Offense moving forward

[Ihawkhoops]

It's early in the season and the team may turn things around in the upcoming games, but thus far 3-point shooting has been brutal. I know Fran is a green light coach but at some point he has to check and adjust. Unlike past Fran teams there are multiple dribble-drive guys who have shown they can break their defender down, get into the lane and score or kick. Who would have thought 7 games in that our second best 3-point option behind Kris would be Connor?

I was really impressed with the ball movement in the first few games and that has been much less consistent recently. I realize the competition level has ratcheted up but the quick 3 has replaced the diligent side to ball movement that created some great looks for cutters. Given the rebounding struggles and poor shooting, the quick 3 seems like something Fran needs to mitigate barring someone catching fire. Ulis, Bowen, Perkins and Kris have all demonstrated the ability to penetrate, score, or kick and until the 3's start falling, I would rather see Sandfort and Pmac used as catch and shoot guys coming off ball screens and cuts.

Fran is Fran and I am sure his POV is that the team will shoot itself out of this slump, but sub 20% from 3 isn't a recipe for success.

 

[TheGuy9]

It's early in the season and the team may turn things around in the upcoming games, but thus far 3-point shooting has been brutal. I know Fran is a green light coach but at some point he has to check and adjust. Unlike past Fran teams there are multiple dribble-drive guys who have shown they can break their defender down, get into the lane and score or kick. Who would have thought 7 games in that our second best 3-point option behind Kris would be Connor?

I was really impressed with the ball movement in the first few games and that has been much less consistent recently. I realize the competition level has ratcheted up but the quick 3 has replaced the diligent side to ball movement that created some great looks for cutters. Given the rebounding struggles and poor shooting, the quick 3 seems like something Fran needs to mitigate barring someone catching fire. Ulis, Bowen, Perkins and Kris have all demonstrated the ability to penetrate, score, or kick and until the 3's start falling, I would rather see Sandfort and Pmac used as catch and shoot guys coming off ball screens and cuts.

Fran is Fran and I am sure his POV is that the team will shoot itself out of this slump, but sub 20% from 3 isn't a recipe for success.

Just wanted to point out that statistically Connor isn't our second best 3-point shooter. He is our best 3-point shooter. That is even more scarry if he reverts back to form.

 

[DodgerHawki]

It's early in the season and the team may turn things around in the upcoming games, but thus far 3-point shooting has been brutal. I know Fran is a green light coach but at some point he has to check and adjust. Unlike past Fran teams there are multiple dribble-drive guys who have shown they can break their defender down, get into the lane and score or kick. Who would have thought 7 games in that our second best 3-point option behind Kris would be Connor?

I was really impressed with the ball movement in the first few games and that has been much less consistent recently. I realize the competition level has ratcheted up but the quick 3 has replaced the diligent side to ball movement that created some great looks for cutters. Given the rebounding struggles and poor shooting, the quick 3 seems like something Fran needs to mitigate barring someone catching fire. Ulis, Bowen, Perkins and Kris have all demonstrated the ability to penetrate, score, or kick and until the 3's start falling, I would rather see Sandfort and Pmac used as catch and shoot guys coming off ball screens and cuts.

Fran is Fran and I am sure his POV is that the team will shoot itself out of this slump, but sub 20% from 3 isn't a recipe for success.

No doubt the 3-point shooting is hurting Iowa. 8-22 against Seton Hall was decent, but 3-14 against Clemson, 5-14 against TCU and 7-22 against GTech is not great. With all that said, Iowa is 4th in the country in adjusted offensive efficiency, so even with the 3-point shooting woes Iowa's overall offensive production is among the best in the country.

What Iowa does really well (even when not shooting the ball well) is:

• Limit turnovers - Iowa's turnover rate is 3rd best in the country. Elite. They don't turn it over much despite playing a faster than average page.
• Rebound their own misses - Iowa is 25th in the country in offensive rebounding percentage, getting nearly 37% of its own misses.
• Get to the line (and keep the opponent off the FT line). - Iowa's FT rate is top-50ish in the country, and they are the 6th best in the country at not putting the opponetn at the line.
  I doubt Fran puts the brakes on guys shooting if they're open. His style is to let guys play free and easy. And if Iowa is going to be good, Perkins is going to need to make enough 3's to keep the defense from just collapsing into the lane more than they already do on him. Sandfordt is definitely struggling, hopefully he can find it. And PMac being limited to just a catch and shoot guy I don't think is a good use of his strengths. He's a funky-type scorer, who can make 3's and also find his way to the hoop. As recently as the Clemson game he scored 21 points by making 6-8 2 pointers and 6-7 from the line (only 1-6 from 3). He will bounce back.

 

[Hawk_4shur]

Shooting well from 3 is essential for this team to have success in the B1G, or against Duke/ISU. Really need to get Sandfort and PMac going.

 

[perryhawk]

I think Sandfort is a really good shooter…hopefully he comes out of his slump with a real hot streak all next week.

TP has been a decent shooter as well…..hopefully we get it going.

 

[TheTruthTheWholeTruth]

One thing that’s irking me a little is the insistence of feeding the ball to Rebraca way too much. He’s a ball stopper and he’s not hitting his FTs. I would rather see more sets for Kris in the post.

 

[Sheahawk]

It feels like Rebraca could average 15 points a game if he was a good free throw shooter. It’s very frustrating to see as a fan.

 

[jonesy5960]

Rebraca could average 15 points a game if he was a good free throw shooter. It’s very frustrating to see as a fan.

Yeah. He's a career 62% FT shooter so highly unlikely that it changes much from what we've seen.

 

[DodgerHawki]

Rebraca could average 15 points a game if he was a good free throw shooter. It’s very frustrating to see as a fan.

He's averaging 10 points a game and has made 24-37 free throws on the year in 7 games, so even if we are generous and make him 100% on the year it would add 2 points to his per game average. If he was 80% on free throws (that is very good) it would add 1 point per game to his season average.

The good news is he's getting to the line a lot more than he did his first year. Shows he understands more how to use his body and is being more aggressive.

 

[HawkLogic]

Just wanted to point out that statistically Connor isn't our second best 3-point shooter. He is our best 3-point shooter. That is even more scarry if he reverts back to form.

CMAC shot looks good, but he's not a volume shooter becausee he doesn't have a super quick release or quickness to dribble open, or extended deep range.

If this team is going to be any good, Murray, Sandfort and to lessor extent PMAC have to be leading the way in 3pt shooting. So I can see the OP point in short run, but in long run this team has to be at good 3pt shooting team or it is so-so, because they don't have post up game and there is limited number of athletes that can dribble drive and score. Bowen probably has a lot of upside in dribble drive.

 

[perryhawk]

CMAC shot looks good, but he's not a volume shooter becausee he doesn't have a super quick release or quickness to dribble open, or extended deep range.

If this team is going to be any good, Murray, Sandfort and to lessor extent PMAC have to be leading the way in 3pt shooting. So I can see the OP point in short run, but in long run this team has to be at good 3pt shooting team or it is so-so, because they don't have post up game and there is limited number of athletes that can dribble drive and score. Bowen probably has a lot of upside in dribble drive.

I’m pretty much in agreement with all of this. To put a finer point on it…..CMac doesn’t have to be a volume shooter, he just has to be a credible threat for the offense to work.

I agree that, at least right now, Murray and Sandfort in particular need to be our main 3 point shooters…and Patrick has to step up his rebounding and defense….hopefully Tony gets healthy and back to his early season level of play.

 

[jonesy5960]

I’m pretty much in agreement with all of this. To put a finer point on it…..CMac doesn’t have to be a volume shooter, he just has to be a credible threat for the offense to work.

I agree that, at least right now, Murray and Sandfort in particular need to be our main 3 point shooters…and Patrick has to step up his rebounding and defense….hopefully Tony gets healthy and back to his early season level of play.

I think that last point regarding Tony's health is important to how we perceive the last few games. He hasn't been beast mode Tony since the injury. Hopefully the week off is what the doctor ordered and he's back to the guy we saw in games prior.

 

[HIWILLE]

I think Sandfort is a really good shooter…hopefully he comes out of his slump with a real hot streak all next week.

TP has been a decent shooter as well…..hopefully we get it going.

Hope your right but he’s not only missing he’s missing bad most of the time

 

[HIWILLE]

Talking about Sanfort.

 

[jonesy5960]

Hope your right but he’s not only missing he’s missing bad most of the time

He started last year pretty much the same way and then improved as the season progressed. Hopefully that's how this year goes.

 

[iabcuda]

I am not happy we are not shooting well from 3, but it has forced us to look elsewhere for scoring & dig deeper for ways to compete & win.
I can’t name the last national championship team that strictly shot it’s way there.

 

[CookyMonster]

I think Seton Hall just sucks and left more openings for Perkins to attack. Perk injury probably too. He was really pushing the ball that game. Yah sandfort and pmac, but perkins is the 2nd best player on the team and needs to be cooking.

 

[CookyMonster]

Rebraca can be maddeningly indecisive in the post but overall is decent option when nothing else is going.

 

[Ihawkhoops]

Rebraca can be maddeningly indecisive in the post but overall is decent option when nothing else is going.

I hope Fran and staff broke down the film from the last few games and showed him how he is getting worse or no shots after all his pump faking. His inability to develop into a better FT shooter is going to put Fran in a bind all season. Go really small and get destroyed on the glass or play Rebraca and live with 50% from the line late in games.