Iowa guard Caitlin Clark gets ready to become true "Ponytail Pete" as iconic record set by Serbian legend Pete Maravich remains unbroken
Since her first season with the Iowa Hawkeyes in 2020, Caitlin Clark has captured the attention of college hoops fans around the world, and it's not hard to see why. Clark is currently in her senior season at Iowa and in every year of her career, her scoring numbers have only continued to rise. In the 2023–24 season, she is averaging 31.7 PPG and as of January 27, 2024, she sits at 3,351 total points.
Caitlin Clark's point total puts her just 316 points behind an NCAA Division I record that has stood for over 50 years. Pete Maravich is the all-time scorer in college basketball. Maravich spent three seasons at LSU, where he tallied 3,667 total points. This remarkable feat was all the more impressive given that there was no three-point line when Maravich played.
Caitlin Clark is also on the verge of breaking the NCAA women's all-time scoring record, which Kelsey Plum of the University of Washington established in 2017. Plum spent four seasons at Washington and concluded her NCAA career with 3,527 points. She surpassed the previous record holder, Jackie.
Caitlin Clark has a chance to break multiple records
Given Clark's scoring average and the number of games remaining, she has an opportunity to break each of these scoring records.
Iowa has 10 games remaining on its regular-season schedule. With Clark sitting at 3,351 total points and a 31.7 PPG average, she has a chance to break Plum's record at home against Michigan on Feb. 15.
But that isn't the only record Clark will be eyeing. If she stays consistent with her scoring average for the season, she will have the chance to break Pete Maravich's record and become the all-time leading scorer in college basketball. Being 316 points short of the record and averaging 31.7 PPG, it should take 10 games for her to overtake the top-scoring spot.
That tenth game would be the final game of Iowa's regular season. This game would see Caitlin Clark and the Hawkeyes host the Ohio State Buckeyes on March 3.
Additionally, Iowa will compete in the Big Ten Tournament after the conclusion of the regular season,, which would mean at least one more game. Iowa also looks to be a lock for the 2024 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament,, which means at least one more additional game in that tournament as well.
Assuming she can continue scoring at the rate she has been all season, fans should see Caitlin Clark surpass both Kelsey Plum and Pete Maravich's records. Regardless of whether she passes that mark or not, Caitlin Clark's four seasons at Iowa were special to witness.