Oct. 31, 2005
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The Setting ? The University of Iowa women’s basketball team hosts Wisconsin AAU Sunday in the first of two exhibition games. The game is slated to tip-off at 2:05 p.m. in Carver-Hawkeye Arena (15,500). Single game tickets are $7 for adults, $5 for youths and University students are admitted free with student I.D.
Season Tickets ? Hawkeye fans may purchase a season ticket for only $70, while senior citizens and faculty/staff may purchase season tickets for $56. Tickets can be purchased online by logging on to www.hawkeyesports.com or by calling 1-800-IA-HAWKS. Fans may also order tickets in person at the UI Ticket Office.
Iowa History ? Iowa has played 879 games since beginning basketball in 1974. Overall, Iowa’s record is 537-342 (.611). That includes a 267-125 (.681) mark in Big Ten games and a 238-58 (.804) record in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
Five Spot ? The Iowa Hawkeyes were picked to finish fifth in the Big Ten Conference by both the league coaches and media. The Hawkeyes finished sixth in the conference last season with a record of 8-8. The coaches and media both selected Ohio State to win the regular season championship and Michigan State to finish second.
Scouting Wisconsin AAU ? Sunday will be Wisconsin AAUs first game. After traveling to Iowa City, Wisconsin AAU will play at UW-Milwaukee (Nov. 7), Minnesota (Nov. 9) and at UW-Green Bay (Nov. 10). Four players on Wisconsin AAUs roster played collegiate basketball at UW-Stout, three played at Marquette and Wisconsin, two at UW-Green Bay and one at New Mexico.
Injured Hawkeyes ? Two players expected to start this year suffered season-ending ACL injuries over the summer. Point guard Lindsay Richards sustained her third ACL injury in as many years on her right knee in June playing a “pick-up” game in Pinehurst, North Carolina while serving as an intern for the PGA U.S. Open Golf Tournament. Like Richards, small forward Johanna Solverson sustained her ACL injury while playing a “pick-up” game. Solverson suffered the injury while playing a game at a DePaul Sports Camp in July. The Chicago area native has been a camp instructor at the DePaul the last two summers.
All-Big Ten Returnees ? Iowa returns two players who received all-Big Ten accolades last season. Senior Crystal Smith, who averaged 16.8 ppg, 3.4 rpg and 2.4 spg, was a third team selection. Smith produced a +12.9 scoring increase from her sophomore to junior year to ranks second nationally. Sophomore Krista VandeVenter, who averaged 7.3 ppg, 7.6 rpg and 2.0 apg, was named to the all-Freshman team. VandeVenter pulled down an Iowa freshman single season record 252 rebounds.
Countdown to 100 ? Iowa Head Women’s Basketball Coach Lisa Bluder enters the 2005-06 season four victories from notching her 100th on the Iowa sidelines. Bluder, who is the second all-time winningest Iowa coach, boasts a 96-59 (.619) record in five years mentoring the Hawkeyes.
Last Season Recap ? The 2004-05 Iowa Hawkeyes finished its season with a 23-10 overall record and 8-8 mark in the Big Ten. The Hawkeyes won their first 13 games and were the last Division I school to be undefeated. Iowa advanced to the semifinals of the WNIT before losing to the eventual champions (SMS) on the road. Iowa captured the KCRG-TV9 Hawkeye Challenge and the Junkanoo Jam holiday tournaments before entering the rigouris Big Ten schedule. The Hawkeyes finished their season winning seven of their last nine and posted a 13-1 mark against non-conference opponents. Iowa’s 23 wins are the most during Lisa Bluder’s five-year tenure and the most victories since the 1995-96 season (27). The 23 victories equal the seventh-most wins in a single season in school history, matching the 1989-90 team. The Iowa single season record is 29, established by the 1987-88 squad.
Fresh Faces ? Iowa welcomes five talented freshmen to its 2005-06 roster. The Hawkeyes add two guards (Kristi Smith and Lindsey Nyenhuis), two forwards (Wendy Ausdemore and Nicole VanderPol) and one center (Megan Skouby). Smith is a 5-6 point guard, while Nyenhuis is a 5-7 shooting guard. Ausdemore is a 6-2 small forward, while VanderPol is a 6-1 power forward. Skouby is a 6-6 center and is the tallest Iowa women’s basketball player in history.
Hawkeye Schedule ? Iowa will play one of its most challenging schedules during Bluder’s tenure. The Hawkeyes can potentially play 12 teams who played in the postseason last year, including 10 NCAA Tournament teams. Iowa is slated to play NCAA Tournament squads Penn State, Ohio State and Michigan State twice during the regular season, while it will also square off against Minnesota, Purdue, Iowa State, UW-Green Bay, Oklahoma and Louisiana Tech once. Iowa and Rutgers can potentially meet in the second round of the Hawkeye Challenge. The Hawkeyes will also face WNIT opponents Illinois (twice) and Creighton. Iowa will play its 900th game as a varsity sport on Feb. 2, 2006 vs. Purdue in Iowa City.
Iowa Big Ten Schedule ? Iowa’s Big Ten portion of its schedule includes single games with Penn State, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Purdue, with the Golden Gophers and Boilermakers playing in Iowa City.
Raining Threes ? Iowa has made at least one 3-pointer in 210 consecutive contests. It is a streak that has occurred over a span of seven seasons. The last time the Hawkeyes did not make a 3-pointer was against Purdue in the Big Ten Tournament on March 1, 1998.
Home Grown Hawkeyes ? Iowa’s roster features six players from the state of Iowa (Wendy Ausdemore, Abby Emmert, Ebone Pope, Tiffany Reedy, Stacy Schlapkohl and Nicole VanderPol). The Hawkeyes also have four players from Illinois (Jeneé Graham, Morgan Kasperek, Lindsay Richards, Johanna Solverson). Iowa’s 15-person roster also features players from Colorado (Kristi Smith), Louisiana (Crystal Smith), Michigan (Lindsey Nyenhuis), Minnesota ( Krista VandeVenter) and Ohio (Megan Skouby).
Center of Attention ? For the fifth time during Coach Bluder’s Iowa tenture, the Hawkeyes will start the season with a different center. Jamie Cavey started for the Hawkeyes the last two years. She became Iowa’s first center to start consecutive seasons since Amy Herrig (1997-99). Randi Peterson was Iowa’s starter in 2000-01, followed by Beatrice Bullock (2001-02), Tracy Schrupp (2002-03) and Jamie Cavey (2003-05).
Iowa’s two centers on its 2005-06 roster are sophomore Stacy Schlapkohl and freshman Megan Skouby.
Nuthin’ But Net ? Catch all the University of Iowa women’s basketball games on the radio and the Internet (www.hawkeyesports.com). Fans can listen to live or archived games with a subscription to “Hawkeye All-Access”.
Brent Balbinot returns for his second season as the play-by-play voice, while Shelley Till enters her first season as the color analyst.
Iowa Information On The Web ? Statistics and play-by-play accounts of all Iowa home games and most road contests will be available live on the internet. The statistical program allows viewers to read the play-by-play action just moments after it takes place, and to view all individual and team statistics while the game is in progress.
The program can be accessed through www.hawkeyesports.com and then clicking on the `Gametracker’ link.
Hy-Vee Cy-Hawk Series ? Iowa State leads the second annual Hy-Vee Cy-Hawk Series 5-0. Iowa State recorded a 2-1 victory in women’s soccer and a 23-3 win in football. The next event in the Series is wrestling on Dec. 2 in Ames.
A point system will track each institution’s performance and will culminate in one institution winning the annual trophy for the Hy-Vee Cy-Hawk Series. Intercollegiate athletic teams from Iowa and Iowa State will square off in head-to-head competition eight different times during the 2005-06 academic year. The competition this season is in men’s basketball, women’s basketball, wrestling, women’s gymnastics (2), women’s soccer and softball. Additional points will be available for each school based on successful performance in the classroom by its student-athletes.
Dec. 2, Wrestling — 2 points
Dec. 8, W. Basketball — 2 points
Dec. 9, M. Basketball — 2 points
Jan. 28, W. Gymnastics — 2 points
Mar. 17, W. Gymnastics — 2 points
Apr. 4, Softball — 2 points
Two points for an institution if the student-athlete graduation rate for all student-athletes is greater than the national average for all student-athletes.