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Game Thoughts

I did not see the game. Based on reports, the lack of depth a 5 is still a problem, especially once competition steps up. I think Rebraca is better than many on here believe, but we need 15 min from other players at 5.
 
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I was pleased with what I saw overall tonight even though these types of games don't tell you much.

Kris and Perkins are athletic freaks that will be a great 1-2 punch. I stand by my summer prediction Perkins will avg around 14ppg this season.

I am not sold on Perkins being a PG but he could be a great combo guard. I am skeptical of the Iowa PG position this year. Fran not getting a veteran PG in the portal could be a slight issue. Bowen showed some solid ball skills tonight but he will have plenty of growing pains which is expected. Huge ceiling for him though.

Shooting - Iowa will have plenty of shooters on this team which will help Iowa overcome some of its limitations and keep the team in games. CMac clearly worked on his shooting form.

PMac will be an up and down player. He will have big games and his lows won't be dramatic shifts but I don't think Iowa can look for him to be a consistent player on either side of the court. Between him and Sandfort I think Iowa has solid 3rd options every game and even 2nd options when Perkins has an off night. Scoring won't be an issue on this team.

The 5 will be an issue and cost Iowa some games. Fran not getting a traditional 5 in the portal will keep a talented team from really fighting for a top 4 spot in the conference standings and challenging for a B1G crown. Josh will play limited mins and Mulvey looks another year away. Rebraca would be a solid 4 in the B1G but he is limited at the 5.

I hope Fran keeps a small bench this season. I think Kris, Perkins, Sandfort, PMac, Rebraca, CMac, and either Ulis or Bowen could get Iowa back to the dance with a decent seed if Fran plays them all 25 mins or more. Beyond those 7 maybe 8 guys playing anyone else much more than 7-8 minutes will spell trouble. Fran really needed to grab a veteran transfer in the portal but just because he didn't it shouldn't mean playing guys who aren't ready extended mins.
I was there last night and agree 100%. Did Mulvey play? We left with about 7 minutes left.
 
Rebraca will give 100% on the court but he is who he is. Decent post moves but undersized with no mid-range game and likely a 60% free throw shooter. Josh looked better but it was Truman State. He stayed vertical when challenging shots vs. the blatant fouls he committed last year.

Impossible to tell anything from Mulvey's limited PT other than the limited PT. Keegan and Kris were a formidable duo last year when Iowa went small but without Keegan or a Keegan-type athlete, not sure what Fran does if Rebraca goes to the bench. It won't take a dominant 5 to exploit Iowa in the post. Low bar here, but if Josh and Mulvey can at least play solid D and rebound it will help.
 
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Well I for one hope it is improved because he's an excellent defender, free throw shooter, passer, and rebounder. I assume he's not yet 100% given the lack of minutes last night?
He was benched for a game for a late night incident in downtown IC.
 
I think Rebraca will be better than last year. He's got a year under his belt to realize how physical play is in the B1G. Of course it would have been nice to get a true big but there are another 50 Power 5 teams that want one as well. Not easy to find. The good thing is Iowa plays a different style than most B1G teams, more finesse and more up and down the floor. As we know that can also be a bad thing in a conference that likes to grind. When it's working it's pretty damn fun to watch. Guessing we will lead the league in scoring. We are certainly the opposite of the football team that we all complain about!
 
I think our PG situation is better than last year, but is not great, yet.

Rebraca will continue to be our 5 and I expect him to be better overall than last season, except at the FT line. He needs to be better there and should be putting up a couple hundred of them each day after practice ends.
 
I think our PG situation is better than last year, but is not great, yet.

Rebraca will continue to be our 5 and I expect him to be better overall than last season, except at the FT line. He needs to be better there and should be putting up a couple hundred of them each day after practice ends.
I am hoping that Ahron can start and be that guy who keeps the ball moving, plays hard nosed defense, and rebounds for a guard. He doesn't have to be a major scoring factor or the fastest guy with the ball but Iowa needs his perimeter defense (last night it wasn't good!) and his ball-handling ability.
 
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I believe Ulis will play about 20-23 minutes, and Bowen around 15-18. If Bowen develops faster than expected then I could see him going over 20 minutes per game. There will be games where one or the other does not play well or is in foul trouble, this is where Saucy can play PG minutes. I also could envision Bowen playing spot minutes at 2G.

(I think the biggest challenge/adjustment for Bowen is on the defensive end, this could be the limiter as to earning more minutes)
 
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I listened to Fran post game and when he mentioned Bowen could also play the 2, I felt like he’s tinkering that Tony Perkins is his starting point and Ullis might be backup with Bowen at the 2, maybe Connor at the 3-4, but lots of interchangeable parts. I like the makeup of this team. Kris and Tony will likely be top scorer’s but any night Sandfort, Patrick or Filip could be beneficiary of focus on those other 2. Going to be fun year I think.
 
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Wally World Dad?

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my take after listening to this game.. this is the best Hawkeye team in the Fran Era.
guarantee it.
Tend to agree. I think this will be the best defensive team Fran has had at Iowa, and you know they are going to score.

I really think this team is going to be a legit contender for a B1G regular season title. There are no great teams in the B1G. Iowa can actually pull this off, imo.
 
Tend to agree. I think this will be the best defensive team Fran has had at Iowa, and you know they are going to score.

I really think this team is going to be a legit contender for a B1G regular season title. There are no great teams in the B1G. Iowa can actually pull this off, imo.
Our depth will be somewhat limited vs other years, but this could help us dial into a consistent rotation much earlier in the season. I think the explosive improvement of Kris, Saucy and Payton - all at the same time - gives this team some serious upside. The offensive potential of all 3 and the defense from especially Kris and Saucy are exciting (Payton should be decent on D).

Its clear that Rebraca worked hard in the off season, has gained more muscle and seems a bit more confident. Not huge expectations, but should be slightly better.

CMac is like having a coach out on the floor. I have to admit, I have been hard on him in the past, but his passing, defense, leadership and now, dare I say, 3 point shooting? I think he will play a bigger role than most expect.

PMac is obviously a valuable piece to the puzzle, though I worry about his lack of strength and unwillingness to play defense and rebound. Even slight improvements from him will go a long way.

Ulis has a fairly high floor and should play meaningful minutes at PG. Especially good rebounder, defender, FT shooter with a High IQ he also is a solid ball handler and decent creator, but is a steady facilitator who has struggled offensively. Worst case is no improvement on shooting (not a disaster given all the other things he does) but hoping he at least can convert layups and short range shots at a respectable clip.

Bowen is a bit of wildcard, but its clear he brings more offensive potential and creativity to the PG position. I believe it might take him some time to fill in the gaps like defense, rebounding, late game decision making, etc. But he provides a lot of potential at the PG and even 2G.

Overall, our shooting, quickness, high IQ and overall defense should make this a top 5-6 team in the B1G and earn an at large bid. Team is built to do more in the tourney.
 
I think I saw Nimmers in street clothes on the bench. I believe he has a slight injury that kept him out last night.
The Quad City Times mentioned today that the injury that will temporarily sideline Nimmers is a wrist injury.
 
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Tend to agree. I think this will be the best defensive team Fran has had at Iowa, and you know they are going to score.

I really think this team is going to be a legit contender for a B1G regular season title. There are no great teams in the B1G. Iowa can actually pull this off, imo.
I love Tony and Kris on defense. Aside from those 2, Pmac is a liability, Rebraca is undersized and unathletic, and Sandfort will likely be forced to guard smaller/quicker players on the perimeter on a regular basis. Ulis is an excellent defender but he might not get the minutes. In short, I doubt this will be the best defensive team that Fran has had. The Giselle/Woody/Clemens/Uthoff team was the best defensive team with Kenpom ratings in the 30's.

Offense is another story altogether. Every player with the exception of Rebraca is capable of dropping 15 on a regular basis. I expect Perk and Kris to average 15+ per game and Pmac and Sandfort to average double figures as well.
 
I love Tony and Kris on defense. Aside from those 2, Pmac is a liability, Rebraca is undersized and unathletic, and Sandfort will likely be forced to guard smaller/quicker players on the perimeter on a regular basis. Ulis is an excellent defender but he might not get the minutes. In short, I doubt this will be the best defensive team that Fran has had. The Giselle/Woody/Clemens/Uthoff team was the best defensive team with Kenpom ratings in the 30's.

Offense is another story altogether. Every player with the exception of Rebraca is capable of dropping 15 on a regular basis. I expect Perk and Kris to average 15+ per game and Pmac and Sandfort to average double figures as well.
Mostly I agree with you, except Rebraca is not unathletic, especially for a 5. CMac isn't exceptionally athletic, but is a tough, smart team defender.

I didn't know Giselle was on the team, but that group was a very solid defensive team. If this team is better defensively, we will be a contender in the B1G and a top 20 team.
 
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Mostly I agree with you, except Rebraca is not unathletic, especially for a 5. CMac isn't exceptionally athletic, but is a tough, smart team defender.

I didn't know Giselle was on the team, but that group was a very solid defensive team. If this team is better defensively, we will be a contender in the B1G and a top 20 team.
Other than free throws, I was really impressed with Rebraca. Thought he looked seriously improved from last year
 
...Ulis is an excellent defender but he might not get the minutes. In short, I doubt this will be the best defensive team that Fran has had. The Giselle/Woody/Clemens/Uthoff team was the best defensive team with Kenpom ratings in the 30's.

Offense is another story altogether. Every player with the exception of Rebraca is capable of dropping 15 on a regular basis. I expect Perk and Kris to average 15+ per game and Pmac and Sandfort to average double figures as well.

Mostly I agree with you, except Rebraca is not unathletic, especially for a 5. CMac isn't exceptionally athletic, but is a tough, smart team defender.
I didn't know Giselle was on the team, but that group was a very solid defensive team. If this team is better defensively, we will be a contender in the B1G and a top 20 team.
Bundchen?
 
Other than free throws, I was really impressed with Rebraca. Thought he looked seriously improved from last year
I've liked Rebraca since he arrived. He plays his role and he plays hard. With that said he's often overwhelmed inside by bigger, more athletic players resulting in them rebounding and shooting over him even when he's in perfect position. You really cannot ask anymore of him. Unfortunately for him and Iowa he's a 5 playing in a 4's body.
 
I've liked Rebraca since he arrived. He plays his role and he plays hard. With that said he's often overwhelmed inside by bigger, more athletic players resulting in them rebounding and shooting over him even when he's in perfect position. You really cannot ask anymore of him. Unfortunately for him and Iowa he's a 5 playing in a 4's body.
Well said. We will squeeze as much juice out of this orange as we can. He has added muscle and some confidence, at minimum, I expect a nice increase in rebounds. He should get some additional garbage buckets with all the attention that Kris/Saucy/Payton/PMac will draw.
 
When Ogundele is on the court, there is no way Iowa can play man to man. He has no quickness and offensively is very limited. If he is the best we have to back up Rebraca against the likes of Edey, Dickinson and the likes, it might work for a change of pace but again Iowa is hampered by a lack of a quality second team big.
As most have said Filip is a descant sized forward but is not a Big Ten center. Can Iowa make do again this season like last year, playing Murray, Connor, or someone else to fill the void when Rebraca is in foul trouble or injured. We'll see what magic Fran can stir up in the coming months, it will be a challenge.
Best thing Iowa can do to defend Zach Eddy is to go small and make him play defense outside the 3pt line on the other end.

Eddy defending Kris is a bigger mismatch than Kris defending Eddy.
 
what are your thoughts on him? he seems to be the most athletic of the 4 walk ons
Seems to be?

Lol, yeah I highly doubt if any of the other walkons are doing 360 between the leg dunks anytime soon.

I'm not sure Iowas had more than a couple guys in my lifetime that could do that.
 
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