Their rivalry dates back more than a decade and now it will be played out in the Big Ten on Sunday when Iowa hosts Michigan in women’s basketball action. Iowa coach Lisa Bluder and first-year Michigan coach Cheryl Burnett matched up several times when both were in the Missouri Valley Conference, Bluder at Drake and Burnett at Southwest Missouri State. Bluder says their relationship has been good because they both respect each other and look forward to the rivalry.Bluder says nearly every game between Drake and SMS had title implications, and she says that was a lot of fun. Burnett says that elevated her rivalry with Bluder, as it made every single game important and it usually included both teams ranked number one or two in the conference.Burnett has so much respect for Bluder that during her year out of coaching she spent some time with the Iowa staff going over some things. Iowa is 9-7 overall and 3-2 in the Big Ten.
