Iowa Women's Basketball Tip Time Preview: Rhode Island

RHODE ISLAND RAMS (4-3) VS #22 IOWA HAWKEYES (6-0)

CANCUN CHALLENGE

TIME: 5:30pm CT

TV: FloHoops – Jon Gross and Isis Young

SERIES: First Meeting – Iowa is 11-3 all-time against current Atlantic 10 teams

BY THE NUMBERS

OFFENSE: IOWA: 80.8 PPG, 49.1% FG, 28.5% 3PT, 13.8 TO RHODE ISLAND: 63.3 PPG, 40.0% FG, 27.0% 3PT, 14.0 TO

DEFENSE: IOWA: 59.3 PPG, 34.2% FG, 29.9% 3PT, 18.8 TO, +9.2 REB MARGIN RHODE ISLAND: 53.3 PPG, 37.9% FG, 29.6% 3PT, 15.7 TO, +11.1 REB MARGIN

IOWA HAWKEYES PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP

Lucy Olsen	Point Guard	5-10/ Sr.	Villanova transfer. Averaging 17.3 PPG, 4.5 REB and 5.3 AST. Big East Most Improved Player last season. Scored in double figures in all six games. 17 pts, 8 reb, 5 ast vs Washington State
Kylie Feuerbach	Guard	6-0/ rSr.	Averaging 5.5 PPG, 4.0 REB and 2.3 STL. Recorded six steals against NIU. Shooting just 19.2% from three-point range.
Syd Affolter	Guard	5-11/ Sr.	Averaging 5.4 PPG and 6.0 REB. Big Ten All-Tournament Team last season. Missed the season opener vs NIU. 8 pts, 8 reb vs Washington State
Hannah Stuelke	Forward	6-2/ Jr.	Averaging 14.2 PPG and 7.5 REB. Second Team All-Big Ten last season. Third on the team in made field goals (30). 11 pts, 6 reb vs Washington State
Addi O’Grady	Center	6-4/ Sr.	Averaging 15.0 PPG and 4.8 REB. Shooting 66.7% from the floor, second on the team in made field goals (40). 14 pts, 7 reb, 2 ast vs Washington State

RHODE ISLAND RAMS PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP

Ines Debroise	Guard	5-9/ Jr.	Averaging 8.4 PPG, 2.9 REB and 4.4 AST. Won gold with Team France at the 2023 FIBA World Championships. 8 pts, 3 ast vs Brown
Sophie Phillips	Guard	6-0/ Sr.	Averaging 9.4 PPG and 1.3 REB. Made a single-season program record 83 three-pointers last season. 16 pts vs Brown
Anaelle Dutat	Forward	6-0/ Jr.	Averaging 8.0 PPG, 9.6 REB and 2.7 STL. Preseason All-Atlantic 10 Defensive Team. Leads the team in rebounds (67). 9 reb vs Brown
Hawa Komara	Forward	6-0/ rJr.	Averaging 8.0 PPG and 7.7 REB. Leads the team in offensive rebounds (31) and field goal percentage (57.8%). 11 pts, 9 reb vs Brown
Harsimran Kaur	Center	6-4/ Sr.	San Diego transfer. Averaging 10.1 PPG and 5.4 REB. Scored in double figures 13 times last season. 11 pts, 12 reb vs Brown

RHODE ISLAND PLAYER TO WATCH: Center Sophie Phillips

I wouldn’t consider Phillips to be the best player for the Rams, but she can shoot it from three-point range and that will be important if URI wants to keep the game close. She is off to a slow start so far, knocking down just 12 of 51 (23.5%) from long distance, but broke the single-season program record for made threes last season (83). Phillips is averaging 10.2 three-point attempts per 40 minutes this year and did shoot 40.7% as a sophomore, so the Iowa defense has to know where she is at all times.

KEY STORYLINE TO WATCH: Which team dictates the pace of the game?

These two teams play completely different styles of basketball, and the pace of the game will have an adverse effect on someone. The Hawkeyes pace of play has dipped just a bit compared to recent seasons, but they are still in the top 100 in possessions per 40 minutes. Meanwhile, Rhode Island ranks 354th and averages 9.7 fewer possessions per game. HerHoopStats calculates that URI’s recent game against Maine was played a 58.0 possession pace!!!

In a game where Iowa will be favored by a considerable amount, the slower the pace, the better for Rhode Island. It will be interesting to see which team can get the play the game closer to their comfort zone.

BREAKING DOWN THE RAMS

The Rams are led by sixth-year head coach Tammi Reiss, who has led the program to back-to-back WNIT appearances. URI finished with a 21-14 record last season and reached the Sweet 16 of the WNIT. They return just 35.0% of their scoring from last year and were picked 8th in the preseason Atlantic 10 Coaches Poll. Rhode Island comes into today with a 4-3 record, including notable losses to Albany (67-57) and St John’s (60-45).

Looking at the rest of the Rams starting lineup, their frontcourt players can really get on the glass, which is why they rank 23rd in the country in total rebounding (57.5%). San Diego transfer Harsimran Kaur is coming off of an 11-point, 12-rebound game against Brown and is the team’s leading scorer. She scored in double figures 13 times last season, including a 21-point game against Pepperdine in the WCC Tournament. So far this season, Kaur has two double-doubles and is the only player averaging in double figures (10.1 ppg).

Forwards Anaelle Dutat is a threat on the glass and as a defender. She was a preseason All-Atlantic 10 Defensive Team selection, while she is averaging 8.0 points and 9.6 rebounds per game. Dutat has totaled at least three offensive boards in six of seven games, while she had a career-high 17 rebounds against Maine. The other frontcourt player to watch is Hawa Komara. In her first year as a starter, the redshirt junior is averaging 8.0 points and 7.7 rebounds per game. She is a threat on the offensive boards as well, averaging 6.08 offensive rebounds per 40 minutes, including eight against Brown. Komara is the Rams most efficient player, shooting 57.8% from the floor.

Rounding out the Rhode Island starting lineup is guard Ines Debroise. Originally from Paris, France, Debroise won a gold medal with Team France at the 2023 FIBA World Championships. She does a bit of everything, averaging 8.4 points, 2.9 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game. Debroise has scored in double figures twice and has recorded 5+ assists in four games, owning a 3.44 assists-to-turnover ratio.

Shooting Heat Maps (CBB Analytics): Iowa and Rhode Island

A deeper look at the early season stats behind the matchup between the Hawkeyes and Rams…

THE PICK

Warren Nolan Projection: IOWA 78 RHODE ISLAND 60

Although Rhode Island hasn’t played the same level of competition that Iowa has, they have some decent numbers. They’re solid on the glass, don’t turn it over much, and statistically, are pretty good on both ends of the floor. I do believe that this Iowa team is much better equipped to handle a slower pace game because of the way they have played defensively. This could be a close game early, but the Hawkeyes just have more talent and more weapons than URI. Iowa gets their seventh straight double-digit victory. IOWA 76 RHODE ISLAND 55