Oregon head coach Jody Runge is from Iowa.
Last season, her name was even mentioned as a possible candidate for the Hawkeyes’ vacant coaching position.
But as of a Sunday afternoon press conference, Runge claimed to know little about Iowa’s players. However, she said she was well aware of Lisa Bluder, the No. 16 Hawkeyes’ first-year coach who led her team to the Big Ten Tournament Championship with a 75-70 upset of No. 9 Purdue.
“She’s a great coach,” Runge said. “She’s taken up some time adjusting to a new system, and now they’re playing their best basketball. They won their conference tournament and are doing a tremendous job with the players that they have.”
On the flip side, Bluder is not from Oregon.
However, the 1983 Northern Iowa graduate says she remembers Oregon. Bluder, who coached Drake for 10 seasons from 1990 to 2000, took the Bulldogs to McArthur Court to compete at an Oregon tournament in November 1994. Drake won, 76-67.
“It’s neat that she’s from the state of Iowa, and she’s done an exceptional job at Oregon with her team,” said Bluder, whose team is a No. 4 seed in the Big Dance. “They’re well coached, and they’ll be well prepared for the NCAA Tournament.
“And I know Jenny Mowe from U.S.A. basketball tryouts. She used to beat up on my kid Tammy Blackstone from Drake.”
Bluder has turned Iowa around since taking over as head coach. Last season, Iowa finished with a dismal 9-18 overall record.
Bluder said her team has a balanced offensive attack but likes to push the ball up the floor. The Hawkeyes are led by three seniors — point guard Cara Consuegra, center Randi Peterson and reserve shooting guard Mary Berdo.
Shooting guard Lindsey Meder is the team’s top scorer, averaging 16.8 points per game. She also shoots 41.1 percent from the field, leads Iowa with 406 field goal attempts (at least 120 more than any of her teammates), and her assist-to-turnover ratio is less than perfect — she’s dished 49 assists but has 71 turnovers.
Oregon and Iowa each faced Wisconsin and Utah this season. Utah was victorious in its single games against the Ducks and Hawkeyes, winning 63-48 and 66-42, respectively. Oregon beat Wisconsin 71-57, while Iowa split two games with the Badgers.
Based on Iowa’s records of 20-9 overall and 12-2 in the Big 10, the Hawkeyes could have — maybe should have — hosted first- and second-round games. Unfortunately, Iowa is also “the wrestling capital of the world,” Bluder said, and wrestling holds its NCAA Championships in Iowa’s gym this weekend.
“We’re disappointed because we’d love to host, but there’s nothing much you can do about it,” Bluder said. “We’ve known all year that we’ll never have the opportunity to host, so it’s something we’re fully prepared for.”