Nov. 4, 2009
- Iowa and the Big Ten Network
- Big Ten Network: Free Hawkeye Video
- 24 Hawkeyes to Watch (2009-10 season)
Complete Release in PDF Format
IOWA CITY – THE SETTING
The University of Iowa women’s basketball team will host Washburn in an exhibition game Sunday. Tipoff is scheduled for 3 p.m. in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
Tickets for Sunday’s exhibition are $3 for adults and free for youth (18 and under) and UI students with I.D.
Fans can show their football ticket stub vs. Northwestern for free admission to both the men’s and women’s exhibition games Sunday.
SEASON TICKETS
Season ticket prices are $70 for adults, $56 for UI faculty and senior-citizens and $15 for youth (18 and under). UI students are admitted free with student I.D.
Single-game tickets are $9 for adults. Youth (18 and under) are admitted free for weekday games and are $5 for weekend games.
ON THE RADIO
Brent Balbinot and Shelley Till will call Sunday afternoon’s exhibition game for the Hawkeye Radio Network. Hawkeye fans can listen to the contest on AM-800 KXIC in Iowa City, AM-600 WMT in Cedar Rapids, AM-1040 in Des Moines or on the Hawkeye All-Access page of hawkeyesports.com. Balbinot is in his sixth season as Iowa’s play-by-play voice, while Till is in her fifth providing analysis.
Hawkeye fans can also follow the game via live stats (Gametracker). The “GT” link can be accessed under the “Calendar” tab on the front page of hawkeyesports.com or on the women’s basketball schedule page.
IOWA HISTORY
Iowa has played 1,002 games, since beginning basketball in 1974. Overall, Iowa’s record is 610-392 (.609). That includes a 309-151 (.672) mark in regular season Big Ten contests and a 285-83 (.774) mark in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
PROMOTIONS
Iowa’s annual “Buck Night” will be Wednesday, Nov. 18 against Kansas. Iowa’s “Pink Zone” game will be Sunday, Feb. 7 against Michigan State on the Big Ten Network. “Girl Scout” day is scheduled for Sunday, Jan. 31 against Purdue on ESPN2.
ON IOWA
Last season, Iowa finished with a 21-11 overall record and tied for second place in the Big Ten with a 13-5 mark. The Hawkeyes advanced to the semifinals of the Big Ten Tournament, and were an at-large selection in the NCAA Tournament. Iowa hosted first and second round contests in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
The Hawkeyes return three players who started at least 14 games last season, in sophomore Kamille Wahlin (14 starts), junior Kachine Alexander (32 starts) and senior JoAnn Hamlin (18 starts).
SCOUTING WASHBURN
The Washburn Lady Blues are ranked No. 18 in the USA Today/ESPN Division II Preseason Coaches Poll, and were picked to finish second in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association by both the league coaches and media.
Last season, the Lady Blues finished with a 27-5 overall record, and won the MIAA postseason tournament. Washburn advanced to the regional semifinal round of the Division II NCAA Tournament, but was defeated by Central Oklahoma.
Washburn returns two starters from last year’s squad. Guard Brette Ulsaker averaged 4.9 ppg and 2.5 rpg, while forward Dayna Rodriguez scored 7.5 ppg and grabbed 4.1 rpg. The Lady Blues welcome nine newcomers to this year’s team, including four junior college transfers.
Ron McHenry is in his 10th year as head coach at Washburn, with an impressive 241-49 (.831) record.
PRESEASON RANKINGS
Iowa was picked to finish fifth in the Big Ten by both the league coaches and media. Ohio State was tabbed as the favorite to win the Big Ten, with Michigan State coming in second.
LOOKING AT THE ROSTER
The Hawkeyes return two full-time starters, one part-time starter and a total of seven letterwinners from last year’s squad.
Iowa returns 43.7% of its scoring and 56.4% of its rebounding from a year ago. The Hawkeyes also return 57% of their assists, 52.5% of their steals and 50.3% of their minutes played from the 2008-09 season.
KASH IN THE BANK
Junior Kachine Alexander returns after a breakout sophomore campaign.
Alexander was a second team all-Big Ten pick last year, and became the first Big Ten player to ever record two triple-doubles in the same season. She accomplished the feat after a 10 point, 11 rebound and 12 assist performance vs. Northwestern (Jan. 18), and a 26 point, 21 rebound 10 assist game against Penn State (Feb. 1).
The 5-9 guard ranked second in rebounding (9.7), defensive rebounding (7.17), assist/turnover ratio (1.59) and assists (4.5), 10th in offensive rebounds (2.5), 15th in free throw percentage (.757) and field goal percentage (.425) and 18th in scoring (10.9), in Big Ten games only.
In addition, Alexander’s 282 rebounds are the most by a Hawkeye since Amy Herrig pulled down 306 as a senior in 1998-99.
POINT TAKEN FOR WAHLIN
After starting 14 games at shooting guard as a freshman, Kamille Wahlin will assume point guard duties as a sophomore in 2009-10.
The Crookston, MN, native burst on to the scene last season, earning a spot on the all-Big Ten Freshmen team. She recorded 10 assists vs. Michigan (Jan. 26), which is believed to be the most by a Hawkeye freshman in a game. She also had 14 points vs. the Wolverines, making her the first Hawkeye freshman to ever post a double-double in her first career start.
HAMLIN READY FOR A BIG YEAR
Iowa’s lone senior, JoAnn Hamlin, is looking to have a big year for the Hawkeyes in the paint.
Hamlin started 18 games last season, but suffered a severe ankle sprain that hampered her performance throughout the season. She has battled injuries throughout her career at Iowa, but has collected 321 points and 260 rebounds in her two years in Black and Gold. Hamlin transfered to Iowa after spending her freshman season at Kansas State.
WELCOME TO IOWA CITY
The Hawkeyes welcome five freshmen to the squad this season, one at each position.
Trisha Nesbitt (Ames, IA), will most likely play point guard for Iowa this season. She was a three-time all-conference and two-time first team all-district and all-state selection.
Jaime Printy (Marion, IA) could play both guard positions. She became the youngest player (15) ever to verbally commit to the Iowa Women’s Basketball team. She also played high school basketball at Coach Bluder’s alma mater (Linn-Mar). She was a three-time consensus first team all-state, all-district, all-metro and all-conference pick.
Theairra Taylor (St. Paul, MN) is a 5-11 guard. She was a finalist for 2009 Miss Minnesota Basketball award and was the 2009 St. Paul City Conference Player of the Year. Taylor also earned Associated Press and Pioneer Press first team all-state honors.
Gabby Machado (Pontiac, MI) ranked in the Top 10 in the state of Michigan’s 2009 recruiting class. She was a Detroit News Class “A” all-state honorable mention selection.
Morgan Johnson (Platte County, MO) was the Miss Show Me Basketball Award winner, given to the top prep senior in the state of Missouri. She was also named the 2009 Direnna Award winner, given to top prep in the Kansas City Area, and the Kansas City Star Scholar Athlete of the Year.
HOME GROWN HAWKEYES
Four Hawkeyes prepped in the state of Iowa. Those players are junior Kelsey Cermak (Norwalk), sophomore Kelly Krei (Iowa City) and freshmen Trisha Nesbitt (Ames) and Jaime Printy (Marion).
LAND OF 10,000 HAWKEYES
The 2009-10 edition of the Iowa Women’s Basketball team has four players from the state of Minnesota. They include junior Kachine Alexander (Minneapolis), sophomores Kamille Wahlin (Crookston) and Hannah Draxten (Fergus Falls) and freshman Theairra Taylor (St. Paul).
EXPANDED MEDIA COVERAGE
Iowa fans will have a chance to see 21 of the 29 regular season games, either on television or webstream.
The Hawkeyes will have 13 games televised by either the Big Ten Network, KCRG TV-9, Mediacom or ESPN2. In addition, 12 games will be streamed live on BigTenNetwork.com.
All Big Ten Tournament and NCAA Tournament games will be televised, as well.
JANE MEYER NAMED WOMEN’S BASKETBALL COMMITTEE CHAIR
Jane Meyer, senior associate director of athletics at the University of Iowa, will serve as chair of the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Committee during the 2009-10 academic year. The appointment was made by the committee and confirmed by the NCAA Division I Championships/Sports Management Cabinet.
Meyer’s term as chair will begin Sept. 1. Currently serving her fourth year as a member of the committee, she will succeed Jacki Silar, associate director of athletics at Duke University, who is serving as chair of the committee for 2008-09 and will continue to serve on the committee for the 2009-10 academic year.
“To have had the opportunity to work alongside past chairs Joni Comstock, Judy Southard and Jacki Silar for the last four years has been a great experience. Their leadership has been extraordinary,” Meyer said. “To be selected chair of this committee is an honor. With so many good things happening in our game, it’s an exciting time to be working with the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championship.”
UP NEXT
The Hawkeyes will open the 2009-10 regular season by hosting the 25th edition of the Hawkeye Challenge. KCRG-TV9 is in its eighth season of being the title sponsor of the Hawkeye Challenge.
Iowa opens the season against Santa Clara Nov. 14 at 2:30 p.m. Illinois State and UCLA will play the opening round game Nov. 14 at noon. The Hawkeyes will play at 2 p.m. Sunday, with the other game scheduled for an 11:30 a.m. start.
Last season, Iowa defeated Boston, 83-58 in the first round, and claimed the championship with a 64-46 win over Providence.
The Hawkeyes have won 18 of the previous 23 tournaments, and boast an impressive 40-6 record in Hawkeye Challenge games.