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Lisa Bluder on Iowa rematch with LSU: 'We got run out of the gym last year'

IMG_6598by:Nick Kosko•03/30/24•

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Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports

Lisa Bluder knows what’s coming for Iowa: a rematch with LSU in the Elite Eight on Monday. Following a dominant win over Colorado, the Hawkeyes and Tigers will meet again.

Sure, it’s a battle of stars featuring Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, but this is a different game in 2024. Last year’s national championship was all LSU and Kim Mulkey’s squad earned every second.

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For Bluder and company, they’ve kept focus straight ahead and not in the past.

“Yeah, we got run out of the gym last year,” Bluder said postgame. “So you know, it was pretty bad. But you know, honestly, we try to keep, just keep looking straight ahead and not listen to the outside noise and I think my team has done a good job of staying off social media. Try not to get caught up in that. I think when you get caught up in all that, now it takes your energy off the focus that you need at hand and that is to prepare for a really good LSU team. Nothing else matters. 

“Nothing matters that happened last year. Nothing matters except for being ready to play this really good LSU team and you know, I just don’t think my players are gonna get caught up in listening to outside voices. They haven’t all year. They’ve handled it all year, and I think that they’ll continue to do so.”

The preparation for LSU didn’t start Saturday evening, as Bluder put it. They prepared for all situations once they entered the tournament.

“Well, you don’t wait till tonight to do it,” Bluder said. “You know, honestly, we’ve been working on you know, I have different coaches assigned to different teams and I have somebody assigned to LSU. And when I go back to the hotel, they’ll have a scout ready for me to look at and then we’ll all sit down as a staff and try to figure out a game plan. 

“But you don’t wait till now. I mean, you’ve got to do your homework ahead of time and believe me, there was a lot of wasted paper and hours on UCLA and some other people, but that’s the way it is this time of year. You have to be ready for everybody.”