Stacking Up to Non Con Teams?

[BaldHawk4Life]

I will admit that I am a pretty big optimist of a fan and I stay off these boards during big slides like the end of the season. It provides me the opportunity for deep thoughts.

Does Iowa stack up with non con teams better because Iowa does so many different things that it is hard to prepare for when you haven’t seen it? If so, what does Iowa need to do to be more effective in conference play the second time around so we don’t have any more late season collapses?

 

[Crazy Hawk]

I will admit that I am a pretty big optimist of a fan and I stay off these boards during big slides like the end of the season. It provides me the opportunity for deep thoughts.

Does Iowa stack up with non con teams better because Iowa does so many different things that it is hard to prepare for when you haven’t seen it? If so, what does Iowa need to do to be more effective in conference play the second time around so we don’t have any more late season collapses?

Defense.

If Iowa had a more consistent defense they would be a regular top 4 team in the B1G with Fran's offensive style.

 

[DodgerHawki]

I will admit that I am a pretty big optimist of a fan and I stay off these boards during big slides like the end of the season. It provides me the opportunity for deep thoughts.

Does Iowa stack up with non con teams better because Iowa does so many different things that it is hard to prepare for when you haven’t seen it? If so, what does Iowa need to do to be more effective in conference play the second time around so we don’t have any more late season collapses?

Familiarity does hurt Iowa a bit when playing in conference as Iowa plays differently than most teams. Cincinnati did Iowa a huge favor by hoisting up 3's. The press sped them up a bit by inviting them to shoot 3's, which they weren't good at. Bearcats were 22-38 on 2 point shots and if they had stuck with getting the ball to the basket Iowa likely loses. But credit to Iowa for getting them into a game where Iowa sped them up a bit.

The teams Iowa has played in non-conference this year haven't been of the quality of a Michigan, MSU or Purdue as of yet. Iowa State was maybe the best team Iowa played in non-con, and they were eliminated by ISU. Tennessee is real good, the equivalent of playing a Michigan or MSU. Hawks will have to make open 3's. But they play the game for a reason.

 

[HawkSTL]

In many respects Cinci was a good matchup due to contrasting styles. Their slow pace, defensive style, meant they likely would never run away from us. Plus, if you can speed a team like that up, increase possessions, you can get some advantages. Wisky plays a similar slow style but they are nearly impossible to speed up due to their discipline.

 

[Herky T Hawk]

Familiarity is one point.
Not playing many tough teams in non-con is another.
A third is the way that refs call games in Big a Ten games compared to other ones.

Fran’s style of O and D relys on refs to call games tight with regards to contact and allow free movement on offense. We don’t play the mugging defense like MSU and in a game where refs call any contact we get called for fewer fouls. Our offense gets bogged down when players can’t move where they want because of contact and we feasted at the line in non-con when the refs called those as fouls.

If Fran was coaching in the 80’s he’d have a lot more success. I absolutely despise what Izzo has done to the Big Ten with regards to playing defense and daring the refs to call 30 fouls a game, which he knows they won’t do. Then several other Big a Ten teams have followed suit over the years. And here we are almost 20 years since the last NCAA title from the Big Ten because so many of the best teams in conference don’t know how to play the game the way the rest of the country does come tourney time. Beilein doesn’t play that kind of defense and guess who has had some of the most success in the NCAAs over the last several years.

 

[BaldHawk4Life]

Familiarity is one point.
Not playing many tough teams in non-con is another.
A third is the way that refs call games in Big a Ten games compared to other ones.

Fran’s style of O and D relys on refs to call games tight with regards to contact and allow free movement on offense. We don’t play the mugging defense like MSU and in a game where refs call any contact we get called for fewer fouls. Our offense gets bogged down when players can’t move where they want because of contact and we feasted at the line in non-con when the refs called those as fouls.

If Fran was coaching in the 80’s he’d have a lot more success. I absolutely despise what Izzo has done to the Big Ten with regards to playing defense and daring the refs to call 30 fouls a game, which he knows they won’t do. Then several other Big a Ten teams have followed suit over the years. And here we are almost 20 years since the last NCAA title from the Big Ten because so many of the best teams in conference don’t know how to play the game the way the rest of the country does come tourney time. Beilein doesn’t play that kind of defense and guess who has had some of the most success in the NCAAs over the last several years.

This is great analysis. I was at the MSU/Bradley game the other day and it was comical that MSU was getting called for all the fouls they don’t get called for in conference play. Minnesota lost by 24 the first time they played and I expect a much closer game partially due to officiating. Excellent point on Beilein! He is impossible to dislike, he does things the right way and gives credit when credit is due.

The other thing that I thought of is that in 9 years Fran hasn’t been able to level out his recruiting classes. He has been stuck in the cycle of having to replace a large class every 4 years and taking a step back. Seems like it is leveled out a little bit more now. Hopefully they can ride the teams success in recruiting the next couple of classes.