Preview: No. 4 Iowa WBB vs. Michigan
WHO: Michigan Wolverines (16-9 overall, 7-6 Big Ten)
WHEN: 7:00 PM CT (Thursday, February 15, 2024)
WHERE: Carver Hawkeye Arena (Iowa City, Iowa)
TV: https://www.peacocktv.com/watch/home
RADIO: Hawkeye Radio Network
ONLINE: https://www.peacocktv.com/watch/home
MOBILE: https://www.peacocktv.com/watch/home
FOLLOW: @IowaAwesome | @IowaWBB | @IowaonBTN
X-Factor
By now you know the stakes. Caitlin Clark has 3,520 career points. Kelsey Plum is the NCAA's all-time scoring leader for women's basketball at 3,527 points. It's not a matter of if Clark will break the record against Michigan, it's a matter of when.
Highlights from this game will be replayed for years into the future. Clark could conceivably put the record so far out of reach that it won't be broken for decades. February 15, 2024 will forever be the day that she captured the mantle.
Thursday Iowa faces the unenviable task of making the game about everything other than Clark's record. Michigan is a good opponent that has already defeated the #2 team in the nation in Ohio State. If Iowa gets caught up in the moment, the Hawks absolutely could be upset just like they were on Sunday.
If Iowa can make the minutes before and after Clark makes history as normal as possible, the Hawks should secure another victory. If they get caught up in the moment, it could be another anxious game.
Opponent
Michigan is having one of the stranger seasons in recent memory. The Wolverines did not play a game decided by single digits until their 14th game of the season on December 30. That was a 69-60 victory over now-#2 Ohio State. The Buckeyes only have three losses on the season and haven't lost since that defeat.
The Wolverines have played in four more single-digit games since, but their total of five single-digit games played is still far fewer than Iowa's total of eight such games, and the Hawks are 22-3 overall. Despite being 16-9 and firmly on the NCAA Tournament bubble, the Wolverines have largely played in blowout wins or blowout losses this year.
The Wolverines are on the bubble because their resume is light on marquee wins. Prior to February, Michigan's second-best win was either over NET #40 Middle Tennessee State or Maryland. On February 3, the Wolverines added a nice win at Penn State to give their resume a needed boost.
The losses are mounting, though. Michigan lost three times in the non-conference action, including a 69-46 loss at NET #77 Toledo. In conference play, the Wolverines have been blown out by Illinois and Minnesota at home, and by Michigan State and Nebraska on the road.
Because of the mixed resume, Michigan currently sits amongst the Last Four Teams In on ESPN's latest Bracketology. A road win over Iowa would go a long way to helping Michigan secure an NCAA Tournament bid.
Stats from this preview are from HerHoopStats.
Top Players
6'0" guard Laila Phelia is Michigan's best player and one of the best players in the conference. Phelia is extremely athletic and very good at getting to the basket. Her weakness thus far is her shooting around the basket. She's shot just 42.2% on two-point attempts this season. She struggled shooting from three as a freshman, but has improved as a sophomore and junior. This year she's shooting 34.5% from three-point range. Overall, she averages 16.1 ppg, 3.3 rpg, and 1.4 spg.
5'9" guard Lauren Hansen is Michigan's only other player with a scoring average in double figures this season. She has averaged 11.6 ppg, while shooting 49.1% on two-pointers and 36.4% on threes.
6'3" guard/forward Jordan Hobbs is Michigan's third-leading scorer. She's averaged 9.6 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 2.7 apg, while shooting 47.7% on two-point attempts and 38.6% on three-pointers.
Play Style
Michigan plays at a slow pace by Big Ten standards. The Wolverines average 69.1 possessions per 40 minutes, which ranks 235th nationally.
Offensively, Michigan is averaging 70.0 points per game, which ranks 91st. The Wolverines don't shoot particularly well on two-pointers (46.6%, 130th), but shoot well from three-point range (35.7%, 35th). The Wolverines are a good offensive rebounding team as well. They grab 36.5% of available offensive rebounds, good for 38th nationally. They only assist on 50.9% of shots, however, which ranks 259th.
Defensively, Michigan surrenders 61.3 points per game, which ranks 97th. Teams shoot very well from two-point range against Michigan (48.4%, 301st) and decently well from three (30.7%, 166th). Michigan isn't very good at generating steals (7.0 per game, 227th) or blocks (2.2 per game, 283rd). Michigan does close out stops fairly well, though. The Wolverines grab 73.4% of available defensive rebounds, good for 37th nationally.