Iowa WBB Tip Time Preview - at Michigan
#16 IOWA HAWKEYES (11-4) at #14 MICHIGAN WOLVERINES (13-2)
TIME: 3:30pm
TV: FOX – Lisa Byington and Stephanie Wells
SERIES: 73rd meeting – Iowa leads the series 52-20 (split last season)
THE NUMBERS
OFFENSE: IOWA: 86.1 PPG, 48.6% FG, 36.8% 3PT, 13.1 TO MICHIGAN: 76.4 PPG, 47.9% FG, 33.2% 3PT, 17.1 TO
DEFENSE: IOWA: 69.7 PPG, 39.7% FG, 31.1% 3PT, 15.5 TO, +5.2 REB MARGIN MICHIGAN: 58.8 PPG, 38.2% FG, 31.0% 3PT, 20.1 TO, +8.4 REB MARGIN
PROJECTED LINEUPS
IOWA HAWKEYES
6’0 PG Caitlin Clark – 27.1 PPG, 7.4 REB, 6.9 AST, 36.7% 3PT
6’0 G Kate Martin – 6.6 PPG, 3.9 REB, 3.3 AST, 47.5% 3PT
5’9 G Gabbie Marshall – 4.5 PPG, 30.1% FG
6’1 F McKenna Warnock – 12.2 PPG, 5.9 REB, 43.1% 3PT
6’3 C Monika Czinano – 17.5 PPG, 6.8 REB, 61.8% FG
MICHIGAN WOLVERINES
6’0 G Laila Phelia – 16.6 PPG, 3.8 REB, 41.2% 3PT
6’1 G Leigha Brown – 15.3 PPG, 5.4 REB, 5.9 AST, 49.6% FG
5’11 G Maddie Nolan – 8.6 PPG, 3.5 REB, 33.0% 3PT
6’3 F Cameron Williams – 7.3 PPG, 4.6 REB, 54.4% FG
6’3 F Emily Kiser – 17.3 PPG, 7.1 REB, 3.1 AST, 57.5% FG
IOWA PLAYER TO WATCH: F Hannah Stuelke
Lisa Bluder said that Hannah Stuelke is one of the top 7-8 players on the team, which means they are going to find ways for her to get onto the floor. Stuelke has seen time on the floor at the 4 and 5 spot recently. She showed signs of being able to be a major impact on the court when she had 11 points and 10 rebounds in just 11 minutes against Purdue.
Today would be a good time for Stuelke to make herself known off the bench.
MICHIGAN PLAYER TO WATCH: F Emily Kiser
No one gained more from the departure of Naz Hillmon to the WNBA than fifth year senior Emily Kiser. Kiser averaged 9.3 points and 8.1 rebounds per game last year, but has gotten an increased workload this season. She has taken advantage of it and has become the leading scorer for the Wolverines.
After averaging 8.0 shots per game last year, Kiser has increased that to 10.6 shots per game this season, but has seen her shooting percentage increase. She is ranked 28th in the country in shooting percentage at 57.5%. Kiser has scored in double figures 15 times, including a season best 26 points and 13 rebounds against Baylor.
KEY MATCHUP: Iowa Defensive Rebounding vs Michigan Offensive Rebounding
The Hawkeyes have been improved on the defensive boards this season and have improved from 110th last season to 4th in the country this season. Despite that, they have reverted back to their old ways in a couple of games, including the last one against Illinois. The Fighting Illini grabbed 13 offensive boards and turned it into 13 second chance points in a four point upset win.
Iowa will have their hands full again with a Wolverines team that is 28th in the country in offensive rebounding, as they grab 38.4% of their opportunities. They are averaing 12.2 offensive rebounds per game. If the Hawkeyes want to win today they are going to have to limit the second chance opportunities for Michigan.
LISA BLUDER ON THE WOLVERINES
“Laila Phelia was outstanding as a freshman last year and she’s just taken off from where she left off last year.”
“Emily Kiser is back for a fifth year and her numbers have really improved because without Naz (Hillmon), they’re really using her a lot more…Kiser has gotten so much better without Naz there because now she can post up or she can come out, bring you out and shoot the three on you.”
“Leigha Brown came back for a fifth year, but got moved to a different position. She’s now playing the point guard, instead of the two or three guard…I feel their focus is just a little bit more on those three (Phelia, Kiser and Brown) that it was with Naz (Hillmon).”
THE PICK
Coming into the season there were questions posed about the Wolverines. Can they replace All-American Naz Hillmon and still be a top 25 caliber team? The answer has been yes to this point in the season, as Michigan sits in the top 15 with a 13-2 record. They’ve picked up Quad 1 wins over South Florida, #23 Baylor, Miami FL, #22 North Carolina and Nebraska.
The emergence of Emily Kiser as a primary scorer has already been mentioned, but the jump from guard Laila Phelia in her sophomore season has been equally as important. A year ago she had 11 games in double figures, including a season-high 24 points against Iowa in Ann Arbor. This season she has stepped up and gone into double figures 13 times in 15 games, including seven games with 20+ points. She is second on the team in 3pt makes and leads the team in three-point shooting percentage.
Guard Leigha Brown rounds out the trio of players that average in double figures for the Wolverines. She has moved over the point guard position this year and has seen her assist numbers increase from 3.4 per game to 5.9 this season. She already has two double digit assist games in Big Ten play. On top of her assist ability, Brown has scored in double figures 11 times.
Guard Maddie Nolan and forward Cameron Williams round out the starting five for coach Kim Barnes Arico. Nolan is averaging 8.6 points per game and is the biggest threat from behind the arc. She has five games with three or more three-point makes, including a 5/11 effort last time out against Penn State. Cameron Williams hasn’t been a huge scorer this year averaging 7.3 points per game, but she is a threat on the offensive glass. Williams leads the team with 38 offensive rebounds, including eight against Ohio State last week.
Off the bench, the Wolverines don’t have a whole lot to mention. Oregon State transfer guard Greta Kampschroeder (4.1 ppg) has started three games and averages 19.2 minutes per game. Both forward Alyssa Crockett and forward Elise Stuck have played in all 15 games, but play less than ten minutes per game and combine to score just 3.8 points per game.
Here are some important stats to know…
2pt FG: Iowa 8th (55.8%) Michigan 13th (54.5%)
3pt FG: Iowa 21st (36.8%) Michigan 102nd (33.2%)
3pt Rate: Iowa 82nd (37.8%) Michigan 209th (31.0%)
TO: Iowa 20th (13.1) Michigan 212th (17.1)
Off Pts/100 Possessions: Iowa 9th (110.8) Michigan 28th (105.8)
Def Pts/100 Possessions: Michigan 31st (81.3) Iowa 144th (89.5)
Possessions Per Gm: Iowa 19th (77.1) Michigan 138th (72.2)
Off Rebounding: Michigan 28th (38.4%) Iowa Iowa 311th (25.5%)
Def Rebounding: Iowa 4th (77.6%) Michigan 88th (71.8%)
This is an early big one for both Iowa and Michigan in the Big Ten standings. The loser will fall two games back of currently 5-0 Ohio State and with the conference looking deeper and deeper by they day, there are going to be fewer games that allow you to start a comeback if you fall behind in the standings.
For the Hawkeyes, a loss would drop them to 2-5 against Quad 1 teams and would really start to fire up the “overrated” talk amongst women’s basketball fans. A win would give Lisa Bluder’s squad a chance to get the ball rolling with home games against Northwestern and Penn State coming up next week.
WarrenNolan.com has Michigan winning 76-72 and Iowa has had trouble in Ann Arbor as of late, dropping five straight games at the Crisler Center. The Wolverines have been playing more consistently good basketball this year, so I will take them to win. MICHIGAN 78 IOWA 74
