WHO: #8 Virginia Tech Hokies (1-0)
WHEN: 7:00 PM CT (Thursday, November 9, 2023)
WHERE: Spectrum Center (Charlotte, North Carolina)
TV: ESPN2
RADIO: Hawkeye Radio Network
ONLINE: www.espn.com/watch
MOBILE: www.espn.com/app
FOLLOW: @IowaAwesome | @IowaWBB | @IowaonBTN
Virginia Tech's Final Four run last year seemed to come out of nowhere. As a program, the Hokies had only been to the Sweet Sixteen once before, way back in 1999. They had never advanced to the Elite Eight or Final Four.
The Hokies also didn't seem to be on a Final Four trajectory. In the 2021 NCAA Tournament, they were a 7 seed and got destroyed 90-48 by 2-seed Baylor in the second round of the tournament. In 2022, they were a 5-seed that got upset in the first round by Florida Gulf Coast.
The 2022-23 season was the sixth season for head coach Kenny Brooks at Tech, and while the program has certainly improved in his time in Blacksburg, nothing made a big season or long tournament run seem likely.
And then Virginia Tech went 24-4 in the regular season and won the ACC Tournament. The Hokies caught fire in the NCAA Tournament and advanced to their first Final Four. In the Final Four, Virginia Tech actually had a 59-50 lead through three quarters over eventual national champion LSU, before the Tigers mounted a big comeback to win 79-72.
Now Virginia Tech is back with key pieces from that Final Four team looking to prove that last year wasn't a fluke and cement themselves as a top team in college basketball.
Note: all statistics used in this preview come from HerHoopStats.
Virginia Tech's Big Two
A big reason for Virginia Tech's run to the Final Four last year was the Hokies dynamic duo of Elizabeth Kitley and Georgia Amoore. Unfortunately for Iowa, both return this season.
Kitley is a 6'6" post that averaged 18.2 ppg and 10.7 rpg last season. She's been remarkably consistent over her career, as she's averaged 18.1 or 18.2 ppg each of the last three seasons. Her finishing (55.8% on 2-point attempts last year) isn't quite at the level of a Monika Czinano (67.2% on 2-point attempts) or Mackenzie Holmes (69.1% on 2-point attempts), but she is still a major offensive threat.
Kitley is also a very good rebounder, and that prowess extends to both ends of the floor. She averaged 2.9 offensive rebounds per game last season, which ranked in the 97th percentile nationally. Somehow, she was even better defensively, as her 7.8 defensive rebounds per game ranked in the 100th percentile.
On top of that, Kitley is also a disruptive force on the defensive end. She averaged 2.4 blocks per game last season, and did so while averaging just 2.2 fouls per game.
Amoore is a 5'6" point guard that loves to shoot. Last year, she averaged 9.5 three-point attempts per game, ranking in the 100th percentile nationally. She made 34.5% of those long range shots, which is good but not great. She shot 40.0% and 39.6% from beyond the arc in her freshman and sophomore seasons, while attempting shots at a lower volume.
Amoore is also the type of player that can go on an extended hot streak. She did just that in the NCAA Tournament last year, briefly breaking the record for most three-pointers made in the NCAA Tournament before Caitlin Clark broke it herself in the national title game.
Overall, Amoore averaged 16.3 ppg, 4.9 apg, and 3.0 rpg last season.
Familiar Faces
Virginia Tech returns three starters from last year's Final four team: Kitley, Amoore, and Cayla King. The Hokies turned to the transfer portal to replace the other two starters -- and Iowa will be familiar with both of the new players the Hokies found.
Matilda Ekh, a 6'0" guard/forward, spent two seasons at Michigan State before entering the transfer portal after last season. With the Spartans, she played the role of long-range sniper, averaging 11.8 points per game last season while shooting 38.5% from three-point range. Ekh scored 13 points on 3-6 shooting from three in Iowa's overtime victory in East Lansing last season.
Rose Micheaux, a 6'2" forward, spent two seasons at Minnesota; she averaged 13.8 ppg and 7.9 rpg for the Gophers last season. She only scored six points and grabbed a single rebound in Iowa's 87-64 victory over Minnesota last season. Micheaux was listed as "Alanna Micheaux" in her first two seasons at Minnesota.
Play Style
This early in the season, it's tough to review trends for a team. That said, we can assume Virginia Tech will play at a slower pace. Last year, Tech averaged 68.7 possessions per 40 minutes, which ranked as the 249th fastest team in Division 1 basketball. Tech was at a similar number in 2021-22.
Pace could play an important role in the game, since Iowa likes to play fast. If Tech can slow things down and play in the half court, the Hokies might have an advantage. If Iowa can speed things up, Kitley's blocks will play less of a factor and it's probably advantage Iowa.
We can also assume Tech will have a small rotation. Last year, the Hokies only used 6-7 players as part of their regular rotation. In their season opener against High Point, only seven players played more than 10 minutes despite a 39-point victory.
Finally, Tech probably won't generate many turnovers on defense. Last year, the Hokies averaged 5.3 steals per game, which ranked 345th nationally. Ekh and Micheaux averaged just 1.2 steals per game combined last year, and likely won't provide a lot of help in that department.
X-Factor
The x-factor in this game will be Iowa's defensive matchups against Kitley and Amoore.
Sharon Goodman and Addison O'Grady have plenty of experience, but neither has had to match up with a quality post like Kitley for an extended period of time. Can either limit Kitley's scoring and keep her off the offensive glass?
Gabbie Marshall will likely pair off with Amoore for most of the game if Iowa plays its player-to-player defense. She probably won't be able to completely shut down Amoore, but can she force her into contested threes that she is more likely to miss?
