I’m not in denial. Bluder has a great class coming in next season. Has a 5* PG in the 25 class … We all know CC was a generational player but Iowa will continue on with new and exciting players.
Without Caitlin next year
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Addie Deal is not a PG. She is a Wing.
Sure but they were a fine before CC but I just think we’ll go back to S16 ceiling. I hope I’m wrong but we couldn’t even muster enough NIL money to land Betts coming off a national title appearance, just don’t see how we break into the blue bloods.
I think the CC effect is coming into play now and will in the future. We have four top 100 players coming in next season + the five star California PG in 25. I think the 25 recruiting class will be rock solid.
Even before Clark Iowa was doing well with Megan G and others. Iowa isn’t going anywhere …
Good for sure but I don’t see her and Hannah being enough to make us even a T25 team.
Bluder just needs to hit 2 of her Top targets for both 2025 and 2026 and this team will be a very tough out (next year notwithstanding — could be very rough, esp without a PG from the portal):
2025: Hays, McGaughy, Speiser
2026: Bjorn, Greenway, Lewis
4 of those 6 alongside Heiden, Guyton, Mallegni, Deal, Houston would be a VERY GOOD team absolutely capable of making a final four run. Sounds like a tall task but Iowa is absolutely is a Top 5 option (at minimum — if not top 2 or 3) for all 6 of those kids.
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Agree. Iowa has to get at least two portal girls … an experienced PG and a big …
There is a way too early Top 25 out already and Iowa is not ranked nor in the others considered. Iowa state is 10th.
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If she were the savior of the program, I think maybe we would have seen her for more than 0 minutes in the last three games of the season.
Maybe, just maybe, something about this year's team was a little different than most others. Can't quite put my finger on what it was though.
McCabe is not a “savior” lol, no one claimed that.
It wad pretty clear that Bluder was not going to displace any of the established upperclassmen. Case in point: Affolter is a bench reserve until Davis suffers an injury.
Affolter played less than 20 minutes one time since November. Not exactly the same.
This team is still going to be really good next year. Molly was good, but we just made a gigantic run again without her, including 10 straight with a Big Ten Tourney Championship, and a NCAA championship game run. Gabbie was good on D, but Mccabe is far better offensively. Martin and Clark are huge losses.
I'd imagine the starting lineup right now would be O'grady, Hannah, Affolter, Mccabe, Kylie (PG and not ideal). However, I'd be surprised if Heiden wasn't starting at the 5 before the conferecne even starts, she's really good. Stuelke was 45th, Crooks 51st, and Heiden is ranked 40th. She is really going to have an impact and allow Hannah to get good matchups at the 4 now.
Guyton was viewed as the PG for next year, but it'll depend how her knee heals. Haven't heard anything lately, but she is a highly ranked PG 58th overall, and Mallegni and Stremlow are both top 100 guards coming in. Just one needs to perform above level and fill in that 5th spot if we can't get a transfer.
On top of all that, our lowest rated recruit, Levin, was the player of the year in Iowa. Watching the state tourney this year, she was the most impressive Senior I saw in any games. She is also another guard. Honestly, this team will be very good next year, just not Final Four good.
I'd imagine the starting lineup right now would be O'grady, Hannah, Affolter, Mccabe, Kylie (PG and not ideal). However, I'd be surprised if Heiden wasn't starting at the 5 before the conferecne even starts, she's really good. Stuelke was 45th, Crooks 51st, and Heiden is ranked 40th. She is really going to have an impact and allow Hannah to get good matchups at the 4 now.
Guyton was viewed as the PG for next year, but it'll depend how her knee heals. Haven't heard anything lately, but she is a highly ranked PG 58th overall, and Mallegni and Stremlow are both top 100 guards coming in. Just one needs to perform above level and fill in that 5th spot if we can't get a transfer.
On top of all that, our lowest rated recruit, Levin, was the player of the year in Iowa. Watching the state tourney this year, she was the most impressive Senior I saw in any games. She is also another guard. Honestly, this team will be very good next year, just not Final Four good.
Let’s see UCLA, USC, IN, OSU, PSU, MSU, MI, IL, Maryland and Neb.
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I think they will be ranked in the top 20 to start the season. Whether they end up there, I'm not sure.
I agree and watching some of her body language it would not shock me at all if she left the program fully.
If they can get a decent one year rental PG through the portal, I think we can still be a top 5-7 Big 10 team, maybe hover around the Top 25 at times during the season, and get into the tournament comfortably. Someone like HVL (pipe dream) would solidify that. If we don't bring in a primary ball handler and just roll with it as currently constructed, middle of the pack Big 10, bubble tournament team. The following couple of years should be better though.
I think some.e success next year is critical at maintaining the flow of talent.
Some great dialogue on this. But you don't lose four senior starters and expect to be ranked next year. BTW, not enough mentions of Gabby Marshall's defense, 3pt shooting & all out hustle. And she hypnotized the other team with those eyes.... That will be missed.
Just being realistic.
J
Just being realistic.
J
Caitlin was a generational talent with a nice, but not spectacular, supporting cast. Of course there will be a fall off. How big is the question. I'm guessing a lot in relative terms.
If next season they have an above .500 finish in the B1G make the Dance and win their first game there that would be a nice accomplishment. Expecting more than that is asking too much.
They'll almost surely be ranked pre-season, most likely in the 25-20 range. Really though that's essentially irrelevant. How they finish the season will be what matters.
If next season they have an above .500 finish in the B1G make the Dance and win their first game there that would be a nice accomplishment. Expecting more than that is asking too much.
They'll almost surely be ranked pre-season, most likely in the 25-20 range. Really though that's essentially irrelevant. How they finish the season will be what matters.
Kylie cannot play PG. If we don’t get a PG in the portal, Syd will likely bring the ball down the court. It is NOT ideal but she is a much better handler than Kylie. Kylie’s handles are her biggest weakness. Indiana, Maryland did the same when they were without a PG — they slid their SFs over.
USC and UCLA will be the clear 1 and 2 next year. However they’re going to have to learn how to basically live on the road and adjust to an entirely new league. I’m kind of glad we get to burn our rebuilding year while they’re taking up so much oxygen but also adjusting. Furthermore, as an FYI, many other teams in the B1G are hemorrhaging talent to the portal — OSU, Mich, Mich St, PSU, MD are in crisis. Indiana will be in a very similar position to us, but tbh I’d rather be us. They have no Addie Deal + Journey Houston combo on the way. Nebraska is doing fine but their coach could be fired any day tbh and probably should be.
People have GOT to get over HVL. Respectfully, it makes it clear you don’t watch WBB. She is the OPPOSITE of what Iowa needs. She is NOT a PG. She is a SG — that was made obvious this year. Iowa needs someone who can create shots for others.
She thrives in the midrange — Bluder hates the midrange. She is also highly overrated due to her Instagram brand, I promise you. HVL also obviously wants to go somewhere with an excellent reputation for WNBA development. That is NOT Iowa. She wants to be focusing way more on defense than Bluder cares to do.
Finally she probably thinks Iowa is a joke just like the rest of her recruiting class outside Clark. During their formative years, Iowa had very little cachet. Things are different now for up and comers, but not for them. Bluder would also be HIGHLY weary of adding anyone who has transferred twice BTW.
Fortunately, there are quite a few PGs in the portal who are all much better fits (Olsen, Ciezky, Scherr, Heal, Bettencourt, Brown, Haggeman, TVO top my list — not all of them are realistic but they are actual point/combo guards). Check out the Portal Targets thread for more on them.
We are not in the current preseason top 25 from ESPN and we won’t be unless we get a very impressive transfer (or two). It should be that way quite honestly since the PG is such an essential position for any offense, especially Bluder’s. I’m okay with it, no additional pressure needed at this time for the group.
Get Lucy Olsen from Villanova and get another big.
She can't play defense or handle the ball.
She can shoot...no doubt. She has to improve in those areas...we'll see.
I think we'll be young but still very good.
If we can get a solid point (Olsen) from the portal. I think you'll see the following.
Transfer PG, mix in Stremlow (Guyton redshirt)
SG - Feuerbach or McCabe
W - Affolter and maybe Levin a bit
PF - Hannah, Gyamfi and Mallegni
C - O'Grady and Heinen, (maybe Edinger)
I think this looks about right but I have a gut feeling someone hits the portal and that opens up a spot then for a second portal add. I really believe we need a really good one year PG transfer. I am hoping for Olsen. I love Hannah spending more time at the 4. If she works on her ball handling and improve that like she did her FT shooting, she is a star!
Out of respect they probably will. There’s no harm in doing so. It’s mostly meaningless, after all it is a preseason poll.
Bluder has acknowledged that next year will be a rebuilding year of sorts. Unless they find a couple in the portal. But I think they have roster limitations? And I don’t see her running off players to open up a roster spot.
Bluder has acknowledged that next year will be a rebuilding year of sorts. Unless they find a couple in the portal. But I think they have roster limitations? And I don’t see her running off players to open up a roster spot.
Mallegni will not play PF next year. She is a guard and as a freshman Bluder will not ask her to play more than 2 positions. Expect minutes from her at the 2/3.
Ill be shocked (pleasantly) if Levin sees the floor. Stremlow clearly seems to be by consensus superior prospect.
What do you have against Levin, Ive seen her play several times and she will see minutes. She committed so early and doesnt have the stars behind her name but she is a gritty Kate Martin type player.
I don’t have anything against her. I hope she shocks me. But she is coming from 3A Iowa basketball. Her offer list was not impressive. She is not a top 100 prospect by any of the services. Stremlow has consistently been ranked in the top 100 and has a better offer list. That’s rly all you can compare at this point.
We should expect neither to be ready for primetime as freshman imo (we almost never should) but national evaluators believe Stremlow has a lot of upside so I think with time she will earn her minutes, probably as a reserve. I don’t think she is likely to be a star. Levin IMO is more likely to have a track like Shateah. But that’s okay, she can still be a great part of the team as a reserve, if nothing else. They are important. Again, I hope she surprises me.
Kate might be a great comp but if that’s the case, we should be conservative about our expectations. Kate wasn’t a scoring threat til the end of her junior year. She would not have started at Iowa as a sophomore had we not needed her to due to lack of experience/talent. Her having a fifth year allowed her the time to come into her own and become a true Iowa star. Levin will not have the early starting opportunity (bc Iowa has so much more talent coming in) and also won’t have 5 years.
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I don’t know the full non-conference schedule, but while there is plenty of opportunity, we are at least going to see tournament teams Kansas, Iowa State, and two out of UConn, Tennessee, and Louisville. That could be bloody. For a team who currently doesn’t have a PG or SG that can handle the ball effectively, it seems like their timeline of possibly being ranked might shift more towards Jan / Feb once the freshmen get their feet under them and we start racking up some wins vs the non-USC/UCLA Big 10 teams.
