B1G Game 2: Gophers visit Iowa (12-10-22)

Ignatius L Hoops

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 9, 2015
Messages
10,169
Reaction score
3,108
Points
113
Who’s ready for a shootout?

Minnesota has dropped seven straight to Iowa including last season when the Hawkeyes handed the Gophers their worst loss in the NCAA era 49-105 in Williams Arena. Minnesota recovered later in the season to drop a more respectable 78-88 contest in Iowa City.

Minnesota’s last win was in March of 2018 when the Gophers won a wild shootout in the Big Ten Tournament 90-89. A Saturday night repeat of that outing would be pure entertainment.
 


I hope Katie can pester Clark into frustration mode. I don’t think Clark plays well when that happens.
Problem is CC is a scorer from anywhere from 1/2 court in n gets most of the breaks on foul calls. No doubt Katie can annoy but I don’t see her stopping Clark. We have a better chance to contain them if Rose does not get into foul trouble and makes the inside/outside game difficult for IO. A few of Iowa’s losses were when CC went for big scoring #’s, like 40, and the rest of her team was standing around not being involved in the game. I hope we play hard , reduce the TO’s and have a competitive game.
 

Problem is CC is a scorer from anywhere from 1/2 court in n gets most of the breaks on foul calls. No doubt Katie can annoy but I don’t see her stopping Clark. We have a better chance to contain them if Rose does not get into foul trouble and makes the inside/outside game difficult for IO. A few of Iowa’s losses were when CC went for big scoring #’s, like 40, and the rest of her team was standing around not being involved in the game. I hope we play hard , reduce the TO’s and have a competitive game.
I myself would put Amaya on Clark since she is a bit bigger then Katie. If Katie is on Clark she would just shooting over Katie all game long.. but I'm sure Katie will be on her as well.. will have to switch up the defender on her.. IMHO let Clark cook and hold everyone else.. YES I KNOW easier said then done..
 
Last edited:

Katie got away 4 times with getting an offensive foul called. Don't think Katie can pull that off again. Can't wait to see Mara Braun in person. That young lady is going to be really good. The B1G needs all of those players we can get. Should be an exciting game!
 


What makes this game a potential great ticket is if the starting 3 freshmen, 1 redshirt freshman, and 1 sophomore actually won against the dominating Iowa force with Clark and Czizano.

Also, Monika Czizano for Iowa, one of the best players in recent years, is playing her last season. She will face her sister Maggie Czizano in the only time they play college ball against each other. Last season Maggie was out when the two teams played. One night only for Czinano vs Czinano.

If I lived in Iowa I would not miss this game. This young Minnesota team is a great show. A blend of scoring power with excessive rookie mishaps and yet at the end they are right there within a score because of some weird super freshman talent they have.


Young, weirdly super talented, and hungry Minnesota will be in town to eat -- and they just might.

1670550981207.png 1670551034402.png

1670551190392.png

1670551161324.png
 
Last edited:




On Wednesday, the Hawkeyes held Iowa State to nearly 30 points under the Cyclones' season average (84.3 PPG).

"I think we sent a message to teams across the country of what we can do on the defensive end," Clark said. "It shows what we see in practice every day ... we know we can play great defense. It's just coming into the game and showing we can do it. [The Cyclones] are super skilled, super talented, we had to throw different things at them and that's what we did."

Clark, who is leading Division I in scoring, also said she believes it's better for Iowa when her line is more like Wednesday -- or Sunday's 22 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds in beating the Wisconsin Badgers, her seventh career triple-double -- than when she has a 40-point game. Iowa is 2-3 in games in which she has scored 40 or more in her career.

"Probably a lot better," Clark said. "When we have multiple people in double figures, it's really hard to guard."
 



Maggie and Monika Czinano can finally square off in Gophers-Hawkeyes rivalry​

Gophers sophomore Maggie Czinano is healthy again after missing both games against Monika's Hawkeyes last season.
By Kent Youngblood Star Tribune

There is a picture in the Czinano household in Watertown taken in the spring of 2018.

It was just after Watertown-Mayer had lost, by three, to Maranatha Academy in the sectional final. Monika Czinano, a senior, is hugging little sister Maggie, a freshman.

"We thought it would be the last time we were on a basketball court together,'' Monika said. "That's why this game is so special.''

"This game" is Saturday night's game in Iowa City between....

 

Gophers women’s basketball has a startlingly young, native-Minnesota vibe​

No. 16 Iowa welcomes the Gophers to Carver-Hawkeye Arena for a rare 8 p.m. Saturday tip

Jeff Linder

IOWA CITY — Hopkins. Wayzata. Roseau. Chaska. Eden Prairie.

And so on and so forth.

The Minnesota women’s basketball team has truly become the MINNESOTA women’s basketball team.

“(Coach) Lindsay Whalen has gone to recruiting (Twin Cities) metropolitan kids and has succeeded,” Iowa Coach Lisa Bluder said.

They are native. And they are young. Really, really young.

Four freshmen and a sophomore are likely to fill out the starting lineup with the Gophers (5-4 overall, 1-0 Big Ten) face No. 16 Iowa (7-3, 1-0) Saturday.

Tipoff is 8 p.m. at Carver-Hawkeye Arena (BTN).

“They have all of the parts,” Bluder said. “They’re really, really talented, but they’re young and they haven’t put it together yet.

“They’re going to be very, very good in the future.”


Five Minnesota players are averaging in double-figures, and four of them — led by Mara Braun, at 19.1 points per game — are freshmen.

The Hawkeyes’ time, meanwhile, is now. Bluder has employed the same starting crew for three years — junior All-American guard Caitlin Clark and four seniors (including fifth-year player Monika Czinano).

Unless the teams collide in the Big Ten tournament, Saturday’s matchup will be the lone Czinano-vs.-Czinano matchup of the season.

Monika is in her final year in what has been a decorated career at Iowa. She is 75 points from the 2,000-point plateau in her career; only three Iowa players have reached that mark.

Younger sister Maggie Czinano is getting good playing time....


 





And just a reminder that this week's official Big Ten weekly award winners were Mara Braun of Minnesota and Caitlin Clark of Iowa. And now they and the teams square off.

The stars have aligned for a rare game here with many interesting angles to this.

1670636794314.png

 

Minnesota Women's Basketball Twitter account always has cool tweets.

 

There are few similarities to the Minnesota women’s basketball team Iowa handled easily a year ago.
The Hawkeyes routed the Golden Gophers by an average of 33 points in a pair of wins last season, but that Minnesota team is a memory.

Nine newcomers are part of a rebuilt roster, including four freshmen and one sophomore who have been lineup regulars for one of the youngest teams in the Big Ten Conference.

“This Minnesota team is a very different Minnesota team and we need to understand that,” Iowa coach Lisa Bluder said.

As Iowa works toward Saturday’s 8 p.m. tipoff at Carver-Hawkeye Arena, Bluder said the Hawkeyes must be ready to face a team that has had six of its nine games decided by six points or less.

“They’re talented, but young and it’s been hard for them to put away close games,” Bluder said. “As they gain experience, they’re going to get better at that.”

After facing three ranked opponents in the last four games and taking down 10th-ranked Iowa State 70-57 on Wednesday, the Hawkeyes’ final game before the start of finals week sits in an awkward spot.

“We can’t underestimate them,” Bluder said.

The Golden Gophers’ four freshmen starters are all natives of the Twin Cities, players Iowa coaches are familiar with as they recruited the area.

“We’ve seen them play, just not with Minnesota and they’re good players,” Bluder said.

Freshmen Mara Braun, Amaya Battle and Mallory Heyer combine to average 40.9 points per game and are helping the Golden Gophers (5-4, 1-0 Big Ten) push the pace.

“They are much more of an up-tempo team right now than they have been so our transition defense has just got to be good,” Bluder said.

The game also pairs....



 

"Etc....

If Minnesota plans to make things really interesting, they are going to have to put together a performance that they haven’t done yet. That would mean limiting turnovers below the 22.0 per game they average against teams in the NET Top 100. Iowa will be the best team the Gophers have faced to this point, which will be a new challenge for a young team.

WarrenNolan.com projects Iowa to win 90-66. Minnesota can put the ball in the basket, and they have several 3pt shooters that can cause issues for the Hawkeye defense. This game does have a trap game feel with Iowa coming off of a big rivalry win and finals week on the horizon. Think the Gophers keep it close for a bit and there will be times where they look good against Iowa, but other times where their youth shows. Lisa Bluder’s squad will take advantage of those moments. If this team stays together, they will be very good in a couple of years. Just not good enough tonight. IOWA 92 MINNESOTA 70"


 

Got to admit that while I've seen a number of good things out of the gophers this year that I really like I'm genuinely afraid of this game. While hope I'm wrong I don't see us staying within 20 points of them. The very least I would like to see us not give up easy baskets on the break and for Micheauxs to stay out of foul trouble.
 

Minnesota has no chance in Iowa City. Iowa is a very good offensive team with a strong inside outside presence. Minnesota won't be able to guard Iowa, especially inside. Minnesota has no inside game and lives and dies on the perimeter. They will die; it will be a blood bath.
 

Minnesota has no chance in Iowa City. Iowa is a very good offensive team with a strong inside outside presence. Minnesota won't be able to guard Iowa, especially inside. Minnesota has no inside game and lives and dies on the perimeter. They will die; it will be a blood bath.
Nothing like hyperbole to start the day…😏
 

Hoping I'm wrong, but I doubt that the Gophers will be able to "hang" with the Hawkeyes. That being said, it would be nice if the Gophers can keep their turnovers under 20...if Rose can stay out of foul trouble while playing good defense, and if Mara can get some shots early. Iowa is a very good offensive team, but they are not a great defensive team. Still, the Gophers lack of experience doesn't bode well for a match against an experienced team on their home court with what I presume will be a large crowd.
 


And Micheaux with two quick terrible terrible follows. Don't know what the coaching staff is doing with her about that but they've got to try something different.
That was bad.
 

Well ww at least responded a bit on offense.

Clark with a quality f-bomb right on camera. 😄
 


Didn’t Katie B realize time was running down at the end of the quarter? Getting looks but not going in. Clark is a good player but her constant whiny gets tiresome
 

Minnesota has no chance in Iowa City. Iowa is a very good offensive team with a strong inside outside presence. Minnesota won't be able to guard Iowa, especially inside. Minnesota has no inside game and lives and dies on the perimeter. They will die; it will be a blood bath.
Good , no need for you to watch the game or have any more “ fan “ posts. We all know this is a long shot but what I am looking for is how they compete. Go Gophers !
 

Is it me or does the reffing seem a little uneven as far as fouls go?
 

Is it me or does the reffing seem a little uneven as far as fouls go?
I haven't noticed anything egregeous. Have yet to see a whistle that looked like an obvious bad call. Right now Iowa is beating Minnesota to spots on both sides of the ball.
 





Top Bottom