Williams.....didn't put up the gaudy stat line of Bohannon

[Joes Place]

....but he was extremely disruptive on defense vs. MD.

He had a couple solid defensive plays, poaching from passing lanes and preventing the open shots to disrupt the shooting rhythm from 3. He made at least one boneheaded pass, but his performance is really improving.

Defense has been the Achilles heel of this team throughout the season; if Williams can step in and help shut some guys down, Iowa is a far better team. Bohannon is an average defender, and really gets eaten up by the smaller/quicker guards.

Our offense was en fuego at Maryland, but our defense made the difference in that game; probably the best defensive performance of the year by these guys, and Williams was a huge part of that.

Props to this kid for sticking with it and not just sulking on the bench; he's earning his playing time.

He and Moss both have good length to cover the outside shooters, and we really did a good job of recovering despite some very good ball movement by Maryland. Once you get them to miss a few, it takes them off their game and Maryland never recovered from that. We kept Trimble, Cowan and Brantley from too many easy layups with good help defense, and I can't recall any time they got easy penetration when Williams was in there.

 

[dmoore27]

Defense is certainly the reason he is in the game. Kudos to him for keeping his head up.

I would like to see him at the 2 on the offensive end however because his handle is soft right now. He plays a little loose with the ball. Fran is sticking with him and this experience will hopefully make him play better down the road.

 

[hawk-i bob]

Williams & Moss are very important ( yes the remainder of this year) but also next year..I liked that Fran started Moss...hopefully the message is clear...Isaiah Moss has a huge upside..

same with CW...and I agree Joe...not every player needs to score or shoot lights out...Williams is very unique. Needs to get lessons from PJ on throws.

 

[kceasthawk]

Williams & Moss are very important ( yes the remainder of this year) but also next year..I liked that Fran started Moss...hopefully the message is clear...Isaiah Moss has a huge upside..

same with CW...and I agree Joe...not every player needs to score or shoot lights out...Williams is very unique. Needs to get lessons from PJ on throws.

All very true Bob.......

 

[DanL53]

I'm hoping 2017/18 is Christian's breakout year. Of course, we all certainly are. But minus the scare about a bad back, I've had a positive vibe (Or, expert evaluation? It's true! Not mine! But Fran wanted him!) since someone posted three of his high school games a couple years ago...not clips, but full games. I wish I could find them and post them. The young man can hit shots! Whatever it is that caused his development to take a little longer than some others, be it that he played for a smaller school, or is it confidence, whatever...not every kid is a stud right off the bat.

But one thing is certain at this point. There are good team defenders. There are shut down defenders. Then there are shut down defenders that turn defense into offense causing turnovers and snatching the ball away from hapless victims. Christian is already the third...and will only get more dangerous. Holy Sh!t! Combined with Baer's greedy grab the ball hands? Opponents might not even WANT to cross the half court line.

 

[hooper56]

When we play that 1-2-2 zone with Williams at the point and we trap the corners....it can be devastating and is usually good for causing a turnover or two. CW is really good on the press too. our 2-3 zone has become pretty decent as well. I like it.

 

[icwesthawk]

I think CW is a very important part of the team next season. 2nd to 3rd leading scorer if he gets minutes playing along side with Bohannon and Cook.

 

[4th & 9 inches]

As much as he handles the ball he has GOT TO improve his FT shooting. 48% is terrible. Thankfully he doesn't get to the line much.

 

[SWIowahawks]

Williams is very good at getting into the passing lanes. Kind of reminds me of Aaron White in the aspect. I just hope he can start to finish on open breaks.

 

[youcantguardme]

....but he was extremely disruptive on defense vs. MD.

He had a couple solid defensive plays, poaching from passing lanes and preventing the open shots to disrupt the shooting rhythm from 3. He made at least one boneheaded pass, but his performance is really improving.

Defense has been the Achilles heel of this team throughout the season; if Williams can step in and help shut some guys down, Iowa is a far better team. Bohannon is an average defender, and really gets eaten up by the smaller/quicker guards.

Our offense was en fuego at Maryland, but our defense made the difference in that game; probably the best defensive performance of the year by these guys, and Williams was a huge part of that.

Props to this kid for sticking with it and not just sulking on the bench; he's earning his playing time.

He and Moss both have good length to cover the outside shooters, and we really did a good job of recovering despite some very good ball movement by Maryland. Once you get them to miss a few, it takes them off their game and Maryland never recovered from that. We kept Trimble, Cowan and Brantley from too many easy layups with good help defense, and I can't recall any time they got easy penetration when Williams was in there.

Jbo at point Moss shooting and Christian on the wing...works for me.

 

[hawkeyeguy69]

I'm hoping 2017/18 is Christian's breakout year. Of course, we all certainly are. But minus the scare about a bad back, I've had a positive vibe (Or, expert evaluation? It's true! Not mine! But Fran wanted him!) since someone posted three of his high school games a couple years ago...not clips, but full games. I wish I could find them and post them. The young man can hit shots! Whatever it is that caused his development to take a little longer than some others, be it that he played for a smaller school, or is it confidence, whatever...not every kid is a stud right off the bat.

But one thing is certain at this point. There are good team defenders. There are shut down defenders. Then there are shut down defenders that turn defense into offense causing turnovers and snatching the ball away from hapless victims. Christian is already the third...and will only get more dangerous. Holy Sh!t! Combined with Baer's greedy grab the ball hands? Opponents might not even WANT to cross the half court line.

I remember CW being a serious scorer in HS, but was he that good of a shooter too?

He really does need to make a jump with the stat line, percentagewise. If so, look out! He is one of our best defenders, if not the best. If he can earn more minutes we will be all the better... I hope he earns a ton of minutes!

 

[24 so far]

As much as he handles the ball he has GOT TO improve his FT shooting. 48% is terrible. Thankfully he doesn't get to the line much.

Clearly the kid can't shoot at this stage of his career. He's good for a layup or a dunk, and that's where it ends. If you want him in as some sort of a defensive stopper on occasion, fine, but he shouldn't be on the court in the last 5 minutes of any close game.

I know he's getting some minutes, and maybe I'm missing something, but my hope would be we can find someone better than him in their all-around game, OR he gets better (and fast). Everyone comes in as a project, and some leave as a project. Williams is a long ways away from being a valuable/productive member of a good team, IMO.

If he and Uhl are in at the same time, that is not one but 2 guys the opponent doesn't have to guard away from the basket. Williams can't shoot and Uhl won't. Find players good enough to take their minutes, or you'll end up in the middle or bottom of the Big Ten pack pretty regular.

 

[mstp1992]

I remember CW being a serious scorer in HS, but was he that good of a shooter too?

He really does need to make a jump with the stat line, percentagewise. If so, look out! He is one of our best defenders, if not the best. If he can earn more minutes we will be all the better... I hope he earns a ton of minutes!

He was more like Devyn Marnle scoring-wise in HS. Don't think he was ever a great shooter, but he was always the best athlete on the court. His shooting percentage I believe was decent in HS, but he really wasn't seriously challenged from outside, and they always had to respect his athleticism.

Free throw shooting definitely needs to get better, though.

 

[ConvenientParking]

When we play that 1-2-2 zone with Williams at the point and we trap the corners....it can be devastating and is usually good for causing a turnover or two. CW is really good on the press too. our 2-3 zone has become pretty decent as well. I like it.

I hated our 2-3 all year last year. They are making it work a little better this year. We're not Syracuse, but it's a little more active. When our opponents miss the one 3 that's open, it looks like a great defense. Last year it seemed like our 2-3 left 2-3 open 3 pt attempts. I think part of it is everyone having to step up without having a tree like Woodbury for reinforcement. Addition by subtraction.

 

[bagdropper]

Wasn't there something Fran said about them working on his shot recently? About trying to take the flatness out of it, maybe a post-game quote after Indiana?

CW does indeed have a flat as a pancake shot...

 

[icwesthawk]

Wasn't there something Fran said about them working on his shot recently? About trying to take the flatness out of it, maybe a post-game quote after Indiana?

CW does indeed have a flat as a pancake shot...

So did Vince Brookins

 

[LarryMullenJr.]

I think his biggest issue is the round thing on top of his shoulders. He just seems tentative/questioning with the ball in his hands or anticipating getting it. He seems to only have confidence in one thing; taking it to the rim and everyone knows it now. He appears like he's thinking he has no other option when he takes a jumper.
Hopefully he gets passed that because you're all right; he certainly seems to be a difference on the defensive end.

 

[iahawkeyes17]

Defense is certainly the reason he is in the game. Kudos to him for keeping his head up.

I would like to see him at the 2 on the offensive end however because his handle is soft right now. He plays a little loose with the ball. Fran is sticking with him and this experience will hopefully make him play better down the road.

His and team D was great 2nd half. Maryland really never got a run going where crowd really got into it. Key point was when Bohannon got 3rd foul offense was rolling with 13 minutes or so left in game. Williams and few others came in, think pemsl one of them. Struggled first few trips on offense but were also keeping Maryland from scoring and by time Bohannon came in 5 minutes later the lead and grown thanks in large part to the defensive effort and Trimble laying down some bricks.

 

[Alex Thompson]

I was hoping he could turn into a poor man's Michael Carter Williams from Syracuse a while ago, but he doesn't seem to have the same agility that MCW did, nor skill set for that matter. I wouldn't mind seeing him play the wing next season, and use his length on defense at the top of the zone. Hopefully he develops enough of a jump shot so defenses wouldn't sag off of him and jam things up for Cook and Pemsl.

 

[The Sleeping Dog]

CW is a pretty big liability on offense. He's a terrible shooter, a shaky ball handler and lacks floor vision. On the other hand he's pretty good on defense. I agree with the posters that he gets into the passing lanes, has the size, strength and quickness to stop a break and jam up an offense. Experience, effort and athleticism will just make him an increasingly good defender.

There's an open spot next year. Assuming Baer remains a shock force off the bench Uhl, Williams and Ellingson are the most likely to fill that spot. That more or less assumes that Cook and one of Pemsl, Garza and Kreiner start inside.

I'd like to see the lights finally come on for Uhl. Good to see a senior go out big and it would give us a hell of a rebounding team without sacrificing much quickness at the 3. But CW could fill that spot as well if he can develop some offensive game.

 

[kceasthawk]

CW is a pretty big liability on offense. He's a terrible shooter, a shaky ball handler and lacks floor vision. On the other hand he's pretty good on defense. I agree with the posters that he gets into the passing lanes, has the size, strength and quickness to stop a break and jam up an offense. Experience, effort and athleticism will just make him an increasingly good defender.

There's an open spot next year. Assuming Baer remains a shock force off the bench Uhl, Williams and Ellingson are the most likely to fill that spot. That more or less assumes that Cook and one of Pemsl, Garza and Kreiner start inside.

I'd like to see the lights finally come on for Uhl. Good to see a senior go out big and it would give us a hell of a rebounding team without sacrificing much quickness at the 3. But CW could fill that spot as well if he can develop some offensive game.

Hope it goes off for Uhl as well, but I have my doubts at this point. I think he is who he is. Maybe this trip to Germany this summer will really elevate his play. It seemed to really spur Gabe on after the London trip so lets hope we see the best Dom Uhl going forward!

 

[iahawks10]

Iowa doesn't beat IU without Williams in the first four minutes and the last several minutes of that game.

Williams has a spot on this team. Not sure it's running the point, but things like penetrating to the hoop and defense he's probably tops on the team.

When his mid range game comes through, look out.

 

[bravehawks1]

Problem for Williams is that I don't think he has good form either on jump shot or at FT line which means he would need to rework this significantly this off season. That would take emphasis away from ball handling work that is also needed. CW is needed for his defense. Will have bohanon, cook, pemsl, Baer and moss for scoring options

 

[hawk_it]

 

[Ree4]

That video was pretty impressive, his 3 point shot seemed very fluid, hard to say whey it's regressed so much - much more focus on ball handling? I remember a few games last year where he was drilling 15 foot jumpers but that seems to have disappeared as well. I'm sure he can get it back though!