yep....they play 9 to Iowa's 6. Their bency has 30 pts. at this point while Iowa, forced to play 2 off the bench, has none. These kids run about 1/3 of a marathon during the game and at the speed of this game, depth is a must. Carolina, predictably pulling away....but the Hawks have played well.
Games Thread - The National Championship
Iowa not going down without a fight
Can someone help me? I can't stop cheering for this Iowa team.
And I bleed orange and blue! And hate the Hawkeyes.
And I bleed orange and blue! And hate the Hawkeyes.
Iowa back-to-back second place finishes.....very, very impressive.
I guarantee I hate the Hawkeyes as much as anyone on this board (grew up in the quad cities area during the height of the Deon/Bruce Pearl crap, not to mention Ed Horton and Kevin Gamble and all that before it), but I give all props to Caitlin Clark and this Iowa team. Never thought this would be possible, but they made me a fan. I am going to miss watching her play, even with all her constant whining to the refs, and her refusal to try on defense. She is one of a kind and has done wonders for growing the game for young girls, which is AWESOME.
Now back to hoping Iowa goes 0-12 in football....
I guarantee I hate the Hawkeyes as much as anyone on this board (grew up in the quad cities area during the height of the Deon/Bruce Pearl crap, not to mention Ed Horton and Kevin Gamble and all that before it), but I give all props to Caitlin Clark and this Iowa team. Never thought this would be possible, but they made me a fan. I am going to miss watching her play, even with all her constant whining to the refs, and her refusal to try on defense. She is one of a kind and has done wonders for growing the game for young girls, which is AWESOME.
Now back to hoping Iowa goes 0-12 in football....
Not me, I’m happy to see Iowa go down. Caitlin Clark is probably the greatest women’s college player ever, I’ll give her that, and she seems like a good person. But I don’t like how the media is shoving her down everyone’s throats. How many commercials has she been in lately?
Here's the key to me. Braden Smith has lived on wide open shots and layups because defenders refuse to leave Edey on the pick and roll. Loyer and Jones have got so many open looks at 3 because guards doubled down on Edey.
All Clingan has to do is be able to defend Edey on his own. If the other players on Purdue don't get the benefit of open looks because the UConn guards don't leave them to double Edey, that's a whole new ball game for Purdue.
Also, in terms of Edey. He has thrown a lot of elbows and got away with it. The argument being, it's not his fault he's so much taller than his opponent. Well Clingan is not far off in height. If he tries to elbow Clingan around, first off it will be much harder, but also it is more likely to end in a foul. Ultimately, this could be the first game of the season Purdue has to play straight up, and not rely on the advantage Edey alone has given them.
Illini2010-11
- Sugar Grove
Historic prestige is extremely low on my reasoning for wanting Purdue to lose. For me, Painter is a good dude and Hurley makes Izzo almost seem tolerable (spit up in mouth typing that). The only reason I am not rooting actively for Purdue is that their fans are insufferable and I run into way more Purdue fans in daily life than UCONN.
Illini2010-11
- Sugar Grove
Maybe because Clark is one of the primary reasons the women's game is taking off in popularity...come on now.
IlliniKat91
- Chicago, IL
You sound like the dude I heard today call women's basketball a joke. She's good. That's why she's everywhere, just like MJ was in the 90s. She's earned the cred.
Nah, I’ve been a fan of women’s sports for years and I respect what she’s done for their perception. I just don’t think ANYONE should get that much media attention. Plus I’m irrationally bitter that it’s an Iowa player doing it. I’m well aware I’m in the wrong by having this reaction
Not me. I hate all things Iowa, and my daughter taught at an Iowa community college for 5 years. She's a UIUC grad and hates all things Iowa too. I'm glad Clark is graduating. I'm sick of Clark this and Clark that all the time. Hawkeye fans bought in because Fran has drug down the men's program.
Illini woman’s team so far is the tournament champions. No other BT team has won. Go Illini.
Absolutely, I have never watched a women's basketball game at any level period before this year. Clark is the only reason I tuned in.
Illini2010-11
- Sugar Grove
IlliniKat91
- Chicago, IL
Sounds like you gotta talk that out with your therapist then, friend.
You are likely not the target of all of those ads. There are millions people, especially girls and young women, that adore her. Associating your company with the Caitlin Clark brand is good business.
Caitlin Clark is a generationally-great basketball player, among women. She is extraordinary to say the goddamn least. I am rooting for her (sorry Nightman, Iowa is just as much my enemy as yours, but this woman is to me a hero).
I agree with that last part. I'll be very surprised if Purdue can pull it off. UConn has been other-worldly down the stretch.
1.) C.Clark: I’m sincerely happy for what she has done and continues to do for woman’s college hoops. I don’t think any reasonable person would not at least concede that point. She’s even motivated my elementary age, coach potato daughter to pick up a basketball. Like others have said…the hype/media coverage indeed coincides with this younger demographic. She’s a media dream. Is there an element of “great white hope” to the media hype? Possibly. Probably. But she mostly backs it up…She IS a generational talent. She is certainly worthy of most of the accolades. Now, she obviously isn’t Pete Maravich-good; just because she scored more points. (sort of) Is she the best female hoopster ever? Nope. Sorry Caitlyn, that distinction goes to Cheryl Miller by a mile. But so what. She’s more like a more team-oriented playmaking JJ Reddick…and that ain’t nothing to sneeze at. Anything that pushes women’s sports forward is good. Now if we could just get more middle age Mom’s ( AND females in general) to turn off desperate housewives
to watch/support the WNBA and Woman’s NCAA hoops consistently. The limited support they get is largely from males; strangely and sadly.
2.) Purdue v UCONN…
This not a defense of Danny Surly and UCANT touch this…but can you imagine how insufferable the Purdue fans would be if they were the ones on the verge of winning two titles in row?? Fugghitabboutit! Yikes. I like Painter but hate the fans and Edey. I am happy that Painter at least got to the title game and shut a few more people up.I dislike Hurley but am indifferent to MOST of their players. SOME of the Husky players seem like real punks. Lol Their fans are annoying as well, but not like Purdue fans would be…I don’t believe. I don’t care about supporting B1G at this point either…that’s mostly about making a good showing early in the tournament. I guess UCONN has been a juggernaut…they might as well make history.
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Was having a discussion about Clark with a friend of mine yesterday. The closest example in our lifetimes of the women's game being as close to as popular as it is now was when Rebecca Lobo was a big star in the women's game in the mid to late 1990s. And I'd contend Clark has brought more eyes to the sport than Lobo did back then.
She has absolutely brought more eyes to the sport. Honestly, I enjoy watching women's more than men's to show my son better fundamentals. The men's game is so fast, and the players so athletic, it's hard to teach it because 99% of kids can't be taught or reproduce that level of athleticism.
I'm all for her getting the spotlight. She's a generational talent, seemingly a great person, and has always said the right things, like how she's hopefully inspiring some girl watching to be better than her. Not sure what more you could want. The world is in short supply of positive role models. We need to promote them, even if they wear an Iowa uniform.
I'm all for her getting the spotlight. She's a generational talent, seemingly a great person, and has always said the right things, like how she's hopefully inspiring some girl watching to be better than her. Not sure what more you could want. The world is in short supply of positive role models. We need to promote them, even if they wear an Iowa uniform.
Clingan does a great job defending the rim/being able to come off the guy he is guarding to affect shots. He either won’t be able to do that tonight since he now has an equal down in the post, or if he does the Purdue guards will have a lot of assists. The key will be Edey not bringing the ball down where the guards can strip him. Purdue needs shoot well and clean up the glass on the defensive end to have a shot. And IMO, they have been able to do that successfully all year. Looking forward to a good game!