Scouting the opponent: Former assistant, star freshman highlight CMU's first round matchup


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CMU’s women’s basketball team huddles around coach Heather Oesterle during the MAC Tournament Championship game against Bowling Green on March 13 in Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse (photo by Ben Suddendorf)

A lot of Central Michigan's success as a program can be tied back to Raina Harmon. 

Now an assistant with Iowa, Harmon spent four seasons (2001-04) as a player at CMU and another six (2012-17) as an assistant coach. During her tenure on staff, Harmon played a big part in bringing together the group that now leads the Chippewas. 

Though she didn't coach any of the current Chippewas, she played a role in bringing together the core of senior guard Micaela Kelly, senior guard Maddy Watters, senior forward Kyra Bussell and junior guards Sophia Karasinski and Kalle Martinez. 

Now, in the first round of the 2021 NCAA Tournament, Harmon will be on a sideline opposite of a team with a core of players she helped bring together. 

"It's cool to have someone on the other side that you're familiar with," Watters said. "She roots for us, we root for her." 

Perhaps nobody is as close to Harmon within the program as head coach Heather Oesterle, who joined the staff in 2010. The two worked together for five seasons. Though Harmon is no longer on staff, the two are still very close. 

"She's one of my best friends," Oesterle said. "She's an unbelievable person and she helped get this program where it is today." 

Oesterle noted that Harmon remains invested in the Chippewa program and donated money to help with booster meals in the past couple of weeks. 

But with that connection comes familiarity. 

"I'm sure she has our scout," Oesterle said, chuckling. 

With the Hawkeyes, Harmon works primarily with the perimeter players. This season marks the second in a row that Iowa has made the tournament during her tenure as an assistant. 

Players to watch

Among the perimeter players Harmon works with is freshman guard Caitlin Clark, who comes into the game in the running for National Freshman of the Year. Though she may not beat out Connecticut's Paige Bueckers for the award, Clark's dazzling average of 27.4 points per game is cause for any to take notice. 

"(Clark) is the must-watch (player) in the tournament," said Sue Bird, a player with the WNBA's Seattle Storm via Instagram Live with ESPN's Hollie Rowe. "To me, she's the most exciting player in college basketball right now." 

Oesterle added high praise for the former five-star freshman. 

"(Clark) should probably be National Freshman of the Year," Oesterle said. "She's very, very good." 

Outside of Clark, the Hawkeyes have two others who average double figures in scoring: Junior forward Monika Czinano and sophomore guard/forward McKenna Warnock. Czinano averages 18.2 points and 5.7 rebounds, while Warnock is good for 12.3 points and 7.8 boards a game. 

The starting lineup is rounded out by 5-9 sophomore guard Gabbie Marshall (8.6 PPG, 48 percent 3FG) and six-foot guard Kate Martin (7.3. PPG, 40 percent 3FG). 

Dominant offense, struggling defense

The Hawkeyes are on both sides of the coin when it comes to overall statistics. They average 87 points per game, with a consistency of 1.038 points per possession that ranks in the 100th percentile and first nationally. However, the team defense allows 81 points on nearly a point per possession, a figure that ranks 338th out of 343 teams. 

CMU is very much in the same boat, ranking ninth offensively with a PPP mark of .938 , while the defense ranks 332 with an average of .884 points per possession.

With two of the most consistent offenses in the country going at it, it's safe to expect points in bunches. 

"They're gonna be a tough opponent," Oesterle said. "Just how skilled they usually are." 

Sticking with the 'Great Eight'

With the eight active members of the Chippewa MAC Tournament championship team being coined as the "Great Eight," it's undoubted that the group that went through that journey will be remembered for years to come. 

The four freshmen who missed the MAC Tournament and the two games prior, forwards Maryama Turkstra, Rachel Loobie and Sydney Graber along with guard Carlee Crabtree, have all rejoined the team. 

And while they will make the trip to San Antonio, they won't dress for the opener. 

"I just feel like the freshmen have been out for a couple weeks and (we've) gotta work them back in a little bit in practice," Oesterle said. "But we're gonna go with the eight that got us here."

No. 12 Central Michigan vs No. 5 Iowa

All-time series: Iowa leads, 1-0 (2010)

Time: Noon ET

Date: March 21, 2021

Venue: The Alamodome

Location: San Antonio, Texas

TV: ESPN (Eric Frede, Tamika Catchings)

Radio: 91.5 The Mountain (Matt Kearney)

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