Wow, I was so wrong about this team

[Eternal Return]

Even after the first loss to Louisiana I just chalked it up to the sort of thing that happened against UNO last year. But two in a row like that is alarming. The loss of Jok is proving to be huge. He was a leader more than I realized. This is a young team, but I thought Bohannon, Moss, Cook, Wagner, etc. would be able to take another step over the offseason. I guess when sophomores are team leaders inconsistency is going to rule the day. Not having Baer and Christian Williams/Connor McCaffery is really hurting these guys. I think Baer is probably the best candidate for being a leader because he's had the most success and intensity and hustle consistently since he's been playing. Not having him, especially, seems to be killing these young guys. He's a stopper, so to speak. He stops runs by other teams when he gets into the game. I never realized how much Iowa would miss Williams in terms of defensive success on other guards. That's a bigger loss than I imagined.

I'm not sure it's time to panic, but this doesn't seem like a tourney team. Looks like another NIT season unless they grow up quickly and Baer makes a big difference when he gets back. I guess I expected too much from such a young team. It seems like they're a year or more away from being a solid tourney team. I'm not ready to overreact or cry uncle, but I'm definitely disappointed and concerned. Hurts that much more after the football meltdowns of the last two weeks. And the wrestling team is young, too. Might be hard for them to make the top 5 this year. At least there's baseball, i guess. And maybe women's basketball will be good. *sigh*

 

[ChiHawk1985]

I tried to get a screen shot of a portion of the fans today when we were down by 5 against SDSU sometime in the first half. This pretty much sums up the level of play all tournament we were having in a quick snippet of the fans

 

[Eternal Return]

I tried to get a screen shot of a portion of the fans today when we were down by 5 against SDSU sometime in the first half. This pretty much sums up the level of play all tournament we were having in a quick snippet of the fans

I wish the shot you took was a little larger, but it's enough to tell that they're posture was pretty down. Yeah, they looked defeated--the fans and the team!

 

[SotaHawk87]

Hope Fran works off the game tapes of when this team went 3-1 without Jok. They need some confidence. They've done it before they just need to be reminded of what it took and be committed to fixing it now! After the loss to Louisiana the margin for error became slim. After today there is no more margin for error. Another loss tomorrow and it's pretty much toast because we aren't going 13-5 in the BT even if we were playing amazing..

 

[lovedwatchingLester]

Plenty of time just need to rachet it up and being consistent

 

[RocknRollface]

Defense, intensity and leadership are all
problems.

Not having Baer is hurrting this team waaaaaaaaaaaay more than Jok.

PJ may have been able to cover up the problems with his scoring, maybe, but they would still be there.

Baer is the leader of this group.

 

[SanMateoHawk]

Young teams struggle early in the season.

Over the last few years, we've had senior-heavy teams that come out of the gates with a bang and beat some impressive, but young teams (North Carolina a few years ago) but by the end of the season, the young teams have jelled and we go on an epic losing streak because our experience is no longer an advantage.

So maybe this year we're the team that comes together at the right time!

 

[retrodent]

Have they ALL digressed since last year?????

 

[RocknRollface]

Have they ALL digressed since last year?????

Looks like they were under the impression they were better than they are.

 

[madmax1191]

Lack of of a true PG and the reality that under Fran Iowa simply is a program that doesn’t play or emphasize defense will/ is killing us again.
Period.

 

[madmax1191]

Personally imo I’m not surprised. And I’m sick of it already.

 

[BondHawk]

Have they ALL digressed since last year?????

Nicely done.

 

[L. Wade Childress]

If a team is missing the defense of Baer and Williams there are really serious problems

 

[DodgerHawki]

Looks like they were under the impression they were better than they are.

I think that is rather obvious.

 

[HoustonREDHawk]

Too early to write this team off, but they sure have dug a giant hole to crawl out of.

We were already shaky at PG, then CW leaves, Connor gets sick, and I am guessing that JBo is a less than 100% with his plantar faciitus (sp?). To make it worse, Ellingson is not a PG and is probably losing the confidence that he had at the 2 trying to play there.

Even worse, we lose the heart and soul of the team, Baer. I am positive that the defense and everything else would look a LOT better if he were there.

The one thing that I hoped would happen today, but needs to happen in the next game, is that Cook, Moss, Pemsl, Kriener, etc need to say ENOUGH and come out playing like their lives depend on winning. Hopefully, that and Baer will get us quickly moving in the right direction.

If not I was also very wrong about this team.

 

[HawkLogic]

Have they ALL digressed since last year?????

Yes, the all tend to go off topic when Fran brings up defense. Some have regressed too.

 

[Vbeachawk]

If the Hawks can't beat these 2 teams, they are going to be bottom feeders in the Big 10. These losses are more than disappointing, they can't happen if you are Fran. Coaches would get fired for this kind of performance. Fortunately for Fran, he is at Iowa and after Lickloser, he doesn't have a thing to worry about. Oh, and especially since niwit Barta is the AD.

 

[Eternal Return]

Have they ALL digressed since last year?????

I've only seen one game this year so I don't know. Sounds like the defense has regressed back to where it was at the beginning of the season last year. I'm not a basketball expert at all so others would have to answer that question.

 

[Eternal Return]

Should Dailey be playing more than he has instead of Ellingson? Maybe Dailey at the three since he's 6'7" and seems to have decent athleticism? I don't know the answer, but someone needs to fill the defensive shoes of Christian Williams.