IOWA CITY — Iowa women's basketball is gearing up for the regular season with an exhibition game against Maryville on Thursday, Oct. 29.

Maryville, a Division II school from St. Louis, has plenty of experience playing against Division I programs. Last season, it beat Missouri in an exhibition game, 90-84, and won the Great Lakes Valley Conference. In the past, it has played in exhibitions against Illinois and Indiana.

"Their last exhibitions against D-I teams are certainly very high, and they are well coached," Iowa coach Jan Jensen said on Oct. 28. "I think Maryville's an excellent team. We knew that when we decided to schedule them."

Jensen said she thinks the Saints will be a good test before the Hawkeyes open the regular season on Nov. 2 against Towson. In a press conference, Jensen spoke about the matchup against Maryville, how the team is progressing this preseason and how she hopes to manage her roster.

Here are three things we learned from Jensen before Thursday's exhibition game against Maryville.

Where can Iowa excel in exhibition matchup with Maryville?

"This will be a good test for us, and we need a pretty good test," Jensen said.

Iowa has played two closed scrimmages— against Oklahoma State and Lindenwood. Thursday will mark the first time the 2026-27 Hawkeyes play in front of fans.

Jensen said that she has watched tape on Maryville, and that they have centers that can shoot from deep.

"Your bigs will have to play a little differently," Jensen said. "They've got to play and handle some action outside versus just focusing on the paint area. So, that'll really provide a good and unique challenge."

Jensen said she is anticipating to see teams play like that throughout the season, so the opportunity to test out how Iowa will defend that could help them as the season progresses.

What is Jan Jensen hoping to see out of Iowa?

Jensen said the exhibition game will be a "great dress rehearsal" for players who are new to the roster. They will get to experience the noise in the arena and the flow of a Division I college basketball game.

She hopes to see her squad's pace stay upbeat. Not necessarily the literal transition of the ball from defense to offense, but the transition of turning the page for the next play, regardless of what happeend on the previous one.

"Whether a good play, a bad play, a bad call, running the game one way or another, I think I am going to learn a lot from how we are attacking a real live game situation with observers," Jensen said.

"What I hope to see is what I've seen mostly with our team, just transition from whatever happens in that game setting."

How Jensen and the Iowa staff are build the starting lineup

Jensen did not announce who will start against Maryville, but she said that with having seven or eight different players who can all be starters, trying to figure out how the team will start games depends on the matchup.

"Once you start a lineup, you usually keep it," Jensen said. "But every now and then there's different times where maybe you can go back and forth. Or maybe you want a defensive lineup. Maybe you want a taller lineup. Maybe you want a faster lineup."

Jensen said she is still working out the ins and outs of that process. She's been messing with it in practice and throughout the two closed scrimmages.

"I think the key though, for this team, and what I love that I've seen so far is regardless of those five who get to start, it's going to be a lot of people playing."