Iowa WBB Tip Time Preview - Maryland

#8 MARYLAND TERRAPINS (18-4) (9-2) at #6 IOWA HAWKEYES (17-4) (9-1)

TIME: 7:30pm

TV: ESPN – Ryan Ruocco, Rebecca Lobo and Holly Rowe

SERIES: 15th Meeting – Maryland leads the series 10-4 (Terps have won 4 straight)

THE NUMBERS

OFFENSE: IOWA: 87.3 PPG, 49.5% FG, 36.6% 3PT, 13.9 TO MARYLAND: 78.2 PPG, 43.4% FG, 37.4% 3PT, 13.2 TO

DEFENSE: IOWA: 71.0 PPG, 40.1% FG, 29.8% 3PT, 14.8 TO, +6.6 REB MARGIN MARYLAND: 68.7 PPG, 40.8% FG, 34.3% 3PT, 19.5 TO, -2.0 REB MARGIN

PROJECTED LINEUPS

IOWA HAWKEYES

6’0 PG Caitlin Clark – 27.1 PPG, 7.9 REB, 7.9 AST, 45.0% FG, 36.5% 3PT

6’0 G Kate Martin – 6.9 PPG, 4.0 REB, 3.2 AST, 45.8% 3PT

5’9 G Gabbie Marshall – 4.7 PPG, 30.8% FG

6’1 F McKenna Warnock (Doubtful) – 11.9 PPG, 5.9 REB, 44.0% 3PT

6’3 C Monika Czinano – 18.1 PPG, 6.5 REB, 66.4% FG

MARYLAND TERRAPINS

6’2 PG Shyanne Sellers – 14.8 PPG, 5.2 REB, 2.9 AST, 50.9% FG, 41.5% 3PT

6’0 G Abby Meyers – 13.8 PPG, 5.2 REB, 39.1% 3PT

5’8 G Elisa Pinzan – 3.6 PPG, 3.3 AST, 42.3% FG

6’3 F Diamond Miller – 18.6 PPG, 6.2 REB, 45.9% FG, 2.1 STL

6’1 F Faith Masonius – 6.9 PPG, 4.7 REB, 44.8% FG

IOWA PLAYER TO WATCH: PG Caitlin Clark

The Terrapins opted to double Caitlin a bit last year and trap her off of ball screens. She struggled in the matchup and turned it over ten times. That stands as the most turnovers she has had in a game at Carver in her career. Lisa Bluder said they are expecting to see a similar look on defense this season from Maryland, so Caitlin has to be smart with her passes.

The good news? Caitlin has been particulary impressive in Big Ten play this season. She is averaging 27.2 points, 8.6 rebounds and 9.3 assists per game. Will be interesting to see how the Terps guard her and if she can keep her turnovers down.

MARYLAND PLAYER TO WATCH: F Diamond Miller

“Diamond Miller is one of the most talented wing forward players in our league,” said Lisa Bluder. “Capable of rebounding and getting to the basket to post up. She’s just an incredibly gifted athlete and probably a first round draft pick this year.”

Miller leads the team averaging 18.6 points per game and is the team leader in rebounds, blocks and steals. She is shooting 52.6% from inside the 2pt line and takes a team leading 13.3 shots per game. She has scored 20+ points in seven games, including a season-high 32 points and ten rebounds against Baylor. Miller is also a threat on the offensive glass logging five games with 4+ offensive rebounds.

Last year in Iowa City, Miller scored 20 points on 8/17 shooting, as well as four rebounds and three assists. The Hawkeyes will have their hands full against Diamond Miller tonight.

KEY TO VICTORY: Take care of the basketball

Lisa Bluder said it herself. Taking care of the basketball and limiting turnovers is a key to victory tonight. The Terps are ranked in the top 45 in the country in both turnovers forced and steals per game. They are 15-3 on the year when they force more turnovers. The Hawkeyes have faced three teams in the top 20 in turnovers during their win streak and have handled it for the most part.

“They’re really good, one of the best at turning people over in the conference,” said Bluder. “Valuing the ball against their press and against their pressure defense. Not letting it rattle you. I think that’s important.”

THE PICK:

The Terrapins watched four of their top five scorers from last season leave the program due to graduation or transfer over the offseason. They brought in four transfers and once again HC Brenda Frese has them back near the top of the Big Ten. They got off to a 7-3 start, but have kicked things into high gear, winning 11 of their last 12 games. The lone loss in the stretch was on the road against #4 Indiana. On the year, they have picked up big wins against #5 UConn, #9 Notre Dame, #18 Michigan and Baylor.

While the four transfers that joined the team this season have played a crucial role in their success, it has been two returning players leading the way. The Terrapins have four players averaging 9.0+ points per game, starting with previously mentioned Diamond Miller.

PG Shyanne Sellers will run the offense and is also second on the team in scoring and assists. She is shooting 50.9% from the floor and shoots 41.5% from 3pt range, but takes just 2.4 attempts per game from behind the arc. A common trend with the Terps. Sellers has scored in double figures 19 times, including a season-high 21 points against Nebraska.

Princeton transfer Abby Meyers is the teams biggest threat from 3pt range. She shoots it at a 39.1% clip from behind the arc and attempts 5.0 per game. The 2022 Ivy League POY has made three or more three pointers in eight games this season, including a season-high of five against George Mason. She has been in a bit of a slump as of late, making just 7/26 (26.9%) over her last six games.

Rounding out the starting lineup is F Faith Masonius and G Elisa Pinzan. Masonius is the teams leading offensive rebounder. Masonius has six games with 3+ offensive boards, including five in a win at Purdue. She has scored in double figures six times, including a season-best game of 12 points and ten rebounds against DePaul. She is just 6’1, so if she guards Monika Czinano in the post it coud be advantage Hawkeyes. South Florida transfer Elisa Pinzan averages 3.3 assists per game and just 3.5 shots per game. Her season-high is just nine points, but she has eight games with 5+ assists and ranks 4th in the country in assist-turnover ratio.

Off the bench, Brenda Frese does not use a ton of players. In close games, it is common for Maryland to use just three players, starting with Vanderbilt transfer G Brinae Alexander. Alexander is averaging 9.0 points and 22.0 minutes per game. She is a threat from behind the arc, averaging 4.1 attempts per game and making them at a 46.7% clip. She has scored in double figures seven times, including a season-high 20 points against Rutgers.

Florida transfer G Lavender Briggs is averaging 6.6 points, 4.5 rebounds and 25.0 minutes per game. Briggs has scored in double figures five times this season. Also seeing time on the floor will be true freshman G Bri McDaniel. McDaniel has appeared in 21 games, but is averaging just 8.3 minutes per game. She hasn’t had a real large impact, as she averages just 1.7 shots per game in Big Ten play.

Here are some important stats to know going into tonight’s matchup…

2pt FG: Iowa 3rd (57.4%) Maryland 149th (45.9%)

3pt FG: Maryland 12th (37.4%) Iowa 23rd (36.6%)

3pt Rate: Iowa 79th (37.6%) Maryland 242nd (29.4%)

TO: Maryland 21st (13.1) Iowa 48th (13.9)

STEALS: Maryland 35th (10.0) Iowa 184th (7.6)

Off Pts/100 Possessions: Iowa 5th (112.5) Maryland 33rd (104.2)

Def Pts/100 Possessions: Maryland 170th (90.9) Iowa 179th (91.2)

Possessions Per Gm: Iowa 18th (76.6) Maryland 33rd (75.1)

Off Rebounding: Maryland 162nd (31.6%) Iowa 267th (27.6%)

Def Rebounding: Iowa 6th (76.7%) Maryland 275th (66.1%)

This is a real big one in the Big Ten standings and on the national stage. It is a matchup of two top ten teams and it will be televised on ESPN. Both teams have been playing very well as of late with the Terps winning 11 of their last 12 and Iowa winning their last six games. That means something has to give.

WarrenNolan.com likes Iowa to get it done in front of the home crowd with a 79-73 victory. Maryland has won four in a row in the series and 10 of 13 since they joined the conference. It might just be the Hawkeyes time to pull out a win. Caitlin and Monika hit a couple of late shots and Iowa wins. IOWA 80 MARYLAND 75