Hoosiers prepared for deep-shooting Hawkeyes

The Hoosiers (13-10, 6-6) will try to do something only three other Big Ten teams have managed to do against the Hawkeyes (12-11, 5-7) today: stay undefeated in February.  
“We just believe that the best teams have to emerge in February,” IU coach Felisha Legette-Jack said. “February’s the month when you find where you are. The last 10 games of the season are what the selection committees look at.

“So we really got to own February to own March,” she said.

IU will put its two-game win streak, along with its unblemished slate in February, on the line against one of the best 3-point shooting teams in the Big Ten. Iowa is ranked first in the Big Ten in 3-pointers made per game at 7.5. Nationally, Iowa is ranked 19th.

However, its offensive domination does not stop with the 3-point shot, as the Hawkeyes are ranked second in the Big Ten and 70th in the NCAA in scoring offense, averaging 68.9 points per game. The team also averages about 42 percent shooting from the field.  

The accolades don’t end with the team, as four Iowa players rank among the nation’s best in 12 different individual categories.

Two guards, Jaime Printy and Kamille Wahlin, hold 10 of the 12 rankings. Printy’s 89.6 free-throw percentage is best in the conference and eighth in the NCAA. She also makes just more than 44 percent of her shots from the field and just under 40 percent of her shots from beyond the arc.

Wahlin is not far behind, hitting 41.7 percent from the field and 38.7 percent from downtown. The two dominate the Big Ten in 3-point shots made per game, with Wahlin’s 2.5 average ranked first and Printy’s 2.3 3-pointers per game ranked second.  
Defending these two outstanding guards will be a key part of the game for the Hoosiers, but the team doesn’t plan to alter its game plan too much.

“We believe in who we are, and we can’t really kind of adjust for everybody else,” Legette-Jack said. “So we’re going to see if we can just bring all what we have versus all of what they have and just see who will become victorious in this thing, and I like our chances.”

But the Hoosiers will spread out its defense more than it has in previous games to combat the Hawkeyes’ strong 3-point, junior guard Whitney Lindsay said.

“We’re going to definitely have to be out on the pass as soon as they catch the ball,” Lindsay said. “We’ve got to have a hand in their face, making it hard for them to get their shots off.”

Junior guard Jori Davis said the Hoosiers will focus on trying to make the Hawkeyes shoot twos, rather than giving them the deep shot.

However, the Hoosiers might have an easier time than expected with the strong shooting Hawkeyes, as Wahlin might not play due to a concussion sustained Sunday against Michigan State.

If Wahlin doesn’t enter the lineup, it should bring some relief to the Hoosiers. But if she does play, the IU defense has the best 3-point defense in the Big Ten, 12th in the NCAA, to back it up.

Whether Wahlin plays or sits won’t truly matter to the Hoosiers, as it has its mind set to achieve an NCAA tournament berth. This has allowed the Hoosiers to avoid complacency after its big wins, particularly after beating highly-ranked Ohio State.

“We honestly just keep our eyes on the prize,” Lindsay said. “We made goals at the beginning of the season to make it to the NCAA tournament this year, so that’s the thing we strive for every day in practice.”