Originally Posted by
Phredd3
I'm not sure, to be completely honest, for a couple main reasons. First, while the computers are going to continue to love this win, I don't think the polls will. This was Iowa's first game back from a long pause, and we play a very up-tempo, physical style. Iowa is normally an incredible offensive team (among the very best in the country), and I don't think they shoot 16% from three if they have had a chance to get back to game speed. If this game gets played two weeks from now and they shoot even 30% (basically, like we did), the game looks really different. Caitlin Clark shot an abysmal 1-13 from three, and still managed 22 points. Not to discredit our defense. We are a very good defensive team. But we left plenty of open looks that they just missed. We're good, but I don't think we are normally beat-Iowa-by-15 good.
Second, we will get plenty of chances to prove where we fit in. We've got games against South Carolina (#1), 2x NC State (#3), @Louisville (#10), Notre Dame (#24), and Florida State (#25), already in the current rankings (current AP numbers used here), plus games against 2x Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech, and 2x uNC from among teams who got poll votes but are currently not ranked. In short, we play in what is probably the very top conference in women's college basketball this year, and we still have the toughest possible non-conference game still left on the schedule, and the ACC tourney. Fortunately for us, the majority of those contests will be at home. But I think by seeding time, this Iowa game will be a distant memory.
I love the result, don't get me wrong. But this team still has a lot to prove, and they will get plenty of chances to do just that. It was a great result. But it's just one solid win among what I hope will be many. Let's not get too far out ahead of this on the strength of one good result, but in the end, I agree: This team's gonna dance.