Major Developments

[hawk-i bob]

The combo of Wagner/Pemsl...add Cook when he gets back..we've got 3 6'7, 6'8 guys who are physical...said at the beginning of the year...they are MichSt types..little smaller but athletic...Pemsl & Cook in the paint together is a happy thought ...starting Wagner tonite was the best move...Baer did a great job coming off the bench.

Add 3 guys (Garza/Nunge/Kriener)..wow front line looks pretty promising..in the future.

Major development with Isaiah Moss (he is coming on boys)...great to see...hum he is a redshirt freshman...even though this might not be a NCAA selection team and we may even lose more games than we win in the B1G...love to see the player development.

Moss makes Jok better...Jok is a pretty decent rebounder (evidenced by his rebounder numbers)..having Moss playing along side allows PJ to slip in on the boards...on offense he gives the defense another weapon to think about.

Now its JB/Williams turn...when Bohannon is hot he can affect the game..assist/TO ratio is decent for a freshman...work to do in other areas...he may never be a defensive stopper...size/quickness. Still think CW has an upside..tonite I thought he played a little better...defense...defense...defense..he has the tools, length...to have an impact...while still handling the ball fairly well.

To me this isn't about taking a step backwards this year...its about taking a step backwards from game to game...we took a step back against Omaha...not tonite. Hopefully the team keeps moving forward...I have no doubt they will play hard against ISU.

 

[showtime641]

Moss' development is key for the future of this team. Love his game. With Pemsl emerging and obvious talent in Cook we have 3 key pieces for the next 4 years assuming Cook stays all 4 of them.

 

[Vbeachawk]

Where has PJ's shot gone? Other aspects of his game are appearing, but the Hawks need him making 3's. Moss is coming on and he is effective on both ends of the court. Hope Wags is ok, but I don't expect him to play much (or effectively, if he does) Thursday nite, given the injury to his knee. Too short of a time period, imo.

 

[Kurt Warner]

Jok has definitely cooled off a bit, hopefully he warms back up Thursday night.

 

[kellerm]

Jok's cooling off is the result of poor shot selection He has a green light. When he sets his feet he doesn't miss. When he forces the shot which he has done as of late there is definitely less consistency. If Iowa has another perimeter threat which I think Moss may be that will take pressure off Jok and give him more open looks. If there was a stat for three point PCT uncontested I would argue he would rank very highly.

 

[hawk-i bob]

Not worried about Jok's shot ..it is the least of our problems...and yes things are developing with Moss ...Moss/Jok pretty good combo.

PJ also had 7 assists with zero TO...that is really impressive...it also shows that when his shot is not on...he is seeing other's....the addition of Moss is HUGE.

 

[Ihawkhoops]

Jok got loose in early games and was on fire. Combination of being on fire and some lazy defense. Stetson neutralized Jok by putting a guy in his face and crowding him. Jok is a great shooter, not a great scorer and when crowded / played physically, he does not have an answer.

It will not be an easy adjustment, but Jok needs to stop holding the ball up top and stagnating the offense. Keep the ball moving, be a decoy, drive and kick, and he will benefit by getting better shots. Pemsl and Moss need to touch the ball before Jok and Bohannon jack deep 3's early in the shot clock. Pemsl should get a touch or two every possession and Jok set Moss up for some open looks last night. Get other guys involved and make teams pay for all the attention they give Jok.

 

[Vbeachawk]

PJ's shoulder injury apparently is still bothering him. This may play a big role in his shot being off. He is really getting beat up. Last nite it was a knee to the rib cage.

 

[Mohawkeye]

I think his shoulder is the issue, and I'm afraid that is going to be a problem all season long. The good thing is he seems to be finding other ways to contribute: rebounds and assists.

 

[DanHawkPella]

To me it's simply the defense is challenging the shot more and trying to force him to put the ball on the floor. The first few games he was getting relatively clean looks. On top of this, once he feels his team "needs him" he will tend to force some shots with hands in his face and even for him those are 20% type shots. He just needs to trust that his teammates can score if he pump fakes and moves the ball to the next person instead of forcing the action too much. If he can dribble drive he needs to get to the FT line or do a better job passing off the bounce - he tends to zero in on the rim too much in those cases.

 

[Bulldogs1974]

When you want to score 30 a night you'll have nights where you press and nothing works.

 

[EduNeerHawk]

The combo of Wagner/Pemsl...add Cook when he gets back..we've got 3 6'7, 6'8 guys who are physical...said at the beginning of the year...they are MichSt types..little smaller but athletic...Pemsl & Cook in the paint together is a happy thought ...starting Wagner tonite was the best move...Baer did a great job coming off the bench.

Add 3 guys (Garza/Nunge/Kriener)..wow front line looks pretty promising..in the future.

Major development with Isaiah Moss (he is coming on boys)...great to see...hum he is a redshirt freshman...even though this might not be a NCAA selection team and we may even lose more games than we win in the B1G...love to see the player development.

Moss makes Jok better...Jok is a pretty decent rebounder (evidenced by his rebounder numbers)..having Moss playing along side allows PJ to slip in on the boards...on offense he gives the defense another weapon to think about.

Now its JB/Williams turn...when Bohannon is hot he can affect the game..assist/TO ratio is decent for a freshman...work to do in other areas...he may never be a defensive stopper...size/quickness. Still think CW has an upside..tonite I thought he played a little better...defense...defense...defense..he has the tools, length...to have an impact...while still handling the ball fairly well.

To me this isn't about taking a step backwards this year...its about taking a step backwards from game to game...we took a step back against Omaha...not tonite. Hopefully the team keeps moving forward...I have no doubt they will play hard against ISU.

Good stuff bob per usual for me. I've been saying give Fran and this team some rope and your post above is why. Ya need some time to figure some things out.

But I wasn't thinking they'd be playing as a MASH unit with players getting hurt out of the lineup and banged up they way they are which makes this giving some rope thing all the more challenging to get Ws against a brutal schedule to date with such an inexperienced roster.

But boy has Fran discovered some gems in this giving some rope process...wow just as Bob is saying. Pemsl is the real deal....great kid too. Him and Cook together ...O my.

And I remember an end of the BB season interview in April I believe on Tom's podcast with Mike and Sapp and they both said do not sleep on Isaiah Moss. There were practices where Isaiah would match Peter 3 shot for 3 shot....7 in a row is what Sapp said. You saw what those two were saying last night.

Also, watching Moss in PTL, you could tell their was a reason he was the 3rd leading scorer in the league. He's a bucket maker.

And last but not least, check out his Simeon HS vid below and do you see those moves similar to what you saw last night? I sure do. Isaiah is a very smooth and talented BB player, only a red-shirt frosh, big, can shoot the 3 shot but has more ways to attack and score above and at the rim than most players.....love the talent, love the skills plus he plays sound D too.

POINTS
1. Wyatt Lohaus - 25.3
2. Jeremy Morgan - 23.7
3. Isaiah Moss - 22
4. Tyler Cook - 22.3
5. Nicholas Baer - 21.5
6. Juwan McCloud - 21
7. Jordan Bohannen - 20.2
8. Ahmad Wagner - 19
9. Bennett Koch - 18.5
10. Dom Uhl - 17.9

 

[twindman]

Wow, he is quick! Loved that breakaway when he had the ball and beat the defender and 2 teammates to the basket.

 

[hawk-i bob]

Good stuff bob per usual for me. I've been saying give Fran and this team some rope and your post above is why. Ya need some time to figure some things out.

But I wasn't thinking they'd be playing as a MASH unit with players getting hurt out of the lineup and banged up they way they are which makes this giving some rope thing all the more challenging to get Ws against a brutal schedule to date with such an inexperienced roster.

But boy has Fran discovered some gems in this giving some rope process...wow just as Bob is saying. Pemsl is the real deal....great kid too. Him and Cook together ...O my.

And I remember an end of the BB season interview in April I believe on Tom's podcast with Mike and Sapp and they both said do not sleep on Isaiah Moss. There were practices where Isaiah would match Peter 3 shot for 3 shot....7 in a row is what Sapp said. You saw what those two were saying last night.

Also, watching Moss in PTL, you could tell their was a reason he was the 3rd leading scorer in the league. He's a bucket maker.

And last but not least, check out his Simeon HS vid below and do you see those moves similar to what you saw last night? I sure do. Isaiah is a very smooth and talented BB player, only a red-shirt frosh, big, can shoot the 3 shot but has more ways to attack and score above and at the rim than most players.....love the talent, love the skills plus he plays sound D too.

POINTS
1. Wyatt Lohaus - 25.3
2. Jeremy Morgan - 23.7
3. Isaiah Moss - 22
4. Tyler Cook - 22.3
5. Nicholas Baer - 21.5
6. Juwan McCloud - 21
7. Jordan Bohannen - 20.2
8. Ahmad Wagner - 19
9. Bennett Koch - 18.5
10. Dom Uhl - 17.9

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while losing games suck...(4-5)..should be 5-4 ....anyway ...yes it is really neat watching the lineups & rotations unfold..
still will have cough up games...and we got some real tough ones coming up in the B1G as well as ISU & UNI. Moss will have down games..as will Pemsl (they are still freshman)...but to see the evolution of these guys as well as others is a lot of fun. Pemsl is as confident in his game then more freshman.

I'm also not ready to dump guys like C Williams..even if its a sub role..I still think he has tremendous potential to be a part of a successful rotation. His length alone can be a really good asset ..especially on d. Let me see your hands CW. Be a rock star fan.

Moss' impact on Jok is huge..it gets PJ back to playing the 3 more. We may look back at the Omaha game (as painful as it was) being a turning point at least from a wake up standpoint. These guys know they can put together a competitive team...no may not result in NCAA...but its a move in the right direction.. Jok assists & rebounding last night was eventful...I hope he keeps it up.

Having said all that ... beating Stetson was expected..now is this team (without Cook) ready to take another step...like beating ISU.

 

[hawk-i bob]

When you want to score 30 a night you'll have nights where you press and nothing works.

...so are you saying PJ's only goal is to score 30? if we are going to use stats (like the number 30)...what about the assist (7) turnovers (0) Rebounds (8) ... Scorers (especially one who can shoot lights out) sometimes take shots they shouldn't....gee what a revelation that is. The last thing we need is for Jok to question his shot...seen this guy make
way too many big shots to put a harness on him.

I do believe Jok thinks he needs to score to help his team win...I don't believe he goes into games pre-thinking screw my teammates I'm getting my 30. I also believe he has seen how big of an impact he can have in all phases...his stats over the last few games have indicated that.

I also think he is not 100%...thus another reason he took only 13 shots last night.

 

[EduNeerHawk]

while losing games suck...(4-5)..should be 5-4 ....anyway ...yes it is really neat watching the lineups & rotations unfold..
still will have cough up games...and we got some real tough ones coming up in the B1G as well as ISU & UNI. Moss will have down games..as will Pemsl (they are still freshman)...but to see the evolution of these guys as well as others is a lot of fun. Pemsl is as confident in his game then more freshman.

I'm also not ready to dump guys like C Williams..even if its a sub role..I still think he has tremendous potential to be a part of a successful rotation. His length alone can be a really good asset ..especially on d. Let me see your hands CW. Be a rock star fan.

Moss' impact on Jok is huge..it gets PJ back to playing the 3 more. We may look back at the Omaha game (as painful as it was) being a turning point at least from a wake up standpoint. These guys know they can put together a competitive team...no may not result in NCAA...but its a move in the right direction.. Jok assists & rebounding last night was eventful...I hope he keeps it up.

Having said all that ... beating Stetson was expected..now is this team (without Cook) ready to take another step...like beating ISU.

Yea...I am expecting some sideways games for all of these players but I was not expecting at all the level of play and how good it's looked so early from players like Pemsl and Bohanon and then Moss coming on here lately as a starter so quickly. Felt he had the talent but wasn't sure how soon he'd get the opp to show it. With the set back injuries....this is really good news for this team.

I am too far from dumping on any of these players and especially Williams. He's got too much game and like Moss, love his size and skill set. He'll get it going and he does get a lot of boards for us too as a PG which is a big benefit when maybe other parts of his game are flat. The Baer is in a bit of slump with his outside shot hitting long off the back rim but the great thing about this team is when Peter, Jordan or Baer's shot is off we now have other players who can pick up the scoring....

We are really a shorter team right now w/o Cook in there. That's a problem against better teams. Sure would be nice to have 6'11 Garza or Nunge in the middle to make players attacking the rim feel a bit more uncomfortable when they get there....just have to wait on that.

PS....I should add I really like what Kriener is doing with the minutes he's had to play. He just gets rebounds and adds a nice 10 footer to his game. He's going to be a good one too just needs more PT.

 

[nu2u]

If he can dribble drive he needs to get to the FT line or do a better job passing off the bounce

That's the key !! I really hope that part of PJ's offense improves as the season progresses. He could easily get double digit FTAs the rest of the way with a little more effort. Looks like he has a pretty good first step but then he tends to get out of control. And, like you stated, a dump off or lob to Cook, Wagner, Pemsl might open up if Peter beats his guy off the dribble.

 

[RocknRollface]

I was glad to see Jok hitting the roller on picks instead of shooting every time.

He needs to continue to refine the shot selection and keep the ball moving. This team doesnt struggle to score. Theres no need to force anything.

Pemsil should touch the ball on the block every possesion and make the defense double and go from there.