Huge Game Thursday vs. IU

[thewop]

Thursday's game is as big as a game can get in February. Win and we're alone in 1st, lose, and we're in 3rd due to tiebreakers and will need help to win the league outright.

It's great to talk about polls and rankings, but Thursday's game is going to be an excellent measuring stick of where we're at. IU probably fell victim to looking ahead to the Iowa game, and I expect at home they'll be ready to hit us with their best shot. I don't feel like this game is firmly in the hands of one team's performance (for instance, if we played well, Illinois had no shot of winning), and either team can play 'pretty good' and lose.

Should be fun, and it wouldn't shock me if we're a road dog despite what will be our superior ranking in the polls.

Is it Thursday yet?

 

[Pepperman]

Like any B1G road game, you have to take care of the ball. As long as Indiana doesn't shoot ridiculously well from 3-pt range, I think Iowa will be ok if they limit turnovers and keep Woodbury on the floor. Hope the officials call a fair game too, and don't allow too much in the way of rough play. The recipe to really disrupt Iowa is to play tight on Jarrod and Pete and frustrate them with physical play.

 

[goodbyebobby]

You can still disrupt IU by keeping the ball moving. They'll still get lazy and give up easy scores.

Patience will find Iowa good looks.

 

[PlazaHawkeye]

Hope the ceiling doesn't fall down

 

[thewop]

You can still disrupt IU by keeping the ball moving. They'll still get lazy and give up easy scores.

Patience will find Iowa good looks.

Iowa uses 2 kinds of patience, one good and one bad. The good one has everyone moving, good ball movement, eventually creating an open look. The bad one sees MG dribbling out at the top until there's under 10 left on the shot clock, and typically ends in some sort of flurry of activity around the top of the arc, and rarely ends in points.

We need the first kind of patience when the transition game is stopped, but still run when it's available.

 

[torbee]

Key to this game is Sapp's defense on Yogi. IU goes as Yogi goes.

The good news for Iowa is if you manage to somehow shut down Uthoff, Jok can kill you.

Sapp has shut down a bunch of great players already - so if he can slow down Yogi, Iowa has a GREAT shot at winning in Bloomington.

I'm also less-than-impressed with Crean's in-game coaching. I'd put the odds on this one as 60 percent Iowa, 40 percent IU.

 

[Herkmeister]

Iowa uses 2 kinds of patience, one good and one bad. The good one has everyone moving, good ball movement, eventually creating an open look. The bad one sees MG dribbling out at the top until there's under 10 left on the shot clock, and typically ends in some sort of flurry of activity around the top of the arc, and rarely ends in points.

We need the first kind of patience when the transition game is stopped, but still run when it's available.

Good point Wop. When MG goes into that dribble it's just awful to watch and the mojo disappears.

 

[Hawkeyestate81]

Good point Wop. When MG goes into that dribble it's just awful to watch and the mojo disappears.

They do that when killing clock when feel game is over, it is brutal but I get it.

 

[BeepBeepInMyJeep]

Indiana's record is a mirage. They are now outside the top 50 in RPI. In all seriousness, they actually really need this game if they are going to go to the NCAA tourney. If they finish 10-8, it might not be enough.

 

[thewop]

They do that when killing clock when feel game is over, it is brutal but I get it.

You're right, but...see ISU. See loss vs ND. See yesterday's lead get cut from 20-10 late. See the Northwestern game last Sunday. When we stop attacking, we start failing. I'm not complaining about double-digit victories, but the pattern is the same, and it has cost us victories this year.

 

[DanL53]

Just a clarification. The only tiebreaker in Big Ten Basketball is determining the seeding for the Big Ten Tournament. If at the end of the season we are tied with Indiana or Maryland or anyone else, at the top of the Big Ten, we are Co-Champions of the Big Ten Regular Season.

However, yes, it is important to win on Thursday to maintain our lead and keep the pressure on those trying to catch us. Considering what is at stake, the edge it would give us, let's hope the ball goes in the bucket for us!

 

[SoonerBeAHawk]

Just a clarification. The only tiebreaker in Big Ten Basketball is determining the seeding for the Big Ten Tournament. If at the end of the season we are tied with Indiana or Maryland or anyone else, at the top of the Big Ten, we are Co-Champions of the Big Ten Regular Season.

However, yes, it is important to win on Thursday to maintain our lead and keep the pressure on those trying to catch us. Considering what is at stake, the edge it would give us, let's hope the ball goes in the bucket for us!

+ 1

The ball going in the bucket for Iowa - and not for Indiana - is the key to this game.

 

[bravehawks1]

Agree, IU needs this much more than Iowa at this point in the season. As mentioned previously, Iowa needs to be patient with offense. I have seen us have a tendency to get impatient and come down and shoot quickly in a 2 on 2 or 3 on 3 situation. Fortunately, Jok hits most of those shots so it doesn't seem like a good pattern. Uhl's patience on the offensive end is lacking. When you have a team down by 12 or 15 and are on the 8-2 run to create this gap, the last thing the other team wants to do is play defense. Forcing them to play defense will also result in teams rushing on their offensive end too as they think they need to score quickly to get back in the game. Just need to play smart and use the same strategy that got the 12 point lead.

 

[Hawkeyestate81]

You're right, but...see ISU. See loss vs ND. See yesterday's lead get cut from 20-10 late. See the Northwestern game last Sunday. When we stop attacking, we start failing. I'm not complaining about double-digit victories, but the pattern is the same, and it has cost us victories this year.

I somewhat disagree. Since non con we have been in full control when reverting to this. I had zero concern during the NW and Illini games when doing this.

 

[thewop]

I somewhat disagree. Since non con we have been in full control when reverting to this. I had zero concern during the NW and Illini games when doing this.

Yes, we were in control, and in the ones we lost, we thought we were in control. We're in control until we're not.

 

[Hawkeyestate81]

Yes, we were in control, and in the ones we lost, we thought we were in control. We're in control until we're not.

Vs ND we were not in control, ISU is the only anomaly out of this, look I don't like it either but I get it, especially since ISU debacle.

 

[Phenomenally Frantastic]

 

[douglas33]

Indiana is not even in the top 25. Iowa is #4. The Hawkeyes should win going away.

 

[thewop]

Indiana is not even in the top 25. Iowa is #4. The Hawkeyes should win going away.

Nonetheless, they're a significant step up from recent competition, and they can shoot.

 

[Pepperman]

Indiana is not even in the top 25. Iowa is #4. The Hawkeyes should win going away.

How long have you been following B1G road games ?

 

[HoustonREDHawk]

IU is a totally different team home versus away. Hawks will need to play extremely well to win. Should be a great game.