As a lifelong Iowa Hawkeyes fan, there are just a few moments which might be perpetually seared into my reminiscence. Rob Houghtlin placing one by the uprights towards Michigan, Drew Tate to Warren Holloway, the tragic passing of Chris Road, Kevin Gamble burying a deep three towards Oklahoma to make the Elite 8, and Steve Waite changing an “and 1” to ship Iowa previous Georgetown in 1980 to get Lute’s squad into the Remaining 4. I keep in mind the 1993 Iowa girls’s crew that made the one different Remaining 4 in our historical past, however I used to be a really informal girls’s basketball fan on the time, and I extra do not forget that Coach Vivian Stringer’s husband handed away earlier that season. After which Coach Lisa Bluder, Caitlin Clark, and our Iowa Hawkeyes went and did a factor. And what a factor it was.

The Iowa Hawkeyes (30-6) punched their ticket (this can be a cliche and I ought to keep away from it, however how usually are you able to say that about your favourite crew?) to the Remaining 4 in Dallas, Texas. After falling down 8-0, the Hawks relied on their skilled roster and among the finest basketball gamers on the planet to beat an excellent Louisville (26-12) crew 97-83. Louisville has a terrific coach, crew, and a participant similar to Caitlin Clark. Hailey Van Lith didn’t disappoint. She will rating at will it appears; she totaled 27 factors. And there may be your complete Nationwide Participant of the Yr dialog wrapped up in a bow, as a result of regardless of how nice Van Lith is (and she or he is), she just isn’t the participant Clark is. Trace, there isn’t any one like her. The Hawkeyes confronted an 8 level deficit proper out of the gate and you could possibly see Clark say, “Nah.”

For the Hawkeyes everybody on the courtroom, bench, and crowd contributed to the candy, candy victory. Assistant Coach Jan Jensen’s father handed away earlier within the day. The crew was not going to lose that recreation. They received it for him, the coaches, themselves, and sure, even us. The love between this crew and its followers has been a palpable factor. It continues to develop, and why not? We’re Iowa. We develop issues. It’s what we do.

Caitlin Clark has gotten to a degree the place she retains one-upping herself. The nation is actually tuning in to see what she does subsequent. All Clark did was document a 40 level triple-double. 41 factors, 10 rebounds, and 12 assists. She makes pictures, she handles the ball, she makes passes that may make Magic Johnson proud. Her focus and need to destroy basketball souls is Kobe-like. [My apologies that I don’t often reference famous women’s basketball players, but admittedly, prior to Caitlin Clark and writing for BHGP, I didn’t follow the women’s game very closely.] This is also a purpose why I really like Clark a lot. Seeing all of those younger women with their households on the video games and seeing posted movies of them taking pictures of their driveways emulating Clark… that’s significantly priceless. It’s not hyperbole to say that Caitlin Clark is rising the sport of basketball, not only for women and girls, however for all basketball followers.

As acknowledged earlier, everybody contributed to this recreation. McKenna Warnock stepped up big-time. She had 17 factors and 5 rebounds.

The power on the go by Clark is unbelievable and McKenna splashed it. Gabbie Marshall had 14 factors however extra importantly introduced nice depth on the defensive finish. Monika Czinano ended up with 9 and 5, however just a few of these baskets and rebounds got here in key factors of the sport. Hannah Stuelke bounced again fairly nicely from her ankle damage; she performed 20 minutes and her depth, pace, and athleticism have been a shot within the arm. She completed with 6 factors, 2 rebounds, 1 help, and 1 steal. Kate Martin performed a strong recreation; Martin is best-known for doing issues that don’t all the time present up within the field rating, and this makes her invaluable. Profitable basketball requires many, many issues that don’t usually get seen. She and Connor McCaffery are very related gamers, and due to this they’re my two favourite Hawkeyes on the hardcourt. One factor to search for from a fan’s perspective? In tight conditions, who does the coach have inbounding the basketball? As a rule, it’s these two gamers. It comes all the way down to belief. I belief that Kate will make the appropriate play.

For the sport the Hawkeyes did a strong job on the glass. Rebounding was going to be a key to this recreation. Iowa outrebounded the Cardinals 33-32. I felt fairly good concerning the recreation, if (massive if), the Hawks might restrict second probability alternatives for the Cardinals. Iowa gave up means too many offensive rebounds to Georgia (13) and Colorado (21). I used to be considering lower than 10 can be a successful quantity, and we gave up 9. that was written on the Hawks’ whiteboard within the locker room.

Each the Hawkeyes and Cardinals shot the basketball nicely. The distinction was that the Hawks shot 45.7% (16-35) from deep, whereas the Cardinals shot 36.4% (8-22) from past the arc.

Now we wait. My guess (everybody’s guess) is that South Carolina beats Maryland. At this level I actually don’t really feel like there may be a number of stress on Coach Bluder’s crew. Iowa proved to the world that they’ll play basketball with anybody. This season will perpetually be one in all my favourite Hawkeye recollections. I’ll or might not have had some mud in my eyes on the conclusion of that recreation. And because the saying goes…

As all the time, and particularly now, it’s nice to be a Hawkeye. Go Hawks!