My Defense Evaluation

[birthhawk]

Rewatching the Iowa illini btt game, here's what I'm seeing. My credentials? I've had 6 beers and I'm bored.
1) Cook loses his defensive assignment often.
2) Pemsl is too smart for his own good. Too often he tries something on d that he shouldn't and gets beat.
3) Garza/Baer are too slow on d. Baer was different this year, slower.
4) Nunge/Ellingson bring little on d, especially Ellingson. Nunge is too slow.
5) Wagner is good on d, horrible on offense. Same with Uhl.
6) man d was excellent in this game, mainly because we didn't have 5 guys collapsing on the drive.
7) They figured out their d a bit at the end of the year...at times.
8) They are young. Next year will be much better, with or without Cook. Kreiner is good on d down low.

 

[birthhawk]

Also, we aren't very active with our hands, and we don't go all out on loose balls. We play scared defensively.

 

[perryhawk]

#7 by the OP is the best hope for next year... I agree that the last three games of the year were the best defensive effort all year.

 

[hawksense]

They should be practicing defense right now, without any prompting from the coaches. Solid, sound, fundamental defense. With communication.

 

[RocknRollface]

Rewatching the Iowa illini btt game, here's what I'm seeing. My credentials? I've had 6 beers and I'm bored.
1) Cook loses his defensive assignment often.
2) Pemsl is too smart for his own good. Too often he tries something on d that he shouldn't and gets beat.
3) Garza/Baer are too slow on d. Baer was different this year, slower.
4) Nunge/Ellingson bring little on d, especially Ellingson. Nunge is too slow.
5) Wagner is good on d, horrible on offense. Same with Uhl.
6) man d was excellent in this game, mainly because we didn't have 5 guys collapsing on the drive.
7) They figured out their d a bit at the end of the year...at times.
8) They are young. Next year will be much better, with or without Cook. Kreiner is good on d down low.

IMO Fran completely botched this season by playing all of his worst defenders at the same time.

You have two excellent offensive talents in Bohanon and Cook, who are both terrible on defense. Dont surround them with other bad and slow footed defenders.

It was almost like the college basketball version of tanking.

Wagner, Kriener, Daily and even Uhl should have all played allot more and then you could play man defense much more frequently and effectively.

 

[Ihawkhoops]

Figuring out the D coincided with Fran playing zone not man. Glad he is a fast learner and waited until 3 games left in the year to make a change. D was better, not refuting that, just curious what Fran saw all season that made him think these guys could match up in man.

 

[The Sleeping Dog]

Good post. Garza was definitely learning low post defense as the season progressed. Nunge was a terrible defender, playing him with Garza and Cook was usually a disaster-the entire front court unable to guard their shadow.

Baer did play slower this year, more tentative. Wagner was the best defender on the team. He was unwilling to shoot no matter how open.

 

[Buffalo43]

Have 6 more beers and tell us about the offense

 

[birthhawk]

Have 6 more beers and tell us about the offense

I didn't see much of a problem with our offense, other than the substitution issues. Ellingson and Wagner should not be on the court together, imo.

Although, we have a tendency to get overconfident when things are going well and just chuck up shots or go one-on-one, which lets teams back into the game.

And, we stall too early, with no playmakers(other than Cook) who can drive the ball at the end of the shot clock.

Regardless, offense is not the problem.

 

[HoustonREDHawk]

I would change #1 to: Cook spends too much of his time on defense standing flat footed in one place. Give him a feather and he could be a wooden Indian (was once fairly common, for the younger posters).

Part of #3 should be: Baer and Nunge cannot keep up with most 3s, but must play that position because the other alternatives are even slower, except for Wagner, who has no offense.

 

[Hawksfor3]

Not a bad analysis after hittin' the sauce.

 

[hawkeyeinmo]

Pretty simplified analysis that overlooks a very undervalued attribute needed on the defensive end=STRENGTH. I have been on my soap box since the Tom Davis days that our coaches don’t stress the S&C program enough. We have had individuals that took it on their own to get stronger but seems to me that Fran takes the TD and Alford approach that the weight room is pretty much optional. While FB S&C is outstanding we are behind Wisconsin, MSU, and Nebraska that I know of that stress the importance of the strength program.

 

[Hawksfor3]

Pretty simplified analysis that overlooks a very undervalued attribute needed on the defensive end=STRENGTH. I have been on my soap box since the Tom Davis days that our coaches don’t stress the S&C program enough. We have had individuals that took it on their own to get stronger but seems to me that Fran takes the TD and Alford approach that the weight room is pretty much optional. While FB S&C is outstanding we are behind Wisconsin, MSU, and Nebraska that I know of that stress the importance of the strength program.

Fran has already addressed it. He said that they were going to kill it in the weight room.

 

[RocknRollface]

Good post. Garza was definitely learning low post defense as the season progressed. Nunge was a terrible defender, playing him with Garza and Cook was usually a disaster-the entire front court unable to guard their shadow.

Baer did play slower this year, more tentative. Wagner was the best defender on the team. He was unwilling to shoot no matter how open.

Post defense was the least of Garzas defensive problems. It was actually ok the 3 or 4 times a game someone would post him. His best game of the year was against Happ where mostly all he had to do was defend on the block.

Its what goes on the other 90% of the time that was the problem.

 

[BirdistheWord]

Good Analysis but skipped a few guys.

JoBo - Love him, heart and soul of team, great offensive threat, largely via the 3 of course, but an absolute disaster on perimiter defense. Lacks size, strength and quickness. Other than that he is a great defender (sarc)/

Moss - Decent perimeter defender but does not anticipate well, tends to be a split second late on dribble drives into the lane. Has good athleticism, but not overly quick or strong. More of a 3 IMO. I believe we need a stronger, quicker Guard to complement JoBo. (yes, dead horse comment).

Dailey - Has most potential with good athleticism, length and decent quickness for height. Slightly better than Moss but still not a great defender, yet. See him as a backup 2 and 3.

 

[birthhawk]

Good Analysis but skipped a few guys.

JoBo - Love him, heart and soul of team, great offensive threat, largely via the 3 of course, but an absolute disaster on perimiter defense. Lacks size, strength and quickness. Other than that he is a great defender (sarc)/

Moss - Decent perimeter defender but does not anticipate well, tends to be a split second late on dribble drives into the lane. Has good athleticism, but not overly quick or strong. More of a 3 IMO. I believe we need a stronger, quicker Guard to complement JoBo. (yes, dead horse comment).

Dailey - Has most potential with good athleticism, length and decent quickness for height. Slightly better than Moss but still not a great defender, yet. See him as a backup 2 and 3.

I agree with most of this. However, in the game I was watching, Illinois in the btt game, JBo actually played solid perimeter d for most of the game.

Also, to edit my post above about offense, turnovers are clearly a part of their struggles(and that is on offense), which can be traced back to lacking ballhandlers that can drive and kick to wide open shooters. We are forced to make risky passes because the opponent does not respect our driving ability.

 

[Hawksfor3]

I agree with most of this. However, in the game I was watching, Illinois in the btt game, JBo actually played solid perimeter d for most of the game.

Also, to edit my post above about offense, turnovers are clearly a part of their struggles(and that is on offense), which can be traced back to lacking ballhandlers that can drive and kick to wide open shooters. We are forced to make risky passes because the opponent does not respect our driving ability.

Definitely agree on the turnover issues. Haven't looked up any stats but you can bet it's way too elevated.

 

[BirdistheWord]

I agree with most of this. However, in the game I was watching, Illinois in the btt game, JBo actually played solid perimeter d for most of the game.

Also, to edit my post above about offense, turnovers are clearly a part of their struggles(and that is on offense), which can be traced back to lacking ballhandlers that can drive and kick to wide open shooters. We are forced to make risky passes because the opponent does not respect our driving ability.

Fair enough but you have to look at the larger body of work IMO. There is no way you can say JoBo is a solid perimeter defender looking back at our 30+ games. It would be like saying Moss is Vinnie "The Microwave" Johnson in the 4th quarter because of his recent late game outburst.

I agree that it shows some potential and promise but we have a long way to go....

 

[Jprimus]

Just watched Syracuse befuddle Sparty for 40 minutes. Maybe Hawks with all that length should copy that Syracuse zone.

 

[HoustonREDHawk]

I thought Izzo was a better coach than he showed today. Syracuse goes about 6 deep, and they spent 40 min passing the ball around the perimeter. Got to admit that the zebras weren't calling anything, but drive the ball and force the zebras to call something...

 

[birthhawk]

I thought Izzo was a better coach than he showed today. Syracuse goes about 6 deep, and they spent 40 min passing the ball around the perimeter. Got to admit that the zebras weren't calling anything, but drive the ball and force the zebras to call something...

Hard to feel bad for MSU, with all that they get away with.

 

[HoustonREDHawk]

Hard to feel bad for MSU, with all that they get away with.

Had really mixed feelings. I always want Syracuse and their slimy cheating coach to lose, but it is hard to ever root for MSU in BB or FB. This year in particular, they deserve everything bad they can get. Now that the season is over, there needs to be an accounting at MSU for the detestable crap that has been allowed to go on in the sports programs there.

 

[kcgolfer]

Iowa's problem is we have a roster full of players who aren't complete players. Some are good at offense, some are decent at defense, but none of them are the total package. And, they all lack instincts.

 

[Pepperman]

Iowa's problem is we have a roster full of players who aren't complete players. Some are good at offense, some are decent at defense, but none of them are the total package. And, they all lack instincts.

I think you're correct, BUT I also believe a good coaching staff would help a lot. I simply don't believe if our staff as a whole. I have no idea what they're doing, teaching, emphasizing, etc. I'm sure they are doing "something" and putting in effort to whatever it is. And I also happen to believe the difference between the team being good is SO CLOSE to where we are already, but it isn't there for some reason.