The No. 17 Iowa women's basketball team that took to Barclays Center Court Saturday night for the inaugural Champions Classic looked nothing like the team that played in the national championship game the past two seasons in a row. .
The style of play is different, there's a new head coach at the helm, and the star player who took the basketball world by storm during his time with the Hawkeyes has stepped up to the next level.
These aren't the Hawkeyes of the past four years when Caitlin Clark ran the show.
No, this is an Iowa team that lost its cheat code and is in the middle of a rebuild.
But Iowa State coach Jan Jensen welcomes the challenge.
“Obviously, that’s a lot to fill, right?” Jensen said Saturday after the Hawkeyes’ 78-68 loss to Tennessee. “But I’m really happy to be making shots and this group is a really good group.
“They gave it their all, welcomed the challenge, and are proud of Caitlin Clark and others for coming, but they understand that they need to turn the page and rewrite the chapter. I think they did a really great job.'' The season started. ”
Clark took Iowa to unprecedented heights.
The Hawkeyes were the Big Ten regular season champions in 2022 and 2023 and have won the last three conference tournaments.
As a junior, she led Iowa State to its first Final Four appearance since before she was born, and the following year she led her team there again.
Her excellent shooting put Iowa on the map nationally, and her fanfare reached extraordinary levels.
Remnants of the Clark effect remain to this day.
Saturday's crowd was full of players in black and gold, but it fell short of the enthusiasm Clark envisioned and continues to garner in the WNBA today with the Indiana Fever.
Even before Clark heard his name called as the No. 1 pick in the WNBA Draft last April, he knew Iowa State was entering a transition period.
Not only did the Hawkeyes lose Clark, but they also lost guards Kate Martin and Gabby Marshall, two essential starting pitchers over the past four years.
Longtime head coach Lisa Bruder also abruptly announced in May that she would step down as head coach to spend more time with her family.
Jensen was the obvious choice to take over the Hawkeyes, having dedicated the past 24 seasons to Iowa.
The Hawkeyes added six new players, including guard Lucy Olsen, who transferred from Villanova.
She was an instant hit at Iowa, averaging 17.3 points, 5.3 assists and 4.5 rebounds in her first eight games.
Without Clark's pull, Iowa State would have to change the way it plays.
The pace will be slower. The Hawkeyes have relied more on Addison O'Grady's post play and put pressure on Olsen to be aggressive in his midrange game.
Iowa doesn't shoot as many 3-pointers, a style that has become synonymous with the Hawkeyes. This season, Iowa State is averaging 10 fewer shots from behind the arc per game than last season.
Iowa won eight straight games to start the season before losing to Tennessee.
There is a lot to learn this season as well.
Saturday's loss was one such game. The coverage of female volunteers proved to be too much for Iowa.
“In our situation, we've had a safe line for the last three or four years, so it's been a while since we've been able to get some press,” Jensen said. “So it's just a matter of getting used to the other guys handling the press.”
Iowa made too many unforced errors and turned the ball over 30 times. Tennessee scored 42 points off of Iowa's mistakes and made the team pay for it.
“We're not where we should be and we never will be,” Jensen said. “Our offense is like four out, one in, inside out. We'll get better as time goes on.”
