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B1G Preview: Maryland, and Michigan, and Minnesota…..oh my!

By Jasmine Brown

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - MARCH 04: Ohio State Buckeyes Head Coach Kenin McGuff holds up the Big Ten Championship trophy after defeating the Maryland Terrapins during the Big Ten Women's Championship game between the Ohio State Buckeyes and Maryland Terrapins on March 4, 2018, at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, IN. The Ohio State Buckeyes defeated the Maryland Terrapins 79-69. (Photo by Jeffrey Brown/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - MARCH 04: Ohio State Buckeyes Head Coach Kenin McGuff holds up the Big Ten Championship trophy after defeating the Maryland Terrapins during the Big Ten Women's Championship game between the Ohio State Buckeyes and Maryland Terrapins on March 4, 2018, at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, IN. The Ohio State Buckeyes defeated the Maryland Terrapins 79-69. (Photo by Jeffrey Brown/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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COLLEGE PARK, MD – JANUARY 04: Megan Gustafson #10 of the Iowa Hawkeyes handles the ball against the Maryland Terrapins at Xfinity Center on January 4, 2018 in College Park, Maryland. (Photo by G Fiume/Maryland Terrapins/Getty Images)
COLLEGE PARK, MD – JANUARY 04: Megan Gustafson #10 of the Iowa Hawkeyes handles the ball against the Maryland Terrapins at Xfinity Center on January 4, 2018 in College Park, Maryland. (Photo by G Fiume/Maryland Terrapins/Getty Images) /

Predicted finish: 3rd

Last year’s record: 24-7, 11-5 B1G 

Key returners: 

G- Tania Davis: 9.3 PPG, 40 % FG, 28.1 MPG 

F- Megan Gustafson: 18.2 PPG, 63% FG, 28.0 MPG

G- Mackenzie Meyer: 8.6 PPG, 40.3 % FG, 27.3 MPG

Newcomers:

G- Tami Taiwo 5’10  (Carmel, Indiana) Fr. 

G- Kate Martin 6’0 (Edwardsville, Illinois) Fr. 

F- Logan Cook 6’1 (Iowa City, Iowa) Fr. 

C- Monika Czinano 6’3 (Watertown, Minnesota) Fr. 

Key non-conference games: 

11/23: West Virginia (Bahamas)

11/24: (tbd Florida State (Bahamas)

11/29: @Notre Dame

12/5: Iowa State

Head coach: Lisa Bluder 19th season

Lisa Bluder comes into her 19th season as the all-time winningest coach in program history. This is also her 35th year overall coaching. Under her helm, the Hawkeyes have gone to 17 postseasons, including 13 NCAA tournaments and four WNITs, and NCAA tournament berths in nine of the last 11 seasons. Iowa has also advanced to the postseason in 11 consecutive seasons. The hallmark of Bluder’s tenure, in other words, is consistency.

Outlook:

Iowa is that team that always does well, but does not get the respect that they deserve. The Hawkeyes have finished in the top four or 5 in certain categories last season including FG percentage (48%), rebounding per game (42), and scoring offense per game (78.7). Megan Gustafson was selected as the B1G player of the year and has collected a plethora of awards and with good reason. Gustafson averaged 27.7 points (1st in B1G), 13.1 rebounds (2nd), and shot a Big Ten-best 64.7 percent from the field. This is Megan Gustafson’s team and as she enters her final year, the Hawkeyes will make sure that she has her best year yet.

Best case scenario: Megan Gustafson will carry her team to victory and the Hawkeyes win the B1G regular season.

Worst case scenario: The wheels can’t get going and too much rests on the shoulders of Gustafson, the Hawkeyes don’t capitalize on their all-time great star.

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