Iowa Women's Basketball Tip Time Preview: Drake

DRAKE BULLDOGS (3-0) AT #2 IOWA HAWKEYES (3-1)

TIME: 6:00pm CT

TV: FS1 – Kim Adams and Conor Onion

SERIES: 55th Meeting – Iowa leads the series 29-25 (won 19 of last 20)

THE NUMBERS

OFFENSE: IOWA: 83.5 PPG, 46.2% FG, 24.5% 3PT, 13.0 TO DRAKE: 85.7 PPG, 45.2% FG, 40.7% 3PT, 19.3 TO

DEFENSE: IOWA: 60.0 PPG, 33.3% FG, 26.9% 3PT, 12.3 TO, +12.3 REB MARGIN DRAKE: 69.3 PPG, 38.5% FG, 31.3% 3PT, 18.3 TO, +3.3 REB MARGIN

PROJECTED LINEUPS

IOWA HAWKEYES

6’0 G Caitlin Clark – 30.0 PPG, 7.8 REB, 7.5 AST, 41.9% FG

5’9 G Gabbie Marshall – 4.8 PPG, 28.0% FG

6’0 G Kate Martin – 6.8 PPG, 5.3 REB, 42.3% FG

5’11 G Sydney Affolter – 5.0 PPG, 8.0 REB, 43.8% FG

6’2 F Hannah Stuelke – 14.8 PPG, 7.8 REB, 75.8% FG

DRAKE BULLDOGS

5’8 G Katie Dinnebier – 17.0 PPG, 3.0 REB, 6.0 AST, 48.1% FG

5’11 G Taylor McAulay – 16.0 PPG, 2.7 REB, 42.1% 3PT

6’0 F Courtney Becker – 9.3 PPG, 8.3 REB, 66.7% FG

6’0 F Grace Berg – 19.0 PPG, 5.7 REB, 53.8% 3PT

6’3 F Anna Miller – 2.7 PPG, 7.3 REB, 1/18 (5.6% FG)

IOWA PLAYER TO WATCH: Everyone

Simply put, almost everyone needs to be better against Drake. The Hawkeyes shot 22/61 (36.1%) from the floor, 2/21 (9.5%) from three-point range and committed 16 turnovers in the loss to K-State. Caitlin Clark had an uncharacteristically poor night shooting 9/32 from the floor and 2/16 from behind the arc. Meanwhile, players not named Caitlin took just eight shots in the entire second half. There were some good moments throughout the game, but overall the performance has to be better tonight if the Hawkeyes are going to avoid losing back-to-back home games for the first time since the 2020-21 season. It will be interesting to see who steps up and makes a big impact in tonight’s game.

DRAKE PLAYER TO WATCH: G Katie Dinnebier

The Bulldogs player to watch is not All-MVC forward Grace Berg, but point guard Katie Dinnebier. Last season, when Drake was able to take the Hawkeyes to overtime, it was Dinnebier that made big basket after big basket down the stretch. She finished the game with 24 points, five rebounds and four assists, including six points in the last 2:07 to help force OT. Dinnebier came up big in the latest win over Iowa State with 20 points, seven assists and six steals.

KEY MATCHUP TO WATCH: F Grace Berg vs F Hannah Stuelke

As intruiging as the Gabbie Marshall vs Katie Dinnebier guard matchup will be, the battle between forwards Hannah Stuelke and Grace Berg will be the one to watch. The experienced grad senior Berg, with 97 starts, 1,300 career points and 471 rebounds under her belt up against the sophomore Stuelke, who is making just her fifth career start. As lopsided as that last sentence sounds, Hannah possesses all the tools to be the better player in this game. Staying out of foul trouble will be a big key.

THE BREAKDOWN

Drake is coming off a 22-10, where they won the MVC Tournament and earned the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. As a 12 seed, they fell to 5 seed Louisville in the first round. As for their game against Iowa, the Hawkeyes defeated Drake 92-86 in overtime at the Knapp Center. Now, in year two under head coach Allison Pohlman, the Bulldogs are off to a 3-0 start, including wins over Saint Louis and in-state rival Iowa State last time out.

Looking at the Drake projected starting lineup, the Bulldogs have a pair of All-MVC players returning, starting with point guard Katie Dinnebier, who was already mentioned as the player to watch. She was a Third Team All-MVC and All-MVC Defensive Team selection last season, averaging 11.7 points, 5.8 assists and 1.7 steals per game. Dinnebier scored in double figures 19 times last season and racked up 3+ steals in seven games. Last time out against Iowa State, she shot just 1/4 from the field, but was clutch in other areas, including 11/12 from the free throw line, as well as seven assists and six steals.

The other All-MVC player on the roster is grad senior forward Grace Berg. She earned Third Team All-MVC honors a year ago averaging 12.8 points and 5.1 rebounds per game, while also shooting 34.4% from three-point range. Berg is a consistent scorer, as she scored in double figures 26 times last season, including a season-high 20 against Missouri State in the MVC Tournament. She also pulled down 8+ rebounds in six games. Through three games this season, Berg is off to a hot start, averaging 19.0 points per game, including 22 points in the win over ISU and a 51.4% field goal percentage.

Guard Taylor McAulay started 15 of 32 games last season as a junior, but struggled, shooting just 34.6% from the field and 28.8% from behind the arc. She was able to score in double figures six times, but averaged just 5.0 points per game. Despite those numbers, McAulay is 8/19 (42.1%) from three-point range through three games this season, including 27 points and six threes against Iowa State.

Senior forward Courtney Becker provided a spark off the bench last season, but has moved into the starting lineup to begin this season. She averaged 6.0 points and 5.3 rebounds per game last season, including six games in double figures. Becker averaged just 3.9 shots per game, but shot 57.6% from the floor. Through three games, she is averaging 9.3 points and 8.3 rebounds, while shooting 66.7% from the floor. Becker has been an underrated contributor early and is someone that could make a big impact if the Hawkeyes lose focus on her.

Rounding out the projected starting lineup is 6’3 forward Anna Miller. She had an impressive season last year averaging 10.3 points, 5.9 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game. She made just nine starts, but was MVC Defensive Player of the Year and MVC Sixth Player of the Year. Miller scored in double figures 16 times, including a career-high 21 points against Southern Illinois. She is off to a really tough 1/18 (5.6%) start from the field through three games, but was a proven player last year.

Off the bench, the Bulldogs have a couple of players to keep an eye on starting with 5’10 Loyola-Chicago grad transfer guard Anna Brown. She averaged 7.0 points, 3.4 rebounds and led the Ramblers with 45 three-pointers. In the first two games of the year against St Thomas and Saint Louis, Brown scored a combined 31 points on 9/17 shooting, so she can contribute.

Other players to know are 6’1 freshman guard Shannon Fornshell and 5’9 sophomore guard Ava Hawthorne. Fornshell is averaging 2.3 points, 6.3 rebounds and 20.3 minutes per game. Hawthorne appeared in all 30 games as a true freshman last year and is averaging 11 minutes per game this season, including a combined 14 points in the first two games of the year.

THE PICK

It really all comes down to how the Hawkeyes respond coming off of a loss. 58 points was their lowest output in 133 games and the first time they have scored in the 50’s with Caitlin Clark on the roster. Fortunately, or unfortunately, depending on how you look at it, the Drake Bulldogs are a good team that can beat the Hawkeyes. If Iowa resets, regains focus and puts together a spirited effort tonight, they should win handily. If the K-State loss lingers, Drake will hang around and have a shot to pull the upset. This team has enough veteran leadership and experience to do a 180 flip from Thursday. I choose to believe that flip happens. WarrenNolan.com has the Hawkeyes winning 81-67. IOWA 83 DRAKE 69