“Caitlin Clark is gone, Lisa Bluder is gone”: NCAA analyst commends Jan Jensen for leading Iowa to another sold-out season

Many wondered at the start of the 2024-25 NCAA season how Jan Jensen and the Iowa Hawkeyes would fare without Caitlin Clark and longtime coach Lisa Bluder. During Tuesday's episode of "Got Next with Meghan and Zora," college basketball analysts Meghan McKeown and Zora Stephenson commended Jensen for leading the Hawkeyes to another sold-out season in the post-Clark era.

The Iowa Hawkeyes started the season with eight consecutive victories, showing the world they are still a force to be reckoned with, even without Clark.

Jensen was tasked with keeping the Iowa machine churning after Bluder announced her immediate retirement on May 13 following the Hawkeyes' loss to the South Carolina Gamecocks in the 2024 national championship game.

The Hawkeyes remain a massive draw for hoops fans in the state, with Carver-Hawkeye Arena being one of the best venues in college basketball. McKeown attested to that after watching Iowa's game against Indiana.

"It’s so hard to play there," McKeown said (Timestamp 2:57). "The fans are so loud. Carver-Hawkeye gets so loud. It’s one of the best atmospheres in the Big Ten, in college basketball really."

McKeown credited Jan Jensen for keeping the momentum going in her first year as Iowa coach.

"It continues to grow even though Caitlin Clark is gone and Lisa Bluder is gone. However, Jan Jensen is holding it down with the team, and [they are] still sold out right now for season tickets which is really cool."

Stephenson echoed her colleague's sentiment, saying:

"Jan Jensen is amazing."

Jan Jensen's Hawkeyes suffer third straight loss after hot start

Things haven't been easy for Jan Jensen lately. The Hawkeyes have lost three consecutive games after starting the season with a 12-2 record, with their latest defeat coming against the Indiana Hoosiers on Sunday. Iowa had no answer for Yarden Garzon, who scored 21 points in Indiana's 74-67 win.

Iowa made a late rally in the fourth quarter, unleashing a 13-2 run to cut Indiana's lead to four points with 1:52 left. The Hoosiers held on for the victory, though, as the Hawkeyes dropped to 2-4 in Big Ten play.

Iowa Hawkeyes guard Taylor McCabe (#2) fights through a screen while defending Indiana Hoosiers guard Shay Ciezki (#10) during their game on Jan. 12, 2025 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa. Photo: Imagn

Taylor McCabe led Iowa in a losing effort, scoring 15 points off the bench. She shot 4-for-7, including 4-for-5 from beyond the arc. She also had four rebounds, one assist and one steal in 36 minutes.