Meaningful November basketball is fun and this will be one of the best matchups of the non-conference season when No. 3 Iowa travels to take on No. 8 Virginia Tech. Two Final Four teams a year ago and both with aspirations to return to the sport’s biggest stage.
IOWA CITY, Iowa– Meaningful November basketball is fun and this will be one of the best matchups of the non-conference season when No. 3 Iowa travels to take on No. 8 Virginia Tech. Two Final Four teams a year ago and both with aspirations to return to the sport’s biggest stage. It’s a chance for Iowa to put the nation on notice, so let’s dive into my three keys and a final prediction.
Caitlin Clark being Caitlin Clark:
When the lights are brightest, the superstar must show out. Clark’s accolades and eye-popping statistics would take up the rest of this article. There’s no question that she’s the best player in the country and that everything is going to run through her. Clark has a knack for showcasing her eliteness when people tune in to watch her.
Last year, Clark finished the season averaging 27.8 points, 8.6 assists, and 7.1 rebounds per game. She became the first player in NCAA Division I women’s basketball history to record 1,055 points and 320 assists in a single season. Both of which shattered Big Ten and school single season records.
Clark got off to a strong start this season, especially taking care of the basketball. She didn’t have a turnover in the season-opener and the chemistry with her new post players was good. Kitley’s defense could make things a lot more difficult inside, so it’ll be up to Clark to have one of her most efficient games of the season. Look for Kate Martin, Taylor McCabe and a couple of the other role playing guards to step up.
Iowa post players physically exhausting Elizabeth Kitley
Addison O’Grady and Sharon Goodman will have one of their biggest tests of the season with Kitley. The Hokies is a 6’6″ post that averaged 18.2 points per game and 10.7 rebounds per game last season. She has a variety of post moves that come naturally to her and can put anybody on a spin-cycle.
“Super hard to guard,” Lisa Bluder said. “Her step-back fadeaway is hard to defend. You can be right there on her, and she creates room with her step-back.”
Kitley led Virginia Tech with 27 points, going 12-17 on field goal and her first double-double of the season. The Hawkeyes will need to use a variety of players and smart double-teams to make Kitley work for every point and rebound on Thursday night.
“We’re going to need to be physical,” Iowa guard Kate Martin said. “I believe in our posts. Hannah (Stuelke) is very quick, and Sharon (Goodman) is super-physical.”
Kitley can be known as a frustrating cover, but it’ll be up to Iowa’s defense to punch first and attempt to fluster the all-American caliber center.
Can Gabbie Marshall contain Georgia Amoore?
Don’t let the 5-foot-6 frame fool you– Amoore is a killer. She isn’t afraid to let it fly from deep and there’s no doubt that she’ll be salivating at the opportunity to outperform Clark. The two of them likely won’t be matched up against one another throughout the night. Clark’s height makes it a poor matchup for the Hokies and Clark needs a lot of her energy for the offensive end.
Look for Marshall to be the one to slow down Amoore. Last season, Amoore shot 9.5 threes a game and made them at a 34.5 percent clip. But she showcased herself well during the final Four run. The star guard from Australia sank 24 three-pointers in the NCAA Tournament, which set the record for most 3-pointers in a single tournament. Clark would later break that record in the same tournament.
Marshall has the capability to get red-hot from three-point range, but she has often been applauded for being Iowa’s best perimeter defender. Her effort goes unnoticed because so much attention is paid to Clark, but this will be one of the big-time matchups tonight.
Pick:
These are two of the best teams in the country and this will be the first time where Iowa really misses McKenna Warnock and Monika Czinano and what they brought to the squad. Stuelke could be one of the biggest breakout players in the country and Thursday will be a true test to see how much she’s evolved.
Iowa’s run to the national championship team captivated the state and help expand the popularity of women’s college basketball. All offseason, Bluder and her staff have said that they want to avoid a hangover effect to start the season after such an incredible run.
Clark has been around the college game long enough, knows how to handle the pressure and exactly what to say to her teammates. I think Clark drops at least 35 points and Martin’s scrappiness is the difference in this fun showdown.
Iowa 81, Virginia Tech 77
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