Am I wrong in Thinking...

[TampaHawkfan]

Too bad JBo couldn't have been healthy. He would have been yet another weapon, but this team is hard to guard as it is.

The teams with Marble, White, Uthoff, Jok, etc. were pretty talented but it seemed the one thing those teams were missing was the clutch factor. Need a big bucket late in a tight game? Those teams usually seemed to fold. Doesn't seem to be the case with this squad. I like it. I hope that mental toughness translates into February/March, second time through the conference slate. That's often been the bugaboo with Fran's teams.

 

[Hawkatheart]

When it is all said and done and you measure the careers at Iowa of JBo, Joe W., Garza, CJ may very well be on par with any of Fran's teams talent wise.

 

[NevadaHawk]

Slightly OT - I remember Ralph Miller's 1969-70 Hawkeye team "JJ and the Dealers"/"Six Pack" of Johnson, Brown, Calabria, Vidnovic, Jensen, & McGilmer (right names?) and thinking we'll win, but how quickly will we get over 100 pts.? With these guys, you know mistakes will be made, but more and more these guys seem to know and embrace their roles; you think there will always be a chance they'll win. Gutsy, gritty group of guys.

I still have fond memories of that team. They could really get up and the floor and score points like no other team.

 

[Pepperman]

Chemistry matters a lot too.

They’re better CONSTRUCTED without Cook and for some reason a lot of posters here don’t understand what this means. Cook is a good athlete and he surprised me making an NBA roster... but this Iowa team plays better basketball without him ... RocknRoll has explained this many times too, but not having two posts helps Garza with spacing.

 

[BBHawk]

Chemistry matters a lot too.

They’re better CONSTRUCTED without Cook and for some reason a lot of posters here don’t understand what this means. Cook is a good athlete and he surprised me making an NBA roster... but this Iowa team plays better basketball without him ... RocknRoll has explained this many times too, but not having two posts helps Garza with spacing.

Garza does fine with Kriener, so I would attribute the lack of Garza involvement last year to his health and Cook's inability to play alongside another inside player. In any case, this year is going very well.

 

[The Deplorable Sleeping Dog]

Based on recruiting projections this team starts 3 ESPN top 100 4*s, an ESPN top #120 4* and the Kentucky PoY, Tournament MVP and state champion.

We should expect these boys to do well. They are doing well. Good ball players.

 

[HawkLogic]

Too bad JBo couldn't have been healthy. He would have been yet another weapon, but this team is hard to guard as it is.

The teams with Marble, White, Uthoff, Jok, etc. were pretty talented but it seemed the one thing those teams were missing was the clutch factor. Need a big bucket late in a tight game? Those teams usually seemed to fold. Doesn't seem to be the case with this squad. I like it. I hope that mental toughness translates into February/March, second time through the conference slate. That's often been the bugaboo with Fran's teams.

There were never 3 scorers on any of those teams...Fran had Marble and White, but Uthoff/Jok were not really top players when they overlapped. Then Uthoff/Jok were studs during Uthoff senior year, but there wasn't a 3rd scorer...Baer was closest to a 3rd scorer.

I would say with Garza, JoeW, and Fredrick this IS Fran's most talented team. Kriener is a 4th guy that can score. There just isn't much depth---however, that is not a bad thing given Fran's tendency to swap out 5 starters for backups if he is 10 deep. The thing Iowa is still missing is scoring/clutch PG....A healthy JBo would have helped this year.

 

[El Simbolo]

...this is the most complete Iowa team under Fran? I'm hard pressed to remember a Fran team this balanced.

I don’t think it’s the most balanced, but may be the best. We have games where we win with only four or five players scoring. Not balanced, as far as scoring goes, but everyone playing their role well.

 

[The Deplorable Sleeping Dog]

There were never 3 scorers on any of those teams...Fran had Marble and White, but Uthoff/Jok were not really top players when they overlapped. Then Uthoff/Jok were studs during Uthoff senior year, but there wasn't a 3rd scorer...Baer was closest to a 3rd scorer.

I would say with Garza, JoeW, and Fredrick this IS Fran's most talented team. Kriener is a 4th guy that can score. There just isn't much depth---however, that is not a bad thing given Fran's tendency to swap out 5 starters for backups if he is 10 deep. The thing Iowa is still missing is scoring/clutch PG....A healthy JBo would have helped this year.

Very good post. Spot on! Whitey and Ute could score. While Mikey G, and sometimes Woody and AC could put up some points there was never the third reliable scorer.

C J appears to fill that role with increasing confidence and skill. Especially provides the scoring versatility that prevents locking CJ down, like a good defense can do to a shooting specialist (e.g. Ogles, Kent McCausland etc...) CJ cannot be pigeonholed.

 

[FBletterman]

The difference is Garza is a superstar. It takes that to become a team on the next level. Ronnie Lester was a superstar, Roy Marble was a superstar. etc... We have had teams that have more overall talent, but it been a long time since we had an All American Talent. There have been many final four teams who got there with an all American and very good supporting cast.

 

[KuwaitHawk]

You're not wrong...Garza is the best offensive center Iowa's had since Acie Earl, Greg Stokes, Nellie, or Charlies Darling. That's a whole lotta years gone by before Luka....and credit all goes to Fran.

If you are going back to Nellie, you’re going WAY back.

 

[The Deplorable Sleeping Dog]

Tough call but right now I'm thinking Garzilla edges Acie by a nose. Luka's defense is improved and he's getting some blocks. Offensively, although Acie was very good he did not have the offensive skills and scoring diversity the Garzilla brings to the floor.

 

[conn53victor]

Both the men's and women's Hawkeye teams are tough. Regardless of talent, they have the will to win. It is hard to quantify, but I can feel it with both teams.

 

[EpenesaEpenesa]

Tough call but right now I'm thinking Garzilla edges Acie by a nose. Luka's defense is improved and he's getting some blocks. Offensively, although Acie was very good he did not have the offensive skills and scoring diversity the Garzilla brings to the floor.

I’d love to see a foot race down the floor with Acie’s sweet strut and Garza in full sprint mode

 

[binsfeldcyhawk2]

...this is the most complete Iowa team under Fran?

I don't believe it's the most talented, but all the pieces fit perfectly. So, with post scoring (Garza), guards who can penetrate and hit the 3 (CJ n Weizy), speed (Joe), toughness (Joe n Connor), and poise (Connor) out of the PG, and solid role players (Bakari, RK, and Pemsl) off the bench, I'm hard pressed to remember a Fran team this balanced.

If they stay healthy, methinks they'll be a tough out come March.

I think the short bench actually helps Fran. Doesn't have to worry about getting an 11 man rotation "their minutes"....

This team has clearly defined roles.....and the guys know they're gonna get their minutes. Bakari and Joe T basically swap out at PG. Kreiner gets some minutes alongside Luke and knows he's in when Luka gets a rest. Pemsl gets basically minutes as needed but it's been consistent the last few games.....

Obviously can't afford an injury but this 8 man rotation works.....

 

[SDHawkDoc]

I think the short bench actually helps Fran. Doesn't have to worry about getting an 11 man rotation "their minutes"....

This team has clearly defined roles.....and the guys know they're gonna get their minutes. Bakari and Joe T basically swap out at PG. Kreiner gets some minutes alongside Luke and knows he's in when Luka gets a rest. Pemsl gets basically minutes as needed but it's been consistent the last few games.....

Obviously can't afford an injury but this 8 man rotation works.....

Agree that guys knowing, and accepting, their role is more clear with this group. Helps a lot with team cohesion.

 

[TampaHawkfan]

There were never 3 scorers on any of those teams...Fran had Marble and White, but Uthoff/Jok were not really top players when they overlapped. Then Uthoff/Jok were studs during Uthoff senior year, but there wasn't a 3rd scorer...Baer was closest to a 3rd scorer.

I would say with Garza, JoeW, and Fredrick this IS Fran's most talented team. Kriener is a 4th guy that can score. There just isn't much depth---however, that is not a bad thing given Fran's tendency to swap out 5 starters for backups if he is 10 deep. The thing Iowa is still missing is scoring/clutch PG....A healthy JBo would have helped this year.

Good points. Agreed on all counts - and I think you're right about the players I named. By the time Uthoff and Jok were playing at a higher level, White and Marble were graduated.

Yeah this is as many reliable scorers at one time that I can recall on any of Fran's teams.

Man, throw an Andre Woolridge or BJ Armstrong on this team and they'd be dynamite.