Defense

[RocknRollface]

It's real.

Fran is not stupid. If you are unable to consistently recruit at the top of the league, there are a few ways to remain competitive. One is to limit possessions -- the Wisconsin way. The other is to put shooters everywhere on the floor and try to outscore every team. 3 star catch and shoot shooters ain't playing lock down D, and they ain't dominating the glass.

If Fran had a .500 record playing buckyball after 15 years, do you really think there would be anyone left in the stands? Me either.

It's not an either or scenario. Many different things can be true simultaneously.

What you're saying is obviously a factor but not the only factor.

Fran isn't stupid but he is kind of eccentric. He's hyper focused on offensive efficiency.

He's had good defenders that he doesn't play because he wants everyone on the floor to be an offensive threat.

 

[HoustonREDHawk]

It's not an either or scenario. Many different things can be true simultaneously.

What you're saying is obviously a factor but not the only factor.

Fran isn't stupid but he is kind of eccentric. He's hyper focused on offensive efficiency.

He's had good defenders that he doesn't play because he wants everyone on the floor to be an offensive threat.

I agree with this. That is why it such a big deal for Fran to get player who a good on both ends of the floor, like Keegan and Josh Dix. I hope he also now has two-way players in Traore and Thelwell, who I think were better portal grabs than we could have hoped for with the limited $$$. Successful teams can get away with a player or two on the floor who aren't great defenders, but only if the others are really good and you have a team defense that works together. I am still waiting to see if Freeman, Dembele and Traore can provide the post defense needed, including ending defensive possessions with a rebound. The potential is there. The Woody and Gesell team had a good team defense, but most Fran teams have not.

 

[DanHawkPella]

One of their biggest issues is how to play the Pick and Roll.

Last night they wanted to flat hedge for 1-2 dribbles then recover, with a 3rd player off the ball tagging the roller briefly to try to take that away. Unfortunately teams are often still hitting the roller because the hedging big is late to recover, or they are reversing the ball back to the wing where the tagging defender came from and getting a wide open 3.

I'd much rather just switch it because even though we end up with a mismatch at least it should still be a contested shot off the dribble, as opposed to a shot at the rim or a catch and shoot 3. Dembele does have heavy feet at times so he can get exposed when switching, but given 3 poor options I think I would switch and then if they try to exploit the roller on a guard too often I would play drop coverage and the ball defender would chase the ball over the screen and down inside the 3 point arc. Drop coverage should take away the 3 and the roller but would give up the mid-range.

Either of those is preferable to a temporary hedge imo as in all cases I'd want to avoid the catch and shoot 3 or the big at the rim scenarios.

 

[BrewHawk]

One of their biggest issues is how to play the Pick and Roll.

Last night they wanted to flat hedge for 1-2 dribbles then recover, with a 3rd player off the ball tagging the roller briefly to try to take that away. Unfortunately teams are often still hitting the roller because the hedging big is late to recover, or they are reversing the ball back to the wing where the tagging defender came from and getting a wide open 3.

I'd much rather just switch it because even though we end up with a mismatch at least it should still be a contested shot off the dribble, as opposed to a shot at the rim or a catch and shoot 3. Dembele does have heavy feet at times so he can get exposed when switching, but given 3 poor options I think I would switch and then if they try to exploit the roller on a guard too often I would play drop coverage and the ball defender would chase the ball over the screen and down inside the 3 point arc. Drop coverage should take away the 3 and the roller but would give up the mid-range.

Either of those is preferable to a temporary hedge imo as in all cases I'd want to avoid the catch and shoot 3 or the big at the rim scenarios.

Yeah, and the relative length we do have would be more effective in a switching situation as well. You've gotta have some quickness to hedge and recover. We don't.

 

[RocknRollface]

One of their biggest issues is how to play the Pick and Roll.

Last night they wanted to flat hedge for 1-2 dribbles then recover, with a 3rd player off the ball tagging the roller briefly to try to take that away. Unfortunately teams are often still hitting the roller because the hedging big is late to recover, or they are reversing the ball back to the wing where the tagging defender came from and getting a wide open 3.

I'd much rather just switch it because even though we end up with a mismatch at least it should still be a contested shot off the dribble, as opposed to a shot at the rim or a catch and shoot 3. Dembele does have heavy feet at times so he can get exposed when switching, but given 3 poor options I think I would switch and then if they try to exploit the roller on a guard too often I would play drop coverage and the ball defender would chase the ball over the screen and down inside the 3 point arc. Drop coverage should take away the 3 and the roller but would give up the mid-range.

Either of those is preferable to a temporary hedge imo as in all cases I'd want to avoid the catch and shoot 3 or the big at the rim scenarios.

Yes, this is always the biggest issue in a Fran defense. The only time we've ever played the high screen well is with Woodbury.

If the hedge doesn't do anything to effect the ballhandler then it just kills you.

With this group I think drop coverage may be preferable to switching but the biggest issues come when they try to do different things based on opponent and there's too much confusion.

Whatever they do I just want to see them do one thing to get everyone on the same page consistently. At least in theory it should get better throughout the year that way.

 

[RocknRollface]

Yeah, and the relative length we do have would be more effective in a switching situation as well. You've gotta have some quickness to hedge and recover. We don't.

Switching would be an ideal scheme with Thelwell and Traore are at the 1 and 4 but what I've seen happen way too often is one guy switches and the other hedges or drops.

It shouldn't be difficult to figure out but it has been.

 

[twindman]

I got tired of watching Dembele on the pick and roll end up double teaming one of the opponents and leaving the one breaking to the hoop wide open. Two guys at the line and no one at the rim! Freeman does this a little to but not as often.

 

[ozzie8]

Fran’s bread and butter should’ve been an active, disciplined zone from the time he got here. What has he recruited to Iowa? Long, lengthy kids with limited quickness. Be big, use that length, sit down in a stance and be active. Iowa does not have the quickness to play man recruiting the type of kids Fran does.

 

[Hawksfinal4]

I got tired of watching Dembele on the pick and roll end up double teaming one of the opponents and leaving the one breaking to the hoop wide open. Two guys at the line and no one at the rim! Freeman does this a little to but not as often.

If it’s a really good double team , it can pay of at least half the time but you have to commit hard to it not sorta double, Seydou may provide a better option at this but haven’t had a chance to see him yet

 

[IllQChawk]

Wait until Owen is not on the floor and both Sandford's, Dix. Harding or Thelwell, and Dembele or Brauns are on the floor trying to guard the other teams seven footer or multiple seven footers. That will be fun.....NOT.
Fran has always loved 6-7, 6-8 forwards as long as they have offense and has distain for defensive centers with height. Owen is good, but as the only center on the team you can see he is not as aggressive as last year because he knows if he is not on the court, Iowa has no one to replace him.
It's not the guards that will fail Iowa, it will be the forwards that can't play defense or rebound that will kill Iowa's chances to compete with the better teams in the Big Ten.

 

[RocknRollface]

Wait until Owen is not on the floor and both Sandford's, Dix. Harding or Thelwell, and Dembele or Brauns are on the floor trying to guard the other teams seven footer or multiple seven footers. That will be fun.....NOT.
Fran has always loved 6-7, 6-8 forwards as long as they have offense and has distain for defensive centers with height. Owen is good, but as the only center on the team you can see he is not as aggressive as last year because he knows if he is not on the court, Iowa has no one to replace him.
It's not the guards that will fail Iowa, it will be the forwards that can't play defense or rebound that will kill Iowa's chances to compete with the better teams in the Big Ten.

Well yeah, keeping Mulvey around made no sense, everyone understood this.

 

[Hawksfinal4]

Well yeah, keeping Mulvey around made no sense, everyone understood this.

Fran committed a scholarship to him with development hopes. I have no doubt that he had hoped for better development and I also have no doubt that had he wanted to go somewhere else he would have helped him. You feel it’s ok to Crean people, that’s where you and I suppose we differ. I don’t agree with Fran on everything , (about half) of the things he does but on this I do.

 

[fivecardstud14]

One of their biggest issues is how to play the Pick and Roll.

Last night they wanted to flat hedge for 1-2 dribbles then recover, with a 3rd player off the ball tagging the roller briefly to try to take that away. Unfortunately teams are often still hitting the roller because the hedging big is late to recover, or they are reversing the ball back to the wing where the tagging defender came from and getting a wide open 3.

I'd much rather just switch it because even though we end up with a mismatch at least it should still be a contested shot off the dribble, as opposed to a shot at the rim or a catch and shoot 3. Dembele does have heavy feet at times so he can get exposed when switching, but given 3 poor options I think I would switch and then if they try to exploit the roller on a guard too often I would play drop coverage and the ball defender would chase the ball over the screen and down inside the 3 point arc. Drop coverage should take away the 3 and the roller but would give up the mid-range.

Either of those is preferable to a temporary hedge imo as in all cases I'd want to avoid the catch and shoot 3 or the big at the rim scenarios.

Yes, this is always the biggest issue in a Fran defense. The only time we've ever played the high screen well is with Woodbury.

If the hedge doesn't do anything to effect the ballhandler then it just kills you.

With this group I think drop coverage may be preferable to switching but the biggest issues come when they try to do different things based on opponent and there's too much confusion.

Whatever they do I just want to see them do one thing to get everyone on the same page consistently. At least in theory it should get better throughout the year that way.

I too think switching would be best. But that can bring foul issues for Freeman. If/when Freeman gets in foul trouble this year, the Hawks will be in trouble. Need him to be on the floor for as many minutes as possible. Don’t need to see Brauns get minutes against real opponents.

 

[HoustonREDHawk]

Unfortunately, Freeman is almost as bad as Dembele at guarding the pick and roll. They both get caught in no man's land really not effectively guarding either player. This is partly player ability, but I think it is mostly lack of practice and coaching.

 

[the notorious r.d.m.]

Traore hasn't seen the court yet due to his injury. But if healthy he should immediately replace Ladji in the starting lineup. Ladji should be 12 minutes a game max backing up the 5. Two games in a row where I thought he was the worst Hawkeye on the floor.

 

[Bulldogs1974]

Fran committed a scholarship to him with development hopes. I have no doubt that he had hoped for better development and I also have no doubt that had he wanted to go somewhere else he would have helped him. You feel it’s ok to Crean people, that’s where you and I suppose we differ. I don’t agree with Fran on everything , (about half) of the things he does but on this I do.

creaning people was a bad thing when these guys weren't getting paid what they are now.
I have 0 concern for dropping a bad player at the end of the bench. They are making very good money plus free education, tutors, meals, trainers, connections..... Spare the pity for the poor college player. They never really existed.

 

[Bulldogs1974]

I too think switching would be best. But that can bring foul issues for Freeman. If/when Freeman gets in foul trouble this year, the Hawks will be in trouble. Need him to be on the floor for as many minutes as possible. Don’t need to see Brauns get minutes against real opponents.

a good defensive ball club switches between: drop, hedge, switch. There are times and places for all of them.
Good defensive teams also, force the ball handler above the screen enough to pass the screener and get their lead foot above the screen. FRAN's teams rarely if ever do this. There is no emphasis on defensive excellence let alone mediocrity.

 

[RocknRollface]

I too think switching would be best. But that can bring foul issues for Freeman. If/when Freeman gets in foul trouble this year, the Hawks will be in trouble. Need him to be on the floor for as many minutes as possible. Don’t need to see Brauns get minutes against real opponents.

Right, that's why I think doing drop coverage may work best.

Either switching or dropping is probably more effective than the soft hedge they're doing but maybe Fran thinks that's the best way to keep Owen on the floor?

If Thelwell and Traore are going to be playing major minutes at the 1 and 4 those two seem perfect for a switching defense along Dix.