Hawkeyes ‘like the feel’ of underdog role

OKLAHOMA CITY — They're the outsiders. And they're fine with it.

'We know we're coming in as the underdogs, but my team kind of likes that feel,' Coach Lisa Bluder said before the 15th-ranked Iowa Hawkeyes took the floor for practice Thursday at Chesapeake Energy Arena. 'The other three schools are used to being in this environment, and they've all won a national championship except for me, so (I'm) the low man on the totem pole here with the other coaches.'

Iowa (26-7) faces No. 6 Baylor (32-3) in an NCAA women's basketball regional semifinal at 6:30 p.m. Friday (ESPN2). This is the farthest the Hawkeyes have advanced since 1996.

They're among women's basketball royalty. The other three teams here — Baylor, Notre Dame and Stanford — have combined for five national championships and 10 trips to the finals.

This is where the Hawkeyes wanted to be, expected to be, since Day 1.

'I think from the beginning of this year, we felt like it was something that we should be at talent-wise, experience-wise,' said senior guard Samantha Logic.

It wasn't long after the Hawkeyes' 88-70 win over Miami (Fla.) in the second round that Bluder put the kibosh on any we're-just-happy-to-be-here chatter.

'Too often you see teams set goals and when they reach the goals, it's like, 'It's over now,'' Bluder said. 'We did not want that to happen. We believe we can go farther, and I have not felt a letdown whatsoever with our players in their preparation for the week.'

Baylor is no stranger here. The Lady Bears are making their seventh consecutive Sweet 16 appearance. The current run includes a national title in 2012 behind Brittney Griner.

'I didn't place expectations on (this team) because I really didn't know what was fair,' said Baylor Coach Kim Mulkey. 'There were too many question marks. There were too many roles that were going to have to change.'

Nina Davis' role changed into that of superstar.

The sophomore forward earned Big 12 player-of-the-year honors, averaging 20.9 points and 8.3 rebounds per game. She's undersized at 5-foot-11, and she's not a conventional player.

'If you haven't seen her play, I'm not sure I can give you a great description. I don't know how to describe Nina,' Mulkey said. 'I can't tell you to watch her good-looking shot, because she's got an ugly shot. I can't tell you to watch how she blocks out, because she doesn't block out.

'All I can tell you is if you haven't seen her play, come to our game tomorrow, and when you leave, you will go, 'Wow,' because she's a competitor,' Mulkey said. 'My suggestion is for you to come see her play, and then you write what you think because she's one of the most unique players that I've ever coached.'

Davis' teammates, Niya Johnson and Alexis Prince, were asked about Davis' shot.

'I don't know how the ball goes in,' Prince said. 'I don't complain, as long as it goes in, I don't complain.'

Johnson said, 'It's just awkward.'

The game features two of the nation's top point guards. Johnson leads the country at 8.7 assists per game; Logic is third at 7.9.

'Well, I like watching pass-first point guards, so getting to play against one at that elite of a level, it's just fun,' Logic said. 'I think that you get your teammates more involved, that's what I think makes a great player.'

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