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Ahron Ulis and Next year

perryhawk

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Apr 3, 2008
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First; Ahron Ulis. This young man has a tremendous opportunity for next year. IF he wants that starting PG job (which I'm sure he does) he is currently in the driver's seat....in order to stay there I think he has to do a few things. FIRST and foremost, it is to develop a three point shot that he can hit at least a 34/35% on. That by itself (in my opinion) makes him a at least a solid B10 lead guard when considering his other abilities/past performance. He has shown good FT shooting ability with very good form on his shot which leads me to believe he can have a decent 3 pt shot. He hit FTs down the stretch in a home win against Indiana....#2 get stronger in the off season and #3, work with Connor in the off season to be in command of how the coach wants the offensive and defensive schemes run. I think these few things put him in the starting spot, at least to start the season, because he will be ahead of the incoming freshman AND hopefully be performing the way the coach wants......I always felt Joe T just didn't make the offense flow, often times picking up his dribble in bad spots, and I loved the kid but it just was what it was.

Next year.....I just saw Andy Katz and his way to early B10 power rankings for next year. He had Iowa at 6th. Michigan first, MSU 2nd, and Purdue 3rd.....So it's REALLY difficult to get a feel for things right now with the transfer portal and all the fluctuation and changes that have and will take place over the next months....that said, here are some thoughts that I would like some feed back on:

Most important factors for next year:?
1) How many B10 teams will have a better set of forwards (assuming) Kris, Patrick, and Payton?
2) How good will Tony Perkins be? The way he finished the season.....the confidence and energy/momentum he should have going into next year....should propel him to be better..how much better?
3) Who do we land in the transfer portal?
4) With a presumably bigger and more athletic backcourt for next year (6'3" PGs--6'4/5" 2Gs) how much better can the defense be?

Less likely or less significant factors:?
1) How good will Bowen be? Can he be a major contributor or just a limited minutes backup?
2) This is the first year, apparently in his entire career, that Connor will be devoting his entire off season to b-ball preparation & having no injuries detracting from those efforts.
3) Post play....a weak spot this last year & it's possible that Kofi and Hunter D will be back....Zack E at Purdue WILL be back for sure....How much do Rebraca & Mulvey improve?
4) Will Dix be able to play/contribute, and if so, at what point in the season and at what level?

My general impression is that with growth in our current post players and hopefully an addition there that will help this team will be pretty good. My best guess is that Bowen and Connor will actually play pretty well and be fairly significant contributors.

IF we get above average play in the post and my prediction of Bowen/Connor success comes true, I think this is a team that will compete at the top (2-3-4) in the league and provide some fun come tournament time.

IF we lose Kris to the NBA and don't add post help......we could be in trouble and may struggle to get to 20 wins with a tougher pre-conference schedule.

I wish I knew more about what these other teams have coming back....
 
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Ulis suffered like most players do, when getting limited & spotty minutes. It's difficult to gain confidence. His role least year had more to do with defense & looking for his teammates with limiting his turnovers. I think he did both relatively well for an underclassman.

The one negative area for me is what I call the start-and-stop. It seemed when he penetrated, whether on a break or half-court, he would get three-quarters there and then stop. Sometimes taking a 'lacking confidence shot'.

Ulis has an upside and will get better, question is how much better...he will get his chance with JoeT gone.

A lot of things will need to fall in place for next year...but that's pretty much the case every year.
 
One other factor that "could" be significant is an overseas off season trip.....is that possible with the current state of COVID and travel?......seems like it could be a good prelude to the season and getting some wins early. That said, I think the last overseas trip the competition was horrible and probably not worth while.
 
Good OP. We need Kris back and another Big man would make me feel a lot better. Mulvey wasn't ready to play major college BB, and really wasted a year of eligibility playing a few meaningless minutes. Hard to say what he can bring, but he should be significantly better. I feel good about Bowen contributing, but whether Dix will be ready is very doubtful. If the right experienced guard had interest in the portal, I think Fran should should also pull the trigger to give us more depth and versatility.
 
He did in HS. He has the talent and has done it before, no reason he can't do it again. Look for him to make a leap next year like Tony did this year.
Hate to burst your bubble, but he’s never going to be big contributor for us. He doesn’t have a natural feel to run point on offense & he’s a below-average defender. He’s too soft on the ball & gets back door too much off ball.
 
Hate to burst your bubble, but he’s never going to be big contributor for us. He doesn’t have a natural feel to run point on offense & he’s a below-average defender. He’s too soft on the ball & gets back door too much off ball.
Okay, whatever you say.

🙄
 
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I just saw Andy Katz and his way to early B10 power rankings for next year. He had Iowa at 6th. Michigan first, MSU 2nd

I wish I knew more about what these other teams have coming back....

Are we a Top 6 team in the B1G with just 10 scholarship players? Andy thinks so.

And when we add a big? Are we top 4 or 5?


Check this out & watch, where he discusses what each team has coming back:

 
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Ulis suffered like most players do, when getting limited & spotty minutes. It's difficult to gain confidence. His role least year had more to do with defense & looking for his teammates with limiting his turnovers. I think he did both relatively well for an underclassman.

The one negative area for me is what I call the start-and-stop. It seemed when he penetrated, whether on a break or half-court, he would get three-quarters there and then stop. Sometimes taking a 'lacking confidence shot'.

Ulis has an upside and will get better, question is how much better...he will get his chance with JoeT gone.

A lot of things will need to fall in place for next year...but that's pretty much the case every year.

Ahron will likely be the starting point guard on November 7th vs Bethune Cookman. But I anticipate that Dasonte Bowen will eventually take over the starting role.

I have posted this before and will again. Fran is REALLY high on Dasonte.
 
Hate to burst your bubble, but he’s never going to be big contributor for us. He doesn’t have a natural feel to run point on offense & he’s a below-average defender. He’s too soft on the ball & gets back door too much off ball.
Say what you will about Ahron's offense, but you couldn't be further off about his D. Ahron has been the best perimeter defender for the Hawks and I really don't think it's been close
 
Ahron will likely be the starting point guard on November 7th vs Bethune Cookman. But I anticipate that Dasonte Bowen will eventually take over the starting role.

I have posted this before and will again. Fran is REALLY high on Dasonte.
Yeah I think it's probably Dasonte from day one
 
but whether Dix will be ready is very doubtful. If the right experienced guard had interest in the portal, I think Fran should should also pull the trigger to give us more depth and versatility.

Actually, it has been reported that Josh should be ready.

I think this team has a chance to surprise, just like last year's team.

And SEVERAL players likely will have break out years.

In a recent Register/HawkCentral podcast the following was discussed:

Chad Leistikow, obviously, has talked to Fran. Fran is REALLY excited about Dasonte Bowen.

Looks like Dasonte & Ulis will share the PG role AND you have Connor & Tony who can handle the ball.

Kenny Smith, the other Register beat reporter who has talked to Fran & Kris, said that Kris is looking forward to having the ball in his hands more. Look for a break out year for him.

Chad brought up player development & he said he thinks Patrick at the 3 is also about to take off. Kenny is really high on Tony taking off next year as well. Kenny said Tony's confidence exploded when he was named starter. We all saw it.

The medical team thinks Josh Dix will be ready to play this season.

This will be the first offseason for Connor where it will only be basketball. He won't be juggling baseball and he won't be recovering from injury

So, coming back, the starters and backups:

1: Bowen/Ulis
2: Tony/Payton
3. Patrick/Payton
4. Kris
5. Filip (he started every game last season)

Then you have Connor, Riley and hopefully Josh Dix coming off the bench.



Fran said he WILL get a 5 out of the portal. The problem? All of the good ones out there have other schools after them as well. But Fran has playing time to offer. If you get a quality 5 you could then have FIlip coming off the bench and you can let Mulvey develop another year. This is why Chad thinks Iowa is really set up well for next season.

Chad said Fran might pocket the remaining 2 scholarships for 2022 because Fran & company are really attacking the 2023 class. 6'10" center Owen Freeman has already committed; there's a really good chance 4 Star Forward Pryce Sandfort joins the Hawks as well.



LINK TO THE FULL PODCAST:

 
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Hate to burst your bubble, but he’s never going to be big contributor for us. He doesn’t have a natural feel to run point on offense & he’s a below-average defender. He’s too soft on the ball & gets back door too much off ball.
You could be right….but whenever people use terms like “never” it often times comes back to bite them. That said it’s difficult to see Ahron being a big scorer, but in my mind a “big contributor” can be someone who runs the point effectively…good number of assists finding the right guys at the right time, low turnovers, good free throw shooter, and gives great effort and leadership….. and he’s a pretty good defender, a clear improvement over JBO and certainly not below average.
 
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First; Ahron Ulis. This young man has a tremendous opportunity for next year. IF he wants that starting PG job (which I'm sure he does) he is currently in the driver's seat....in order to stay there I think he has to do a few things. FIRST and foremost, it is to develop a three point shot that he can hit at least a 34/35% on. That by itself (in my opinion) makes him a at least a solid B10 lead guard when considering his other abilities/past performance. He has shown good FT shooting ability with very good form on his shot which leads me to believe he can have a decent 3 pt shot. He hit FTs down the stretch in a home win against Indiana....#2 get stronger in the off season and #3, work with Connor in the off season to be in command of how the coach wants the offensive and defensive schemes run. I think these few things put him in the starting spot, at least to start the season, because he will be ahead of the incoming freshman AND hopefully be performing the way the coach wants......I always felt Joe T just didn't make the offense flow, often times picking up his dribble in bad spots, and I loved the kid but it just was what it was.

Next year.....I just saw Andy Katz and his way to early B10 power rankings for next year. He had Iowa at 6th. Michigan first, MSU 2nd, and Purdue 3rd.....So it's REALLY difficult to get a feel for things right now with the transfer portal and all the fluctuation and changes that have and will take place over the next months....that said, here are some thoughts that I would like some feed back on:

Most important factors for next year:?
1) How many B10 teams will have a better set of forwards (assuming) Kris, Patrick, and Payton?
2) How good will Tony Perkins be? The way he finished the season.....the confidence and energy/momentum he should have going into next year....should propel him to be better..how much better?
3) Who do we land in the transfer portal?
4) With a presumably bigger and more athletic backcourt for next year (6'3" PGs--6'4/5" 2Gs) how much better can the defense be?

Less likely or less significant factors:?
1) How good will Bowen be? Can he be a major contributor or just a limited minutes backup?
2) This is the first year, apparently in his entire career, that Connor will be devoting his entire off season to b-ball preparation & having no injuries detracting from those efforts.
3) Post play....a weak spot this last year & it's possible that Kofi and Hunter D will be back....Zack E at Purdue WILL be back for sure....How much do Rebraca & Mulvey improve?
4) Will Dix be able to play/contribute, and if so, at what point in the season and at what level?

My general impression is that with growth in our current post players and hopefully an addition there that will help this team will be pretty good. My best guess is that Bowen and Connor will actually play pretty well and be fairly significant contributors.

IF we get above average play in the post and my prediction of Bowen/Connor success comes true, I think this is a team that will compete at the top (2-3-4) in the league and provide some fun come tournament time.

IF we lose Kris to the NBA and don't add post help......we could be in trouble and may struggle to get to 20 wins with a tougher pre-conference schedule.

I wish I knew more about what these other teams have coming back....
Ulis MUST take that next step. I believe that he has the most potential upside in the backcourt, if he puts in the time and effort.

We need two things to happen to be successful next year; Kris has to return and make this his team. That, and the post needs to develop & add a player. Preferably Fardaws. 🤞🤞🤞
 
First; Ahron Ulis. This young man has a tremendous opportunity for next year. IF he wants that starting PG job (which I'm sure he does) he is currently in the driver's seat....in order to stay there I think he has to do a few things. FIRST and foremost, it is to develop a three point shot that he can hit at least a 34/35% on. That by itself (in my opinion) makes him a at least a solid B10 lead guard when considering his other abilities/past performance. He has shown good FT shooting ability with very good form on his shot which leads me to believe he can have a decent 3 pt shot. He hit FTs down the stretch in a home win against Indiana....#2 get stronger in the off season and #3, work with Connor in the off season to be in command of how the coach wants the offensive and defensive schemes run. I think these few things put him in the starting spot, at least to start the season, because he will be ahead of the incoming freshman AND hopefully be performing the way the coach wants......I always felt Joe T just didn't make the offense flow, often times picking up his dribble in bad spots, and I loved the kid but it just was what it was.

Next year.....I just saw Andy Katz and his way to early B10 power rankings for next year. He had Iowa at 6th. Michigan first, MSU 2nd, and Purdue 3rd.....So it's REALLY difficult to get a feel for things right now with the transfer portal and all the fluctuation and changes that have and will take place over the next months....that said, here are some thoughts that I would like some feed back on:

Most important factors for next year:?
1) How many B10 teams will have a better set of forwards (assuming) Kris, Patrick, and Payton?
2) How good will Tony Perkins be? The way he finished the season.....the confidence and energy/momentum he should have going into next year....should propel him to be better..how much better?
3) Who do we land in the transfer portal?
4) With a presumably bigger and more athletic backcourt for next year (6'3" PGs--6'4/5" 2Gs) how much better can the defense be?

Less likely or less significant factors:?
1) How good will Bowen be? Can he be a major contributor or just a limited minutes backup?
2) This is the first year, apparently in his entire career, that Connor will be devoting his entire off season to b-ball preparation & having no injuries detracting from those efforts.
3) Post play....a weak spot this last year & it's possible that Kofi and Hunter D will be back....Zack E at Purdue WILL be back for sure....How much do Rebraca & Mulvey improve?
4) Will Dix be able to play/contribute, and if so, at what point in the season and at what level?

My general impression is that with growth in our current post players and hopefully an addition there that will help this team will be pretty good. My best guess is that Bowen and Connor will actually play pretty well and be fairly significant contributors.

IF we get above average play in the post and my prediction of Bowen/Connor success comes true, I think this is a team that will compete at the top (2-3-4) in the league and provide some fun come tournament time.

IF we lose Kris to the NBA and don't add post help......we could be in trouble and may struggle to get to 20 wins with a tougher pre-conference schedule.

I wish I knew more about what these other teams have coming back....

1) If Pat plays like he did towards the end of the season, it will easily be less than 5 teams. Probably only 2-3 (MSU, Purdue, Illinois)

2) Really ****ing good. I actually think he averages more points than Khris & legitimatizes himself as late-first-round prospect.

3) I keep hoping we land Fardwas. If we do, we’re a top 15 team. I’d like to think if we miss, Fran still brings in a big and a scorer, but I’m not seeing our name included in many lists.

4) Better. And last year was arguably the best defensive team since the Clemmons/Woodbury days.

Agree with all your thoughts relating to success based on who stays. I don’t think losing Khris would kill as much as some think, IF are able to land a portal player like Fardwas. Payton is going to be an absolute killer next year.
 
For 3 years now, the Hawks have had a guy that you could count on to go 20/10 - in every game. In about 100 games you can probably count the poor games by Garza and Keegan on one hand. That's why they were POY material. It sure takes a lot of pressure off the other guys knowing they were going to get a star performance out of those two.

Can Kris do that? Obviously he has the talent - but will he put up those kinds of numbers every game? Hope so!

But, what if Kris can't do it every game like his brother? Who will step in? Can Tony go off for 24 points every once in a while? Maybe. PMac, maybe. Who else? Sandfort?

I imagine the defense is going to be around 75-80 in Kenpom - meaning the Hawks are going to need to put up 75 points to win. They are going to need guys that can put up some numbers besides Kris to do that every game.

Need some help from the portal!
 
1) If Pat plays like he did towards the end of the season, it will easily be less than 5 teams. Probably only 2-3 (MSU, Purdue, Illinois)

2) Really ****ing good. I actually think he averages more points than Khris & legitimatizes himself as late-first-round prospect.

3) I keep hoping we land Fardwas. If we do, we’re a top 15 team. I’d like to think if we miss, Fran still brings in a big and a scorer, but I’m not seeing our name included in many lists.

4) Better. And last year was arguably the best defensive team since the Clemmons/Woodbury days.

Agree with all your thoughts relating to success based on who stays. I don’t think losing Khris would kill as much as some think, IF are able to land a portal player like Fardwas. Payton is going to be an absolute killer next year.
Khris? Really???
 
For 3 years now, the Hawks have had a guy that you could count on to go 20/10 - in every game. In about 100 games you can probably count the poor games by Garza and Keegan on one hand. That's why they were POY material. It sure takes a lot of pressure off the other guys knowing they were going to get a star performance out of those two.

Can Kris do that? Obviously he has the talent - but will he put up those kinds of numbers every game? Hope so!

But, what if Kris can't do it every game like his brother? Who will step in? Can Tony go off for 24 points every once in a while? Maybe. PMac, maybe. Who else? Sandfort?

I imagine the defense is going to be around 75-80 in Kenpom - meaning the Hawks are going to need to put up 75 points to win. They are going to need guys that can put up some numbers besides Kris to do that every game.

Need some help from the portal!
The topic you mention is always, to me, a very difficult one to guess/anticipate/predict…

So here’s my wild guess…..it’s a collection of elements that make up for that ability to put up that 20 points a game….first, maybe Kris puts up 17 a game, Patrick and Tony’s scoring average goes up for each by about 3 points a game…..then Payton scores at a much higher level with more minutes….defense and rebounding are improved so that helps offset that scoring difference…..

That said the “dynamic” elements of Keegan’s scoring and to a lesser extent JBO, where when they were clicking they were nearly unstoppable…..I just don’t think we can match that?
 
Hate to burst your bubble, but he’s never going to be big contributor for us. He doesn’t have a natural feel to run point on offense & he’s a below-average defender. He’s too soft on the ball & gets back door too much off ball.
I don't have a good feel for whether he will ever score much or be able to hit open 3s consistently, but you are way off on his defensive ability and being soft. I guess we will see who is correct when he gets a lot more minutes next year.
 
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Ulis MUST take that next step. I believe that he has the most potential upside in the backcourt, if he puts in the time and effort.

We need two things to happen to be successful next year; Kris has to return and make this his team. That, and the post needs to develop & add a player. Preferably Fardaws. 🤞🤞🤞
I don't follow as much as some, but it sounds like Fran is pushing hard to bring in Fardaws, who seems like just what the doctor ordered. I read that Iowa was headed to Utah to visit him. Did that happen yet?
 
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Ahron will likely be the starting point guard on November 7th vs Bethune Cookman. But I anticipate that Dasonte Bowen will eventually take over the starting role.

I have posted this before and will again. Fran is REALLY high on Dasonte.

Dasonte has chance to be day 1 starter as well due to the Summer trip the team will be taking. They'll both have practice/game time to earn that spot on that trip.
 
I don't follow as much as some, but it sounds like Fran is pushing hard to bring in Fardaws, who seems like just what the doctor ordered. I read that Iowa was headed to Utah to visit him. Did that happen yet?
Yes I believe it did….pretty sure that’s taken place and schools are just waiting on his NBA draft exploration….
 
If Kris could raise his shooting percentages a few points and his free throw percentage ten points or more, I can see him being a twenty point scorer for us next year.
 
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they'll be taking a trip this Summer (Aug). Being most recent one was canceled due to COVID.

Pretty sure Connor and Patrick mentioned it in their T'd up podcast with Brad Floy.
During the Tom Davis era these trips were great prep for the upcoming season....good results normally followed a summer trip if my memory serves me correctly.

The last trip under Fran.....wow, they played some crap competition and I'm not sure that it did much for them. Hopefully they play some decent teams....as in really strong. I don't give a crap if they get beat during these summer trips (though I do enjoy hearing about successes they have) AS LONG AS they learn what their weaknesses are and they use it to drive individual player development and team improvement for the upcoming season. I think they can still do that and have the team enjoy the cultural benefits of where ever they go. I hope it happens. I think this is most beneficial for guys like Ulis, Bowen, Mulvey, Sandfort, Rebraca and the probable starters to a lesser degree. Obviously add in anyone who we pick up in the portal.

Kris, Patrick, and Tony can work on being assertive in their roles.....not sure that Josh Dix would be ready to play (guessing not) but could still go to bond with the team and learn the system better.
 
Summer Bball trips used to allow teams 2 more weeks of practice & then another week of play during the trip. Most every team that went was better for it.
Now, summer rules are more lax and after a trip coaches tend to talk more about being family & coming together.
 
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Dasonte has chance to be day 1 starter as well due to the Summer trip the team will be taking. They'll both have practice/game time to earn that spot on that trip.
Interesting. Been a awhile since they had a summer trip. Where they going?
 
Dasonte has chance to be day 1 starter as well due to the Summer trip the team will be taking. They'll both have practice/game time to earn that spot on that trip.
What summer trip is that? I hadn't heard any news about it.
they'll be taking a trip this Summer (Aug). Being most recent one was canceled due to COVID.

Pretty sure Connor and Patrick mentioned it in their T'd up podcast with Brad Floy.

Summer Bball trips used to allow teams 2 more weeks of practice & then another week of play during the trip. Most every team that went was better for it.
Now, summer rules are more lax and after a trip coaches tend to talk more about being family & coming together.
Interesting. Been a awhile since they had a summer trip. Where they going?

NCAA rules permit a college basketball team to go on an overseas trip once every 4 years, for practices and games that don't count against the NCAA limits on those activities. That makes the overseas excursions a useful endeavor -- they give players and coaches additional time to prepare before the season formally gets underway in November and they can serve as good bonding and team-building exercises.

In 2017, Iowa headed to Germany, in part because of the presence of Dom Uhl, a native German, on that year's team. Garza and Nunge were incoming freshmen. There were four games in seven days against teams from Germany, Switzerland, and Italy.

The team was supposed to take a trip overseas last summer but Covid-19 and travel restrictions put those plans on hold until this summer.

This was the 2017 schedule:

DGJvC-GXkAAINPa
 
Okay, I am going to go all FIDM on this thread. Ahron Ulis's HS stats (3 years of varsity, 95 games total):
PPG 16.9
3 pt - 33%
2 pt - 47%
FT - 79%
A/g - 3.7
Steals/game - 1.7
R/g - 3.4

His senior year he was first team all state 4A in Illinois. His junior and senior years he was Player of the Year in his high school's conference. He averaged over 20 pts and 4 rbs per game as a senior.

He can score if he puts his mind to it. We've seen that he can defend. I think this fall we'll see the total package.
 
And I'll add one more thing. Three years ago when Iowa signed 5 recruits, who was considered the plum of that class? Four-star Ahron Ulis. The most battle tested, a big (6'3") pg with excellent handles and reputation from an important Chicago program. He, Tony and Kris are the immediate future of the program. His time is now.
 
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