Iowa Hawkeyes
Overall rank: #26
Conference rank: #4 Big Ten
Iowa Team Page
The quest for a 20-win season fell painfully short of its goal for the Hawkeyes, who couldn’t overcome a tough California squad and lost in the first round of the NCAA tournament. That’s not all Iowa lost, however. The graduation of leading scorer Kamille Wahlin blows a gaping hole in the Hawkeye offense, but there’s a reason why conference pundits believe Iowa will be just as strong – if not a bit stronger – come November when the season begins. In fact, this could be one of Iowa’s better teams in quite some time.
2011-12 record: 19-12, 11-5
2011-12 postseason: NCAA
Coach: Lisa Bluder
Coach Record: 586-286 overall, 230-144 at Iowa
Strengths:
The steady hand of Bluder, who will spend the first half of the season going for her 600th career coaching victory, should guide the Hawkeyes through the transition from a Wahlin-led offense to one led by senior Jaime Printy. Printy, who grew up in Iowa and played her basketball in the Cedar Rapids suburb of Marion, is a main reason why Iowa will miss Wahlin but won’t collapse without her around. Printy’s steady hand as one of three seniors on the roster gives the Hawkeyes a bit of experience up top. Together with senior Morgan Johnson, Iowa brings back two of the top three scorers that average a combined 30 points per game.
Weaknesses:
Wahlin’s loss will hurt deeply for the Hawkeyes. Not only did Wahlin play in 127 games over the last four years, she was their steady hand in practically everything else. With 12.9 points lost per game and a solid 37 percent 3-point percentage, the team will need to replace Wahlin and quickly. Look for a younger squad, which might hurt Iowa a little bit. Four freshmen are on the 2012-13 roster, along with five sophomores. Yes, the team has Printy and Johnson up top, but if it can’t produce more scoring from other players then it could be a long season in Iowa City.
Final Projection:
Printy’s presence, combined with the play of Johnson and an influx of younger talent, should help stanch the bleeding a little. The truth is Iowa won’t bleed too much. Iowa is bound and determined to get Bluder her 600th career victory, and from there it is only six more wins to 20 for the season. Once it has accomplished the coach’s milestone, Iowa could have a fairly dominant team on the court, or at least one that will make the Big Ten a little interesting.
Projected Postseason Tournament: NCAA
Projected Starting Five:
Jaime Printy, Senior, Guard, 16.9 points, 46 steals in 2011-12
Morgan Johnson, Senior, Center, 14.9 points, 6.6 rebounds, 70 blocked shots
Samantha Logic, Sophomore, Guard, led team in rebounds (220) and assists (136)
Melissa Dixon, Sophomore, Guard, 6.8 points
Theairra Taylor, Junior, Guard, saw action in all 31 games a year ago
Madness 2013 WNBA Draft Rankings:
#18 Jaime Printy
