Are we gonna suck this year?

[TRHawkeye145]

So our 3 really good players all dropped 20. That’s good. The bad if I’m reading correctly is that our pt guard play still blows and Fran is determined to play lineups with 1-2 ball handlers and we still don’t care to guard anyone. Oh, and it did look like there were at least 100 people in the seats. I honestly feel sorry for our big 3. All really good players.

And still no defense lol

But the defense and intensity in practice is phenomenal though

 

[EvilMonkeyInTheCloset]

I have no idea how good/bad this team will be. Nobody does at this point.

They're winning the national championship.

 

[CyberJJ]

Krikke was a decent mid range shooter. But those mid range shots are not a high percentage point producer. I'd rather see three point shots or shoots in the paint, much more effective and efficient. He sucked on D & non factor on the boards.

No argument on the D and rebounding. Krikke, with all those midrange shots still shot just under 55% from the field last year.

 

[BrewHawk]

Iowa hasn't emphasized defense in basketball for a long, long time.

It isn't going to start this year either.

Can you imagine how much worse the defense will look against high D1 talent?

 

[jonesy5960]

They're winning the CBI championship.

FIFY....

 

[LukaDuka]

Iowa likely didn't game plan this team so they didn't really treat any of the opposing players in any special way.

That being said, the defense was pretty poor even though I do think the other team was very experienced and disciplined offensively. Their smaller front line was pretty mobile and did expose some of our bigs when they got them on the perimeter by driving past them. Other issues were just digging at drivers and not recovering to your guy type stuff.

Offensively this team is an NCAA team without a doubt. The Big 3 (Sandfort, Freeman, Dix) made it look really easy out there, and Dembele looked solid too. Traore, Thelwell and Koch should round into form over the next 8 weeks and be very good also.

I'm not nearly as worried about Harding as some. He'll have his defensive challenges, but he also makes some plays defensively. On offense he'll be fine, other than trying to find a consistent 3 point shot. I'm not worried about Harding, and I would not play Dix at PG.

I wouldn't look at the closeness of the score last night at times as a guage of this team, but just have to look at the individual players. On offense we look as good or better than last season. On defense there is a lot of work to do if we want to be in the Top 80 in defensive efficiency. At some point I'll break down the defensive film to highlight who is having the most problems. I reran a couple plays back and help defenders were just not getting back to their guy who drifted to an open 3 point spot. Other issues are getting in front of driving players and flattening them out so they can get to the rim. They will fix some of this, the question is how much.

To simplify, we're slow and out of position on defense. Same show, different year.

 

[CookyMonster]

Why are these old coaches so stubborn to fix decades long weaknesses? Do they not care about winning?

 

[LukaDuka]

So I have absolutely no question you know basketball. But honestly after all these years of watching Frans teams play defense what makes you think your last sentence is correctable? While Sandfort is an absolute scoring machine there’s very few D1 players he can stay in front of. His bro is worse. Dembele is slow footed on D as well. This is all going to lead to other teams attacking the rim and getting Freeman into foul trouble. We have zero capable perimeter defenders. We will have games (especially at home) where we score 90 and above. No doubt. But you can’t take this defense on the road in the Big Ten. You just can’t.

Good coaches who actually coach defense always say "defense travels". Meaning defense is about effort. No excuses, but to give good hard effort with hustle both at home & away. Road games on unfamiliar courts can throw a shooter off. But defense should be consistent. Fran's motto is good offense beats good defense. I just do not think Iowa has the all around foot speed to play strong defense.

IMO Fran should employ a match up zone defense or some gimmick defenses to throw off the opponents & disrupt their offensive rhythm. Do something, anything to improve this pathetic defense... PLEASE

 

[Hawksfor3]

Iowa hasn't emphasized defense in basketball for a long, long time.

It isn't going to start this year either.

Can you imagine how much worse the defense will look against high D1 talent?

That's been the missing cog for a number of years. I saw a lot of paint penetration in the game yesterday, The guards have to do a better job of staying with their man. Owen can only do so much trying to protect the rim.

 

[Muscles1989]

Gonna be your typical Iowa men’s bball team. Probably win a few they shouldn’t, gonna lose a few in an ugly fashion, and at no point play any sort of defense, and be overshadowed by the women’s team like normal.

 

[amahawk]

I was unimpressed after watching a replay on YouTube. There is time to get the team together.

 

[Hawksfor3]

I was unimpressed after watching a replay on YouTube. There is time to get the team together.

Good info. I didn't know they had replays there.

 

[HawkLogic]

Should be better than last year.

Bubble team/low at-large.

No chance for a Sweet Sixteen unless the team takes playing defense into their own hands.

I would say the chances are better than 1 in a million that this Iowa B-ball team makes the Sweet16 but Substantially less than
Iowa States chances.

I need my stalker Iowa 10 to double check, but I believe Fran is not in his 29th season as a head coach without making a Sweet16 by random chance.

 

[Buffalo43]

Its on the defensive but Seydou and Josh take defensive personally and to a lower degree Pryce and Peyton i think have a hunch we will be better on defensive this year

 

[Buffalo43]

That being said they are still overplaying where they should not be and leaving wide open 3 point shooters due to overplaying

 

[BrewHawk]

That being said they are still overplaying where they should not be and leaving wide open 3 point shooters due to overplaying

Sounds familiar.

 

[AmericaNeedsMe]

That's been the missing cog for a number of years. I saw a lot of paint penetration in the game yesterday, The guards have to do a better job of staying with their man. Owen can only do so much trying to protect the rim.

The missing cog hasn't been defense or defensive effort per se. The missing cog has been athletic depth. Look at these SEC teams, e.g., -- even the bottom of the league just has a different class of athlete on their roster.

When Iowa gets in the dance and looks slow and outclassed, it's not because the coaching staff hasn't put in enough junk D looks, it's because we ARE comparatively slow and outclassed. The '21 Oregon game pretty much sums up Fran's on the court product over his 15 years here. A few really good pieces ultimately outclassed by teams with legitimate athletic depth.

Iowa isn't the only B1G team with this problem, obviously, but it is a problem.

 

[BrewHawk]

The missing cog hasn't been defense or defensive effort per se. The missing cog has been athletic depth. Look at these SEC teams, e.g., -- even the bottom of the league just has a different class of athlete on their roster.

When Iowa gets in the dance and looks slow and outclassed, it's not because the coaching staff hasn't put in enough junk D looks, it's because we ARE comparatively slow and outclassed. The '21 Oregon game pretty much sums up Fran's on the court product over his 15 years here. A few really good pieces ultimately outclassed by teams with legitimate athletic depth.

Iowa isn't the only B1G team with this problem, obviously, but it is a problem.

Lack of athleticism keeps us from being able to play effective defense (that, and an overall philosophical lack of emphasis on it).

So, not only are we not quick enough, we also don't know what we're doing.

 

[littlez]

The missing cog hasn't been defense or defensive effort per se. The missing cog has been athletic depth. Look at these SEC teams, e.g., -- even the bottom of the league just has a different class of athlete on their roster.

When Iowa gets in the dance and looks slow and outclassed, it's not because the coaching staff hasn't put in enough junk D looks, it's because we ARE comparatively slow and outclassed. The '21 Oregon game pretty much sums up Fran's on the court product over his 15 years here. A few really good pieces ultimately outclassed by teams with legitimate athletic depth.

Iowa isn't the only B1G team with this problem, obviously, but it is a problem.

The Auburn game from a few years ago also comes to mind in the tournament. Even though Purdue finally helped the Big Ten make an NCAA final last year look at their struggles over the years in the tournament trying to guard teams w/quicker athletes. Not sure why the Big Ten can't recruit better athletes.

 

[Ladell-hawk]

Are the Hawkeyes still short on capable guards? It again sounds that way.

If our point guards can’t shoot well from 3 we will be disappointing. I still see this team struggling to rebound.