Iowa-Ohio St. Basketball Takeaways

My takeaway is pretty simple. Other than Purdue, this league just has a ton of parity. As such, road wins will be very, very hard to get. Iowa needs to protect Carver and steal a win or two on the road and it will be dancing.
 
My takeaway is pretty simple. Other than Purdue, this league just has a ton of parity. As such, road wins will be very, very hard to get. Iowa needs to protect Carver and steal a win or two on the road and it will be dancing.
Indiana took down Mich St. pretty handedly this weekend.
 
Watching some of the highlights of games during the Street era, I was reminded how consistently Iowa has fielded good to really good teams...and yet been a point guard away from being great. Actually, it wouldn't even need to be a point guard. But a guard who can control the game, penetrate and get into the lane at will.

I'm not even talking Ronnie Lester, BJ Armstrong or Andre Woolridge level here.

But how about a Dean Oliver? Terrific player, 3rd team all Big Ten kind of level....fierce competitor who could consistently break the defense down with penetration, but could also shoot the three point shot.

This year's Iowa team is another one that could really use a Dean Oliver. Maybe Bowen can make strides next year.
 
Watching some of the highlights of games during the Street era, I was reminded how consistently Iowa has fielded good to really good teams...and yet been a point guard away from being great. Actually, it wouldn't even need to be a point guard. But a guard who can control the game, penetrate and get into the lane at will.

I'm not even talking Ronnie Lester, BJ Armstrong or Andre Woolridge level here.

But how about a Dean Oliver? Terrific player, 3rd team all Big Ten kind of level....fierce competitor who could consistently break the defense down with penetration, but could also shoot the three point shot.

This year's Iowa team is another one that could really use a Dean Oliver. Maybe Bowen can make strides next year.

They have Brock Harding from Moline coming in next year. Actually, two are coming from Moline, but one plays PG. Hopefully, he fills a void.
 
Iowa has like 5 guys who can play the one, PG is actually the one position I am not even remotely worried about on this team or future teams (unless someone leaves). Currently we have Tony, Conner, Bowen, Dix, Ulis all capable of playing the 1. Only one is definitely gone next year and he's definitely the weakest of the 5. We aren't a PG away from anything IMO.
 
Iowa has like 5 guys who can play the one, PG is actually the one position I am not even remotely worried about on this team or future teams (unless someone leaves). Currently we have Tony, Conner, Bowen, Dix, Ulis all capable of playing the 1. Only one is definitely gone next year and he's definitely the weakest of the 5. We aren't a PG away from anything IMO.

Yea, I think there is much more concern at the 5 spot contending in the BIG 10. This reared its ugly head vs Ohio St.

Iowa has shooters and can get points. Hell, they score 90 Pt's a game. In addition, they have low TO's. Their team assist to point ratio is usually pretty high as well. Iowa needs solid defense out of that position and a guy who can get assists and take care of the ball.
 
Even though Filip is greatly improved, he still struggles to defend thicker post guys. I am trembling just thinking of what Ede is going to do to us when we go to West Laffeyete. We knew this would be an issue.

Fran is always great at rotating defenses, but does anyone else feel like we are at our best playing zone?

We don't have a center, are not overly athletic, but we can put in lineups with long arms and quick guards. Zone helps protect the middle against big guys. Yes, we will give up some open 3s, but I still think its our best D against a team with a formidable big.
 
Even though Filip is greatly improved, he still struggles to defend thicker post guys. I am trembling just thinking of what Ede is going to do to us when we go to West Laffeyete. We knew this would be an issue.

Fran is always great at rotating defenses, but does anyone else feel like we are at our best playing zone?

We don't have a center, are not overly athletic, but we can put in lineups with long arms and quick guards. Zone helps protect the middle against big guys. Yes, we will give up some open 3s, but I still think its our best D against a team with a formidable big.

Yea, they might have to front Ede with a zone and hope the hell Purdue players don't make all shots from outside.
 
Even though Filip is greatly improved, he still struggles to defend thicker post guys. I am trembling just thinking of what Ede is going to do to us when we go to West Laffeyete. We knew this would be an issue.

Fran is always great at rotating defenses, but does anyone else feel like we are at our best playing zone?

We don't have a center, are not overly athletic, but we can put in lineups with long arms and quick guards. Zone helps protect the middle against big guys. Yes, we will give up some open 3s, but I still think its our best D against a team with a formidable big.
What 5 has beaten Iowa so far this year?
 
Iowa has like 5 guys who can play the one, PG is actually the one position I am not even remotely worried about on this team or future teams (unless someone leaves). Currently we have Tony, Conner, Bowen, Dix, Ulis all capable of playing the 1. Only one is definitely gone next year and he's definitely the weakest of the 5. We aren't a PG away from anything IMO.
In my opinion, a dynamic, game-controlling PG who gets to the rim is what Iowa has needed since Dean Oliver left, and in general, what Iowa needs almost every year (outside of those guys I mentioned above).

It's a guard's game, and Iowa doesn't usually have them. At least not the type that I described.

Of the five you mentioned, only Perkins has shown a few flashes of being a dynamic guard. That was from a few games this season when he was absolutely relentless going to the hole, hitting threes, and dogging the other team's ball handler. And I thought he made Iowa look like a Big Ten contender.

Bowen is quick enough that he has a chance, at least on paper. Dix might end up being a great player but he's not gonna break a defense down with penetration or control a game with pressure defense.
 
Even though Filip is greatly improved, he still struggles to defend thicker post guys. I am trembling just thinking of what Ede is going to do to us when we go to West Laffeyete. We knew this would be an issue.

Fran is always great at rotating defenses, but does anyone else feel like we are at our best playing zone?

We don't have a center, are not overly athletic, but we can put in lineups with long arms and quick guards. Zone helps protect the middle against big guys. Yes, we will give up some open 3s, but I still think its our best D against a team with a formidable big.

What 5 has beaten Iowa so far this year?

Rebraca played Dickinson to a standstill. He put up 19 and 10 on Indiana's frontcourt. He put up 16 and 12 on Rutgers big men. Iowa outrebounded all three teams.

He hasn't struggled against shit.
 
In my opinion, a dynamic, game-controlling PG who gets to the rim is what Iowa has needed since Dean Oliver left, and in general, what Iowa needs almost every year (outside of those guys I mentioned above).

It's a guard's game, and Iowa doesn't usually have them. At least not the type that I described.

Of the five you mentioned, only Perkins has shown a few flashes of being a dynamic guard. That was from a few games this season when he was absolutely relentless going to the hole, hitting threes, and dogging the other team's ball handler. And I thought he made Iowa look like a Big Ten contender.

Bowen is quick enough that he has a chance, at least on paper. Dix might end up being a great player but he's not gonna break a defense down with penetration or control a game with pressure defense.
I don't understand your obsession with this having to have a PG get to the rim point. Again, Iowa constantly leads the BIG in team scoring and hovers around 90pts almost every game. How many PG buckets at the rim do you think they need a game? Serious question as I am curious. In Iowa's game and with their scoring, what is an extra 8 pts going to do it at the rim?
 
Rebraca played Dickinson to a standstill. He put up 19 and 10 on Indiana's frontcourt. He put up 16 and 12 on Rutgers big men. Iowa outrebounded all three teams.

He hasn't struggled against shit.

Well, all I know is the team struggled down low that game. I heard that Ohio St. had like 40 pts from the paint and shot 59% from 2 pt shots.
 
I don't understand your obsession with this having to have a PG get to the rim point. Again, Iowa constantly leads the BIG in team scoring and hovers around 90pts almost every game. How many PG buckets at the rim do you think they need a game? Serious question as I am curious. In Iowa's game and with their scoring, what is an extra 8 pts going to do it at the rim?
Aren't we talking about ways Iowa can achieve more wins? That means increasing the frequency in which Iowa scores more points than its opponents in a game. Which means either increasing scoring or preventing the opposition from scoring as much. Either works. A dynamic guard who can penetrate and also contribute on the ball defense would help in both areas. I'd also say it is the type of player that best represents the gap between Iowa and Big Ten championship teams most years.
 
Stating the obvious:

When they are not making shots they are in trouble. This team can't grind out games when they are not shooting well. It is like every other Fran team.
 
Forgotten in this is that losses aren't so much a result of what you do wrong...like miss shots but a result of what the other team is doing to you to make you miss.

Lift More Weights. Eat More Chicken
 
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