ditched it come BIG play.
 
We will likely have no summer workouts or pickup games for the recruits. I think the NCAA should give an extra week or two of practice to help develop the recruits and team before the season.
 
I hope you guys are right about Logan as a team can never have too much depth in womens basketball. She has to get a lot stronger & more minutes at the end of games would have helped her because in analyzing her game since her HS days I just don't see what you do Gabe. I do wonder about the backup point guard, will it be Gabbie sliding over or will Megan Meyer get some time there (forgot to list her at guard in my last post).

I hope Lisa goes 9-10 deep but also hope she does it out of a normal rotation & not the "platoon" system she used previously. Players said they had a hard time getting into a rhythm & were glad she ditched it come BIG play.

Definitely don't go with platoon style. I'm hoping for more situational subs and developing rotations based on style, player chemistry or what is dictated by the game. Deep reserves need to have opportunities to play with the starters as that is the best way to gain confidence and experience. Maybe even run a play for the reserve when she's in.

The guard rotation is very deep coming into the season. Certainly Clark will see plenty of minutes but I think somewhat less than what Doyle saw last season. Sevillian's minutes will likely be close to last season. I also think Zion Sanders will see her minutes increase next year. She might be the early favorite for backup point guard but Meyer will see some time there as well. Zion played at a high level in limited minutes last year, particularly defensively.

I hope that having a deep roster, albeit a fairly young one, will provide Bluder with an opportunity to really work on showing multiple defensive looks. The 2-3 and 1-3-1 zone were fine last year but I really got tired of living and dying by it. Iowa's success next season hinges largely on it's abilty to play defense, rebound, and avoid the unforced turnovers that have plagued us the past two season. Bluder's teams rarely struggle on offense and I don't anticipate that changing next year.

I also want to see players who look for their shot or look for ways to create opportunities for others when Czinano is shut down. If I see one more turnover from a telegraphed entry pass into the post it will be too many.
 
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In fairness to Logan, she has not been provided much of an opportunity to show what she can or can't handle. She flashed low post moves when she is able to get deep position and she is a solid rebounder. Bluder didn't give many players opportunities last year. I understand Mack and Doyle were stars but many other players could have seen more minutes especially with Doyle showing signs of being worn down and Mack's tendencies to disappear on defense for long stretches. I think Bluder might have relied to heavily on the starters and didn't allow an opportunity to build depth. Logan might have played 15 minutes all season and Megan Meyer maybe 10 all season. Towards the end of the season we saw Tomi and Zion more (which was needed because both improved the defense when they were in) but she should be trying to get players at least 2-4 minutes a game and not just in garbage time.

Cook does still need to develop. She lacks confidence and doesn't let the game come to her and has trouble being aggressive without fouling. But she also has a huge plus side that was under utilized, especially on the glass and creating her own 2nd chance opportunities. She can be another Amanda by the time she is a senior if she dedicates herself. I think Cook will grow and learn to play within herself and the game will start to come to her once she is provided the playing time (at least five minutes a game) to do so.

I was extremely disappointed that Megan Meyer didn't get more playing time. She was a much more complete guard coming out of HS than Mack and I though she might see 2-4 minutes at the point. She played well in extremely limited garbage time and I think she can be even more successful than Mack if given the opportunity.

I also though Cook and Martin both needed more PT, particularly when Amanda was in foul trouble. They really only saw significantly increased minutes when Monica was out. In Martin's case, she needed 7-10 minutes a game last year and her production warranted it but she rarely saw that.

I would say let's reserve judgement until we get through the non-conference. The team that begins the season might look much different at the end.
 
From Mason City, saw dozens of both Meyer’s games. Megan was not a ‘more complete guard’ in HS. Mackenzie was the better player, period. Also don’t agree with you saying Mak disappears on defense, she is a tremendous defensive player, always has been. Now, I will say that Megan is or can be as good or better than Sevillian, Taiwo, and Sanders and wouldn’t be surprised to see her get minutes next year. May be the best shooter on the team..
 
This is going to be a big off-season for guards not named Clark and Sevillian. Those two will be in the rotation, but otherwise, things are fairly up for grabs. I wouldn't be shocked if any of: Sanders, Taiwo, Meyer, Marshall, Martin, Wetering, or Jensen played important minutes at guard next season. Thing is, 3-4 of those 7 won't be part of the regular rotation unless injuries factor in.
 
Braydon, I live out of state and haven't seen Wetering. Does she have Big10 guard skills?
Wasn't Jensen considered at the next level in Minnesota after the top rated player in the country? If so, I'd think she should be a real good option to be considered along with Marshal,Taiwo, and Meyer.
Aside from highlite film I haven't seen Jensen either but she sure looks to have a good future.
I'm just questioning if Martin and Wetering are really guard options. If Clark is going to distribute the ball we need a shooter and a defender. I'd think Marshal and Jensen would go to the top of the list of shooters.
Also, Sevillian is so streaky and not very fast that many games when she isn't hitting her shot she is a liability on the court and should allow someone else some floor time.
 
Braydon, I live out of state and haven't seen Wetering. Does she have Big10 guard skills?
Wasn't Jensen considered at the next level in Minnesota after the top rated player in the country? If so, I'd think she should be a real good option to be considered along with Marshal,Taiwo, and Meyer.
Aside from highlite film I haven't seen Jensen either but she sure looks to have a good future.
I'm just questioning if Martin and Wetering are really guard options. If Clark is going to distribute the ball we need a shooter and a defender. I'd think Marshal and Jensen would go to the top of the list of shooters.
Also, Sevillian is so streaky and not very fast that many games when she isn't hitting her shot she is a liability on the court and should allow someone else some floor time.

I included Wetering in the guard discussion because I think she could play the 3 at Iowa (she's also an option for the 4). The big selling point for her is that she's a really good athlete. I'd guess she'll be the fastest player on the team next year, and at roughly 6'0' her speed and athleticism could make her a great defender and strong in transition. Others have mentioned in past threads that in AAU Clark really liked the way she ran the floor. If she reaches her potential, Clark to Wetering runouts could steal Iowa a lot of easy baskets.

The downside to Wetering is that she was pretty raw as a prospect in the games I saw in 2018 and 2019. Her offensive game aside from transition wasn't particularly good or developed. Her defensive positioning needed a lot of work.

I haven't watched any of her games in 2020, but from the stats, it looks like her offense improved. She scored 23.2ppg this year, and shot 37.6% (47-125) from three.

Overall, Wetering's ceiling is really high. The question is whether she reaches it or comes close. In 2019, I thought she'd be a redshirt candidate, or wouldn't see much playing time as a freshman and sophomore while she developed. But if her game has improved since then and if she hits the ground running in college, she could be a dark horse to make the rotation. Her strengths are the things you can't teach and her weaknesses the things you can.
 
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I was able to watch a handful of Shateah's games this past season. She worked really hard on expanding her offense from being on the block to being a perimeter oriented player. Her long range is a work in progress, but she has good form & the rapid improvement surprised me. Shateah is a 3 in the Iowa system but can give spot minutes at the 4 in a small line up. Kate Martin is a 3-4 in the Iowa system.
 
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Just got done listening to the podcast. I think Lisa summed up this season when she said, the seniors stepped up as leaders and made everybody believe. That is going to be the key to how successful they are this year. Who is going to be that person? Sevillian? I think she can, what she lacks in athleticism she makes up in smarts. She knows the game and system inside and out. Who else could step up and be a leader?
 
Just got done listening to the podcast. I think Lisa summed up this season when she said, the seniors stepped up as leaders and made everybody believe. That is going to be the key to how successful they are this year. Who is going to be that person? Sevillian? I think she can, what she lacks in athleticism she makes up in smarts. She knows the game and system inside and out. Who else could step up and be a leader?
Czinano needs to be one of the leaders for the team to be successful.
 
Czinano needs to be one of the leaders for the team to be successful.

I agree about Czinano. Listening to the coaches/her teammates she has the work ethic, experience, & the personality to fit that role. She also learned from/spent every day with Megan Gustafson & Hannah Stewart for year so that prepared her for it too. I believe Caitlin Clark will be looked at in a leadership role with all of her basketball experiences including several Team USA gold medals internationally.
 
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