Senior Day emotion, and lots of tie-breaking scenarios

IOWA CITY -- Kelly Krei's most comfortable place is not in front of a microphone.

"I'm an engineering major, so I kind of dread it," Krei said, referring to a postgame Senior Day speech Sunday at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. "But it's going to be nice to thank everybody.

"I'll put on a smile and talk loud."

There is still basketball to be played -- the Big Ten tournament, for sure; the NCAA tournament, most likely -- but Sunday will mark the final regular-season appearance at Carver-Hawkeye Arena for five seniors.

Iowa (18-10 overall, 10-5 Big Ten) faces Michigan (19-9, 8-7) at 2 p.m.

It will be an emotional day for all involved.

"You just go through so much with these players in four years, and then you've got two years that you recruit them, so really there's six years of knowing them and four years of coaching them," Iowa Coach Lisa Bluder said.

"You're spending probably as much time or more time than their parents are the last four years. So it's a very emotional day."

Krei (Iowa City High) and Kamille Wahlin (Crookston, Minn.) have been with the program four years, and Kalli Hansen (Olin)  joined two years ago after spending two years at Kirkwood Community College.

Hannah Draxten is sitting out her final season after sustaining injuries to her back, and Megan Considine is out after tearing her Achilles in preseason workouts. Considine hopes to dress for Sunday's game.

A four-year starter, Wahlin is second at Iowa in career 3-pointers (224), fourth in career assists (413) and 10th in career scoring (1,432).

She has been the epitome of clutch. Eight times in her career, she has hit a tying or go-ahead basket in the final minute. Her late 3-pointer marked the winning points in Iowa's first game against Michigan, a 58-57 victory at Ann Arbor on Feb. 16 in which Iowa overcame a 14-point halftime deficit.

"Most of us dream about doing that once and we are usually on the driveway when we do it," Bluder said. "It just shows you again how important Kamille has been to us in her career."

Krei ranks seventh in career 3-pointers (157) and 17th in career rebounds (549).

A seven-game winning streak has vaulted the Hawkeyes into a three-way tie for third place in the Big Ten (with Purdue and Michigan State), and with Ohio State a game ahead of the trio and Nebraska a game behind, a plethora of tie-breakers exist for next week's Big Ten tournament.

This much is clear -- if the Hawkeyes win, they will be a No. 3 seed. If they lose, they could slide to 4, 5 or 6.

The top four teams earn first-round byes.

MICHIGAN (19-9, 8-7) at IOWA (18-10, 10-5)

Where: Carver-Hawkeye Arena, Iowa City

Tipoff: 2 p.m. Sunday

TV: None

Radio: KXIC-AM (800), KMJM-AM (1360)

Notable: It is Senior Day, and Iowa has five of them -- Kelly Krei, Kamille Wahlin, Kalli Hansen, Megan Considine and Hannah Draxten. The Hawkeyes are on a seven-game winning streak, including a 58-57 win at Michigan on Feb. 16. In that game, Iowa overcame a 14-point halftime deficit. Morgan Johnson leads the active roster at 15.0 points per game. Rachel Sheffer paces Michigan at 13.3 ppg. The Wolverines have an RPI of 37, Iowa is at 40.

Next up for Iowa: Big Ten Tournament, March 1-4, at Indianapolis.

BIG TEN STANDINGS

Conf.

All

y-Penn State

12-3

22-5

Ohio State

11-4

24-4

Purdue

10-5

20-8

Iowa

10-5

18-10

Michigan State

10-5

18-10

Nebraska

9-6

20-7

Michigan

8-7

19-9

Minnesota

6-9

14-15

Illinois

5-10

11-17

Northwestern

4-11

14-14

Wisconsin

4-11

8-19

Indiana

1-14

6-22

y-clinched tie for league title

SUNDAY'S GAMES

Michigan at Iowa, 2 p.m.

Michigan State at Northwestern

Indiana at Purdue

Ohio State at Nebraska

Minnesota at Penn State

Illinois at Wisconsin