Iowa Hawkeyes
Big Ten (24-7, 14-4)
Iowa has done a nice job of playing a very exciting brand of basketball and finding a way to win games this season. The Hawkeyes also arguably did the best job of anyone in the Big Ten against Maryland, losing by five points to the Terrapins in College Park back on February 1st. This team is hungry and experienced, which is a great combination to have heading into the NCAA Tournament.
Big Wins: 11/22 Dayton (90-83), 1/4 at Rutgers (79-72), 1/29 at Northwestern (102-99)
Bad Losses: 11/28 vs Arkansas (67-77), 1/8 at Illinois (61-73), 2/17 at Minnesota (80-93)
Coach: Lisa Bluder
Why They Can Surprise:
Iowa has the backcourt necessary to really do so damage in the NCAA Tournament. Samantha Logic is one of the best point guards in the nation and brings very essential senior leadership to the table for head coach Lisa Bluder. Ally Disterhoft and Melissa Dixon are always difficult to stop from behind the three point line as they will open things up for Bethany Doolittle down low. Doolittle is of the most accurate shooting post players in the nation and she causes matchup problems for most teams. So long as the Hawkeyes are in rhythm offensively they are going to be very difficult to stop. The home court advantage for Iowa can’t be underestimated as well as the Hawkeyes will be at home for the first two rounds and that should help their chances of getting to the Sweet 16.
Why They Can Disappoint:
The Hawkeyes with their guard heavy lineup have an uphill battle on a nightly basis when it comes to rebounding the basketball. Thus, any team that has a ton of talent and depth up front can make things very challenging for Iowa in the NCAA Tournament. Also, there have been issues at times with opposing teams being able to shoot the ball with ease during conference play. The Hawkeyes had issues against Ohio State where they gave up 100 points. And against Northwestern they allowed 99 points and both teams shot over 50 percent from the floor. It is going to be critical for Iowa to try and minimize the amount of easy shots during the NCAA Tournament in order for them to advance.
Probable Starters:
Samantha Logic, Senior, Guard, 13.5 ppg, 8.0 apg, 6.8 rpg
Ally Disterhoft, Sophomore, Guard, 15.1 ppg, 2.5 apg, 6.1 rpg
Melissa Dixon, Senior, Guard, 15.0 ppg, 1.6 apg
Whitney Jennings, Sophomore, Guard, 8.8 ppg, 2.8 apg
Bethany Doolittle, Senior, Center, 13.9 ppg, 6.9 rpg, 2.8 bpg
Key Roleplayers:
Kali Peschel, Junior, Forward, 4.9 ppg, 2.9 rpg
Chase Coley, Freshman, Forward, 2.8 ppg
Alexa Kastanek, Sophomore, Guard, 2.6 ppg
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 79.8 (8th in nation, 3rd in conference)
Scoring Defense: 72.2 (319, 14)
Field-Goal Percentage: 45.7 (10, 2)
Field-Goal Defense: 41.9 (289, 13)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 8.2 (14, 1)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 39.0 (3, 1)
Free-Throw Percentage: 72.3 (66, 6)
Rebound Margin: -5.2 (306, 14)
Assists Per Game: 18.3 (7, 1)
Turnovers Per Game: 13.3 (25, 1)
Recent Postseason Appearances:
2014 NCAA First Round win over Marist
2014 NCAA Second Round loss to Louisville
2013 NCAA Round of 64 win over Miami (FL)
2013 NCAA Round of 32 loss to Notre Dame
2012 NCAA Round of 64 loss to California
2011 NCAA Round of 64 loss to Gonzaga
2010 NCAA Round of 32 loss to Stanford
2010 NCAA Round of 64 win over Rutgers
2009 NCAA Round of 64 loss to Georgia Tech
2008 NCAA Round of 64 loss to Georgia
2006 NCAA Round of 64 loss to BYU
2005 NIT First Round win over Creighton
2005 NIT Second Round win over Nebraska
2005 NIT Third Round win over Arkansas State
2005 NIT Semifinal loss to Southern Methodist
*all team stats through 3/5
See All Women’s Basketball Postseason Capsules
