Hawkeyes Head Into Finals Week Break With Momentum
Lisa Bluder knew the danger.
The Iowa women's basketball team was coming off an Elite Eight run in the NCAA tournament last year, one of the best seasons in school history.
But this is a new season, a new team, and the Hawkeyes' coach knew what she couldn't do.
The Hawkeyes are 8-2 heading into the finals week break this week, on a three-game winning streak after Saturday's 102-50 rout of North Carolina Central at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
Since an 88-66 loss at Northern Iowa on Nov. 17, the Hawkeyes have won six of their last seven games, including a road victory at Iowa State on Wednesday night.
Asked after Saturday's game if maybe this team had met or exceeded her expectations, Bluder said, "I didn't have any preconceived notions, I guess. I always feel like I want this team to be the best it can be. I didn't want to compare us to last year's team. That was my biggest thing is I didn't want to ever say, 'Well, last year's team did this.' Because, this is a whole new team. This is a different team. And so, to me, it's being the best you can be.
"Today I think we showed a version of that. Have we shown it consistently? I'm not sure of that. I think that takes time."
The Hawkeyes are 24th in the NCAA's RPI — they actually dropped eight spots because North Carolina Central is ranked 317th. In a lot of ways, they look like an NCAA tournament team, but it's not even January yet and there are a lot of games left to be played.
A look at some of the keys so far for the Hawkeyes:
Monika Czinano
The sophomore post spent last season as the backup to national player of the year Megan Gustafson, and she talked before the season about having learned plenty of lessons going against Gustafson in practice.
Czinano, who averaged 1.9 points last season, is averaging 14.9 this season. She is shooting 71.4 percent from the field (65-of-91), second best in NCAA Division I play.
She is averaging 26.9 minutes per game, so Bluder has been able to manage her minutes early in the season.
The seniors
The Hawkeyes' success this season was going to be determined by three seniors who were a key part of last season's run.
Point guard Kathleen Doyle is averaging 15.2 points, more than three points better than last season.
Guard Makenzie Meyer is averaging 15.1 points, almost six points better than last season.
Guard Amanda Ollinger is averaging 6.7 points, more than four points better than last season, but she's averaging 8.7 rebounds, six better than last season. Ollinger also leads the Hawkeyes with 17 blocked shots, and is second with 14 steals.
The freshmen
Bluder had a message for the senior captains before the season — the sooner the Hawkeyes' freshmen adapt to the program, the better for the team.
So far, forward McKenna Warnock and guard Gabbie Marshall have done that.
Marshall is averaging 7.7 points in 22.1 minutes per game. Warnock is averaging 6.4 points in 14.6 minutes per game.
Bluder is pleased with the quick adjustment.
"It's hard to get that," she said. "You're used to playing for your high school, your AAU program. And now you have to put your love into Iowa. The sooner that happens, the better."
Key pieces
Guard Alexis Sevillian has started nine games this season, averaging 6.9 points per game, a slight improvement over last season.
Redshirt freshman Kate Martin is averaging 13.3 minutes per game after missing all of last season with a knee injury.
Sophomore Tomi Taiwo should see her minutes increase after hitting three 3-pointers in Wednesday's 75-69 win at Iowa State.
Steady improvement
The loss to UNI seems like a long time ago.
Since then the Hawkeyes' only loss was on a neutral court to Washington in the final game of the Puerto Rico Clasico.
"But I think we have grown from the first game to 10 games," Bluder said. "I want to keep growing, though, because we can get better."
