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Ahron Ulis and Next year

Most of us want Ulis to take over & for Bowen to learn his trade.
And most of us are afraid the McC brain trust, Fran & Connor, will let Connor usurp minutes from both.
 
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.

I think Ulis struggles with the same thing Connor (shot 40% from 3 his senior year in HS) did coming to college, and that is the extra distance on the 3 point shot. Ulis shot 80% from the line and has a real nice 16 foot jump shot - likely his favorite shot as he almost prefers the contested FT line jumper more than the open 3. He's also pretty good down near the rim both rebounding and finishing.

Overall, though, once teams scout you as a hesitant and inconsistent 3 point shooter, you ability to drive is heavily curtailed as they sag off you an extra foot and play you for that pull up jumper and are able to flatten out your drives to the rim. Without a consistent 3 point shot to keep them honest, your best scoring assets can't be put to good use. Essentially Ulis becomes a Joe T or Connor clone where they will end up with wide open 3's that they only shoot when there is under 15 seconds on the clock and we've run the offense for a bit. It doesn't matter what you've done in high school if B10 teams don't have to respect your perimeter shooting.

He COULD develop that shot, but having watched 40 years of Iowa basketball the number of Iowa players who have been able to make the jump from an inconsistent 3 point shooter to a solid 3 point shooter is maybe 10%. Roy Marble and many others worked on it, but some people have the feel for it and some don't, and typically by your 2nd year of college you've played enough basketball where it would become evident by now (this is even more true now than it was 30 years ago because kids shoot the 3 a lot more, and they play about 4x more basketball with year around AAU than players did back then - they have more reps by 19 years old than guys in the 80's or 90's had by the time they were 24).

I hope Ulis can find his shot, but I expect Bowen to quickly win the spot and Ulis to still end up with 10-15 mpg. Bowen shows range to the college 3 already. His HS stats don't jump out at you because he is unselfish, but having a 6'3" PG with great quickness and passing ability will help on both ends......but he will make you pay if you cheat on him and will make you come out to guard him beyond the arc.

Sandfort needs to play 20mpg or more as he's a pure scorer and we will need that, but both he and Patrick are pure SF types who don't seem like we'd want them playing PF against B10 competition but I'm not sure could guard 2G's either. So Dix as the backup to Perkins makes more sense, but you know they won't be able to keep Patrick or Sandfort at just 20 mpg. Which one plays at another position and how well they can defend that position is a big question, especially if we get a transfer C and Rebraca can back up both C and PF spots.
 
I think Ulis struggles with the same thing Connor (shot 40% from 3 his senior year in HS) did coming to college, and that is the extra distance on the 3 point shot. Ulis shot 80% from the line and has a real nice 16 foot jump shot - likely his favorite shot as he almost prefers the contested FT line jumper more than the open 3. He's also pretty good down near the rim both rebounding and finishing.

Overall, though, once teams scout you as a hesitant and inconsistent 3 point shooter, you ability to drive is heavily curtailed as they sag off you an extra foot and play you for that pull up jumper and are able to flatten out your drives to the rim. Without a consistent 3 point shot to keep them honest, your best scoring assets can't be put to good use. Essentially Ulis becomes a Joe T or Connor clone where they will end up with wide open 3's that they only shoot when there is under 15 seconds on the clock and we've run the offense for a bit. It doesn't matter what you've done in high school if B10 teams don't have to respect your perimeter shooting.

He COULD develop that shot, but having watched 40 years of Iowa basketball the number of Iowa players who have been able to make the jump from an inconsistent 3 point shooter to a solid 3 point shooter is maybe 10%. Roy Marble and many others worked on it, but some people have the feel for it and some don't, and typically by your 2nd year of college you've played enough basketball where it would become evident by now (this is even more true now than it was 30 years ago because kids shoot the 3 a lot more, and they play about 4x more basketball with year around AAU than players did back then - they have more reps by 19 years old than guys in the 80's or 90's had by the time they were 24).

I hope Ulis can find his shot, but I expect Bowen to quickly win the spot and Ulis to still end up with 10-15 mpg. Bowen shows range to the college 3 already. His HS stats don't jump out at you because he is unselfish, but having a 6'3" PG with great quickness and passing ability will help on both ends......but he will make you pay if you cheat on him and will make you come out to guard him beyond the arc.

Sandfort needs to play 20mpg or more as he's a pure scorer and we will need that, but both he and Patrick are pure SF types who don't seem like we'd want them playing PF against B10 competition but I'm not sure could guard 2G's either. So Dix as the backup to Perkins makes more sense, but you know they won't be able to keep Patrick or Sandfort at just 20 mpg. Which one plays at another position and how well they can defend that position is a big question, especially if we get a transfer C and Rebraca can back up both C and PF spots.
I really don't care which of the 2 (Dasonte and/or Ahron) steps up, but I hope both do and I expect that Ahron will this year for sure. Just to put what you said in perspective, Ahron took 3 3-pt shots his freshman year and missed all 3. Definitely deer-in-the-headlights stats. The past season he took 12 3-pt shots shots and made 4 (33%), respectable, but not great. In the 6 games where he played 20 or more minutes, he was 4-7 from the 3, shot 22/26 for FTs (85%), ands had 23 assists (~4 apg) to 5 turnovers (<1/game) for a gaudy a/to ratio of 4.6. He also had 8 steals. I think he deserves a chance to start and play major minutes. If Dasonte competes and can do better, then he deserves to start. But Ahron has proved that he can lead this team. I really think the pg position is in good hands for next year.
 
I really don't care which of the 2 (Dasonte and/or Ahron) steps up, but I hope both do and I expect that Ahron will this year for sure. Just to put what you said in perspective, Ahron took 3 3-pt shots his freshman year and missed all 3. Definitely deer-in-the-headlights stats. The past season he took 12 3-pt shots shots and made 4 (33%), respectable, but not great. In the 6 games where he played 20 or more minutes, he was 4-7 from the 3, shot 22/26 for FTs (85%), ands had 23 assists (~4 apg) to 5 turnovers (<1/game) for a gaudy a/to ratio of 4.6. He also had 8 steals. I think he deserves a chance to start and play major minutes. If Dasonte competes and can do better, then he deserves to start. But Ahron has proved that he can lead this team. I really think the pg position is in good hands for next year.
That's really good stuff....another friend brought up the fact that Ulis's minutes were spotty at best and his playing time was limited, and that with extended minutes you might well see a different player or level of play from him.
 
If Conner is starting point guard it will be along year. I can see him playing spot duty but the starter. So come on Ulis play your game
CMac will not start at PG unless Iowa has a rash of injuries at guard. He has subbed in for wings almost exclusively over the past 2 years. I seriously doubt that he'll start even if he returns. Now IF he continues shooting the 3 like he did at the end of the year, all bets are off. THAT CMac warrants starting minutes. But I just don't see that happening. :)
 
Connor is the great utility player.....literally can provide minutes at the 1-4 positions. He isn't planning on an NBA career, so he seems to relish the role of watching the game unfold from the bench and seeing what the team needs, and then stepping in to whatever role the coach puts him in....and just helping the team.....that's my take, believe it or not I have not talked to him personally.....lol
 
That's really good stuff....another friend brought up the fact that Ulis's minutes were spotty at best and his playing time was limited, and that with extended minutes you might well see a different player or level of play from him.

Agree with you and BB that Ulis should get a chance to be the starter and has some opportunity to blossom with minutes.

That being said, when I just look at what skills he has shown on the floor compared to what skills Bowen has shown on the floor I think a betting man would bet on Bowen. That to me makes Ulis the underdog in this situation because even though he has had spots of success, they have mainly been in situations where he capitalized on his limited skill set (offensive rebounds, mid range pull ups). In other situations when defenses game plan him properly, it's been an immense struggle. Ever player has a chance to improve, so one can assume or hope Ulis improves this offseason, but that would be true of Bowen as well, yes?

In the end it doesn't matter - I think we trust the best player will get dominant minutes. I like Ulis a lot actually, just like Joe T. But I was giving these same concerns to people about Joe T last year because everyone wanted to broad brush some step function, wishful thinking growth to his game coming into this season. He did improve, but somewhat modestly compared to what they were selling last summer. Ulis will be the same I think - modest growth, particularly in decision making, but in the end not enough of a perimeter game to allow him to use his ability in the paint. Guys just sag off and then contest his pull ups, game over. We'll see!
 
Agree with you and BB that Ulis should get a chance to be the starter and has some opportunity to blossom with minutes.

That being said, when I just look at what skills he has shown on the floor compared to what skills Bowen has shown on the floor I think a betting man would bet on Bowen. That to me makes Ulis the underdog in this situation because even though he has had spots of success, they have mainly been in situations where he capitalized on his limited skill set (offensive rebounds, mid range pull ups). In other situations when defenses game plan him properly, it's been an immense struggle. Ever player has a chance to improve, so one can assume or hope Ulis improves this offseason, but that would be true of Bowen as well, yes?

In the end it doesn't matter - I think we trust the best player will get dominant minutes. I like Ulis a lot actually, just like Joe T. But I was giving these same concerns to people about Joe T last year because everyone wanted to broad brush some step function, wishful thinking growth to his game coming into this season. He did improve, but somewhat modestly compared to what they were selling last summer. Ulis will be the same I think - modest growth, particularly in decision making, but in the end not enough of a perimeter game to allow him to use his ability in the paint. Guys just sag off and then contest his pull ups, game over. We'll see!
Again, other than HS highlight videos, have you actually seen Dasonte play? EVERYONE looks great in highlight videos!
🤣
 
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Agree with you and BB that Ulis should get a chance to be the starter and has some opportunity to blossom with minutes.

That being said, when I just look at what skills he has shown on the floor compared to what skills Bowen has shown on the floor I think a betting man would bet on Bowen. That to me makes Ulis the underdog in this situation because even though he has had spots of success, they have mainly been in situations where he capitalized on his limited skill set (offensive rebounds, mid range pull ups). In other situations when defenses game plan him properly, it's been an immense struggle. Ever player has a chance to improve, so one can assume or hope Ulis improves this offseason, but that would be true of Bowen as well, yes?

In the end it doesn't matter - I think we trust the best player will get dominant minutes. I like Ulis a lot actually, just like Joe T. But I was giving these same concerns to people about Joe T last year because everyone wanted to broad brush some step function, wishful thinking growth to his game coming into this season. He did improve, but somewhat modestly compared to what they were selling last summer. Ulis will be the same I think - modest growth, particularly in decision making, but in the end not enough of a perimeter game to allow him to use his ability in the paint. Guys just sag off and then contest his pull ups, game over. We'll see!
I don't disagree here.....that was basically my premise. I think Ulis is in the driver's seat "right now" and if he wants to keep it (which he can if he makes the necessary improvements) he needs to work his butt off on the skills I mentioned originally. I think, from what we can see, Bowen is more athletic and more skilled on the offensive end.....but, Ulis has certain advantages. Can he build on those and improve his skills and keep that starting spot? I know what I would do if I were him (and that doesn't include transferring). I would be a maniac (think Luka) with my offseason work out.
 
Again, other than HS highlight videos, have you actually seen Dasonte play? EVERYONE looks great in highlight videos!
🤣

Fair point - I'll just explain my approach FWIW.

Totally agree that highlights only show what they show, and they don't show a number of things, so you have to be careful what you infer from them. That being said, you can infer a few things regarding the presence, or absence, of certain skills or attributes:
  • Athleticism: How athletic are they?
    • Jumping (and timing)
    • Defensive agility
    • Sprinting the court
  • Shot form:How good does their shot look?
    • Quickness of release?
    • Height of release point?
    • Proper amount of arch?
    • Proper form and consistency?
  • Shot types: What shots can they perform?
    • Driving, one hand contested layup - ball separation, either hand?
    • Floaters / runners - from both sides of the paint?
    • Pull ups - and range
    • Step backs/Side Steps - and range
    • 3's - and range.....do they shoot college range 3's or only HS range 3's?
    • Hook shots - ball separation, either hand? Range?
    • Euro Steps / Staggers - either side?
    • Post Moves - drop step, drop step counter, up and under, et al - both blocks, both hands?
    • Sikma move?
  • Ball handling: How well do they handle the ball?
    • Speed dribble - tightness and ability to use both hands
    • Crossover - tightness and ability to use both hands
    • Hesitation - tightness and ability to use both hands
    • Reverse (and half reverse) - tightness and ability to go either direction
    • Behind the Back / Between the legs (crossovers) - tightness and ability to go either direction
  • Passing:What types of passes can they throw, and how well do they throw them?
    • Bounce pass - either hand?
    • Chest pass
    • Post pass - to the proper spot....do they read the post defender?
    • Outlet pass (overhead / baseball)
    • Spin passes?
  • Defense:
    • Positioning - proper place in help defense, eyes on man and ball, proper stance
    • Anticipation
    • Blocking out
    • Active hands - deflections, steals
  • Intangibles- How do they compete?
    • Leadership? How do they relate with their teammates on both good and bad plays?
    • Toughness? Make plays with contact?
    • Clutch?
These are just some examples, and obviously highlight clips won't show the negative versions of these but you can find full games out there in places if you want to see an unbiased version of what they can and cannot do.

If you watched Ulis' high school tape, what we've seen the last 2 years is what you saw there in terms of SKILL packages - the types of things he can, and cannot do. He hit some 3's in high school, but the tape showed most of them from 20', not 22'. Bowen's tape shows a lot more from the college distance.

None of this means my take on this is right, lol, I'm just explaining that when I look at highlight tapes I watch them and check off SKILL BOXES so I can determine what skills the player has. If you see enough clips, most of what they have will make a clip. The absence of something likely means they can't do it in a competitive setting yet.


 
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Fair point - I'll just explain my approach FWIW.

Totally agree that highlights only show what they show, and they don't show a number of things, so you have to be careful what you infer from them. That being said, you can infer a few things regarding the presence, or absence, of certain skills or attributes:
  • Athleticism: How athletic are they?
    • Jumping (and timing)
    • Defensive agility
    • Sprinting the court
  • Shot form:How good does their shot look?
    • Quickness of release?
    • Height of release point?
    • Proper amount of arch?
    • Proper form and consistency?
  • Shot types: What shots can they perform?
    • Driving, one hand contested layup - ball separation, either hand?
    • Floaters / runners - from both sides of the paint?
    • Pull ups - and range
    • Step backs/Side Steps - and range
    • 3's - and range.....do they shoot college range 3's or only HS range 3's?
    • Hook shots - ball separation, either hand? Range?
    • Euro Steps / Staggers - either side?
    • Post Moves - drop step, drop step counter, up and under, et al - both blocks, both hands?
    • Sikma move?
  • Ball handling: How well do they handle the ball?
    • Speed dribble - tightness and ability to use both hands
    • Crossover - tightness and ability to use both hands
    • Hesitation - tightness and ability to use both hands
    • Reverse (and half reverse) - tightness and ability to go either direction
    • Behind the Back / Between the legs (crossovers) - tightness and ability to go either direction
  • Passing:What types of passes can they throw, and how well do they throw them?
    • Bounce pass - either hand?
    • Chest pass
    • Post pass - to the proper spot....do they read the post defender?
    • Outlet pass (overhead / baseball)
    • Spin passes?
  • Defense:
    • Positioning - proper place in help defense, eyes on man and ball, proper stance
    • Anticipation
    • Blocking out
    • Active hands - deflections, steals
  • Intangibles- How do they compete?
    • Leadership? How do they relate with their teammates on both good and bad plays?
    • Toughness? Make plays with contact?
    • Clutch?
These are just some examples, and obviously highlight clips won't show the negative versions of these but you can find full games out there in places if you want to see an unbiased version of what they can and cannot do.

If you watched Ulis' high school tape, what we've seen the last 2 years is what you saw there in terms of SKILL packages - the types of things he can, and cannot do. He hit some 3's in high school, but the tape showed most of them from 20', not 22'. Bowen's tape shows a lot more from the college distance.

None of this means my take on this is right, lol, I'm just explaining that when I look at highlight tapes I watch them and check off SKILL BOXES so I can determine what skills the player has. If you see enough clips, most of what they have will make a clip. The absence of something likely means they can't do it in a competitive setting yet.


They're called highlight reels for a reason!

Ulis surprised the heck out of me this past season with his rebounding and defense. I don't know which is the better leaper, but Ulis was able to rebound and defend very well in the Big 10. That's worth more than any HS highlight video. His shooting was/is what concerns me the most but, when I went back and analyzed his stats in those 6 games where he played at least 20 minutes, he did better than I expected.

Dasonte sure looks good but all of Iowa's recruits have looked great in their highlight videos. I will reserve judgment on how well he will do at Iowa until he actually plays a few games here. I have a feeling that Ahron's 2-year head start will give him a huge advantage.
 
They're called highlight reels for a reason!

Ulis surprised the heck out of me this past season with his rebounding and defense. I don't know which is the better leaper, but Ulis was able to rebound and defend very well in the Big 10. That's worth more than any HS highlight video. His shooting was/is what concerns me the most but, when I went back and analyzed his stats in those 6 games where he played at least 20 minutes, he did better than I expected.

Dasonte sure looks good but all of Iowa's recruits have looked great in their highlight videos. I will reserve judgment on how well he will do at Iowa until he actually plays a few games here. I have a feeling that Ahron's 2-year head start will give him a huge advantage.

I recognize they are highlight reels, but with a trained eye and a list of what you are looking for you can still get some good insights. If you just view them at a high level I agree they will all look good (reminds me of trying to watch RB recruit video for football). I'm looking for very specific things and generally if those players have them, they will show up in the videos if you watch more than 1.

No problem if we disagree, I can definitely be wrong here. We're both just trying to forecast, which is what these boards are for :)
 
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I recognize they are highlight reels, but with a trained eye and a list of what you are looking for you can still get some good insights. If you just view them at a high level I agree they will all look good (reminds me of trying to watch RB recruit video for football). I'm looking for very specific things and generally if those players have them, they will show up in the videos if you watch more than 1.

No problem if we disagree, I can definitely be wrong here. We're both just trying to forecast, which is what these boards are for :)
If you’re saying that Bowen will be playing better than Ulis by Big10 play (assuming no injuries)…..then you are correct.
 
I am a fan of Ulis, but my expectations on him radically improving his shooting, let alone from long range, are very small. Here are my expectations/predictions:

1. Ulis continues to develop his passing and ball distribution skills (Currently a 7.0 / By Senior Year 8.5)
2. Continues to leverage his defense, increase steals (6.5/8.0)
3. Maintain strong FT Shooting (9.0/9.0)
4. Slightly improve ball handling (7.5/8.5)
5. Slightly improve already strong rebounding (8.0/8.5)
6. Improve his Layups/Putbacks/Floaters and mini jumpers inside 8 feet (4.0/6.5)
 
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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.

We all know about the injuries Dix suffered, but both Dix and Fran have stated that they expect he will be ready to play next season. What is the basis for your assertion that it is "very doubtful" that Dix will be able to play next season?
 
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I think most of us want the best players to play. Big Ten is a big jump.

Ahron didn't finish strong but his minutes were spotty and he still played solid defense and rebounded well for a smallish BBall player. I'm thinking Ahron shows significant improvement. The Hawks are in big trouble if we're counting on freshmen to lead a Big Ten team. Dasonte might be great, hope so but he will probably have growing pains and he's small. Josh D had a catastrophic injury and full recovery as quick as November next season adds significantly to the problems of merely being a freshman.

Ahron will have a lot of pressure next year and I'm pulling for him.
 
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We all know about the injuries Dix suffered, but both Dix and Fran have stated that they expect he will be ready to play next season. What is the basis for your assertion that it is "very doubtful" that Dix will be able to play next season?
I don't have any inside info, but getting back from a major injury to playing at your peak level takes time. My point in the post, which was a couple of weeks ago, was that a getting another experienced guard in the transfer portal would make a lot of sense with JoeT leaving and JBo gone. We all would love to see Dix at 100% at the start of the season, but counting on it is risky. Any other injuries or issues would leave the team very thin...
 
Ulis looks the part athletically and plays good d, but his jumper is ugly. Fran needs guards who can score, not guards who do not need to be guarded. Unless Ulis makes dramatic improvement offensively, I am not sure he merits more than 5 minutes per half. You can't have a back court of Ulis and Connor unless you think playing 3 on 5 offensively makes sense.
 
So the assumption is at this point that the guard spots are set on the roster and the only possible get in the portal will be a big man, if one can be found who is interested?

That's disappointing, but not surprising.

Then, assuming guards available as is, I'm hopeful that Bowen is game ready and is the starter or getting majority minutes by December. Ulis as back up. Connor primary ball handler only as an emergency.
 
Ulis looks the part athletically and plays good d, but his jumper is ugly. Fran needs guards who can score, not guards who do not need to be guarded. Unless Ulis makes dramatic improvement offensively, I am not sure he merits more than 5 minutes per half. You can't have a back court of Ulis and Connor unless you think playing 3 on 5 offensively makes sense.
Why do you think that his jumper looks ugly? It's a classic jump shot. Nothing strange about it. Look at his FT form - very consistent. He just needs some time. As I noted above, he shot better from the 3 in the longer stretches of play that he got.
 
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Why do you think that his jumper looks ugly? It's a classic jump shot. Nothing strange about it. Look at his FT form - very consistent. He just needs some time. As I noted above, he shot better from the 3 in the longer stretches of play that he got.
Agreed.....I don't claim expertise but his free throw form/mechanics look great.....textbook. I remember videos of him working out with his brother and his shot looked really good. I think that he just hasn't played that role yet at Iowa with an expectation that he should be shooting as a regular part of that role. I think it's all about confidence and getting in the flow offensively. Those early season small school opponents are where he needs to get time and shots.
 
Agreed.....I don't claim expertise but his free throw form/mechanics look great.....textbook. I remember videos of him working out with his brother and his shot looked really good. I think that he just hasn't played that role yet at Iowa with an expectation that he should be shooting as a regular part of that role. I think it's all about confidence and getting in the flow offensively. Those early season small school opponents are where he needs to get time and shots.
My thoughts exactly.
 
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Ulis looks the part athletically and plays good d, but his jumper is ugly. Fran needs guards who can score, not guards who do not need to be guarded. Unless Ulis makes dramatic improvement offensively, I am not sure he merits more than 5 minutes per half. You can't have a back court of Ulis and Connor unless you think playing 3 on 5 offensively makes sense.
Perkins is in the backcourt, plus Dix, Plus Bowen. If Ullis can’t score the ball I doubt you’d see the backcourt of Ullis and Connor, unless Connor starts to shoot 36% or above from 3 pt. Land. I suppose anything is possible though.
 
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I don't have any inside info, but getting back from a major injury to playing at your peak level takes time. My point in the post, which was a couple of weeks ago, was that a getting another experienced guard in the transfer portal would make a lot of sense with JoeT leaving and JBo gone. We all would love to see Dix at 100% at the start of the season, but counting on it is risky. Any other injuries or issues would leave the team very thin...
I think a major component of his recovery will be mentally trusting that his leg has healed and is as strong as it was before the injury. After that, it is just getting back into basketball shape and rehoning his skills.
 
I think a major component of his recovery will be mentally trusting that his leg has healed and is as strong as it was before the injury. After that, it is just getting back into basketball shape and rehoning his skills.
Mostly what I was saying. There is often a lag of several months or longer between being cleared to play and getting back to playing at your top level. We could sure use Dix at 100% (not 80%) for next year, but that is far less than certain, even if Fran and Dix think he will be back. I was never an elite athlete, but I know first hand that recovery from an serious injury goes through steps, and the final step comes after the doctors say you are ready.
 
Mostly what I was saying. There is often a lag of several months or longer between being cleared to play and getting back to playing at your top level. We could sure use Dix at 100% (not 80%) for next year, but that is far less than certain, even if Fran and Dix think he will be back. I was never an elite athlete, but I know first hand that recovery from an serious injury goes through steps, and the final step comes after the doctors say you are ready.
I think he will come out as if it never happened
 
Why do you think that his jumper looks ugly? It's a classic jump shot. Nothing strange about it. Look at his FT form - very consistent. He just needs some time. As I noted above, he shot better from the 3 in the longer stretches of play that he got.

That's actually something I noticed. Ahron's jump shot comes off flat and his FTs have both a nice form and a nice arc. I think that means he's not comfortable when shooting.

Ahron missed a lot of point-blank shots as well. I think it was the erratic playing time and some growing pains. The upside is Ahron should get plenty of PT and have confidence in his minutes.
 
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
Hes was definitely the best of the guards at keeping the ball in front of him.

Getting backdoored too often is a hilarious complaint.

I think Iowa faced one guard all year, Gilyard, who had the bball IQ to cut back door consistently.

Nobody cuts hard without the ball anymore.
 
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!
Having a poy candidate is not a prerequisite for success.

Most teams don't have that.

You'd don't have to do it the same way every year.

Seems like this idea of "can't replace X player" has been brought up every year since Devin Marble.
 
Agreed.....I don't claim expertise but his free throw form/mechanics look great.....textbook. I remember videos of him working out with his brother and his shot looked really good. I think that he just hasn't played that role yet at Iowa with an expectation that he should be shooting as a regular part of that role. I think it's all about confidence and getting in the flow offensively. Those early season small school opponents are where he needs to get time and shots.

He shot 40% from 3 in HS as a senior. He'll eventually be a reliable shooter I'm sure once he gets more comfortable.
 
Hope so, but the clock is ticking.
You don't think he knows that? Jeesh!

Some posters expect players to be instant stars when they get to Iowa. That just doesn't happen very often. If they can make good contributions by their 2nd year in the program (like Ahron has), it's great. If they can be a major part of the team beyond that, then they meet expectations. Let's see where Ahron ends up before we judge him.
 
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