ADVERTISEMENT

Overlooked?

RomanHawk

HB MVP
Gold Member
Dec 12, 2019
1,657
2,855
113
We all know that improved defense has been a major contributor to our success this year, but do we fully appreciate the extent and basis for that improvement. And it's not just more effort and better positioning. It's also a lot of small, but disruptive ball slaps, etc. After 10 years of pathetic defense, something significant changed. Is it the addition of the new assistant? I have no idea. Does anyone have knowledge of what it is?
 
We all know that improved defense has been a major contributor to our success this year, but do we fully appreciate the extent and basis for that improvement. And it's not just more effort and better positioning. It's also a lot of small, but disruptive ball slaps, etc. After 10 years of pathetic defense, something significant changed. Is it the addition of the new assistant? I have no idea. Does anyone have knowledge of what it is?
if you can call these years as pathetic
1st season 56th
2nd season 205th
3rd season 24th
4th season 77th
5th season 34th
6th season 30th
7th season 123
8th season 242nd
9th season 111th
10th season as high as 76th

what rock did you crawl out from under?
 
The only thing I have noticed is the substantial improvement in rim protection. Blocked shots, disruption at the rim, hurried shots that miss - that kind of stuff - which has been absent under Fran. The on-ball defense, 3 pt defense, etc - still poor.
 
The only thing I have noticed is the substantial improvement in rim protection. Blocked shots, disruption at the rim, hurried shots that miss - that kind of stuff - which has been absent under Fran. The on-ball defense, 3 pt defense, etc - still poor.

Their best defensive stat is their 3pt% defense. Well, steal % is up there too.
 
We all know that improved defense has been a major contributor to our success this year, but do we fully appreciate the extent and basis for that improvement. And it's not just more effort and better positioning. It's also a lot of small, but disruptive ball slaps, etc. After 10 years of pathetic defense, something significant changed. Is it the addition of the new assistant? I have no idea. Does anyone have knowledge of what it is?

Their defense has been pretty awful on the road.
 
  • Like
Reactions: wbrhawkeye
Their best defensive stat is their 3pt% defense. Well, steal % is up there too.

This is a big stat . How many times have we complained about the hawks leaving wide open looks at the 3 ball? And of course it always goes in
 
here is a breakdown of spg going back to the 12-13 season when the adj d was #24
6.9 spg
5 bpg
13-14 was #77
7.3 spg
5.1 bpg
14-15 was #34
6.6 spg
4.7 bpg
15-16 was #30
6.8 spg
4.8 bpg
this season Fran has something he has not had since Cartwright in his 1st 1st 2 seasons

a quick and athletic PG
JT is leading the team in spg @1.3 with a total of 34 with these right behind him,
JW 31 steals
CM 29 steals
LG 22 steals plus 45 blocks
CJ 17 steals in the 22 games he has played.

as a team they are avg'ing 6.5 spg and 3.7 bpg.

as JT gets more experience he should get better with the steals. JT is also is 2nd on the team in assists @2.7 apg total 73

CJ is 3rd on the team in assists @2.6 apg.
 
Their defense has not been good overall, either by the eye test or statistically.

But, it's been good enough at the right times in enough games to get wins.

I'd like to see them get into the 70s for adjusted D efficiency. As long as they don't have a significant fall off on the offensive end.

I'd much rather see them win games scoring in the 80s and "holding" opponents to the 70s than games in the 50s.
 
  • Like
Reactions: kceasthawk
Their defense has not been good overall, either by the eye test or statistically.

But, it's been good enough at the right times in enough games to get wins.

I'd like to see them get into the 70s for adjusted D efficiency. As long as they don't have a significant fall off on the offensive end.

I'd much rather see them win games scoring in the 80s and "holding" opponents to the 70s than games in the 50s.
its been good enough that they are 19-8 overall
10-6 making it 7 times in Fran's tenure that they will have a .500 BT record out of 10 seasons. they are also T-3rd going into the last 4 game with 10 quad 1 Wins and have 6 wins over top 25 teams.

not many can make those claims, in fact going into last night there were only 2 other teams that could claim 10 quad 1 wins.

who gives a crap about their adj d THEIR adj O is #4 in D1.
 
  • Like
Reactions: BBHawk
Someone may have mentioned this, but opponents' points per possession (PPP) is a better indicator for Iowa's defense each year under Fran than rankings against other teams year-to-year. Why? Because Iowa runs an uptempo game and generates many more possessions per game than a lot of other teams. So, yeah, they are going to give up more points per game than teams like UW that slow the game down to limit the number of possessions. Anyway, PPP is the more important defensive stat for gauging Iowa's D year-to-year over the past ten years.
 
to compare Lick's 1st season
#57
2nd
#116
3rd
#196
now you tell me do you want to back to what is was like under Lick with a slow down shot with less than 5 seconds left on the clock? OR keep Fran and his uptempo style of play?

not to mention avg'ing 5 wps under Lick?
 
This is a big stat . How many times have we complained about the hawks leaving wide open looks at the 3 ball? And of course it always goes in

In Big10 play, iowa is #8 at .332 in 3pt defense.

In overall shooting percentage defense, Iowa is 13th/14 teams, so being middle of pack on 3pt defense is a relative strength.
 
here is a breakdown of spg going back to the 12-13 season when the adj d was #24
6.9 spg
5 bpg
13-14 was #77
7.3 spg
5.1 bpg
14-15 was #34
6.6 spg
4.7 bpg
15-16 was #30
6.8 spg
4.8 bpg
this season Fran has something he has not had since Cartwright in his 1st 1st 2 seasons

a quick and athletic PG
JT is leading the team in spg @1.3 with a total of 34 with these right behind him,
JW 31 steals
CM 29 steals
LG 22 steals plus 45 blocks
CJ 17 steals in the 22 games he has played.

as a team they are avg'ing 6.5 spg and 3.7 bpg.

as JT gets more experience he should get better with the steals. JT is also is 2nd on the team in assists @2.7 apg total 73

CJ is 3rd on the team in assists @2.6 apg.
Da Fuq?
 
scoring defense is a really stupid stat

In a world of computerized statistical analysis there are better metrics. We play very up tempo ball and that pushes the scores up.

Two seasons ago the boys were truly historically bad defensively. Last season merely bad defensively. This season respectable defensively with a few outstanding games on the defensive end.

A large part of the reason is Joe T and CJ are better, much better defenders than Jordan and Isaiah. C Mac is a good defender. Luka is guarding the post better. The big line up isn't bad either since Ryan is also much improved defensively.
 
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest posts

ADVERTISEMENT