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- Thread starter Hawkeyestate81
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Why are we getting shredded on D as of late as well? I think the book is out on us and if we keep doing the same crap over and over (insanity), it is going to continue down this path.
Exactly. I don't understand why this is so complicated. I'm not for benching Gesell, I'm just for not playing him and Clemmons together. I honestly don't care which one gets the majority of the minutes. I'm not convinced I'd play Clemmons over Gesell. It's pretty simple to me that this team needs another shooter out on the floor.
Just because you have a strong opinion doesn't make it right. Whether you like it or not, the best five players (by a wide margin IMO, if you pay attention to both ends of the court) are starting and playing most of the minutes. Fran really doesn't have a lot of options, although I wish we would substitute one or two of the guys on the bench at a time, instead of 3 or 4 coming in together.
Baer still provides quality minutes because of his court awareness, but his shot just hasn't been there for the past few weeks. Uhl doesn't move well enough to get his three-point shot off. His drives often look nice, but don't consistently get finished. Dom has been a major liability on the defensive end for the past month. Wisconsin was isolating on him whenever Iowa played man defense, because he gives up on defending if you take it at him around the basket. In the zone, he does quite a bit of standing and watching.. Wagner can guard well enough and rebound, but he has no shot and has very limited ball skills. So, how are any of these guys going to improve our team if we sit Mike down? If anything, Jarrod and Pete will have an even harder time getting open looks, because Mike is easily our best ballhandler. Mike just needs to make some damn shots. Uthoff and the bench also need to start shooting better, or we won't get back to playing like we were a month or so ago.
I don't admit that I'm right, it is a difference in opinion. We are getting shredded on D with the current starting 5 as well as of late. When we cannot fast break our half court set in the 2 guard line up is terrible.
If Iowa doesn't start to make shots the half court offense is going to continue to struggle. And whatever defense problems Iowa has been having lately aren't because of MG.
They need to buckle down defensively. 20 3 pointers given up the past 2 games is ridiculous. Bottom line is they just need to play better in pretty much every aspect right now.
Yes, but having a guy who can't shoot holding the ball does not help the half court offensive set is my point.
Our defense is a LOT worse when Uhl and/or Ellingson are on the court. I don't disagree that the offense hasn't been what it was, but playing even less effective players more minutes is not going to solve the problem. Except for Jok, shooting has pretty much sucked for the whole team for the past month, including Uthoff. If Jarrod or anyone other than Pete starts shooting well again, most of the offensive difficulty will go away. Sitting Mike is going to do more harm than good.
Where did I call for Ellingson haha, he doesn't need to play AT ALL at this point. I wanted Uhl early on but he is awful right now so no as well, I am wanting Wagner at the 4 to start with AC at the 1.
Not really sitting, just change up the lineups more, start him on bench, sub him in for AC and have them play together on OCCASION, not 3/4th of the game.
So back to my earlier point, how is having the guys covering Woody and Wagner in the lane playing help defense when they have the ball on the perimeter going to up the floor? And if you never put them on the perimeter the lane will be clogged up with them and their defenders.
Going to have to get a lot of movement and interior screening inside and on the elbows. I would prefer Uhl or Baer at the 3 with JU at the 4 but those 2 have been awful.
I am not for changing the lineup, but if Iowa does they need to add a shooter like Uhl or Baer. I just don't see any better options than the starting five. I do see your point about two PG's on the floor at the same time who aren't good shooters. Ideally I think Fran wants to play with two PG's but at least one of them has to be able to make the three.
I think AC has made himself a decent 3 point shooter, my point there is AC being the primary on the floor with his defender having to respect his 3 point shot will help keep others from shadowing JU and Jok at the same time as much as they can now on half court sets.
If a decent 3 point shooter is 30% (according to espn) then yes he has. What would that make someone shooting 37% from 3 point range?
Shooting would obviously help, no one is disagreement there. The problem is the how the offense is working. In my opinion, Fran's offense has gotten too reliant on the 3 point or perimeter shot and has totally lost sight of the post game. We don't need Woody to score (and he probably won't because he doesn have a strong post move), but moving the ball in and out of the post forces the defense to move or at least turn their heads, which will help our perimeter plays to free themselves, make cuts or have open shots if the defender collapses. Woody is a pretty good passer too. It has never been a strength of Fran's offense to use the post offense so not likely to start not either. We have PG that take pretty good care of the ball (except when they drive to the basket), however, they are not great passers and that doesn't help with making these passes.
You will also notice that Woody has not taken an 8-12 foot shot for several games either. He is decent from that range and it forces one more defender to watch their player. I am guessing this is due to Fran's insistence on getting the shots for Jok and JU too, and it is hurting the offense.
During the Wiscy game, there was a time when Uthoff had good post position (man sealed on high side) and was calling for the ball but MG could not get him the ball from the wing. MG quickly passed the ball to the top of the key which changed the passing angle and the pass immediately went to Uthoff and jarrod caught the pass and had an easy layup. First time I had seen something like that in several games. this was a case of everyone executing, but we often have a player in the lane who is not working for position, doesn't have their hand up (Woody is terrible at this when he comes off the pick and roll) and guards that are not very good (or maybe just not very confident) in making that pass.
If the other team switches to a zone, you can still post up as well as put a player around the free throw line to create passing angles.
I know the coaching staff can not play the game, but these are basic basketball concepts that I learned in junior high. Not sure why Fran and staff cannot see this. Other teams have adjusted to our game, but we have not adjusted accordingly. We are a good team but not good enough to implement the Woody Hayes "three yards and a cloud of dust" strategy!
You will also notice that Woody has not taken an 8-12 foot shot for several games either. He is decent from that range and it forces one more defender to watch their player. I am guessing this is due to Fran's insistence on getting the shots for Jok and JU too, and it is hurting the offense.
During the Wiscy game, there was a time when Uthoff had good post position (man sealed on high side) and was calling for the ball but MG could not get him the ball from the wing. MG quickly passed the ball to the top of the key which changed the passing angle and the pass immediately went to Uthoff and jarrod caught the pass and had an easy layup. First time I had seen something like that in several games. this was a case of everyone executing, but we often have a player in the lane who is not working for position, doesn't have their hand up (Woody is terrible at this when he comes off the pick and roll) and guards that are not very good (or maybe just not very confident) in making that pass.
If the other team switches to a zone, you can still post up as well as put a player around the free throw line to create passing angles.
I know the coaching staff can not play the game, but these are basic basketball concepts that I learned in junior high. Not sure why Fran and staff cannot see this. Other teams have adjusted to our game, but we have not adjusted accordingly. We are a good team but not good enough to implement the Woody Hayes "three yards and a cloud of dust" strategy!
The main point here is he has a shot they have to defend, MG they do NOT AT ALL. His defender is backed off him 2-3 feet. It truly is 4 on 5.
100% agree we need Woody to touch the ball to distribute or to shoot a jumper etc. Yes, I think you are right on the reliance of Jok and JU and yes I would not be surprised if this was the actually coaching staffs demand to do. Time to scrap that crap now.
No actually the point is that MG shoots the three better than AC yet you continue to rail on MG. Even Izzo commented on how AC isn't a very good shooter. Maybe the reason that we are noticing MG struggling right now is because he is a better shooter than AC and it is more evident because of that?
When AC destroyed it from 3? MG is zero threat to shoot right now, he can't, and he is 5-25 from the floor last several games, that is terrible.
Ok so just so I understand this, you are now arguing that shooting 30% from three point range is better than shooting 37%?
I think any offensive gains you might see (not convinced you see any) with that change will be more than offset on the defensive end. We need better ball movement, and yes need to have MG hit a couple of those shots.
Probably, just trying to discuss WTF needs to happen. There is time for them to turn it around. Woody needs to touch the ball A LOT for starters and JU needs to attack the freaking rim. Having MG with the ball primarily with no shot to shoot is still a KILLER IMO.
I haven't looked at % stats I'm going off of what I've seen the last 5 games, and that is a guiy shooting 5-25 and whose defender is literally not guarding him on the perimeter because they know he won't shoot and if he does it will not go in. Kind of a killer.
The problem is defensively. Iowa's isnt a halfcourt grind it out team, they arent good at it. Iowa is at it's best when theyre getting stops, can push the ball with numbers and either get to the rim, get a good shot or get fouled and go to the line. Tough to do those things off makes
Yes, goes back to my comments on being unable to push in transition. We are back to the team on D where opponent is holding ball for 25 seconds, driving making 1 simple pass out for an open 3 and the opponent is nailing them. It is brutal right now across the board.
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I was just watching the Wisconsin game again and they play AC the same way they play MG on the perimeter.
Just a killer with both of them out there isn't it? AC is finishing better at the rim as well. Having them both out there is just a killer.
So you agree that they play them both the same? I guess I am just tired of people blaming MG for all of Iowa's problems.
His shooting is though as of late, but it is more than that. I'm trying to find an organic way to spark the team. I"m not trying to rip on him, he will still get his minutes.
Ok but your argument is flawed since he is a better shooter than AC and he is the primary ball handler for a reason when him and AC are on the court at the same time. Yes, he is in a shooting slump but outside of Jok who on the team isn't in a shooting slump?
Sorry, who is the D? MG is a better three point shooter and a better free throw shooter than AC. AC's overall shooting percentage is 5% better than MG's. Yes MG has struggled with his offense the last three games, but you can't just throw away his whole body of work.
I'm not he will play just switch it up/tweak it. The D meant the opposing Defense we play.
Loss of Dale Jones has turned out to be big.
The lineup change I would try is:
AC/MG
Williams
Jok
Uthoff
Woody
The lineup change I would try is:
AC/MG
Williams
Jok
Uthoff
Woody
This isn't a slump for Gesell, this is what he has done for his career...40% from field, low volume 31% from 3, low volume 71% from FT line. What we are seeing right now is his return to his averages.
Fran will do what he wants. If he plays the same lineup and Iowa ends up losing a couple more and then has quick exits in B1G and NCAA tourney, this is just another late season collapse.
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