BIG Game 2: Gophers Visit Iowa (12-30-23)









What happened to Maggie C today. Hasn't played at all. In a warm up on bench even.
 




Announcers just said she got dinged up in practice but didn't say exactly what happened.a
Sounds like she tweeked her ankle. Disappointing performance today. Hope they regroup for Wednesday’s game .
 






Ya, very disappointing afternoon in so many ways. Gophers just not confident at all. The idea that Bluder can't coach will have to wait to be tested at Williams Arena. Her team overwhelmed ours today.
Be interesting to see how we bounce back. We did so many poor things....I knew we could get bounced but I thought we would compete and be in the game. Just never showed up and forgot everything we have practiced. I didn't expect us to play like we did today.
 



And they looked intimidated and got bullied inside.

Kate Martin - Grad Student (5th year)
Caitlin Clark - Sr 4th year
Gabby Marshall - 5th year
Molly Davis - 5th year
Affolter - Junior
Feuerbach - RS junior
Stuelke Sophomore

Braun, Battle, Heyer - Sophomore, GG, Johnson - Fresh, Holloway RS FR, Hart - Jr but first year with team. Sanders - Grad Student first year with team

A lot of experience to be going up against for first road big 10 game of the year(2nd road game of year). Lets throw this out the door and start 2024! Not going to win them all. Learn and move forward. Hopefully Braun can develop the off the dribble step back 3 like CC has. Has much as you don't want to hear against you, she does it night in and night out. Pretty amazing! To bad Maggie tweaked an ankle it sounds. Think they could have used some of her D and leadership in some minutes.
 

That was disappointing wasn’t expecting a win but like others I thought they would be competitive. Really looked slow on defense and discombobulated on offense. it will be interesting to see if the Gophers grow from this and what the rematch will look like in February. But for now hoping to see immediate improvement this Wednesday vs Maryland, probably the one team I dislike more than Iowa in terms of WBB.
 

That was disappointing wasn’t expecting a win but like others I thought they would be competitive. Really looked slow on defense and discombobulated on offense. it will be interesting to see if the Gophers grow from this and what the rematch will look like in February. But for now hoping to see immediate improvement this Wednesday vs Maryland, probably the one team I dislike more than Iowa in terms of WBB.

Yup, the experience of Iowa jumped us right away, sunk us in the first 4 minutes, and never let up.
 



Iowa is elite but Gophers were tentative, intimidated inside in the paint and slow to react on defense. Battle was way too hyped to start game and Braun couldn't hit a shot. I was not expecting a win but the defensive let downs on back door screens and passes was a downer. That and all the extra chances Iowa was able to rebound. If Gophers expect to win games in the Big 10 they have to be in attack mode and make shots. Missed way to many inside shots and threes today. Not much you can do when Clark is passing as well and shooting as well as she did. Turn the page but don't forget being schooled. Credit to the Hawks they are the bullies on the block and great team.
 
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Iowa is a tough matchup. Too good of shooters for zone and way quicker then us when we play man-to-man. Back door layups are all day for Iowa. Just a more athletic players than Gophers. Good news is that the BIG10 is not that strong this season. Just Iowa, Indiana, and Ohio State. The rest is a toss up - except for NW.
 

Iowa is really good. We are fine and can move on. Lots to learn from the game and we will be better for it.

A step slow today.
Well said. I wasn't expecting that we would win against Iowa. This is something for the team to learn from and build on going forward. Each game and practice, the goal should be to learn and get better.
 

Iowa is a tough matchup. Too good of shooters for zone and way quicker then us when we play man-to-man. Back door layups are all day for Iowa. Just a more athletic players than Gophers. Good news is that the BIG10 is not that strong this season. Just Iowa, Indiana, and Ohio State. The rest is a toss up - except for NW.
said Ohio State just lost to Michigan today 69-60.
 

. . . Good news is that the BIG10 is not that strong this season. . . .
I tend to agree with this, but the weak non-con schedules of many BIG teams (including but not limited to MI, MSU, Neb and MN), makes hit hard to evaluate the league. Her Hoop Stats (efficiency metrics) likes MSU, MD and MI (all between # 17-# 28), and also rates Nebraska # 32.
 

I tend to agree with this, but the weak non-con schedules of many BIG teams (including but not limited to MI, MSU, Neb and MN), makes hit hard to evaluate the league. Her Hoop Stats (efficiency metrics) likes MSU, MD and MI (all between # 17-# 28), and also rates Nebraska # 32.

Maryland's transition game will probably bury the Gophers.

Then Michigan is a huge game. Hopefully the stiff competition of Iowa and Maryland preps Gophers to beat Michigan. And then Nebraska is after Michigan.

EDIT:

Nebraska plays Maryland tomorrow. Nebraska lost their last game to Kansas but earlier beat Michigan State.


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Michigan had lost two bad games but then beat Ohio State.

Will be interesting. Have to beat teams to go to where you want to go.
 
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Here are my thoughts. Iowa is good. I was in Seattle last year at the regionals watching them and was just so impressed with Clark. When Caitlin Clark is on there are not many teams that can stop them. She was on today. I hoped Minnesota would compete more. Good thing is they have another opportunity at home. Remember this though….Defense is much easier to play when your shots are falling. If Minnesota doesn’t start 1-6 or whatever the team probably has a much different demeanor. The big thing is to learn from the game but not dwell on it.
 


Noting what everyone noted:

“Obviously, Iowa played at a really high level and did good things,” Minnesota coach Dawn Plitzuweit said. “They outcompeted us early on and we dug ourselves a hole. They attacked and got to the rim, and for whatever reason, we didn’t help each other a lot.”
 




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