Oklahoma coach Baranczyk to face alma-mater, Iowa, for spot in Sweet 16

NORMAN, Okla. (AP) — Oklahoma coach Jennie Baranczyk expects to encounter some emotions when she coaches against her alma mater and mentor for a chance to reach the Sweet 16.

Baranczyk grew up in Iowa and played for the University of Iowa when Jan Jensen was an assistant coach for the Hawkeyes. Now, Jensen is Iowa's head coach, and her team is a roadblock for Baranczyk. Third-seeded Oklahoma (26-7) will host No. 6 seed Iowa (23-10) on Monday.

“Every other game that Iowa plays, I want them to win,” Baranczyk said. “Of course I do. I want them to be really successful."

Jensen, Iowa's first-year head coach, remembers Baranczyk as a go-getter and expects to see the best of the fierce competitor she's always known.

“When the ball goes up, I mean — it’s been a long time since she’s been in a Iowa Hawkeye uniform, right,” Jensen said. “I think it will be a really good game and I think it will be competitive, hopefully.”

Baranczyk said she can't afford to spend too much time being sentimental. The Hawkeyes, after all, have played in the national championship game the past two years.

And Iowa has found another big-time scorer now that Caitlin Clark has moved on. Lucy Olsen averages 17.8 points for a team that won't be afraid to run with the up-tempo Sooners.

“I know how good they are and how good they’ve been," Baranczyk said. "I know for a lot of years I followed that program. We’re not overlooking anything, and we'd better be ready.”

Post matchup

Oklahoma features Raegan Beers, a dominant 6-foot-4 post player who had 25 points and 18 rebounds in the win over Florida Gulf Coast.

Iowa counters with three players with height, but not the strength, to possibly challenge her — 6-4 Ava Heiden, 6-4 Addison O’Grady and 6-2 Hannah Stuelke. They were key elements to Iowa's win over Murray State in the first round.

“I don’t think there’s anything new that she hasn’t seen, right, that the SEC has not thrown at her,” Jensen said. “So you just probably try to limit touches.”

Fan engagement

Baranczyk said she's interested to see how many fans show up, especially given the 3 p.m. Central start. She said the crowd was good during the win over Florida Gulf Coast, and the Sooners will need more of the same on Monday.

“I’m excited to continue to build our fan base,” Baranczyk said. “I thought our crowd was amazing yesterday. I loved how many people came. I think we’re continuing to build it, grow it, but we still have a long way to go. Tomorrow is going to be a great tipping point for us to really see how far we have come and how far people want us to go here.”

Jamie Cavey-Lang

Baranczyk said the game will offer a chance to celebrate her former Iowa teammate, Jamie Cavey-Lang, who died of cancer in December 2024.

Cavey, who lettered from 2001-05 and played three seasons with Baranczyk, finished her Hawkeye career with 1,265 points and 506 rebounds and was a two-time All-Big Ten selection. She was on the Iowa women's basketball radio team from 2017 until she stepped away after the 2022-23 season,

Baranczyk said her team will wear pins with the number 52 on them and she will provide them for Iowa's staff.

“She meant a lot to me personally, but she really meant a lot to that program, and that’s important for me on both levels,” Baranczyk said.

Better than Caitlin?

Baranczyk jokingly tells her kids she was better than Clark when she was at Iowa.

Maybe not quite, but she was pretty good. Jennie Lillis scored 1,762 points at Iowa, still good for ninth all time and fifth when she left. She was a first-team All-Big Ten selection in 2003 and a second-team pick in 2002 and 2004.

No one-on-one?

Jensen joked that the two coaches are not playing each other one-on-one, though she said with a laugh that she’s not sure how it would go if they were.

“I mean -- I’m not going to say who would win if we played one-on-one,” Jensen said. “I’ve still got something in my bag, Jennie, just tell her that.”

Jensen averaged 66 points per game her senior season of high school in 1987, then led the nation with 29.6 points per game her senior season at Drake in 1990-91 and was MVP of the Gateway Conference.

___

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