BirdistheWord
HB Legend
Tadjo is super raw but has gotten very minimal opportunities. He has 10x more upside that dembele (low bar I realize)
Only option IMO is Dembele getting starter minutes at the 4
- Thread starter Nagarunja
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Agree.
I think Mulvey has looked ok too. Having either one in there with Owen is going to increase rebounding success dramatically.
The problem is it's going to mess up spacing for Owen on offense and that's why Fran likely won't play two bigs even though it would very likely be a net positive.
BirdistheWord
HB Legend
I have been quite harsh towards Mulvey but the guy is fairly effective. Plays within himself, boxes out, high IQ. Challenge is we need difference makers, we are turible.
Go ahead and provide those stats that you have access to. I'm calling your bluff.
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If we are going to do anything in the off season, we need to rebound. Put more minutes into Mulvey at the 5, and Tajo at the 4. Should have been done while we were playing scrub teams. Now we are playing catchup. If you can't rebound consistently, you can't win consistently. And Traore does not look to be a 4 so far. Keep Payton at the 3. Having him play the 4 is a joke. He gets enough rebounds, that with 2 bigs in the lineup, we stand a chance at improving at rebounding. But if it's like other games where Mulvey looks competent, he won't get any minutes in the next game.
Only option is sending Harding to the bench. Slide Dix to 2, Payton/Pryce to 3, and figure out the best combination at 4-5 by trial and error.
I keep hearing that Pryce is a good defender. I certainly am not seeing it. Has the idea that you should stay between your opponent and the basket changed. Pryce is frequently a step behind his defender on the perimeter. He also often fails to make the proper switch, so you see him sort of closing out on a wide open 3-pt shooter. I would rate him as pretty much a tie with Payton as the worst defender in the main rotation.
BirdistheWord
HB Legend
Completely agree, great spot up shooter, scrappy, but he would never start/get heavy minutes in the B1G for anyone else
Rebounding is about desire to go get the ball. There have been and there are now good rebounders who aren't trees.
That's for sure, but Iowa doesn't have those guys, at least not the ones that get to play.
The best rebounders I've seen at Iowa were Reggie, Chris Street, Greg Brunner and Daryl Moore. I don't think any of those guys were above 6'8. Moore was 6'4.
Tom Davis had a bunch of guys in the 6'5 to 6'8 range that were good rebounders.
Right, Tom really emphasized rebounding and his teams were good at it.
Fran and his staff has driven this team into the ground, Only 4 players are reliable, Owen, Josh, Doug, and Brock. that's it. Payton is toast, even if he comes back, he's damaged goods. Mulvey could have given Owen additional rebounding help, but Fran continued to play Dembele or Braun's who both haven't provided enough rebounding, defense, or scoring support, disappointing at best.
Pryce as a sophomore, is not a rebounder but a 3 point threat that is very inconsistent from game to game, is not very quick and is not that great of defender.
Theore, and Tadjo are very athletic, Fran could play them both, but the offense would suffer as they are not skilled enough offensively. Cooper is sick or injured, so he's not much help going forward and Kingsbury is good to take a charge or two but little else.
Whether this team turns it around or not, it looks like this season is going to be like every other year under Fran, they may make the NCAA tournament but in all likelihood at best the NIT, but in all reality though, something around a five hundred finish is likely as the meat of the season is still in front of them.
To LukaDuka and others that say that Brock is not worthy of starting, so be it. Brock and Owen are my home boys, they earned their starting roles through hard work and I will continue to watch every game they play for Iowa no matter what, they are just sophomores and are not as polished as they will be as they get older.
I've followed Iowa since the 60's and that will continue until I'm no longer breathing and yes, in a perfect world, Fran would ride off into the sunset after this season and Beth would hire a coach that knows how to recruit the portal, can bring in top talent, is charismatic, and will elevate Iowa to a higher level . If it happens fine, probably won't, but I'll continue to support the program even if none of that happens.
My heart may not be behind Fran and his staff, but until he leaves or retires, he still is Iowa's head coach, not the most ideal situation for sure going forward, but until Beth decides enough is enough, nothing is going to change, nor with the distractors of the program or my loyalty to the program.
I'm as disappointed at the result of this season as I'm sure some of you are, but there's lots of Debbie Downers on this board that are thrilled at how the season is playing out, hope it all works out for them, but again despite how the season has turned out, my love for Iowa basketball will never diminish, not for the rest of this season or seasons to come.
Everyone should have the right to voice their opinions and I am wrong to say otherwise. PEACE....
Pryce as a sophomore, is not a rebounder but a 3 point threat that is very inconsistent from game to game, is not very quick and is not that great of defender.
Theore, and Tadjo are very athletic, Fran could play them both, but the offense would suffer as they are not skilled enough offensively. Cooper is sick or injured, so he's not much help going forward and Kingsbury is good to take a charge or two but little else.
Whether this team turns it around or not, it looks like this season is going to be like every other year under Fran, they may make the NCAA tournament but in all likelihood at best the NIT, but in all reality though, something around a five hundred finish is likely as the meat of the season is still in front of them.
To LukaDuka and others that say that Brock is not worthy of starting, so be it. Brock and Owen are my home boys, they earned their starting roles through hard work and I will continue to watch every game they play for Iowa no matter what, they are just sophomores and are not as polished as they will be as they get older.
I've followed Iowa since the 60's and that will continue until I'm no longer breathing and yes, in a perfect world, Fran would ride off into the sunset after this season and Beth would hire a coach that knows how to recruit the portal, can bring in top talent, is charismatic, and will elevate Iowa to a higher level . If it happens fine, probably won't, but I'll continue to support the program even if none of that happens.
My heart may not be behind Fran and his staff, but until he leaves or retires, he still is Iowa's head coach, not the most ideal situation for sure going forward, but until Beth decides enough is enough, nothing is going to change, nor with the distractors of the program or my loyalty to the program.
I'm as disappointed at the result of this season as I'm sure some of you are, but there's lots of Debbie Downers on this board that are thrilled at how the season is playing out, hope it all works out for them, but again despite how the season has turned out, my love for Iowa basketball will never diminish, not for the rest of this season or seasons to come.
Everyone should have the right to voice their opinions and I am wrong to say otherwise. PEACE....
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"just sophomores" is not a good excuse. These days D1 P4 basketball players should be able to come in ready to contribute at a high level if not as freshman, definitely as sophomores. They play 50-60 games a year or more between HS & AAU ball. Can't live on their HS accolades when playing Power 4 ball. It's eat or be eaten.
BirdistheWord
HB Legend
I thought coming into the season that Traore and Dembele could be those guys. Dembele seems to be anchored to the floor, and I am still trying to figure out what Traore can offer. For his size, Thelwell goes after the ball. Closest thing we have, and he is a PG.
I only saw him one year, but Clay Hargrave, who was 6-4 and could jump through the roof, was a great rebounder on Lute's early teams. Reggie Evans was probably the best I have seen at Iowa. He was a beast.
I think Traore still could be a good rebounder, he was at his previous school, and he's the best athlete on the team.
He just doesn't seem sure what to do in Frans offense and he's in the downward spiral that we've seen before. If you're not fitting in Frans offense you're going to get progressively less time every game which essentially eliminates the possibility of ever getting comfortable and in the flow.
If you think that Iowa and Fran are going to get the players that you and others long for, good luck. It hasn't happened in 15 years why would you think it would happen ever. Next years recruits look so game ready....sure they do. You better go find yourself another team to root for.
As good as Garza and Wieskamp were and the Murray twins, Fran was never able to fill the gaps either in the starting lineups or on the bench with players that could have propelled Iowa past the first week. Fran is not that great of recruiter.
Owen is a very good recruit, but is hampered by the fact his outside game is still developing and Brock is an exceptional guard but again he a past first guard that has only started this season.
Fran along with not stressing defense and rebounding has one other coaching flaw that is outdated in today's college game, as a developmental coach, almost every player that he has recruited out of high school has needed some time to develop and very few have had the skill on both sides of the ball to make an impact right out of high school and when Iowa got that one or two players, Iowa lacked in other areas.
Dix may be the most complete player on Iowa's roster but he had issues out of high school to overcome, Payton and Cooper are currently injured, Pryce is inexperienced and is no way a lock down defender, Traore and Tadjo are raw, Dembele hasn't progressed much from last year. Mulvey is serviceable but lacks court time, and Frans blessings, and Kingsbury is, you fill in the blank. You could say not a signal player on Iowa's roster was ready to play extensive minutes right out of high school except for Freeman and he still has issues to overcome. This team is not as good as I had hope it would be, lot's of holes to fill and as I said in a earlier post, Iowa has only four reliable players on it's roster.
I thought this years team was going to be better then it has shown, and it still might, that's how it goes sometimes. If there is one thing I've learned while following Iowa basketball and that goes back for as long as I can remember, there is no sure thing when the gold and black is involved.
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Looks like the gophers start two 6'2 guards so I imagine we'll get a full dose of Brock tonight because he can compete against those types.
Moving forward, tho, I won't be going to anymore games (I've been to 4 this year), if he continues to get starter minutes against teams with big guards. It's just embarrassing.
Moving forward, tho, I won't be going to anymore games (I've been to 4 this year), if he continues to get starter minutes against teams with big guards. It's just embarrassing.
BirdistheWord
HB Legend
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