Expectations and opportunities await Iowa women

IOWA CITY - They're out there.

High expectations. And big possibilities.

'Probably the most preseason hype since I've been here,” Iowa women's basketball coach Lisa Bluder acknowledged Thursday morning at the Hawkeyes' media day.

The Hawkeyes didn't put ashes on the hype flame.

'There are a lot of possibilities out there if we put everything together,” said senior Melissa Dixon.

'We want to win the Big Ten. We want to get to the Sweet 16. That's what we're working for.”

Iowa is coming off a 27-9 season, matching the second-most wins in history. The Hawkeyes reached the second round of the NCAA tournament.

If there's a time to take the proverbial 'next step,” it's now.

Four starters return from the most prolific scoring team in school history; the Hawkeyes averaged 78.2 points per game.

Bethany Doolittle, Samantha Logic, Ally Disterhoft and Dixon all averaged in double-figures.

Following last season, ESPN.com released an early set of 2014-15 preseason rankings, The Hawkeyes were No. 12.

In Thursday's Associated Press poll, they were 19th. They were picked third by the coaches at Big Ten media day earlier this month.

That, predictably, was all met with a shrug by Logic, already the school's career assist leader.

'I don't really care,” she said. 'Preseason stuff, that's just stuff for your guys to talk about and write about.

'It's nice to get recognized, and it's good for recruiting. But we go into every game thinking we can win anyway. We just want to get better and be a better team than we were last year.”

Logic is a preseason all-Big Ten selection by the coaches and the media.

'I wouldn't want anybody else leading our team other than Sam,” Bluder said.

That provoked the question to Logic: What makes a great leader?

'It's someone who will set a good example, someone who will hold themselves to a high standard and hold their teammates to a high standard.

'When you're around great people like I'm around, it makes it that much easier.”

Dixon (3-pointers) and Doolittle (blocks) also set single-season records last year. Disterhoft, the hometown girl who was Miss Iowa Basketball 2013 at West High School, was a member of the all-Big Ten freshman team.

'I really want to improve in all aspects of the game,” she said. 'Defense and rebounding are two areas I'm really focusing on.”

Early indications point toward freshman Whitney Jennings filling the other starting role. Jennings was Indiana Miss Basketball last year.

'She's one of the quickest ball-handlers I've ever coached,” Bluder said.

Jennings, who stands 5-foot-5, averaged 32 points, 8 rebounds, 7.4 assists and 5.1 steals per game as a high school senior and ranks in the top seven all-time in Indiana in points, assists and steals.

Bluder said she expects 'big contributions” from junior Kali Peschel and sophomore Alexa Kastanek, as well as the other three freshmen.

The Hawkeyes were selected to host NCAA first- and second-round games in 2013 and 2014. The NCAA has changed its format, with the top four seeds in each region getting the early-round home bids.

'This year, you have to earn it,” Bluder said. 'You have to be a top-16 team to get home-court advantage.

'That's our goal. That's our vision.”

The Hawkeyes open Nov. 9 with a home exhibition with St. Ambrose. The regular season begins Nov. 14 against USC Upstate.

l Comments: (319) 368-8857; jeff.linder@thegazette.com