Dump all you want on McCaffery and this team, but today’s performance says a lot about the staff and players on this team.!! Little used players were absolutely outstanding!
High Character Win!
- Thread starter r448chlpo
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We beat Washington at home, yay
Our team that we all cheer for. But good one.
No such thing as a bad win. Good job, Hawks.
People always talk about culture when they talk about good football and basketball programs. I get that we have a bad stereotype of being a soft team that doesn't play any defense and that is true and justified over a long period of years. But you have to give criticism where it is due and you have to give praise where it is due and the game today shows the culture that Fran has built year in and year out with his players. We basically played the game with Traore and Thelwell out with injuries like Freeman. They basically didn't play. And Braun didnt play much either. Unsung guys came off the bench and gave great effort and hustle (Kingsbury and Mulvey) and it was contagious). We have played hard, competitive basketball for the most part the last few weeks. I have enjoyed watching us play. We can beat any of these last four teams on our schedule. We probably won't, but we could if we play smart and compete on both ends of the court.
I've enjoyed watching this team's effort since Freeman went down. Today was the epitome of a team win. Unsung players like Mulvey and Kingsbury showed skills that few people realized they had. But when your only playing team is a minute here and a minute there, how can you show what you can do?
I sincerely believe Iowa is a better team now than it was a month ago. As much as I want a new coach and a new direction for men's basketball, like others have said, fairness demands that I give Fran and his team a lot of credit. They could have packed it in, especially after Oregon, but they showed up today--and so did the fans, BTW--and they played an entertaining, winning, team game that resulted in the W they deserved. Keep it going, Hawkeyes.
I sincerely believe Iowa is a better team now than it was a month ago. As much as I want a new coach and a new direction for men's basketball, like others have said, fairness demands that I give Fran and his team a lot of credit. They could have packed it in, especially after Oregon, but they showed up today--and so did the fans, BTW--and they played an entertaining, winning, team game that resulted in the W they deserved. Keep it going, Hawkeyes.
I have to give a ton of credit to Dembele, Mulvey, and Braun. They have played hard game in and game out. I still dont understand why Dembele gets more minutes than Braun, Mulvey, or even Tjado but he does battle down low and he he has good lower body strength, with an occasional three, but that is about it. If we played the other three a little more and him a little less I think our ceiling would be a little higher.
I have seen more impressive dunks and finishes by Braun, Mulvey, and Tjado in the last five or six games than I saw Owen give us with the vast majority of minutes for the whole season. That's what post players are supposed to be able to do. We never saw that with Owen. I like him as a player and want to keep him but it shows a little bit how his lack of jumping ability, foot quickness, and hustle can hurt a team. Just a thought.
I have seen more impressive dunks and finishes by Braun, Mulvey, and Tjado in the last five or six games than I saw Owen give us with the vast majority of minutes for the whole season. That's what post players are supposed to be able to do. We never saw that with Owen. I like him as a player and want to keep him but it shows a little bit how his lack of jumping ability, foot quickness, and hustle can hurt a team. Just a thought.
I am not going to make the reactionary claim that Washington is this great basketball team. Their record is what it is for a reason. I think they are a little weak at the 1 and 2 positions. But boy they have some good wings and forwards. As good as most other teams. I have seen some crappy teams in football and basketball at the very bottom of the conference which we all have seen. That was not one of them. The Big Ten may not be the best conference in basketball, maybe not even the second best but there truly are no easy wins in this league.
The B1G doesn't have an empty basement unlike every other conference. It really is a no-nights-off league.
We beat another terrible Big Ten team
Let’s give Fran another 10 year contract
Let’s give Fran another 10 year contract
I think we could have Been a better team when we had Freeman if Fran had gone big instead of small. Freeman was the only big and he got pulled out of the paint a lot on defense and even when he was in the paint, he didn't have much help rebounding/defending when Payton was the PF, Dix the 3, and two undersized PGs on the court. We could have used Mulvey vs some of the teams with 7 foot guys and also experiment with 2 Bigs like Freeman and Mulvey playing together.
I don't think the team is much worse after losing Freeman. The offense did suffer because we don't have good Post scorer to open up the 3pt shots. However defense/rebounding got better because Dimbele/Braun/Mulvey go 100% all the time and Fran moved away from playing both Harding and Threlwell at same time.
These guys could end up winning 7 B1G games to go 7-13 or so.....I know some fans Groove on Fran being a consistent 10-10 type conference coach, but really there isn't much difference from being 10-10 like a usual Fran team vs 6 or 7 conference wins in my opinion. Either way you got a mediocre team that has no chance of doing anything in March.
I think you are forgetting a lot. I am pretty sure he had at least 2-3 a game. Maybe just not an emphatic jam.
“We” so how many points did you score? The hawks beat a B1G team that had more scholarship players eligible than THEY (not we) did.
Hawks probably are the least talented team in the BIG right now as depleted as we are but they have been competitive and entertaining in every game(outside 2nd half vs MD) since Owen went down.
That is important for this fan.
Keep fighting Hawkeyes!
That is important for this fan.
Keep fighting Hawkeyes!
I enjoy your enthusiasm but your post shows what happens when your heart takes over for your brain when your posting. Saying that Mulveys dunk and finishes are more impressive then Freemans is so far beyond the pail its laughable. Say what you want about Freemans effort at times and his decision to pack it in. but he's SO much more skilled then any of those guys and its not worth discussing. He also dunks a LOT. Saying "thats what post players are supposed to do? Did you not watch his play the last two seasons? Now Braun is more physical and plays hard. Mulvey gives everything he has, and Tadjo is a physical specimen ( although really raw), but Freeman didn't win freshman of the week HALF of the entire season or for the year because he's not a talent. In truth Mulvey is simply longer then Freeman, not more athletic, and Freeman has excellent footwork. Just don't get most of this at all other then letting emotion dictate your post.
Agree, and the fact he was the Freshman of the week almost EVERY week in a good league, but???
I agree Freeman is a good player. I don't think he played as hard on defense as he did on offense. Part of that is Fran with 1 foul rule to sit anyone that tries to play defense and picks up 2 fouls in 1t half.. Part of it's Freeman was always running his hardest to score after a made basket by the other team, instead of trying to stop the made basket in 1st place. That is Fran-ball.
We are 6-10 in conference play.. We were 4-6 with Freeman and we are 2-4 without him. However we did Play Purdue pretty tough, and we were in the Wisconsin game vs being totally blown out with Freeman when we played at Wisconsin. Had a chance to win Oregon game. We have one Blowout road loss without Freeman---Maryland. WE had three embarrassing blowout road losses with Freeman--- UCLA, USC, Wisconsin.
We got our only B1G road win without Freeman. We just out rebounded a Washington team and won. The guys are putting out more effort and rebounding better without Freeman. Clearly the offense has suffered. Also, Fran went away from starting/playing Threllwell and Harding together which helped the rebounding.
I'd like to see Freeman come back, but if he's already checked out and heading for higher dollar NIL destinations, so be it.
I'm not disputing your post at all, but read my remarks to the poster. he basically said that Freeman , "can't jump, has poor footwork, and does't play like a post player" in reference to Braun and Mulvey, and that he doesn't finish around the rim or dunk the ball. That is laughable, and was I think just brought on because the other guys gave great effort. That doesn't make them better player. Freeman is more then a good player. I'm sorry if people don't think so. You don't post the numbers he did last year, or basically control the freshman of the year all season in our conference when your just a decent player. I also don't think you can just use our record with and without him, and say thats all on him. Frans lineups are sporadic and make little sense, (as they did again yesterday). We've had multiple injuries to other players, as well as players having really good games, and poor games that impacted those outcomes. I've been critical of Freeman because I thought he "checked out" on the team, but I have no idea what really goes on in the locker room. Still I don't question his ability on the floor, and I'll guarantee you if he leaves he'll be starting and making a solid impact somewhere else.
He will definitely make a solid impact somewhere else if he does decide to leave. Again I dont want him to leave. He has two more years to get better and be a really solid power forward. He seems to be a good kid. But you answered I think what people are seeing that appears to an improved difference. You said Owen seemed to be checked out at times. And I agree, along with other players when things got tough. Well in order to win games at this level you have to compete in all aspects of the game. Going for lose balls, blocking out, contesting low post shots, hard hedging pick and rolls, playing with energy, finishing strong, etc. I think fans have seen this difference the last few weeks. Those things affect the games outcome just as equally as five or six made baskets.
I think he is referring to the fact that OCHawks did not actually play in the game. I didn't either for that matter
Many years ago when I WAS a Hawkeye player(not basketball) I used to get a kick out of the fans after the games at my parents tailgate saying “we sure kicked the shit out of those guys.” I now always try not to refer to them as “we”. I call them the Hawks or they. Never catch me saying “we beat Washington”. Just a pet peeve. I know many fans do it.
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