Tonight is going to be a massive night in women’s hoops. First, the second-ranked NC State Wolfpack plays sixth-ranked Indiana, then 12th ranked Michigan plays 10th ranked Louisville, and we finish with the dynamic Caitlin Clark in an Iowa vs. Duke matchup. I am excited to see if Michigan and Louisville can live up to the hype.
Preview of a Massive night in Women’s Hoops
2 NC State vs. 6 Indiana
This game is a titanic rematch from last year’s tournament where four seed Indiana upset one seed NC State. The Wolfpack have looked like the better team so far this season because of their margin of victory lately. They beat a good Washington State team by 28 points in their last game. Contrastingly, Indiana had to fight to eke out a two-point win over Maimi. NC State owns a win over Maryland from the Bahamas; the Hoosiers lost to Stanford in their biggest test this season. This game will be decided down low because of Elissa Cunane; if Indiana can contain her like they did last year, they will win this game. Unfortunately for Indiana, I don’t think they could do it because their best post player Mackenzie Holmes has been in foul trouble several times this season. Against Quinnipiac, it almost cost Indiana the game. NC State also hits a lot of threes, and Indiana must keep up if they want to contend. Grace Berger and Ali Patberg need to have great shooting nights to help the Hoosiers tonight. Without that, NC State will be out for revenge, and they should get this huge win.
12 Michigan vs. 10 Louisville
First off, I cannot understand why Louisville is ranked above Michigan going into tonight’s matchup. Louisville has played one top 25 opponent in Arizona, and they lost in a very ugly performance. Michigan has beaten Oregon State, a ranked team, and a good Mississippi State team. Michigan has two star players Naz Hillmon and Leigha Brown; they are big-time performers that show up every night. Hillmon is especially hard to contain, and I don’t see how Louisville will stop her. Louisville’s post players present a different element with Emily Engstler and Olivia Cochran. Engstler is a great outside shooter but not an excellent defender. Cochran is the back-to-the-basket type of post similar to Hillmon of Michigan but not as good. This year, the Cardinals are trying to replace Dana Evans, and that has been a process. Hailey Van Lith is trying to fill this void, but she is more of a shooter than a passer making this transition more difficult. As a result, Louisville is averaging over 15 turnovers a game this season. The Cardinals had 20 turnovers against Cal Poly earlier this season. This game will be close because it is in the KFC Yum Center, where Louisville always has a great crowd, but I think Michigan will prevail in the end.
8 Iowa vs. Duke
Iowa has been off for about two weeks now because of Covid; this is their first game back. They are playing a hot Duke team that has lots of playmakers on offense in Cameron Indoor. Iowa will be rusty tonight, and I don’t think they will have enough to avoid an upset. Duke is a team filled with several transfers that are starting to gel. Celeste Taylor, Shayeann Day-Wilson, and Lexi Gordon are their three best shooters; Duke needs each of them to have an excellent game to keep up with Caitlin Clark. Clark will not be stopped tonight, but I am afraid she will not get enough help. Monika Czinano is the best post player in Iowa, but tonight she has to face the immense size of Amaya Finklea-Guity and Jade Williams. Their size is a considerable challenge for a smaller Hawkeye team to contend with. Duke also loves to play fast, which is an advantage when Iowa is coming off of a Covid break. However, this will be a close game because Clark will play big tonight, but Duke has the weapons to pull the upset, and tonight they can show that they are back.
All three of these games should be close in a massive night in women’s hoops, and I cannot wait to see how they turn out. All six teams involved are threats this year and have a chance to make runs in March later in the season. I am looking forward to some high-level play from some of the best talent in the country tonight.
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