Will the Gulf Coast Showcase be Caitlin Clark’s showcase? Or, will it be an opportunity for another statement from Kansas State?
The organizers of the Clean Simple Eats Gulf Coast Showcase, held at Hertz Arena in Estero, FL from Friday, Nov. 24 through Sunday, Nov. 26, have to be pleased with the potential for a rematch between the No. 5 Hawkeyes and No. 16 Wildcats.
The eight-team tournament features first-round games on Friday and semifinal games on Saturday before a championship game on Sunday. All games will available on FloHoops.
No. 18 North Carolina could spoil the Iowa-Kansas State showdown. Most likely, the Wildcats and Tarheels will meet in the semis, an intriguing Big 12-ACC matchup. The well-tested winner probably will see the Hawkeyes in a super-fun championship game, whether it ends up as an opportunity for K-State to take down Iowa for a third-straight time or for the Tarheels to score a rankings-rocking upset of their own. That said, let’s not prematurely count out the hometown team, FGCU. Western Kentucky, Vermont, Delaware and Purdue Fort Wayne complete the tourney field.
Here, we’ll take a look at the four first-round matchups:
No. 16 Kansas State Wildcats (4-0) vs. Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (5-1)
Friday, Nov. 24: 11 a.m. ET, FloHoops
Kansas State is 4-0, and that’s with star senior big Ayoka Lee still rounding into top form after missing all of last season due to knee surgery. The 6-foot-6 Lee leads the Wildcats with 22 points and 8.5 rebounds per game, and the Hilltoppers likely have no answer for her. WKU’s tallest players are freshmen: 6-foot-3 Caitlin Staley and 6-foot-3 Jailynn Brill. Neither has played more than 16 minutes in the Hilltoppers’ four games.
Outside of Lee, the Wildcats play with a verve that will present a challenge to the Hilltoppers. As evident in the big win over Iowa, freshman guard Zyanna Walker plays with fearless energy, while Gabby Gregory is a connector with a clutch gene.
No. 18 UNC Tarheels (4-0) vs. Vermont Catamounts (3-1)
Friday, Nov. 24: 1:30 p.m. ET, FloHoops
UNC’s undefeated record does not offer much insight into the ultimate quality of the Tarheels. Outside of a too-close-for-comfort escape against Davidson, UNC has thrashed overmatched teams. They need to do the same against Vermont, setting themselves up, in all likelihood, for a more informative matchup against Kansas State.
Thus far, the Tarheels have received balanced scoring from the foursome of senior guard…
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