As quickly as they have been on court with each other for the Iowa women’s basketball group two years ago, Monika Czinano realized then-freshman guard Caitlin Clark had no worry of taking dangers — or genuinely something, for that matter.
“It’s tough to think how substantially self-assurance she had coming in,” Czinano stated.
As for what Clark noticed about Czinano, it was uncomplicated math: Feed the forward/center the ball anyplace close to the block, and odds have been great it would outcome in an help.
“She is so reputable one hundred% of the time,” Clark stated.
Clark and Czinano are getting into their third year with each other as the Hawkeyes, ranked No. four in the preseason AP Top 25, attempt to finish atop the Big Ten once again and make up for a disappointing second-round exit in the NCAA tournament final March.
The Hawkeyes took some critics’ hits about that loss to Creighton and their defense, which permitted 70.two PPG and ranked 306th in Division I. But when it comes to offense, Iowa is at the head of the class. The Hawkeyes are not just enjoyable to watch, obtaining ranked second in D-I at 84.two PPG final season, but Clark and Czinano as a duo place in a record-setting efficiency.
Clark led Division I in points per game (27.) and assists per game (eight.), even though Czinano led the nation in field objective percentage (67.89). According to analysis by ESPN Stats & Information, considering the fact that assists per game started to be tracked for males (1983-84) and for females (1984-85), no other Division I college teammates have led in these 3 categories in the identical season.
It also has in no way occurred in a WNBA season, and has been accomplished only 3 occasions in the NBA: the 1973-74 Buffalo Braves with Bob McAdoo (PPG and FG%) and Ernie DiGregorio (APG) the 1962-63 San Francisco Warriors with Wilt Chamberlain (PPG and FG%) and Guy Rodgers (APG) and the 1951-52 Philadelphia Warriors with Paul Arizin (PPG and FG%) and Andy Phillip (APG).
Not surprisingly, when Lisa Bluder, a Division I head coach for 32 seasons which includes the previous 22 at Iowa, was asked to name a statistically comparable duo to Clark and Czinano, she stated, “Gosh, I’m not confident I can.”
Czinano is back for her super-senior season immediately after averaging 21.two points and six.two rebounds final season. The six-foot-three native of Minnesota spent her freshman year as an understudy to Hawkeyes good Megan Gustafson. Clark was No. four in the ESPN HoopGurlz rankings for 2020, but Czinano wasn’t in the major one hundred in 2018. Part of it, Bluder stated, was that Czinano’s shot was “whack” coming into college.
“I imply, it was negative her freshman year,” Bluder stated. “She had genuinely negative kind. But she took the work to alter it, and that is not effortless to do when you happen to be 19 years old.”
In longtime assistant Jan Jensen, the Hawkeyes have a effectively-recognized “post medical doctor” on employees. Czinano did numerous drills, which includes a lot of soft-touch shooting, which includes powering the ball with your hand and wrist to get a improved really feel for the shot. Czinano also watched Gustafson win her second Big Ten Player of the Year award in 2019 and get drafted into the WNBA.
“Monika was so wise making use of her time with Megan: She discovered how to compete, how to practice and how substantially added it requires to be genuinely excellent from watching Megan,” Bluder stated. “They each embrace the make contact with so effectively, and their footwork and their hands are so excellent.”
Czinano moved into the part of the Hawkeyes’ major post player as a sophomore, and was effectively conscious of that Clark kid in West Des Moines, Iowa, whom the coaches had worked so tough to recruit.
“I knew about the spark she could produce,” Czinano stated. “So it created me excited to be on the identical group as her.
“I believe the initially time we played with each other was a summer season scrimmage. I just try to remember seeing some of the dangers she was taking and how fearless she was. I knew even if some of the factors could possibly not have worked in that moment, it was going to create into a thing genuinely specific.”
:19
Iowa’s Caitlin Clark nails a deep three-pointer vs. Creighton.
Clark — a unanimous preseason initially-group AP All-American — does not just want to love playing basketball, she desires persons to love watching it. It was clear they did even early in her freshman year. Clark could shoot from anyplace on the court — yes, even the half-court logos are fair game. She discovered teammates ahead of they even knew they have been open, and she was also an exceptional rebounder.
The finer elements of defense admittedly weren’t genuinely her issue then. But with Clark’s 26.six PPG and 19.three PPG from Czinano, the Hawkeyes reached the championship game of the 2021 Big Ten tournament and the Sweet 16, exactly where they lost to UConn. Iowa established itself as a group you did not want to miss on tv.
Last season, Clark had 5 triple-doubles and 11 games in which she scored 30 or extra points, which includes a profession-higher 46. She also set a college record with 18 assists in a game. She had a streak of 19 consecutive games in which she recorded at least 15 points and 5 assists, a Division I mark second only to former Oklahoma men’s player Trae Young, now with the Atlanta Hawks.
Meanwhile, Czinano was busy filling up the basket from the field (277-of-408) and the totally free throw line (102-of-121, 84.three%). The Hawkeyes tied Ohio State for the Big Ten typical-season crown and won the league tournament, the initially time Iowa took each these titles in the identical year.
The Hawkeyes went into the NCAA tournament as a No. two seed, hosting early-round games at sold-out Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City. And then factors went sideways in the second round against Creighton, the No. ten seed pulling a 64-62 upset.
It was much less surprising than the seedings make it seem. Creighton’s 5-out offense was tough for several teams to guard the Bluejays ended up beating No. 7 seed Colorado and No. three seed Iowa State in the tournament as effectively ahead of falling in the Elite Eight to eventual national champion South Carolina.
The Hawkeyes had depended all season on offensively overwhelming teams. But Creighton did every thing attainable to place the clamps on Clark, rotating defenders on her, and she was restricted to a season-low 15 points on four-of-19 shooting. Czinano led Iowa with 27 points, but no other Hawkeye hit double figures.
Both players had completely anticipated Creighton to give Iowa problems, and each credited the Bluejays afterward. But they are pragmatic about what was discovered, and neither desires to overly dwell on the loss going into a new season.
“Having a veteran group is going to be super essential for the reason that we know there will be some genuinely tough occasions,” Clark stated. “We’ve been via that the previous two years. But it is what you do with these occasions that is going to make you who you are in the lengthy run.”
Bluder stated Clark has embraced defense as an older player, understanding substantially improved how essential it is to group results. She also thinks the six-footer can take benefit of extra post-up possibilities on offense against smaller sized guards. Clark also could possibly play off the ball just a tiny extra this season, despite the fact that maintaining the ball in the hands of the nation’s leader in each scoring and assists is a quite sturdy technique.
And as substantially as Clark not too long ago suggested young players function extra on fundamentals and larger-percentage shots rather than following their idol in expanding their so-named variety to half court, watching Clark shoot from the logo is a blast.
Both Clark and Czinano are anticipated to place up impressive numbers once again this season, but the Hawkeyes will require extra than the duo, of course. They also have returning starters in forward/guard McKenna Warnock (11. PPG) and guards Kate Martin (7.two) and Gabbie Marshall (six.eight). Iowa has some essential nonconference tests, which includes Missouri Valley favourite Belmont, a attainable matchup with UConn in the Phil Knight Legacy tournament, ACC energy NC State and the normally heated rivalry with Iowa State, this year’s Big 12 favourite. Then comes the Big Ten grind.
Clark and Czinano sound like they cannot wait. And fans of dynamic duos and higher-octane offense come across them quite irresistible.
“It’s been good for Iowa City,” Czinano stated of the excitement about Iowa women’s basketball. “Over my 5 years now, each and every year extra and extra persons have been tuning in and coming up to me and saying, ‘This is so cool.’
“I’ve been functioning my entire profession for this, and so I’m just type of remembering to soak it in and comprehend we are as excellent as we want to be.”
As quickly as they have been on court with each other for the Iowa women’s basketball group two years ago, Monika Czinano realized then-freshman guard Caitlin Clark had no worry of taking dangers — or genuinely something, for that matter.
“It’s tough to think how substantially self-assurance she had coming in,” Czinano stated.
As for what Clark noticed about Czinano, it was uncomplicated math: Feed the forward/center the ball anyplace close to the block, and odds have been great it would outcome in an help.
“She is so reputable one hundred% of the time,” Clark stated.
Clark and Czinano are getting into their third year with each other as the Hawkeyes, ranked No. four in the preseason AP Top 25, attempt to finish atop the Big Ten once again and make up for a disappointing second-round exit in the NCAA tournament final March.
The Hawkeyes took some critics’ hits about that loss to Creighton and their defense, which permitted 70.two PPG and ranked 306th in Division I. But when it comes to offense, Iowa is at the head of the class. The Hawkeyes are not just enjoyable to watch, obtaining ranked second in D-I at 84.two PPG final season, but Clark and Czinano as a duo place in a record-setting efficiency.
Clark led Division I in points per game (27.) and assists per game (eight.), even though Czinano led the nation in field objective percentage (67.89). According to analysis by ESPN Stats & Information, considering the fact that assists per game started to be tracked for males (1983-84) and for females (1984-85), no other Division I college teammates have led in these 3 categories in the identical season.
It also has in no way occurred in a WNBA season, and has been accomplished only 3 occasions in the NBA: the 1973-74 Buffalo Braves with Bob McAdoo (PPG and FG%) and Ernie DiGregorio (APG) the 1962-63 San Francisco Warriors with Wilt Chamberlain (PPG and FG%) and Guy Rodgers (APG) and the 1951-52 Philadelphia Warriors with Paul Arizin (PPG and FG%) and Andy Phillip (APG).
Not surprisingly, when Lisa Bluder, a Division I head coach for 32 seasons which includes the previous 22 at Iowa, was asked to name a statistically comparable duo to Clark and Czinano, she stated, “Gosh, I’m not confident I can.”
Czinano is back for her super-senior season immediately after averaging 21.two points and six.two rebounds final season. The six-foot-three native of Minnesota spent her freshman year as an understudy to Hawkeyes good Megan Gustafson. Clark was No. four in the ESPN HoopGurlz rankings for 2020, but Czinano wasn’t in the major one hundred in 2018. Part of it, Bluder stated, was that Czinano’s shot was “whack” coming into college.
“I imply, it was negative her freshman year,” Bluder stated. “She had genuinely negative kind. But she took the work to alter it, and that is not effortless to do when you happen to be 19 years old.”
In longtime assistant Jan Jensen, the Hawkeyes have a effectively-recognized “post medical doctor” on employees. Czinano did numerous drills, which includes a lot of soft-touch shooting, which includes powering the ball with your hand and wrist to get a improved really feel for the shot. Czinano also watched Gustafson win her second Big Ten Player of the Year award in 2019 and get drafted into the WNBA.
“Monika was so wise making use of her time with Megan: She discovered how to compete, how to practice and how substantially added it requires to be genuinely excellent from watching Megan,” Bluder stated. “They each embrace the make contact with so effectively, and their footwork and their hands are so excellent.”
Czinano moved into the part of the Hawkeyes’ major post player as a sophomore, and was effectively conscious of that Clark kid in West Des Moines, Iowa, whom the coaches had worked so tough to recruit.
“I knew about the spark she could produce,” Czinano stated. “So it created me excited to be on the identical group as her.
“I believe the initially time we played with each other was a summer season scrimmage. I just try to remember seeing some of the dangers she was taking and how fearless she was. I knew even if some of the factors could possibly not have worked in that moment, it was going to create into a thing genuinely specific.”
:19
Iowa’s Caitlin Clark nails a deep three-pointer vs. Creighton.
Clark — a unanimous preseason initially-group AP All-American — does not just want to love playing basketball, she desires persons to love watching it. It was clear they did even early in her freshman year. Clark could shoot from anyplace on the court — yes, even the half-court logos are fair game. She discovered teammates ahead of they even knew they have been open, and she was also an exceptional rebounder.
The finer elements of defense admittedly weren’t genuinely her issue then. But with Clark’s 26.six PPG and 19.three PPG from Czinano, the Hawkeyes reached the championship game of the 2021 Big Ten tournament and the Sweet 16, exactly where they lost to UConn. Iowa established itself as a group you did not want to miss on tv.
Last season, Clark had 5 triple-doubles and 11 games in which she scored 30 or extra points, which includes a profession-higher 46. She also set a college record with 18 assists in a game. She had a streak of 19 consecutive games in which she recorded at least 15 points and 5 assists, a Division I mark second only to former Oklahoma men’s player Trae Young, now with the Atlanta Hawks.
Meanwhile, Czinano was busy filling up the basket from the field (277-of-408) and the totally free throw line (102-of-121, 84.three%). The Hawkeyes tied Ohio State for the Big Ten typical-season crown and won the league tournament, the initially time Iowa took each these titles in the identical year.
The Hawkeyes went into the NCAA tournament as a No. two seed, hosting early-round games at sold-out Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City. And then factors went sideways in the second round against Creighton, the No. ten seed pulling a 64-62 upset.
It was much less surprising than the seedings make it seem. Creighton’s 5-out offense was tough for several teams to guard the Bluejays ended up beating No. 7 seed Colorado and No. three seed Iowa State in the tournament as effectively ahead of falling in the Elite Eight to eventual national champion South Carolina.
The Hawkeyes had depended all season on offensively overwhelming teams. But Creighton did every thing attainable to place the clamps on Clark, rotating defenders on her, and she was restricted to a season-low 15 points on four-of-19 shooting. Czinano led Iowa with 27 points, but no other Hawkeye hit double figures.
Both players had completely anticipated Creighton to give Iowa problems, and each credited the Bluejays afterward. But they are pragmatic about what was discovered, and neither desires to overly dwell on the loss going into a new season.
“Having a veteran group is going to be super essential for the reason that we know there will be some genuinely tough occasions,” Clark stated. “We’ve been via that the previous two years. But it is what you do with these occasions that is going to make you who you are in the lengthy run.”
Bluder stated Clark has embraced defense as an older player, understanding substantially improved how essential it is to group results. She also thinks the six-footer can take benefit of extra post-up possibilities on offense against smaller sized guards. Clark also could possibly play off the ball just a tiny extra this season, despite the fact that maintaining the ball in the hands of the nation’s leader in each scoring and assists is a quite sturdy technique.
And as substantially as Clark not too long ago suggested young players function extra on fundamentals and larger-percentage shots rather than following their idol in expanding their so-named variety to half court, watching Clark shoot from the logo is a blast.
Both Clark and Czinano are anticipated to place up impressive numbers once again this season, but the Hawkeyes will require extra than the duo, of course. They also have returning starters in forward/guard McKenna Warnock (11. PPG) and guards Kate Martin (7.two) and Gabbie Marshall (six.eight). Iowa has some essential nonconference tests, which includes Missouri Valley favourite Belmont, a attainable matchup with UConn in the Phil Knight Legacy tournament, ACC energy NC State and the normally heated rivalry with Iowa State, this year’s Big 12 favourite. Then comes the Big Ten grind.
Clark and Czinano sound like they cannot wait. And fans of dynamic duos and higher-octane offense come across them quite irresistible.
“It’s been good for Iowa City,” Czinano stated of the excitement about Iowa women’s basketball. “Over my 5 years now, each and every year extra and extra persons have been tuning in and coming up to me and saying, ‘This is so cool.’
“I’ve been functioning my entire profession for this, and so I’m just type of remembering to soak it in and comprehend we are as excellent as we want to be.”
