2024-25 ISU WBB Season Thread

[BoxsterCy]

Now tied for 6th with Utah.

Next couple of games for teams close to us:

• WVU, desert trip @ the AZ schools
• Utah, Kansas and @ BYU
• OSU, TCU and @ TT
• Cinci, desert trip @ the AZ schools

 

[ZorkClone]

Honestly looking at the stats it's hard to identify why this team feels worse than last year.

Category	2024-25	2023-24
PPG	75.8​	75.4​
OPPG	66.2​	69.1​
FG%	0.469​	0.468​
3pt%	0.345​	0.383​
FT%	0.706​	0.725​
Rebound PG	37.9​	40.8​
Rebound Margin	4.6​	8.6​
Assists per game	19.3​	18.8​
Turnovers per game	14.9​	16.4​
Margin	-0.6​	-5.7​
Steals per game	6.7​	4.8​
Blocks per game	3.6​	3​

Rebounds seems to be a big one we are rebounding less, and our margin is 4 PG than last year. This could mean maybe we are "lazy" about boxing out?

So, I ask myself and others, do they seem worse than last year because I have expectations this year? Personally, the absolute beatdowns by SCar and UCONN really have stuck in my brain about the perception of this team. In hindsight we should have not agreed to play them.

 

[acoustimac]

Honestly looking at the stats it's hard to identify why this team feels worse than last year.

Category	2024-25	2023-24
PPG	75.8​	75.4​
OPPG	66.2​	69.1​
FG%	0.469​	0.468​
3pt%	0.345​	0.383​
FT%	0.706​	0.725​
Rebound PG	37.9​	40.8​
Rebound Margin	4.6​	8.6​
Assists per game	19.3​	18.8​
Turnovers per game	14.9​	16.4​
Margin	-0.6​	-5.7​
Steals per game	6.7​	4.8​
Blocks per game	3.6​	3​

Rebounds seems to be a big one we are rebounding less, and our margin is 4 PG than last year. This could mean maybe we are "lazy" about boxing out?

So, I ask myself and others, do they seem worse than last year because I have expectations this year? Personally, the absolute beatdowns by SCar and UCONN really have stuck in my brain about the perception of this team. In hindsight we should have not agreed to play them.

Wow…thanks for putting that together. I agree the rebound piece is a big one. Watching WVU dominate the offensive glass yesterday was a good example. I’ve felt that rebounding by anyone not named Joens, Ryan or Brown was fundamentally flawed all season. Lack of blocking out and sometimes even a lack of effort. I really like Joens' attitude about rebounding and wish others would adopt it. Sadly, Crooks is very limited on this piece as she doesn’t use any vertical jump to beat others to a rebound. As I’ve thought about the differences two things pop into my head. You mentioned expectations. I think last year the success while using five freshmen was refreshing. Yet, that squad had its struggles too. This year no one wants to admit the team is still very young. We had higher expectations and they haven’t been met. Of course the other frustrating factor is we didn’t "luck" out in the transfer portal as well. Losing Hare hurt more than most will admit and Hansford…well…I have no idea what will get her to turn the corner. When she does it will be exciting. I have been pleased to see Williams begin to look better as she has spelled Crooks. I’m hopeful that growth will continue. All of this combined with facing upperclassmen filled teams like WVU, OSU and KSU who are leading the conference…just creates a tough experience. It’s what the ladies learn along the way that will really matter over the next two years.

 

[BoxsterCy]

Honestly looking at the stats it's hard to identify why this team feels worse than last year.

Category	2024-25	2023-24
PPG	75.8​	75.4​
OPPG	66.2​	69.1​
FG%	0.469​	0.468​
3pt%	0.345​	0.383​
FT%	0.706​	0.725​
Rebound PG	37.9​	40.8​
Rebound Margin	4.6​	8.6​
Assists per game	19.3​	18.8​
Turnovers per game	14.9​	16.4​
Margin	-0.6​	-5.7​
Steals per game	6.7​	4.8​
Blocks per game	3.6​	3​

Rebounds seems to be a big one we are rebounding less, and our margin is 4 PG than last year. This could mean maybe we are "lazy" about boxing out?

So, I ask myself and others, do they seem worse than last year because I have expectations this year? Personally, the absolute beatdowns by SCar and UCONN really have stuck in my brain about the perception of this team. In hindsight we should have not agreed to play them.

I am assuming your are using the full 33 games from last year lined up with our 20 this years so that might skew things a little? We are at the 2/3 point of the season, sort of where we got better last year. Also, take out the SC and UConn games and our schedule to date isn't anything much as far as SOS which will impact basic team stats.

TBD yet is whether our strong finish last year was a bit of fool's gold or not. It took a crazy comeback against a pedestrian Maryland team to advance with 40-something from Audi. Next game Ryan had her career game. Even with the #8 pre-season being a bit dreamy, the Big 12 coaches voted us as essentially the co-favorite to win the conference so the expectations weren't just fans and poll voters. In the last third of last year we had more and more minutes from Ryan and a set core group with Bellinger.

Curious to see how Baylor looks today versus #1 UCLA on a neutral court. Maybe a preview of how they will play out their Big 12 games and whether they will contend of the title or not. That clunker at home versus OSU really stands out. KSU took a big blow in losing Anoka Lee and will have to fully rely on the senior guard court but they are not deep with Lee out and one of the SR Glenn sisters is not playing this year. You can speculate they will handle that better than two season ago considering Lee has already been on really reduced minutes and their core guard group is now made of seniors and not sophomores. Still, it's something that will hurt them. Sort of puts TCU in the drivers seat in controlling their own destiny and cheering for ISU to beat KSU.

 

[ZorkClone]

I am assuming your are using the full 33 games from last year lined up with our 20 this years so that might skew things a little? We are at the 2/3 point of the season, sort of where we got better last year. Also, take out the SC and UConn games and our schedule to date isn't anything much as far as SOS which will impact basic team stats.

TBD yet is whether our strong finish last year was a bit of fool's gold or not. It took a crazy comeback against a pedestrian Maryland team to advance with 40-something from Audi. Next game Ryan had her career game. Even with the #8 pre-season being a bit dreamy, the Big 12 coaches voted us as essentially the co-favorite to win the conference so the expectations weren't just fans and poll voters. In the last third of last year we had more and more minutes from Ryan and a set core group with Bellinger.

Curious to see how Baylor looks today versus #1 UCLA on a neutral court. Maybe a preview of how they will play out their Big 12 games and whether they will contend of the title or not. That clunker at home versus OSU really stands out. KSU took a big blow in losing Anoka Lee and will have to fully rely on the senior guard court but they are not deep with Lee out and one of the SR Glenn sisters is not playing this year. You can speculate they will handle that better than two season ago considering Lee has already been on really reduced minutes and their core guard group is now made of seniors and not sophomores. Still, it's something that will hurt them. Sort of puts TCU in the drivers seat in controlling their own destiny and cheering for ISU to beat KSU.

That is true, but I felt we have been through enough of the season to get a comparison.

A big thing that I've forgotten until now is we had a five-game win streak at the beginning on conference play last year which included #24 WVU and #4 Baylor. At this point this year we've really not beaten anyone of note, which effects my feelings towards this years' team as well.

 

[acoustimac]

That is true, but I felt we have been through enough of the season to get a comparison.

A big thing that I've forgotten until now is we had a five-game win streak at the beginning on conference play last year which included #24 WVU and #4 Baylor. At this point this year we've really not beaten anyone of note, which effects my feelings towards this years' team as well.

But we also had the lull of losing to Tech, KU, WVU, UCF and OU right in the middle of it all. WVUwas at their place and the OU game may have been their best game of the season.

 

[Cloneman89]

Ryan is our general and without her we see indecision and TO’s. No idea what is up with Hansford - throwing up bricks. More shots refine touch - feed A&A is keeping perimeter cold. Bill needs to adjust as this is easy to defend. Crooks is not a defender or rebounder so Addy tries to do both. Joens is aggressive and goes to help defense which leaves her player open for 3’s.Williams is showing up on D - maybe play Triple Towers with Ryan/Joens as guards? Tauleilei can spell them with Harris. Pick and roll or weave - stand around offense is dated and easy to defend

 

[BoxsterCy]

NET for Big 12 teams after this weekends action

 

[ZorkClone]

NET for Big 12 teams after this weekends action

View attachment 141481

Thanks for this.
Looks like the Big 12 might be looking at 4-5 teams in the tourney?

 

[acoustimac]

Thanks for this.
Looks like the Big 12 might be looking at 4-5 teams in the tourney?

Right Now I'd say 5 minimum.

 

[BoxsterCy]

Thanks for this.
Looks like the Big 12 might be looking at 4-5 teams in the tourney?

NET is just a tool they use but it's just one of many factors, otherwise the NET would be the cut and the seeding and it is not. Probably get 6 in and maybe not the 7 ESPN has in their latest prediction bracketology.

 

[NWICY]

Honestly looking at the stats it's hard to identify why this team feels worse than last year.

Category	2024-25	2023-24
PPG	75.8​	75.4​
OPPG	66.2​	69.1​
FG%	0.469​	0.468​
3pt%	0.345​	0.383​
FT%	0.706​	0.725​
Rebound PG	37.9​	40.8​
Rebound Margin	4.6​	8.6​
Assists per game	19.3​	18.8​
Turnovers per game	14.9​	16.4​
Margin	-0.6​	-5.7​
Steals per game	6.7​	4.8​
Blocks per game	3.6​	3​

Rebounds seems to be a big one we are rebounding less, and our margin is 4 PG than last year. This could mean maybe we are "lazy" about boxing out?

So, I ask myself and others, do they seem worse than last year because I have expectations this year? Personally, the absolute beatdowns by SCar and UCONN really have stuck in my brain about the perception of this team. In hindsight we should have not agreed to play them.

Personally I was hoping for a continuation of the end of last yr, instead we got a reset back to the beginning, disappointing for sure IMO.
Then throw in Hare's injury, Em's time limit it has taken us a lot longer to find our footing IMO. Hope they make the tourney and with a good draw they might get out of the opening weekend.

 

[mred]

 

[BoxsterCy]

Doesn't get much easier for easing Ryan back in than versus the two worst teams in the league at Hilton . Maybe play 15 minutes in a few 5 minutes rotations and call it a good practice.

*** Edit: Two out of the three worst teams. Left out Houston.

 

[BoxsterCy]

Standings after tonight are the same except TCU back 1/2 with KSU sort of out of sync and won't catch up in games played till first week of Feb. Big title implications game with Baylor at TCU this weekend. Who knows what KSU will be without Lee. We should still be tied with Utah but at 6-3 come the end of the weekend.

 

[CY9008]

Audi is much stronger emotionally than I am- as shown in games and online. The comments are from Hawk burners that for some reason have made that their life, but still.

 

[acoustimac]

Been reading alll the naysayers posts about ISU not making the dance and seeing Crème having us as a last four in right now. I look at our record and only see ONE bad loss and one looking a bit worse now. UNI was the bad loss and it was on their court when one player lost her mind shooting. The Iowa game was one we easily could have won and Iowa was playing their best ball then. Excuses right? Other than that the other losses aren’t bad losses. Everyone thought the world was ending when UConn and USC shellacked us. Well, they are doing that to most everyone they play including other top 20 teams. As I see it, our. Biggest resume problem is just not having a big win in our column. We've beaten everyone (except UNI) that we were supposed to beat. We've lost 3 where we were underdogs and could just as easily have won them (Iowa, Utah and OSU). We have chance coming up to pick up some quality wins so we wait and see. BTW…I gagged when I saw Crème had us playing Iowa in a playin game.

 

[BoxsterCy]

Been reading alll the naysayers posts about ISU not making the dance and seeing Crème having us as a last four in right now. I look at our record and only see ONE bad loss and one looking a bit worse now. UNI was the bad loss and it was on their court when one player lost her mind shooting. The Iowa game was one we easily could have won and Iowa was playing their best ball then. Excuses right? Other than that the other losses aren’t bad losses. Everyone thought the world was ending when UConn and USC shellacked us. Well, they are doing that to most everyone they play including other top 20 teams. As I see it, our. Biggest resume problem is just not having a big win in our column. We've beaten everyone (except UNI) that we were supposed to beat. We've lost 3 where we were underdogs and could just as easily have won them (Iowa, Utah and OSU). We have chance coming up to pick up some quality wins so we wait and see. BTW…I gagged when I saw Crème had us playing Iowa in a playin game.

Actually I think that is what most people are saying, it's not the "bad" losses putting them on the bubble, it's the complete lack of "good" wins. We have none, zero. They can fix that. To get 4th, 5th or 6th in the league they will have to win some "good" games. If they do that they are in, maybe not a great seed but in. If they end up only winning against teams ranked below them they will put themselves in jeopardy of playing NIT.

Nobodies that good in the Big 12. Every game is winnable here on out but a number of those are losses if we don't bring an A game. TCU might wear down, they do in some games already. KSU is without Lee and maybe overrated even with her. Baylor might be the one to sneak up on everyone.

The teams inconsistency cuts both ways. You can look at and say they are likely to lose some game they should win. Or you can think yhey will pull some big upsets. I lean a little towards upsets just because the Big 12 is pretty weak sauce and beating any of the ranked teams won't be a huge upset. There is no right or wrong fan look at this point.

I think Iowa is likely out. Iowa/ISU play-in is just clickbait and red meat for folks who spend way too much energy and thought on "rivals". Hawks blew a couple of games missing free-throws that they should have won. With their schedule they could not afford those losses. Even if Iowa can pull a rabbit out of their hat (and they did seem to play well with Stuekle out the other night) they are directly competing with two or three other Big Ten teams with about the same ranking for the last few spots.

*** Just spit balling here and procrastinating and avoiding going to gym to do some weights.

 

[CycloneSpinning]

Audi is much stronger emotionally than I am- as shown in games and online. The comments are from Hawk burners that for some reason have made that their life, but still.

But they wave for kids…their shirts say so.

 

[swclone11]

Actually I think that is what most people are saying, it's not the "bad" losses putting them on the bubble, it's the complete lack of "good" wins. We have none, zero. They can fix that. To get 4th, 5th or 6th in the league they will have to win some "good" games. If they do that they are in, maybe not a great seed but in. If they end up only winning against teams ranked below them they will put themselves in jeopardy of playing NIT.

Nobodies that good in the Big 12. Every game is winnable here on out but a number of those are losses if we don't bring an A game. TCU might wear down, they do in some games already. KSU is without Lee and maybe overrated even with her. Baylor might be the one to sneak up on everyone.

The teams inconsistency cuts both ways. You can look at and say they are likely to lose some game they should win. Or you can think yhey will pull some big upsets. I lean a little towards upsets just because the Big 12 is pretty weak sauce and beating any of the ranked teams won't be a huge upset. There is no right or wrong fan look at this point.

I think Iowa is likely out. Iowa/ISU play-in is just clickbait and red meat for folks who spend way too much energy and thought on "rivals". Hawks blew a couple of games missing free-throws that they should have won. With their schedule they could not afford those losses. Even if Iowa can pull a rabbit out of their hat (and they did seem to play well with Stuekle out the other night) they are directly competing with two or three other Big Ten teams with about the same ranking for the last few spots.

*** Just spit balling here and procrastinating and avoiding going to gym to do some weights.

Right now, I'm hoping for 1/2 in those games against TCU at home and K-State on the road. Minus Lee I think we can for sure get them, and even with her, we had a chance. We just need a key win, and if we pick up one of those, then I'll get a bit more confident we can snag one or two more later in the season (whether it be regular season or conference tourney).