Hear from Iowa coach Jan Jensen before Hawkeyes face Iowa State
Hear from Iowa coach Jan Jensen before Hawkeyes face Iowa State
IOWA CITY — In certain Cy-Hawk situations, the rivalry itself is forced to generate much of the intrigue. Records looking pretty will never be a requirement for in-state intensity.
This week is not one of those situations.
With a combined record of 36-1 among the four basketball teams representing Iowa and Iowa State, national significance will be on the line in both ends of the Cy-Hawk matchups at Hilton Coliseum in Ames. The women kick things off Dec. 10 (6 p.m., ESPN), followed by the men on Dec. 11 (7 p.m., FS1) in what should be two raucous environments.
Here, we’ll look at the matchup involving two veterans who’ve been at this a while. Although Bill Fennelly may have Jan Jensen beat by a few in head-coaching years, that tandem knows all this rivalry offers as well as anyone. There’s excitement to add another chapter, especially with what both teams bring to the table.
No. 12 Iowa (9-0) and No. 10 Iowa State (10-0) will comprise the first Cy-Hawk matchup of undefeated teams since 2004. The Hawkeyes and Cyclones have faced little resistance in the early going, even if they’re getting it done in somewhat different ways. Consider this showdown a solid December litmus test for both.
“The beauty of this game,” Jensen said, “is to have a game like this at this point in the season. Because I still don’t really know how good we are yet.”
With that, here are three things to watch.
Hear from Taylor Stremlow, Addie Deal before Iowa faces Iowa State
Hear from Taylor Stremlow, Addie Deal before Iowa faces Iowa State
Can a young Iowa team pass the mental test of enduring this rivalry on the road?
Given what Iowa experiences each time it takes the floor at Carver-Hawkeye Arena, playing in front of a sold-out crowd shouldn’t be as daunting as it would be for other youthful squads. That said, Hilton Coliseum’s hostility will take a second to digest for those who’ve never been through a similar road affair.
“They’re at home, so they’re going to come out firing with high energy,” sophomore Taylor Stremlow said. “They always bring a great crowd, especially versus us. They’ll try to be on things from the jump, but we’re going to do the same. Just staying even-keeled throughout the whole game is going to be important for us.”
Iowa’s first two true road games — at UNI and at Rutgers — didn’t exactly offer a taste of what’s ahead in Ames. That’s where veterans like Kylie Feuerbach, Hannah Stuelke and Taylor McCabe can come up big in the build-up and throughout.
“Once it gets away from you in those big environments, it’s sure hard to pull it back in,” Jensen said. “And the same way here. That’s what everyone with a home-court advantage is trying to do.
“So you try to lean on Hannah, Taylor and Kylie — who’ve all been there. But they’re all in different roles now (than when they played at Iowa State two years ago). That’s the interesting thing about this team. We’re so much younger than we’re older. That’s going to be a key point. How quickly can our sophomores and freshmen settle?”
Iowa State coach Bill Fennelly talks about the upcoming Cy-Hawk game
Iowa State women’s basketball coach Bill Fennelly talks about his team’s upcoming matchup with Iowa.
The depth behind Audi Crooks can prove just as vital as the high-scoring superstar herself
Jensen is well aware of how quickly Audi Crooks’ dominance can wreck a game plan. And there’s no doubt Ava Heiden, Stuelke and even freshman Layla Hays will need to collectively be at their best to even slow one of the sport’s most relentless scorers.
However, it’s what can come after Crooks that has Jensen overly impressed with Iowa State’s scorching start.
The steadiness of Addy Brown, the instant jolt of energy Jada Williams’ arrival has provided, the reliability from deep that’s generated some absurd scores — all of it can burn the Hawkeyes if Crooks takes up too much focus.
“Sometimes when you’re playing people and their star goes out for a breather, it’s like, ‘Whew, she’s out.’ But who comes in just gives you a different look,” Jensen said. “So I’m pretty impressed with them. Bill and his staff always have good teams, but they have a really exceptional team this year.”
Williams and the Hawkeyes had early portal dialogue last offseason before the Arizona transfer ultimately landed at Iowa State. Brown put up double figures in each of her first two Cy-Hawk games. Crooks has obviously been on Iowa’s radar for some time, dating back to her high-school days.
So the familiarity is there, but that does little to ease Iowa’s challenge. The Hawkeyes will likely need more of their early defensive success to emerge victorious.
The Hawkeyes will try again with Chit-Chat Wright’s return after getting dinged up again at Rutgers
As unfortunate as it was to see Chit-Chat Wright take an inadvertent shot to the face in her first game back from her hard fall in Florida, there didn’t seem to be much postgame concern. Iowa’s massive lead over Rutgers likely had a lot to do with why Wright played just eight minutes and didn’t return after the first quarter.
Jensen confirmed Wright will return for Cy-Hawk, a huge boost for Iowa, even if it isn’t an ideal spot for her first significant action in nearly three weeks.
“The unfortunate thing about Chit-Chat getting hurt is we were hitting a nice flow with her confidence,” Jensen said. “But now, you sit out that long. And she’s only a sophomore, so she missed a lot of reps. And then, unfortunately, we didn’t get the Rutgers game.
“So now, we’re asking her, ‘Oh by the way, can you go perform really great in this really hostile environment?’ But I like that she has a pretty good command of the offense. She’s good at running the ship.”
As for Emely Rodriguez (back) and Teagan Mallegni (tonsils), both remain day-to-day. Jensen said Mallegni is “making strides” but doesn’t anticipate her being ready to go against Iowa State. The same goes for Rodriguez, who hasn’t played since the Hawkeyes returned from the WBCA Showcase.
“It was either a tweak when we were in Florida after a practice or right when we came back,” Jensen said. “It hasn’t gotten to the place where she feels comfortable returning yet with the rehabbing.”
Iowa women’s basketball vs. Iowa prediction
With just one win over the last nine Cy-Hawk games, it’s fair to say Iowa State is due a bit in this rivalry. That’s never enough to ensure victory, but the motivation and urgency the Cyclones are operating with this year is apparent. A young Iowa team will hold its ground for a while before Iowa State closes strong. Iowa State 75, Iowa 70.
Dargan Southard is a sports trending reporter and covers Iowa athletics for the Des Moines Register and HawkCentral.com. Email him at msouthard@gannett.com or follow him on Twitter at @Dargan_Southard.
