compare 2024 to 2023
- Thread starter NCHawker
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We will soon find out. Lost two starters coming into this season and we lose three more after this season. The bench will have to step up and there will be growing pains for sure. I like the way this team can win when CC is having an off night. That did not happen last year. We should have a good beginning run in the NCAA's and get our bench a lot of playing time. Love this team whatever happens.
You say Caitlyn, I say Caitlin.
It's a more comprehensive team, with far more dynamics. Martin is Martin+. Clark is Clark+. Davis is Davis+. Marshall is Marshall+...and apparently this March thing is real. With Davis and Affolter both supplementing and complimenting each other, that's a net+. The bench is way more dynamic.
Stuelke is Stuelke ++. Next year, I would assume she'll be +++.
They miss Czinano's strength, for sure. It'd be nice to have a...dare I say....'bar room brawler' like her in the lineup. But this is where I just admire Coach B so much. She's amped up the transition. While Stuelke might not be as strong as Czinano, she's fast as heck and twice as sneaky. Far more dynamic. Layer in the Davis/Affolter options with Martin and there's a lot of people to cover who can score in a lot of different ways.
If they use those dynamics, they win. If they don't, they struggle. They're susceptible to being beaten, if an opposing coach and players can disrupt that dynamic.
That's the best I can do on the basketball side of things. I know less about basketball than football.
Comparing my emotions on this team?
For the opus season of this 3Peat era, I only watched a few games and probably only the final of the first of the B10 titles. It was fun. I was amazed by Clark, but didn't have the expectations of my emotional connection growing. Certainly didn't expect that I'd watch just about every game that aired on B10 or broadcast network the following season.
Last season? Brought me (and just about any Hawk fan alive) closer to a national championship in football/basketball than any previous squad. Sure, some in-season promise in the past, but no team ever delivered us to the "final". Hard to beat that.
This season? I know every player's name (even those who get little playing time). I know all the coaches names. Hell, I even know some of the managers and the prep team guys. If they bow out early in the tourney, it's still a strong emotional connection. A little bit like (as a St. Louisan), the McGwire home run season. Just hanging on every at bat and delirium. Big difference though. That Redbird team stank. This team won the B10 tourney. And entertained at every moment, beyond just Clark's chase.
If they somehow win the tourney this year? We're talking doing naked cartwheels down the street and telling my grandkids about where I was when they won it.
It's a more comprehensive team, with far more dynamics. Martin is Martin+. Clark is Clark+. Davis is Davis+. Marshall is Marshall+...and apparently this March thing is real. With Davis and Affolter both supplementing and complimenting each other, that's a net+. The bench is way more dynamic.
Stuelke is Stuelke ++. Next year, I would assume she'll be +++.
They miss Czinano's strength, for sure. It'd be nice to have a...dare I say....'bar room brawler' like her in the lineup. But this is where I just admire Coach B so much. She's amped up the transition. While Stuelke might not be as strong as Czinano, she's fast as heck and twice as sneaky. Far more dynamic. Layer in the Davis/Affolter options with Martin and there's a lot of people to cover who can score in a lot of different ways.
If they use those dynamics, they win. If they don't, they struggle. They're susceptible to being beaten, if an opposing coach and players can disrupt that dynamic.
That's the best I can do on the basketball side of things. I know less about basketball than football.
Comparing my emotions on this team?
For the opus season of this 3Peat era, I only watched a few games and probably only the final of the first of the B10 titles. It was fun. I was amazed by Clark, but didn't have the expectations of my emotional connection growing. Certainly didn't expect that I'd watch just about every game that aired on B10 or broadcast network the following season.
Last season? Brought me (and just about any Hawk fan alive) closer to a national championship in football/basketball than any previous squad. Sure, some in-season promise in the past, but no team ever delivered us to the "final". Hard to beat that.
This season? I know every player's name (even those who get little playing time). I know all the coaches names. Hell, I even know some of the managers and the prep team guys. If they bow out early in the tourney, it's still a strong emotional connection. A little bit like (as a St. Louisan), the McGwire home run season. Just hanging on every at bat and delirium. Big difference though. That Redbird team stank. This team won the B10 tourney. And entertained at every moment, beyond just Clark's chase.
If they somehow win the tourney this year? We're talking doing naked cartwheels down the street and telling my grandkids about where I was when they won it.
HaydenHawk56
Well-Known Member
I think they had a tougher schedule last year...and that team made the title game. Remains to be seen. Both are exceptional.
ChosenChildren
Well-Known Member
Yes, I think it is a better overall team, particularly if Marshall is shooting well and Molly Davis can come off the bench as a spark plug (I want Affolter starting).
The problem with college basketball is that your season is really defined now by single elimination tournaments. It is a great opportunity as well. Regular season conference titles, with unbalanced schedules, are not as important as they used to be.
First is the Big Ten tournament. Iowa defied the odds this year by coming back from an 8 point deficit with a little over 2 minutes left. Unbelievable, and almost impossible to believe that they accomplished it. To win that tournament 3 years in a row is beyond belief.
Now, the Big Dance. The first two games are in Iowa City. We will win the first game, and be a meaningful favorite in the second, but nothing is guaranteed.
If we win the first two, in the next two games, Iowa will be playing much better teams, in theory. One slip up and it is over. It is not like baseball, which is best of 5 or best of 7.
I like our chances because our top 7 players played meaningful minutes in the tournament last year. They know what the pressure feels like, in front of packed gyms.
I think if we get a 1 seed and stay away from South Carolina and LSU until the Final Four, we will make the Final Four again.
But if we don't, it won't take anything away from this season. To go 29-4 at this stage (with 3 last minute losses) is simply amazing.
The problem with college basketball is that your season is really defined now by single elimination tournaments. It is a great opportunity as well. Regular season conference titles, with unbalanced schedules, are not as important as they used to be.
First is the Big Ten tournament. Iowa defied the odds this year by coming back from an 8 point deficit with a little over 2 minutes left. Unbelievable, and almost impossible to believe that they accomplished it. To win that tournament 3 years in a row is beyond belief.
Now, the Big Dance. The first two games are in Iowa City. We will win the first game, and be a meaningful favorite in the second, but nothing is guaranteed.
If we win the first two, in the next two games, Iowa will be playing much better teams, in theory. One slip up and it is over. It is not like baseball, which is best of 5 or best of 7.
I like our chances because our top 7 players played meaningful minutes in the tournament last year. They know what the pressure feels like, in front of packed gyms.
I think if we get a 1 seed and stay away from South Carolina and LSU until the Final Four, we will make the Final Four again.
But if we don't, it won't take anything away from this season. To go 29-4 at this stage (with 3 last minute losses) is simply amazing.
I'm not sure that there's big difference overall between the IA team that went into the tournament last year than the one going in this year. But I think WBB basketball overall is much more balanced this year than last. So I think even if the team is better this year, they may not advance to the Final Four is Caitlin doesn't play lights out again this year.
Dadman
Well-Known Member
I cant really see where one team is better- Czsinano was a force, and if not for Caitlin, may have been far more celebrated. The current team has great talent that has improved markedly- Stuelke without question- but perhaps may be weaker against big line-ups........
Based on current rankings and bracket projections, if they hold, this team can potentially return to the final four if not even the final game. While I agree with the cautionaries in prior posts here, I also see that S Carolina has as many opportunities to slip up as we do.....they are not juggernaut perfect! What I am not as familiar with, but concerned about, is that I haven't seen much of the PAC 12 teams in actual action.
But the storylines that could come out of this tourney will have bearing on the seeding I think.......wouldn't the selection committee be conscious of the potential of JuJu and CC matchup? In with the new, out with the reigning demi-god of WBB? And wouldn't the ultimate final be SC vs Iowa, the team that knocked out SC last year? LSU will be in the thought process as well I think.
This is going to be really interesting.............
Based on current rankings and bracket projections, if they hold, this team can potentially return to the final four if not even the final game. While I agree with the cautionaries in prior posts here, I also see that S Carolina has as many opportunities to slip up as we do.....they are not juggernaut perfect! What I am not as familiar with, but concerned about, is that I haven't seen much of the PAC 12 teams in actual action.
But the storylines that could come out of this tourney will have bearing on the seeding I think.......wouldn't the selection committee be conscious of the potential of JuJu and CC matchup? In with the new, out with the reigning demi-god of WBB? And wouldn't the ultimate final be SC vs Iowa, the team that knocked out SC last year? LSU will be in the thought process as well I think.
This is going to be really interesting.............
Last year's schedule was probably a little tougher. They also struggled early last year. Was it last year or the year before where they all got covid and got rolled by Duke?
The amazing thing about this year is we were in control of damn near the entire game in all but one if our losses. Off the top of my head i can only think of the MSU game and Nebraska games where we won but it looked dicey at the end. Other than those games, we were in cruise control pretty much the entire year which is really hard to do. I think I give the slight edge to this year's team.
The amazing thing about this year is we were in control of damn near the entire game in all but one if our losses. Off the top of my head i can only think of the MSU game and Nebraska games where we won but it looked dicey at the end. Other than those games, we were in cruise control pretty much the entire year which is really hard to do. I think I give the slight edge to this year's team.
thedukeofearl
Well-Known Member
This year's team has the advantage of last seasons run to the Title Game and the experience
they gained followed by the teamwork and savvy that has molded them to the exceptional
teamwork that has propelled them this season
They are one of the best Teams I have ever seen, and they intuitively know where the rest of their teammates are going to be and how they will react and they know they can depend on each other
This is an exceptional Team who has brought joy to every Hawk fan and millions of basketball
fans throughout America
I watched Maury John's Drake team that went to the Final Four to play UCLA with Lou Alcindor/Kareen Abdul-Jabbar in 1969, and come within a missed obvious foul at the buzzer of making it to the Championship Game. They beat North Carolina by 20 points in the Consolation Game, on my birthday also
They are in league with Lute Olsen's team that made it to the Final Four and would have made the
Championship game if a Louisville thug named Roger Burkman hadn't slammed Ronnie Lester to the
floor with a despicable dirty play
This Hawkeye Women's team is better than those teams in my opinion
they gained followed by the teamwork and savvy that has molded them to the exceptional
teamwork that has propelled them this season
They are one of the best Teams I have ever seen, and they intuitively know where the rest of their teammates are going to be and how they will react and they know they can depend on each other
This is an exceptional Team who has brought joy to every Hawk fan and millions of basketball
fans throughout America
I watched Maury John's Drake team that went to the Final Four to play UCLA with Lou Alcindor/Kareen Abdul-Jabbar in 1969, and come within a missed obvious foul at the buzzer of making it to the Championship Game. They beat North Carolina by 20 points in the Consolation Game, on my birthday also
They are in league with Lute Olsen's team that made it to the Final Four and would have made the
Championship game if a Louisville thug named Roger Burkman hadn't slammed Ronnie Lester to the
floor with a despicable dirty play
This Hawkeye Women's team is better than those teams in my opinion
