Iowa State Cyclones
Big 12 (23-8, 12-6)
Iowa State has been a consistent participant in the NCAA Tournament, recently highlighted by their Elite Eight run in 2009 and Sweet Sixteen trip in 2010. Over the last two seasons the Cyclones have failed to win a game in the tournament. Coach Bill Fennelly has a tough team to match up against this season and that could lead to success that resembles 2009 and 2010 more than 2011 or 2012.
Big Wins: 1/5 at Texas Tech (58-54), 1/15 Oklahoma (82-61), 2/14 at Oklahoma (72-68)
Bad Losses: 1/30 at Kansas (75-78), 2/17 West Virginia (66-68), 3/2 at TCU (58-61)
Coach: Bill Fennelly
Why They Can Surprise:
The scoring column is dominated by 6-3 junior Hallie Christofferson, 6-2 senior Chelsea Poppens and 6-7 senior Anna Prins. That is a lot of size for any team to defend. Christofferson is the most dynamic scorer on the team, averaging 15.6 points per game. She is a threat inside with her back to the basket or beyond the arc. She knocks down an impressive 40.8 percent of her attempts from long range. Poppens is more of the muscle in the paint. She stays inside much more than the versatile Christofferson and leads the team with 9.5 rebounds per game. If those two were not hard enough to stop, Prins makes things even more interesting. Her size is a huge asset on both ends of the floor, but her ability to step outside and consistently hit the outside shot will give opposing defenses nightmares. Few players that can come close to matching her size feel comfortable roaming out on the perimeter. And when they do, it opens up room in the paint for Iowa State.
Why They Can Disappoint:
Point guard Nikki Moody is a great passer and wings Brynn Williamson and Nicole Blaskowsky are major shooting threats from beyond the arc. However, turnovers are a big problem. The guards are certainly not to blame for all of that. Turnovers tend to happen more often on teams like Iowa State that boast so much size. Yet, the guards do need to help the post players avoid turnovers by giving them the ball in the right situation. The Cyclones turnover margin is pretty bad since this is not a team that creates many turnovers themselves. However, they can make up for those lost possessions on the glass. As long as the turnovers do not lead to easy buckets the other way, this is an Iowa State team that can be a pleasant surprise in the 2013 NCAA Tournament.
Probable Starters:
Nikki Moody, Sophomore, Guard, 8.4 ppg, 7.3 apg
Brynn Williamson, Sophomore, Guard, 8.3 ppg, 2.1 apg, 4.6 rpg
Hallie Christofferson, Junior, Forward, 15.6 ppg, 6.6 rpg
Chelsea Poppens, Senior, Forward, 13.1 ppg, 9.5 rpg
Anna Prins, Senior, Center, 12.0 ppg, 5.3 rpg
Key Roleplayers:
Nicole Blaskowsky, Freshman, Guard, 6.9 ppg, 1.4 apg
Fallon Ellis, Sophomore, Guard, 1.6 ppg, 2.0 rpg
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 67.4 (70th in nation, 5th in conference)
Scoring Defense: 56.4 (63, 2)
Field-Goal Percentage: 42.6 (46, 5)
Field-Goal Defense: 35.7 (40, 2)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 7.6 (17, 3)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 32.9 (64, 3)
Free-Throw Percentage: 79.5 (2, 1)
Rebound Margin: 7.8 (17, 4)
Assists Per Game: 16.5 (17, 2)
Turnovers Per Game: 17.2 (178, 9)
Recent Postseason Appearances:
2012 NCAA Round of 64 loss to Green Bay
2011 NCAA Round of 64 loss to Marist
2010 NCAA Round of 64 win over Leigh
2010 NCAA Round of 32 win over Green Bay
2010 NCAA Regional Semifinal loss to Connecticut
2009 NCAA Round of 64 win over East Tennessee State
2009 NCAA Round of 32 win over Ball State
2009 NCAA Regional Semifinal win over Michigan State
2009 NCAA Regional Final loss to Stanford
2008 NCAA Round of 64 win over Georgia Tech
2008 NCAA Round of 32 loss to Rutgers
*all team stats through 3/7
See All Women’s Basketball Postseason Capsules
