Watching Iowa women's team play throughout the years, I have to say, wait until this season is over, and we can give a pretty accurate judgment on how Chase, Carly and Christina will turn out in the rest of their careers. There just have been scarcely any late bloomers on Iowa's team. Tangela Smith, Tiffany Gooden, Angela Hamlin, Cara Consuegra, Amy Herrig, Lindsey Meder, Jennie Lillis, Jamie Cavey, Johanna Solverson, Krista Vandeventer, Kristi Smith, Wendy Ausdemore, Megan Skouby, Kamille Wahlin, Kelly Krei, Jaime Printy, Morgan Johnson, Theairra Taylor, Samantha Logic, Melissa Dixon, Bethany Dolittle, Ally Disterhoft,... all great players of the past 20 years, and they all earned significant minutes as freshmen via their outstanding play. Those who didn't, didn't improve through the rest of their career, with the exception of Chrystal Smith and Kachine Alexander, even they improved dramatically during their sophomore years. The only real late bloomer I can think of is probably Jerica Watson, who only started to get 17 rebounds a game when she's a senior. If Iowa can get three freshmen to play well, that's when Iowa wins Big Ten championships -- the Tangela Smith, Tiffany Gooden, Angela Hamlin years and the year with Kristi Smith, Wendy Ausdemore and Megan Skouby as juniors, with help from 6-year senior Johanna Solverson.
Hopefully the other freshman girls step up as the Big Ten season starts. And also, the Logic, Dixon and Dolittle threesome can bring another championship, with the help from Disterhoft and Jennings. The Big Ten is tougher than the '90s or 2008, though. Anyway, look forward to the next two recruiting classes.
