Even Brauns appreciation thread

[HawkLogic]

Evan Braun is supposed to be what College Basketball is about. Not Head coaches making $3.3 million year and your roster's best players transferring out because they can't turn down life changing money. Unfortunately you need a $4 million payroll to compete in college B-ball and Iowa fans are not big on NIL and no billionaire sponsors.



The only good part of this season was seeing the guys like Kingsbury/Braun/Mulvey get some playing time. Even Dimbele is a good story in that he plays really hard, just not much of a leaper or best skills. I wish Payton Sandfort well---he played hard and gave his best.

 

[Franisdaman]

In Iowa's 83-68 win over Nebraska today, here were Even's stats:

18 minutes

3-3 (100%) FGs

0-0 FTs

6 Points
4 Defensive Rebounds
1 Assist (0 Turnovers)
1 Steal
0 Blocks

 

[DewHawk]

He is a very athletic young man and plays hard. He should have been given more minutes all year IMO. Evidently McCaffery has Dembele disease.

 

[HawkLogic]

He is a very athletic young man and plays hard. He should have been given more minutes all year IMO. Evidently McCaffery has Dembele disease.

I would have liked to see a lineup with Freeman and Braun---and both playing hard on defense and rebounding. The early season rebounding issues were all on Fran going with Small Ball that clearly didn't work with both Harding/Thelwell playing.

Anyway, I find myself hoping there is some way for Braun to get another year. I love him finishing with dunks whenever he can. So frustating watching Dimbele or Mulvey struggle to finish layups.

 

[TampaHawkfan]

Brauns should've gotten more PT earlier in the year. No idea why he was rotting on the bench for so long. I liked what I saw from the guy.

 

[SoonerBeAHawk]

For primarily a bench player I've never seen a bigger Hawkeye stud. Delivers great minutes and seems to have even more upside. I really hope somehow he can come back. Is that even a possibility?

 

[bansheexyz]

He barely played in our close losses to Michigan, Minnesota, and Utah State.

 

[Franisdaman]

He is a very athletic young man and plays hard. He should have been given more minutes all year IMO. Evidently McCaffery has Dembele disease.

he really stepped up when Owen stepped down

 

[Franisdaman]

Brauns should've gotten more PT earlier in the year. No idea why he was rotting on the bench for so long. I liked what I saw from the guy.

he's really played his ass off.

hat tip to him, for sure.

 

[Franisdaman]

Tyler is a beat writer for the Register. He was in Lincoln covering the game.

 

[Franisdaman]

 

[Franisdaman]

 

[LukaDuka]

For my money, I'd take Brauns over Freeman every day of the week. Even plays hard, and he plays smart. Freeman is as soft as Carver ice cream. Brauns was great at the line, played tough D, and battled on the boards along with pumping in 15 points. What more could you ask?

I just feel really bad for him, Payton, Josh, and the entire team. They scrap and scrap and scrap, had a great opportunity to pull that one out last night, but the basketball gods just will have none of it. Anyone who's ever put their heart and soul into something only to have it come up short can relate to last night in particular and this season in general.

Fran needs to be somewhere else next season, but damn, these kids deserve better results.

Starting five should've been:

C Freeman
PF Brauns / Ladji
SM Payton
SG Dix
PG Thelwell

Better rebounding, shot blocking and overall defense. Any fool could see this.

 

[Buffalo43]

Ladji is starting realize he can control the paint with his defense and rebounding

 

[Franisdaman]