Week 16 - Feb 16 to 22

[Stagnant]

Not to take anything away from Iowa. But Michigan is a weird team imo. I think their offense occasionally goes missing. And they have looked really bad in some games (Oregon, Washington, and Iowa). They also to me seem to be a team that peaked in December. They have a good record in the big 10; but their level of play has dropped off slightly.

Syla hasn’t really taken the sophomore jump I would have been hoping for. More steals and less turnovers I guess? But I would like to see her shoot a higher percentage from the floor.

 

[cancontent]

Not to take anything away from Iowa. But Michigan is a weird team imo. I think their offense occasionally goes missing. And they have looked really bad in some games (Oregon, Washington, and Iowa). They also to me seem to be a team that peaked in December. They have a good record in the big 10; but their level of play has dropped off slightly.

Syla hasn’t really taken the sophomore jump I would have been hoping for. More steals and less turnovers I guess? But I would like to see her shoot a higher percentage from the floor.

Your post doesn't come across as it's taking anything away from Iowa. The statement about peaking in December caused me to raise an eyebrow however. The reason why I say this is looking at their schedule since January and prior to yesterday, their only losses were to Vanderbilt (ranked 5 at the time) and UCLA. Those losses were by 3 points as well. Not to mention, the toughest portion of their conference schedule has been the latter part of February with Ohio State and Maryland up next.

No argument about their offensive struggles as it can be hit and miss outside of Holloway, Swords and Olson. Their forward/post depth's ability to score in double digits consistently has been a challenge, as demonstrated yesterday. Their three players scored 13 points, while Iowa scored 39, with the bulk being Heiden's 24 points. They rely heavily on their big three which can be problematic.

With respect to a sophomore jump for Swords, it depends on what one was expecting to see this season. Last year I chafed at some posters thinking she was the next Caitlin Clark as I didn't see her game being the same as Clark's. Her stats compared to last season are around the same. Scoring has gone down minimally (less than two points), but her turnovers to date have dropped significantly (56 in 26 games compared to 93 in 33 games).

Could it be a matter that her playing commitments for Canada Basketball between 2024 and 2025 are catching up with her? Who knows? The wrap around her calf seems to get larger which is a tad concerning to me.