RobHowe
Administrator
Iowa Overwhelms Colorado, LSU Next
It seemed inevitable when the NCAA women’s basketball tournament bracket was revealed.
Iowa Overwhelms Colorado, LSU Next
- Thread starter RobHowe
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M1911A1Hawkeye
Well-Known Member
Nice
99topdawg
Well-Known Member
Iowa opens at -1.5. I realize that they base the line off of how people will bet, but after the ass kicking we took last year, I figured LSU would be anywhere from -2.5 to -4.5.
On ESPN's Tournament Challenge has 35% picking SC to win it all and 29% picking Iowa. I hope I'm wrong, but people have no clue...shocker.
On ESPN's Tournament Challenge has 35% picking SC to win it all and 29% picking Iowa. I hope I'm wrong, but people have no clue...shocker.
99topdawg
Well-Known Member
OK, so I'm going to contradict myself, but thinking back to last year's game, it seemed like everything they threw toward the basket went in. They had the one girl come off the bench that went 5-6 from 3 and was typically a bad 3 pt shooter. They got 2 bench points yesterday on 31 total minutes (not counting the 40 minutes Mulkey was out there). Just have to hope they don't have someone go off like that again. They don't win yesterday if Flonase Johnson doesn't go off.
Gotta admit I was a big Bruin fan yesterday. I honestly think the Hawks could handle UCLA no problem, but dang, LSU is just a bad matchup. Van Lith is not a problem, but their Guard #4 Johnson yesterday was the best player on the floor. Add in their height and relentless rebounding efforts along their front line -- it wasn't a good matchup for the Hawks last year, and it's not this year either. If they shoot the rock vs Iowa the way they did vs UCLA, the odds of an Iowa W are low.
skinnykilmer17
Well-Known Member
Fortunately LSU doesn’t appear to have that bench player this year, or much of a bench at all.
I think the matchups will be interesting. Who plays whom when we aren’t in the zone:
Stuelke vs Reese
Caitlin vs Van Lith
??? vs Johnson
??? vs Williams
??? vs Morrow
Which teams key players stay out of foul trouble could be the difference. And it may boil down to Stuelke’s fouls vs Reese’s because Reese is prone to foul trouble.
I would have liked to have seen Bluder play a big with Hannah at times during the season. I think it might be needed Monday. The problem is whom would you have sent to the bench as everyone was playing very well except that stretch Gabby struggled with her shot, and that was good coaching by Bluder to wait it out.
Potential foul trouble and matchups may dictate something different Monday night.
Affolter is playing much smarter defense these days and not committing stupid reach fouls and that will be key because she might have the tough assignment of guarding Morrow. She has to stay in the game for her toughness, and it seems like she is the best conditioned Hawkeye.
Colorado wasn’t very athletic and we fare much better when teams don’t play aggressive in our face defense. LSU is athletic obviously, but they don’t have the defensive intensity that a W Virginia has, or the depth to play that way. Our perimeter players need a little space to feel comfortable shooting those threes. Even Caitlin to a degree lately. Been struggling with her shot.
Johnson will create a matchup problem, no doubt.
Rebounding, foul trouble and 3pt shooting will be the difference imo. In that order.
And Caitlin needs to hit a few early threes to open up the passing lanes. She doesn’t need much room obviously, but there won’t be as much there against LSU as there was against Colorado. And there probably won’t be as many opportunities in the transition game as there was against Colorado but we have to try and push the pace. I believe we are better conditioned overall.
This sets up as a fascinating matchup. The coaches will have to be at the top of their games.
And Bluder needs to get into the ears of the officials. Early and often. The officials need to keep Mulkey’s antics in check and maybe Reese can be whistled for a much deserved taunting technical foul.
Ok. Yeah, that’s not likely to happen.
I think the matchups will be interesting. Who plays whom when we aren’t in the zone:
Stuelke vs Reese
Caitlin vs Van Lith
??? vs Johnson
??? vs Williams
??? vs Morrow
Which teams key players stay out of foul trouble could be the difference. And it may boil down to Stuelke’s fouls vs Reese’s because Reese is prone to foul trouble.
I would have liked to have seen Bluder play a big with Hannah at times during the season. I think it might be needed Monday. The problem is whom would you have sent to the bench as everyone was playing very well except that stretch Gabby struggled with her shot, and that was good coaching by Bluder to wait it out.
Potential foul trouble and matchups may dictate something different Monday night.
Affolter is playing much smarter defense these days and not committing stupid reach fouls and that will be key because she might have the tough assignment of guarding Morrow. She has to stay in the game for her toughness, and it seems like she is the best conditioned Hawkeye.
Colorado wasn’t very athletic and we fare much better when teams don’t play aggressive in our face defense. LSU is athletic obviously, but they don’t have the defensive intensity that a W Virginia has, or the depth to play that way. Our perimeter players need a little space to feel comfortable shooting those threes. Even Caitlin to a degree lately. Been struggling with her shot.
Johnson will create a matchup problem, no doubt.
Rebounding, foul trouble and 3pt shooting will be the difference imo. In that order.
And Caitlin needs to hit a few early threes to open up the passing lanes. She doesn’t need much room obviously, but there won’t be as much there against LSU as there was against Colorado. And there probably won’t be as many opportunities in the transition game as there was against Colorado but we have to try and push the pace. I believe we are better conditioned overall.
This sets up as a fascinating matchup. The coaches will have to be at the top of their games.
And Bluder needs to get into the ears of the officials. Early and often. The officials need to keep Mulkey’s antics in check and maybe Reese can be whistled for a much deserved taunting technical foul.
Ok. Yeah, that’s not likely to happen.
STILLBUSTER
Well-Known Member
Curious what Elton John's gonna wear to the dance? Big game like this - prime time TV - thinking a royal purple / gold / yellow / white body wrap boa is in order.
Agree with most of this post. Have to put Gabby on Johnson to try to slow her down. Unfortunately, CClark having to guard Van Lith will mean her having to actually guard someone out at the 3pt line rather than sag off, and she's going to have to work harder than usual on the defensive end.
It would be nice to get some easy fast break layups, but we're likely to see less of that from the Hawks this game because they're going to have to commit more bodies to crashing the boards to keep the rebounding margin somewhat decent...which from the tip takes Iowa out of their preferred game. The matchup just sucks.
thedukeofearl
Well-Known Member
Let's not forget the zebras
IIRC, 4 Hawkeye Starters were sitting on the bench the last 2/3 minutes of the game with 4 fouls Each
Not that it should make any difference whatsoever
thedukeofearl
Well-Known Member
Van Lith isn't much of a threat from outside
She is basically a playmaker in the LSU system and is probably commanded to feed the others
We desperately need to get the tigers in foul trouble early and often
We could use O'Grady to push them around in the middle, slamming them to the floor Hard
And hopefully get some fouls on them at the same time
thedukeofearl
Well-Known Member
Quite Nice, Senor skinnykilmer
99topdawg
Well-Known Member
Monica and Warnock only played about 20 minutes. Hannah wasn't ready for that kind of minutes, especially against that kind of competition.Let's not forget the zebras
IIRC, 4 Hawkeye Starters were sitting on the bench the last 2/3 minutes of the game with 4 fouls Each
Not that it should make any difference whatsoever
eyekwah
Well-Known Member
In the 2023 game a J. Carson went 5 of 6 from the 3pt line and 2 of 2 from inside the arc, 22points. An L. Williams scored 20 pts and a Morris scored 21. That is 63 pts LSU has to replace. These 2024 players and averages are the replacements, Morrow (16.5), Van Lith (11.7) and M Williams (14.4) . That's 42.6 pts per game out of those 3. Resse and Johnson are at 18.7 and 14.7. About the same in 2023. I don't see any J Carsons this time around.
STILLBUSTER
Well-Known Member
Caitlin will still shoot but she's realized
1) She's just not getting the separation she had most of season.
2) IF she does get a little space, they just haven't been falling.
3) Use the in-your-grill defense against them with her quick step to take it to the rim.
THAT is gonna be crucial against LSU ... Drive right to Angel and try to get the and-1's.
Same with Syd - drive all day and get to the line.
Jan needs to teach these girls the ol' fashioned head pump. Too often, they drive and try to basic layup against taller defenders. In women's, that's just not a good strategy where height trumps. Good God, you stop and give a simple head pump, get 'em in the air, go up on their way down, you're taller.
thedukeofearl
Well-Known Member
The simple and very effective Head/Shoulder fake always gets a reaction from the opponent
See it not being used all the time in every game
Fake/Get a reaction while they are in the air or jumping/ go up making contact and launch a shot
Usually get a foul called and perhaps a made shot
Almost Never Used
Glass1/2fullguy
Well-Known Member
Definitely put gabby on Johnson. I don’t think Clark will have issues w/ lith. She overrated imo. She was good on a Louisville squad but u put her on the floor w/ Johnson and she just looks different.
