"I promise the rest of the year, every Hawkeye team that steps on the court will be locked in and ready to go.”

[DodgerHawki]

Is he saying the Hawks weren't "locked in and ready to go"? Overconfident? They were up by 6 at the half. They had 10 turnovers for the game (four by Garza as was swarmed), so they didn't play sloppy basketball. They played hard the whole game. Indiana is not meatloaf.

Why is it assumed that when one team loses to another team that the losing team wasn't "ready to go"?

Yeah putting all of it on Iowa is wrong. Indiana sensed they could win after Iowa couldn't open up the lead in the first half. Iowa should have been up by 12-14 at halftime if able to make any shots. But they didn't, and IU was in the game and they took advantage.

The game was really won or lost in the days leading up to the game. One of the stories indicated that Fran wasn't thrilled with how the team practiced. You generally play how you practice. IU obviously took Iowa very seriously. Their plan for making things tough on Garza was spot on, and they executed to perfection.

What I don't really understand is how Iowa got to the place where they thought they could not be locked in and win. This team hasn't done anything to warrant overlooking anyone. That is a bit concerning.

 

[StarHawk]

How do you measure athletic-ness?

Mainly for basketball how quick guys move around out there. It's quite easy to see...if you know what to really look for. Beyond that it's more a player's basketball sense...you see the shot going up....the better rebounder has a sense where the ball might be coming off if missed...and position yourself there...get there first...box out....those are the things to measure athletic-ness on the court. How many times did you see Iowa guys standing flat footed watching Indiana guys move right pass for rebounds, or shots?....Indiana were all over Garza whenever he got the ball....3 or 4 guys sometimes!...but they also left him quick to guard others...you didn't see that kind of thing from Iowa players...stuck to the floor at times unable to get to spots.

Last night was telling. Indiana looked more athletic and aggressive They pushed...shoved and bullied Iowa, defensive hands all over Iowa dribblers (remember a few years ago Officials were making a big point to call fouls for that...but that notion is gone again).

But like I've been saying since day one. Tousaint should start and go from there. Conner is good for one-basket a night...and poor defense all night (I don't want to hear about his assists to turnover ratio...it's meaningless when all you do is make safe short passes into Garza...who will most likely score regardless who feeds him the ball).

Fran is starting the wrong son....Patrick looks like he should be garnering his older brothers minutes....I'm sure opposing coaches see all this and thank Fran for playing Conner so much.

 

[Phenomenally Frantastic]

Last night was strange. they missed Frederick terribly, jordan bohannon missed him the most. He and the mcCaffery boys stunk to high heaven. what were they 0/14 combined at one point? bohannon is a liability on the court in every facet of the game if he isn't making 3's. once he went 0/6 maybe it was time to pull the cord there coach.

it is too bad the head coach will promote his own sons over a freshman to the detriment of the team. at least murray could freaking score.

 

[rsigmundi]

How do you measure athletic-ness?

How high you can jump.

 

[HawkRugged17]

How high you can jump.

 

[Hawk_4shur]

What I don't really understand is how Iowa got to the place where they thought they could not be locked in and win. This team hasn't done anything to warrant overlooking anyone. That is a bit concerning.

These young men play basketball 12 months a year. They'll play 30 games a year.

And basketball isn't the only thing going on. School and homework, girlfriends and family that maybe they can't see, ordinary colds and nagging injuries, COVID of course. On the court they might be thinking about not getting enough playing time or getting enough shots. To think all these guys can have a Michael Jordan-type focus is unrealistic.

I'm not talking about the Indiana game per se, because I don't think they played badly - they shot badly, and they had a difficult time with Indiana's quickness.

But getting the entire team of 18-22 year old's "locked and loaded" for every game is not as easy as a slogan.

 

[markfromj]

I already have in this thread.

This?:

"It's not even about skin color. I would say Joe Wieskamp is pretty athletic. Iowa has had many athletic white guys, such as Eric May and Aaron White.

Yeah, I joke about getting more brothas on the team, and to some extent that has merit, but the bottom line is Iowa lacks athleticism in their starting five. That usually shows up on the defensive end, but apparently that issue extended to the offensive end last night, as I've read Indiana got into Iowa man-to-man and wore them down in the second half.

So, it's a limitation this team has that isn't going to get solved this season."

If so, that does not seem to address athleticism. It sounds like conditioning ("wore them down"), although you'd think our deep bench would minimize that.

I don't think I've heard yet how you measure athleticism yet, but, if I have missed it, I apologize.

 

[markfromj]

Are you ignorant?

No.

 

[rsigmundi]

This?:

"It's not even about skin color. I would say Joe Wieskamp is pretty athletic. Iowa has had many athletic white guys, such as Eric May and Aaron White.

Yeah, I joke about getting more brothas on the team, and to some extent that has merit, but the bottom line is Iowa lacks athleticism in their starting five. That usually shows up on the defensive end, but apparently that issue extended to the offensive end last night, as I've read Indiana got into Iowa man-to-man and wore them down in the second half.

So, it's a limitation this team has that isn't going to get solved this season."

If so, that does not seem to address athleticism. It sounds like conditioning ("wore them down"), although you'd think our deep bench would minimize that.

I don't think I've heard yet how you measure athleticism yet, but, if I have missed it, I apologize.

I believe that playing good defense is more energy efficient for better athletes than for weaker ones who would need to try harder.

 

[markfromj]

I believe that playing good defense is more energy efficient for better athletes than for weaker ones who would need to try harder.

Yes, that may be.

 

[Phenomenally Frantastic]

How high you can jump.

also, how quickly you can move your hands and feet. when i watch the game the opposing team is quicker than Iowa at every position. it is why our defense is so average and at times, poor.

It is why i think Murray helps this team. every time he steps on the court it increases our defensive quickness considerably. we go from average to above average at that position. he has made 8 of the top 10 season best defensive plays of the season with bench minutes. I dont understand how they can keep him off the court as much as they do. Cost them maybe both losses in Big Ten play not playing him more. Bohannon makes similar or worse mistakes and never gets benched. Though Fran let Murray play through some mistakes vs Indiana. on defense he is trying to cover too much territory and usually becomes the man trying to cover 2 guys because of how slow the other four on the court are.

 

[denmar81]

Fran admitted, again, that defense was an issue. When will he find someone that can coach it? Don’t need super quick players to have a good defense. Wisconsin is near the top of the conference yearly in team defense and they’re not anymore athletic than Iowa. Hire a defensive specialist already.

 

[walleye hunter16]

Garza is spot on with his comments.

No, they did not play hard the whole game. They gave up far too many 50/50 possessions. They were soft in the post.

The Hawks certainly looked overconfident and didn't take Indiana very seriously.

Soft in the post, thats funny.
It was a party in the post especially the second half because the 3 pt shooters couldn't get loose or force a couple in the basket to get the Indiana team off of Garza.

 

[RocknRollface]

IMO from a BB skill standpoint I’d say it’s the ability to play effective man to man defense while on the court because the best athletes can make it look effortless and the athletic skills involved in being a great defender comes down to raw athleticism and effort. Indiana has better athletes at every position compared to Iowa. Our best athletes are probably Murray and Joe T. and I’d also say they’re our best defenders.

Thats not really true.

Effort yes. But there's allot more to it than just athleticism.

Athleticism is obviously an asset but quick feet and quick hands are the most important physical part of defense and thats not the same thing as being athletic. Aaron Craft is the best example. Great hands and feet but not overly athletic. CJ is similar in that way.

Athleticism is explosive movement.

The mental part is also as important as anything. Instincts. Anticipating what the offensive player is doing and getting in the way.

 

[mstp1992]

Soft in the post, thats funny.
It was a party in the post especially the second half because the 3 pt shooters couldn't get loose or force a couple in the basket to get the Indiana team off of Garza.

Even though Garza got his points, both he and Nunge missed a lot of bunnies. They make those, and it is a different game. Both Garza and Nunge are bigger than anyone Indiana could put out there, yet they got pushed around. Haven’t seen that happen, especially to Garza, in a long time.

 

[denmar81]

Even though Garza got his points, both he and Nunge missed a lot of bunnies. They make those, and it is a different game. Both Garza and Nunge are bigger than anyone Indiana could put out there, yet they got pushed around. Haven’t seen that happen, especially to Garza, in a long time.

Garza’s going to get pushed around against Cockburn next week also. I’m sure the officials won’t do a damn thing about it either.

 

[markfromj]

This is a bs excuse as a top 5 team.

What is?

 

[mstp1992]

What is?

That they weren’t physically, mentally ready for Indiana.

 

[markfromj]

That they weren’t physically, mentally ready for Indiana.

Of course that’s not an excuse.

But it may be an explanation.

 

[Pepperman]

Mark is way too obtuse in these debates.

athleticism can be observed looking for quickness (especially laterally and the ability to stop motion one direction and quickly move the opposite direction), as well as explosiveness, including vertical. Top speed could be an indicator but it’s not that helpful in a basketball sense.

Race has nothing to do with it. If you watch a lot of college basketball outside of Iowa it’s easier to be objective about our lack of athleticism. We are not quick enough as a collective group (some individuals are). We aren’t explosive (some players are, not enough) and if the three pointers aren’t going in, we pay a price for it because the offense just doesn’t work in those cases. It’s also why many times our defense is poor and players get caught out of position.

this is pretty basic stuff but you insist on arguing a point that just isn’t there.

 

[markfromj]

Mark is way too obtuse in these debates.

athleticism can be observed looking for quickness (especially laterally and the ability to stop motion one direction and quickly move the opposite direction), as well as explosiveness, including vertical. Top speed could be an indicator but it’s not that helpful in a basketball sense.

Race has nothing to do with it. If you watch a lot of college basketball outside of Iowa it’s easier to be objective about our lack of athleticism. We are not quick enough as a collective group (some individuals are). We aren’t explosive (some players are, not enough) and if the three pointers aren’t going in, we pay a price for it because the offense just doesn’t work in those cases. It’s also why many times our defense is poor and players get caught out of position.

this is pretty basic stuff but you insist on arguing a point that just isn’t there.

I like this post (the two big paragraphs). You did a great job of defining what you mean by “athletic”, and I think your definition is pretty accurate.

Initially, I wasn’t even arguing a point. I asked Bleeder a question: “How do you measure athletic-ness?”. I believe he has not yet answered it in this thread.

Obtuse meaning failing to understand, you are correct. I did not understand what Bleeder meant by “athletic” and still don’t. (We all know that traditionally, “athletic“ has meant black.)

 

[BlackNGoldBleeder]

I like this post (the two big paragraphs). You did a great job of defining what you mean by “athletic”, and I think your definition is pretty accurate.

Initially, I wasn’t even arguing a point. I asked Bleeder a question: “How do you measure athletic-ness?”. I believe he has not yet answered it in this thread.

Obtuse meaning failing to understand, you are correct. I did not understand what Bleeder meant by “athletic” and still don’t. (We all know that traditionally, “athletic“ has meant black.)

As pepp pointed out, you're being purposely obtuse.

 

[LetsGoHawks83]

Love the statement. Hope he backs it up!

I thought the MN game would have stirred this same attitude, but they got complacent again

 

[markfromj]

As pepp pointed out, you're being purposely obtuse.

Ok. You can clear this up by answering one question: When you said our starting 5 was not athletic, was any of your basis for that statement that they are all white?

 

[Franisdaman]

Love the statement. Hope he backs it up!

I thought the MN game would have stirred this same attitude, but they got complacent again

its kinda surprising (and disappointing) that Fran & the players basically admitted it!

they keep saying they want to win a B1G Championship & a National Championship. Well, talk is cheap! You gotta show up mentally for each and every damn game if you wanna accomplish both goals.

 

[icwesthawk]

First, that statement is the true kiss of death.

Second, it's very disappointing that a leader of this team, with it's makeup, has to make this kind of statement.

Third, defense is going to rule til the end of the season and that doesn't bode well for us.

 

[Ronman]

We've all seen that Indiana game before. A game against a foe we're favored to beat. We get to a point in the game where we miss a few shots in a row and suddenly, all of the momentum changes and everything the opposition throws up, even by little used reserves, goes in. Once the ball gets rolling, it just snowballs out of control and we lose a game that we probably shouldn't.

 

[CO_hawk]

Tyler Cook was athletic. Name the guys on our team that could match that. I think there is three. Two of them are bench players.

 

[DewHawk]

Love the statement. Hope he backs it up!

I thought the MN game would have stirred this same attitude, but they got complacent again

Not worried about LG

 

[MeetTheFerentz]

I'd feel a lot better if instead Fran said "I promise the rest of the year, I will not allow an 8-minute period of game time to pass in which P. McCaffrey and T. Perkins take more shots than anyone else, while our 9-point lead turns into a 9-point deficit."

 

[hexumhawk]

Good leadership by Garza. Didn't really look like they were sleepwalking through that game, just had one really bad half where nothing would fall. Effort was there but Indiana played well. Sometimes people need to realize that the other team has D1 CBB players also that are trying to win.

 

[WorldSeriesChamps2015]

Hello,

I am asking everyone in this thread to go vote for me. 1 click and a save. That is all you gotta do.

****Vote now for 2020 WPOTY****

Voting is now open for Worst Poster of the 2020. Oh what a year. There were around 30 different posters nominated for this coveted award. It's a shame polls can't handle more than 10 options, because so many didn't deserve to be left out. I mean, @IMCC965 and @gonegolfing didn't make the finals...

iowa.forums.rivals.com

 

[unoHawkeye]

Hello,

I am asking everyone in this thread to go vote for me. 1 click and a save. That is all you gotta do.

****Vote now for 2020 WPOTY****

Voting is now open for Worst Poster of the 2020. Oh what a year. There were around 30 different posters nominated for this coveted award. It's a shame polls can't handle more than 10 options, because so many didn't deserve to be left out. I mean, @IMCC965 and @gonegolfing didn't make the finals...

iowa.forums.rivals.com

While I’m sure you’re a very deserving poster (jkjk) Bonney’s got my vote and I’m barely on HROT enough to know who he is

 

[WorldSeriesChamps2015]

While I’m sure you’re a very deserving poster (jkjk) Bonney’s got my vote and I’m barely on HROT enough to know who he is

Boooo! I post more than Bonney, whom I think got banned lolz! You would just be voting for a banned member!

 

[unoHawkeye]

Boooo! I post more than Bonney, whom I think got banned lolz! You would just be voting for a banned member!

Really? Hahaha you have to be pretty bad to get banned from HROT. But I switched my vote over to ya. Best of luck

 

[WorldSeriesChamps2015]

Really? Hahaha you have to be pretty bad to get banned from HROT. But I switched my vote over to ya. Best of luck

Boyah I knew you were good people! Thanks you!

 

[LetsGoHawks83]

Good leadership by Garza. Didn't really look like they were sleepwalking through that game, just had one really bad half where nothing would fall. Effort was there but Indiana played well. Sometimes people need to realize that the other team has D1 CBB players also that are trying to win.

Good point about not really sleep walking. But man... You have to find a way to get a bucket during that drought.

Side note... Games against "weaker" teams like Indiana will be why it is ALWAYS harder to measure teams Like Gonzaga. Indiana is middle of the pack in the B1G, but I'm guessing they have far and away better players than any team that Gonzaga plays in conference.

Gonzaga has an "off game" like we just had... They still would roll by 10+

 

[Jizzer]

Tyler Cook was athletic. Name the guys on our team that could match that. I think there is three. Two of them are bench players.

Oh, so athleticism is if you can dunk really good, shoot poorly, and play terrible transition defense.

 

[CO_hawk]

Oh, so athleticism is if you can dunk really good, shoot poorly, and play terrible transition defense.

Um yes. Why are you correlating athletic ability with skill set?

 

[Jizzer]

Um yes. Why are you correlating athletic ability with skill set?

You're confusing yourself.