Height deficiencies next year

[Bulldogs1974]

Wagner got eaten up by taller guys. IMO he's too small to see major minutes. Maybe this could be offset if he's playing beside a big body underneath. Some added strength and a little more weight would also help.

What???? not sure what games you were watching. Towards the end of the season woody was becoming a liability. His hedging and recovery was worse than anytime in his 4 year career. I actually felt better both offensively and defensively when Wagner was in the game vs Woody in the last 10 games of the season.

 

[Mohawkeye]

Wagner got eaten up by taller guys. IMO he's too small to see major minutes. Maybe this could be offset if he's playing beside a big body underneath. Some added strength and a little more weight would also help.

I guess I disagree, I thought Wagner did pretty well defending bigger guys, better than Uhl. He is actually able to block their shots because he is such a quick jumper. Moreover, he has the quickness to defend the hedge and get back in position, or play the back of the zone and get out to defend a 2 pointer on the wing. He is built pretty well for a freshman, but I imagine he will probably be up another 10 pounds to 235 or so next year. Mostly, he needs experience.

 

[Mohawkeye]

What???? not sure what games you were watching. Towards the end of the season woody was becoming a liability. His hedging and recovery was worse than anytime in his 4 year career. I actually felt better both offensively and defensively when Wagner was in the game vs Woody in the last 10 games of the season.

Bulldog, I thought the same thing about Woody's defense the last several games. I wonder if he was dealing with an injury. Either that or he just lost his mental focus.

 

[hawkifann]

The odd part is I agree that MG is athletic and can leap. He seemed to be a good defender yet better guards were constantly getting into the lane or were wide open from distance. So what was the reason for that?

Iowa really fell down on communication and team defense over the last month. As a straight-up 1-1 defender, I'd take Gesell over most other PGs around this year. When Iowa was playing good D as a team, Gesell was locking up some really good guards. Once the help and support start falling apart, you have to make concessions and you can't be as aggressive. I really think it was a team D thing (with everyone contributing some to the letdown) much more than it was MG not being athletic. He's very athletic, even among D1 basketball players.

 

[hawkifann]

What is puzzling is the way Mike G's shooting seemed to regress during his career. By the time he played his last game, you kinda hoped he wouldn't be the one they put at the line in close situations.
He seemed to have to reinvent his shooting form which was noticeable from last season. It looked like he had lost confidence in his shot and it showed just by how uncomfortbable he looked while shooting free throws.
Mike played with heart and had some good moments in his career. Was the motor that put things in motion.

My best guess for shooting is that he probably developed some bad mechanics playing through his elbow injury next year. He was never a great shooter, but I thought from freshman to early junior season that he was improving and progressing. Then he had the injury and fought through it last year, then he never had any consistency this year. That, plus the FT woes makes me think mechanics.

 

[Mohawkeye]

Iowa really fell down on communication and team defense over the last month. As a straight-up 1-1 defender, I'd take Gesell over most other PGs around this year. When Iowa was playing good D as a team, Gesell was locking up some really good guards. Once the help and support start falling apart, you have to make concessions and you can't be as aggressive. I really think it was a team D thing (with everyone contributing some to the letdown) much more than it was MG not being athletic. He's very athletic, even among D1 basketball players.

Like Woody, Gesell's defense the last several games was atrocious. I recall several times MG was simply taken off the dribble for an easy hoop.

 

[twindman]

Everyone is downplaying Woody and his jumping ability. Did you forget he led the B1G in rebounding this year? Also, Wagner will make a pretty good PF, but is just too small at center.

 

[MeetTheFerentz]

If I remember correctly, I think we had a decent height advantage over Villanova (especially Uthoff, Woodbury). A lot of good that did.

 

[33hawkfan]

College basketball has evolved. Height is only an advantage if it is coupled with athleticism. So what everyone else is saying.

Also, athleticism was not Mike Gesell's problem.

Just shooting, finishing at the rim, shooting free throws or really doing anything in the last few minutes of a close game, other than that though...

 

[DavenportHawk8]

What???? not sure what games you were watching. Towards the end of the season woody was becoming a liability. His hedging and recovery was worse than anytime in his 4 year career. I actually felt better both offensively and defensively when Wagner was in the game vs Woody in the last 10 games of the season.

I thought Wagner was one of our better defenders. I have watched a lot of basketball recently and you rarely see any big guys over 6-9. I mean if they are 6-8 to 7-1 it doesn't matter. Its all about athleticism.

Iowa had a 7-1 guy who never got the ball in the block and never really made a post move in the past month? I don't get it, Iowa never got him the ball in the block and he never took advantage of it.

I watched a couple of the NIT games and even first two rounds of the NCAA, Every other team had their bigs on the block and they were posting up and making moves. I do not remember Woody doing that recently? Was it by design or did coach not want him to?? I just don't know, but I think Fran will start to use our BIGS better next year.

 

[HoustonREDHawk]

Height is not going to be a problem. Williams' wingspan might be as long as Woody's, and he will be the PG. Whether the team can play cohesively on both ends of the court is the biggest question. PG play and interior defense will be two key areas.

 

[cleotishaywood]

Height is not going to be a problem. Williams' wingspan might be as long as Woody's, and he will be the PG. Whether the team can play cohesively on both ends of the court is the biggest question. PG play and interior defense will be two key areas.

Then whenever the ball got inside, we would collapse 3 guys on it and they would kick it outside for an open 3.

 

[HoustonREDHawk]

Then whenever the ball got inside, we would collapse 3 guys on it and they would kick it outside for an open 3.

Not sure how that follows what I said??

 

[The Sleeping Dog]

We are going to get killed next season inside without some major development from the new big guys. Wags is too short, he's obviously not 6'7", at least if the other guy's listed heights are accurate. Significantly shorter than Uthoff and Uhl. Unless Wagner can guard and rebound like Wes Unseld a 6'6"/6'7" center will just get us killed.

 

[Bulldogs1974]

Post play is more about positioning/leverage than height. I'll take a Bruner over a woody any day.

 

[buttermypancakes]

He was better than Uthoff I guess.

If I remember his vertical when measured wasn't all that impressive.

If White had the same wingspan proportionately that Woodbury did he would not have been nearly as effective.

Did some searching.
Average vertical leap of an ncaa basketball player is 27-30 inches.

Whites measured at 30 inches.

Sounds about right, long arms help allot.

So he's on the high end of average for the NBA, and that's including guards not guys that play PF whose averages would be lower. For reference he measured out better than Brandon Dawson or Rakeem Christmas at the combine. Whites explosiveness jumping off two feet was one of his greatest strengths. Comparing that to Uthoff who has no explosiveness is a little ridiculous.

 

[Scott559]

I understand the concern about Height, Especially on defense, I'm just excited that it appears we will have a couple of big guys that can finish at the rim ( Cook, Kreiner) from the videos I have seen. Too many missed bunnies the last few years, Be nice to have some guys that can finish without needing a running start.

 

[RocknRollface]

So he's on the high end of average for the NBA, and that's including guards not guys that play PF whose averages would be lower. For reference he measured out better than Brandon Dawson or Rakeem Christmas at the combine. Whites explosiveness jumping off two feet was one of his greatest strengths. Comparing that to Uthoff who has no explosiveness is a little ridiculous.

He was in the average of college basketball players if those statistics are correct. Not sure what nba is, guessing it's higher.

I'm definitely not sure i trust all those measurements anyway. Blake Griffin? C'mon? That's nonsense.

AW was a quick jumper with long arms with a good not great vertical and If Uthoff was a poor jumper he wouldn't have led the conference in blocks.

Both were decent jumpers , White a little better but who cares.

What's ridiculous is getting worked up over up nothing.

My point was long arms are more important than height.

 

[buttermypancakes]

He was in the average of college basketball players if those statistics are correct. Not sure what nba is, guessing it's higher.

I'm definitely not sure i trust all those measurements anyway. Blake Griffin? C'mon? That's nonsense.

AW was a quick jumper with long arms with a good not great vertical and If Uthoff was a poor jumper he wouldn't have led the conference in blocks.

Both were decent jumpers , White a little better but who cares.

What's ridiculous is getting worked up over up nothing.

My point was long arms are more important than height.

I agree on your last point but I was discussing a different point you made. BTW the NBA average is 28", there is no way the NCAA has the same or better average.

Greg Ostertag, Paul Gasol, Vlade Divac all can't jump a lick but are Top 50 all time in blocks. Length and timing are much more important than jumping ability when it comes to block shots. There's a reason we didn't see Uthoff dunking behind zone defenses all year like Aaron White did. He just doesn't have the same explosiveness jumping off two feet.

 

[RocknRollface]

I agree on your last point but I was discussing a different point you made. BTW the NBA average is 28", there is no way the NCAA has the same or better average.

Greg Ostertag, Paul Gasol, Vlade Divac all can't jump a lick but are Top 50 all time in blocks. Length and timing are much more important than jumping ability when it comes to block shots. There's a reason we didn't see Uthoff dunking behind zone defenses all year like Aaron White did. He just doesn't have the same explosiveness jumping off two feet.

I really don't care about this topic, and there's no way to know if any of the numbers are even close to accurate. but Iowa didn't see much zone this year which is why we didn't see anybody getting base line lobs.

I agree you don't need to jump to get blocks if you're a 7ft center under the basket, A 6'9 wing player is a little different.

I'd say Uthoff was an average jumper White a little above average, neither would have been nearly as effective without their longer reach.