July 18, 2011
Editor’s Note: The following first appeared in the University of Iowa’s Hawk Talk Daily, an e-newsletter that offers a daily look at the Iowa Hawkeyes, delivered free each morning to thousands of fans of the Hawkeyes worldwide.
IOWA CITY, Iowa — The 100-degree temperatures outside might not feel like basketball weather, but the nets at Carver-Hawkeye Arena were scorching Monday when the University of Iowa women’s basketball team took the court.
The Hawkeye women’s basketball team held its first practice Monday in preparation for its trip to Europe, scheduled for Aug. 8-20. The NCAA allows teams participating in a foreign trip to hold 10 practices leading up to the excursion and head coach Lisa Bluder and the Hawkeyes practice July 18-20 and Aug. 1-7.
The trip to Prague, Vienna, Bratislava and Paris is scheduled later in the summer, which is just fine with Bluder. Iowa’s incoming class of five freshmen is allowed to take part in practices, travel with the team and participate in all games held in Europe. The Hawkeyes are scheduled to play three games while overseas.
In order to work her newcomers into the Hawkeye system, Bluder scheduled two practice sessions for the first three days of practice. Iowa’s five incoming freshmen have one hour in the morning on the court with all of the coaches and will be joined by the rest of the team for an evening workout.
Bluder was anxious to get back to work, especially with her incoming class.
“It was great to be back in the gym,” Bluder said. “The freshmen did a great job this morning. They were eager to learn and were energetic in a very hot gym.”
Kathryn Reynolds, a guard from Cincinnati, Ohio, was ready to begin her Hawkeye career Monday morning. It was her first chance to “officially” be on Mediacom Court inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena as a member of the team.
“It was real exciting to get onto the court at Carver for the first time and also working with the coaches for the first time,” Reynolds said. “We learned a lot of stuff and are building a good foundation for the practices to come. It was really fun to get out here and get started.”
Samantha Logic, another freshman from Racine, Wis., said she was also excited to step on to the Carver-Hawkeye Arena floor.
“I haven’t been on the court at Carver since I committed so I was really anxious to get out there,” Logic said. “We were all excited to get out there and start our careers at Iowa.”
Both Reynolds and Logic believe the chance to get an early start, during the morning sessions and on the season in general, will be a major benefit when fall rolls around.
“Just learning a new system is a little different,” Logic said. “Being able to come in early in the morning before the night sessions is really going to help us.” “It is going to be a huge benefit,” Reynolds said. “Instead of trying to learn the system in the fall, we are going to already have a head start. We will have already played games and had practices. The learning process will be much easier and less of a workload in the fall.”
Bluder also enjoyed being back in Carver-Hawkeye Arena, but for a different reason.
“We have been on the road recruiting for a long time during July,” Bluder said. “I’ve seen a lot of different gyms on the recruiting trail, but it was really nice seeing my own gym.”
After Monday morning, Reynolds, Logic and the rest of the Hawkeye freshmen can now call Carver-Hawkeye Arena “their gym” as well.