Which 3 players most necessary to get back to the NCAA tourney?

[CanadaHawk]

Found an article today that claims the 3 most important players for Iowa to get back to the NCAA tourney are:
Uhl, Uthoff, Woodbury.
http://www.btpowerhouse.com/2015/8/...l-players-adam-woodbury-jarrod-uthoff-dom-uhl
I find it hard to leave Gesell or Jok out of the top 3 in this category. If I had to pick the 3 most important I'd go with Uthoff, Gesell, Woodbury, with Jok not far behind. But I do see the idea the author is going for with Uhl: we do need that "opportunist" he mentions- a role that White made a career out of. What does everyone else think?

 

[perryhawk]

I agree with you. ...Mike, Adam, and JU. I also think Pete could be the X factor..can't wait for the season.

 

[DanL53]

I tend to agree with your assessment.

Looking at it as if we were starting from scratch, it appears to me our key assets are a senior point guard in Gesell that has been starting since his freshman year, a senior in Uthoff who has shown a high skill level, and a senior center who likewise has started his whole career.

I would say that our other three returning players aren't far behind.

The only real mystery to the team is who, how many, how often and how long before our talented newbies contribute.

 

[Kurt Warner]

1. JU
2. MG
3a. AW
3b. Jok

 

[dawgs_04]

I count on those four guys playing well. To me, it's more important that somebody steps up from obscurity to meaningful contributor. That is essentially required for a successful campaign. The four guys can't score all the points.

 

[unoHawkeye]

I think Gesell can have a season much like he did last year, where he's an effective distributor with a good A/TO ratio who plays solid defense, and Iowa can still be successful. Any jump shooting improvement is cake IMO

I think Uhl is one of the most important players because we NEED him to take a large step forward for the team to be successful. Iowa lost one of the best players in its history and somebody needs to (not take his place- that's ridiculous) be serviceable from that position. Uhl is the most likely candidate in my opinion. Uthoff is one of the most important because he needs to become the go-to guy, and Woodbury is one of the most important because we need him on the court. He doesn't need much of a stat line improvement to help the team, he just can't be on the bench early, because I think we'll be at our best with him anchoring the defense as a senior leader.

What's nice is that there are several other candidates for the spot, which means that we have a lot of guys capable of stepping up in big ways. Gesell's leadership/running the offense, Clemmons/Hutton's defense, Fleming/Ellingson/Jones' shooting, Wagner's energy, Moss' athleticism... Lots of different guys can step up to help us get back to the tournament. Really excited for this year

 

[nu2u]

Submitted for your (somewhat) unserious consideration is an alternative take:

1. Brandon Hutton. How many countless games do you remember where an opponent inexplicably goes off and has a career game against Iowa resulting in a upset loss which jeopardizes Iowa's chance for an NCAA invite? Too many. Hutton is the self-appointed defensive specialist and shut-down artist. No more Lafester Rhodes clones means 3-4 losses are converted into wins instead - Hawks are dancing.

2. Brady Ellingson. Fran McCaffery has not had a deadly 3-PT specialist during his tenure at Iowa. There have been a couple starters who were also good or decent 3PT shooters (Gatens, e.g.) but no off-the-bench sparkplug that can turn a game around or bury an undeserving opponent. Josh Oglesby was going to be that player. But he wasn't. As a result, Iowa failed to qualify for an NCAA invite in years where they could have and struggled there in the years they did. A high percentage 3PT shooter elevates a team to a higher level. That level is the NCAA tourney. That player is Ellingson.

3. Mike Gesell. Because every NCAA team needs an elite PG. Enough said.

 

[LaoHawk]

I think this year's team will play like one, no matter who, someone will step up and find ways to win. I do think the three seniors of Gesell, Uthoff, and Woody will be the leaders. Jok, Uhl, and rest of the freshmen team will find ways to contribute and win. I do believe IA can finish at least in the top 3. Just my prediction.

 

[yerpHAWK]

Jok has to take it to the next level, and become the 2nd leading scorer with at least 12 ppg. Otherwise there's a lot of time to split between 2/3s.

 

[hawkeyedude#1]

Found an article today that claims the 3 most important players for Iowa to get back to the NCAA tourney are:
Uhl, Uthoff, Woodbury.
http://www.btpowerhouse.com/2015/8/...l-players-adam-woodbury-jarrod-uthoff-dom-uhl
I find it hard to leave Gesell or Jok out of the top 3 in this category. If I had to pick the 3 most important I'd go with Uthoff, Gesell, Woodbury, with Jok not far behind. But I do see the idea the author is going for with Uhl: we do need that "opportunist" he mentions- a role that White made a career out of. What does everyone else think?

How anybody can leave out the importance of a point guard is beyond me. Woodbury is basically a non-factor. Replace him with Gesell. The only way Uhl makes this list is if indeed he is White's replacement, otherwise replace him with Jok.

 

[Quintana]

Woodbury is basically a non-factor.

you wanna know how I know you're a troll?

 

[HoustonREDHawk]

Found an article today that claims the 3 most important players for Iowa to get back to the NCAA tourney are:
Uhl, Uthoff, Woodbury.
http://www.btpowerhouse.com/2015/8/...l-players-adam-woodbury-jarrod-uthoff-dom-uhl
I find it hard to leave Gesell or Jok out of the top 3 in this category. If I had to pick the 3 most important I'd go with Uthoff, Gesell, Woodbury, with Jok not far behind. But I do see the idea the author is going for with Uhl: we do need that "opportunist" he mentions- a role that White made a career out of. What does everyone else think?

I agree that the 3 most necessary players are Uthoff, Gesell and Woody. Take any of those three away, and I think the team will struggle to win more than half its B1G games. If you asked who do we need to step up to compete as one of the top few B1G teams, I would say Jok, Uhl, and again Woody (he is our only big). To finish in the top 4 or 5 of the conference and be a top 20 team, I think we also need a couple of the newbies to also be regular contributors. It is too early to know which players that will be, but Fleming and Hutton seem like the most likely candidates that we have had a chance to see.

 

[Jumpshot00]

I think MG is the most important factor. Having a 4 year starting point guard should be a big plus. He has been solid but if he turns into a 2nd or 3rd team all big ten type player Iowa will be at the top of the conference and a NCAA lock.
Woody will be woody and that's fine. Stay out of foul trouble so he can stay on the court 25 minutes.. Hit 70% on FT .. Be a leader on defense .. Pick up points here and there...that would he great.
Utoff needs to be a consistent offensive stud, create match up problems and make teams come up with game plans to attempt to stop him.
These three are experienced, are going to get big minutes, and need to be CONSISTENT.

 

[Suterman]

Gesell/Uthoff/Jok with Woody right in the mix. This is going to be a really good team, probably better than last year, but the record won't be quite as good. I can't wait.

 

[trippnschmidt]

Playing devil's advocate, it's not a bad assessment. If you figure you know what you'll get from MG, having big improvements from Uhl, Woody, and Uthoff is really what we probably need to keep things rolling. And hey, if MG steps up I'm cool with that too!

 

[BirdistheWord]

Uhl has significant upside and should see huge minutes (vs YAG)

1. Whites open minutes
2. Athletic B-ing (half wing half big)
3. JU will be drawing lots of attention


Not saying Uhl is going to be one of our top two players or anything crazy like that but he should rise nicely

 

[buttermypancakes]

Uhl has significant upside and should see huge minutes (vs YAG)

1. Whites open minutes
2. Athletic B-ing (half wing half big)
3. JU will be drawing lots of attention


Not saying Uhl is going to be one of our top two players or anything crazy like that but he should rise nicely

I agree that Uhl will show improvement just from another year of strength and developement. What might help the most though is that he won't have to play with another reluctant outside shooter like White was for most of the year. If you surround Uhl with shooters and space the floor IMO that's when he'll be at his best attacking the basket.

 

[SSG T]

Uthoff - They need him to be the stud he can be. I'd really like to see him get a bit selfish this year and have it in his mind that he's going to attempt 10 FG per game. Not that he needs to do that, just have that mentality.

Mike G - Be the leader, be the playmaker, be aggressive. They don't need him to go nuts scoring, but something like a SO/JR version of Bobby Hurley. 10-12 ppg, 7 apg and play tough defense.

Uhl/Jok - They don't need both to step up big, but they need one or the other. I think both have the physical ability and skill to take over games, they both need the killer instinct and understanding of when (or when not) to do it. If one of them can get into that 10-12 ppg range along with JU and MG, things will be much, much improved.

As for Woody, I don't think they need him to be dominant, but they do need him to be solid and on the court for 25-30 mpg. Those minutes at the level he played last season would be fine.

 

[BBHawk]

I feel that Mike and Woody drive the bus. If Mike can stay healthy all year, when he is healthy he is a threat from anywhere on the floor and has great vision. Could be All B1G. Woody is so good defensively that he often does not need to score but he could be that consistent 10 and 10 guy that the team needs. I feel that Uthoff already is relied upon, I just don't want the team to get into a deferral mode. I would rather he shoots within the rhythm of his game. PJ can be that guy who takes the 20-25 foot shot at the end of the clock. If some of the other players can step up so that the PGs can get a healthy average of assists, then I feel that this team will be top 5 in the B1G. If IA has shooting woes, probably not.

 

[RefinedBean]

I feel that Mike and Woody drive the bus. If Mike can stay healthy all year, when he is healthy he is a threat from anywhere on the floor and has great vision.

I thought MG played better when he WASN'T shooting threes due to the tweaked elbow. I'd like to see him be a more dedicated distributor - he's simply not going to be anywhere near our best 3pt shooter on the floor. It's not his strength.

 

[FranklinHawk]

I thought MG played better when he WASN'T shooting threes due to the tweaked elbow. I'd like to see him be a more dedicated distributor - he's simply not going to be anywhere near our best 3pt shooter on the floor. It's not his strength.

I don't know that we want Mike to be shooting 6-7 3's a game, but if he can shoot 35-40% from deep and take a few good looks every game it will make guys come out and guard him rather than playing off. Opens up dribble drive penetration opportunities more as well as his elbow jumper.

 

[BBHawk]

I thought MG played better when he WASN'T shooting threes due to the tweaked elbow. I'd like to see him be a more dedicated distributor - he's simply not going to be anywhere near our best 3pt shooter on the floor. It's not his strength.

I don't know that we want Mike to be shooting 6-7 3's a game, but if he can shoot 35-40% from deep and take a few good looks every game it will make guys come out and guard him rather than playing off. Opens up dribble drive penetration opportunities more as well as his elbow jumper.

I agree with FranklinHawk's interpretation of what I wrote. RB, Gesell has always had a decent shot when he has not been injured. Just being able to keep the opponent guarding him to not sag off double-teams, etc., would be enough.

 

[freemanbrenner]

Gesell was awesome when he hurt his elbow and could not shoot threes. Can stir and kick to Jok and uthoff.
Need pete to step up and be the second option. At times he was this last year but needs to be consistent. He has plenty of talent and a great looking shot. Looked good in ptl with better shot selection, faster and get to the basket some.
I'll go with Fleming as the the third. Good looking shot, has a solid shot to start. Hopefully worst case he is instant offense off the bench. Would not be shocking if he starts though.

 

[goodbyebobby]

Certainly does not hurt to have another four year guard in Sapp. I like him and think he's going to be rock solid this year.

 

[Kurt Warner]

Yeah seems like sapp is kinda the forgotten man, the guy is a good ball player and you have to give him credit for doing what he's asked to do and seemingly not having a bad attitude about not playing enough. A true hawk warrior.

 

[PhantomFlyer]

I think MG is the most important factor. Having a 4 year starting point guard should be a big plus. He has been solid but if he turns into a 2nd or 3rd team all big ten type player Iowa will be at the top of the conference and a NCAA lock.
Woody will be woody and that's fine. Stay out of foul trouble so he can stay on the court 25 minutes.. Hit 70% on FT .. Be a leader on defense .. Pick up points here and there...that would he great.
Utoff needs to be a consistent offensive stud, create match up problems and make teams come up with game plans to attempt to stop him.
These three are experienced, are going to get big minutes, and need to be CONSISTENT.

Agree. I think this team goes as far as MG takes it. He's been, at best, an avg B1G PG, so far, but if he can improve his 3 pt shot and become an above avg PG this team can do some nice things. College basketball is about the PG and senior leadership is important. MG has not good from beyond the arc, so teams don't even bother guarding him outside. If he can start hitting that shot at a decent clip, and make them guard him, it might open things for him to drive more to the bucket.

Woody is probably the next key player as he needs to stay on the court. He needs to cut down on the dumb fouls, because they don't have Gabe backing him up anymore. They could see a real dropoff in rebounds and interior defense when Woody is not on the court.

 

[unoHawkeye]

Yeah seems like sapp is kinda the forgotten man, the guy is a good ball player and you have to give him credit for doing what he's asked to do and seemingly not having a bad attitude about not playing enough. A true hawk warrior.

I think that people forget that he actually led the team in 3pt% last year (sure, he took fewer shots, but he seems to be really good with shot selection) while maintaining a solid A/TO (don't quote me on this, but I think he and Gesell may have been the best PG duo for this in the B1G) ratio and was the best defender on the team.

Hopefully we see even more improvement this year. I saw a Primetime League highlight video of him where he hit a significant amount of stepback jumpers which is a part of his game we haven't really seen. He could certainly be this year's version of Gabe Olaseni.

 

[BirdistheWord]

I agree that Uhl will show improvement just from another year of strength and developement. What might help the most though is that he won't have to play with another reluctant outside shooter like White was for most of the year. If you surround Uhl with shooters and space the floor IMO that's when he'll be at his best attacking the basket.

Great point, he is also a good ball handler for his size, which should help

 

[Scott559]

I think the 3 most important players for the Hawks to get back to the tourney will be non starters, Woodbury,Jok,Uthoff and Gessell should be better than last year, Experience alone should dictate that, Who are the players that will step up when Woody needs a blow or get's in foul trouble? Who can be the "shooter" if Jok or Uthoff are having an off night? What young players will really step up and help hold down the fort while the expereinced players aren't on the court. I have no idea at this point in time, I fully understand expecting the seniors to really carry the team, I just think for the team to really become a solid tourney team the most important players are going to be ones coming off the bench. Our seniors alone should make us a good solid team, We as fans should expect that, I just feel if the Hawks are going to be a really good team it will be some key reserves that will push them to that level.

 

[hawksense]

Thank you Goodbyebobby for posting what i was thinking about AC. He could be quite the lurker.

 

[lenoxhawks]

I think the 3 most important players for the Hawks to get back to the tourney will be non starters, Woodbury,Jok,Uthoff and Gessell should be better than last year, Experience alone should dictate that, Who are the players that will step up when Woody needs a blow or get's in foul trouble? Who can be the "shooter" if Jok or Uthoff are having an off night? What young players will really step up and help hold down the fort while the expereinced players aren't on the court. I have no idea at this point in time, I fully understand expecting the seniors to really carry the team, I just think for the team to really become a solid tourney team the most important players are going to be ones coming off the bench. Our seniors alone should make us a good solid team, We as fans should expect that, I just feel if the Hawks are going to be a really good team it will be some key reserves that will push them to that level.

Good post but I think you are confusing most important players with most important role players. There aren't 3 players combined more important than a single JU, MG, or Woody. Add Jok to that list if he becomes more consistent. All good teams have good role players but those bench guys wouldn't have a chance to help make it a good team without the stars.

 

[hawksense]

I know the origin of this was 3 players of most important contribution, but I see Fran's success at Iowa always tied to it's bench play and it's depth. Therefore, we need some new faces to arise and the more the better.

 

[unIowa]

Ok i'll play...in no order

Woody
Uhl
Pete

I didn't put Mike or Jarrod bc I think we know what we will get from these two and it will be great.

1. Woody just needs to get to 28-32 mpg for defensive purposes and rebounding.
2. Pete bc he has the offensive talent to be a high level scorer and a lot of room to improve from last season.
3. Uhl bc The team needs another big outside of Jarrod/Woody to play well on both sides of the court.

 

[lenoxhawks]

There are a lot of people who don't understand the thread title, or know very little about this years Iowa Hawkeyes.

 

[revkev73]

MG needs to play at an elite level, at least part of the time.

Woodie needs to dunk and taunt the crowd.

Uhl needs to go retro with his hair.

If these three happen, Iowa will win the NCAA title...

 

[unIowa]

ELITE