1977Hawkeye
Well-Known Member
The number of points Iowa has given up in the last 40 minutes of game play.
Time to start paying attention to defense again.
Time to start paying attention to defense again.
106.
- Thread starter 1977Hawkeye
- Start date
NikeHawk21
Well-Known Member
This. We forgot how to play defense
HuckFinn
Well-Known Member
Actually, Iowa played much better defense in the second half. A lot of MN points came on free throws in the last couple of minutes, even though they missed a few and gave us a chance at the end. Iowa could have quit, but continued to show increased toughness in this game.
SteveGarvey1
Well-Known Member
I noticed the defense had been slipping in the wins vs PSU and Illinois. I think winning those games despite playing poor D lulled the players into thinking they could go back to run and gun without putting in the effort on D that they had been putting in earlier this year. Hopefully, this is another wake up call.
NikeHawk21
Well-Known Member
Yup. It’s happened on many occasions this year. We played a couple cream puffs and then next thing you know Pitt is lighting us up in the 1H in Carver. Luckily we were hot shooting and buckled down in the 2H, and Pitt isn’t that good.
Point being bad habits can form very easily. Fran should be more adapt and aware of this and send a message when the defense is awful even if we are winning the game. You can’t get away with a non existent half of defense against a decent opponent.
He was all over the team for bad defense against Illinois during the best offensive performance they've ever had. It was a great job by him. I think the biggest problem with this team is Cook and Bohannon think they're better than they are. It causes all sorts of issues.
NorthKCHawk
Well-Known Member
There were a lot of reminders of last year's Iowa team in that game, especially the first half. No defensive rotation and communication, guards who cannot penetrate or get shots off, Tyler Cook spitting out turnovers like a slot machine, Fran subbing patterns created by bingo machine....
I still believe this team is not that team, but it was still disturbing.
I still believe this team is not that team, but it was still disturbing.
hawkdrummer1
Well-Known Member
When you recruit guys saying you're gonna play an up-tempo and free style... defense isn't much on the radar...neither is ball security. It shows in the stats.
NikeHawk21
Well-Known Member
Talk is cheap, although I’m glad he at least said something, I didn’t hear the postgame comments.
The great coaches, Izzo Bo Ryan etc would pull guys who didn’t play defense regardless of if they were the best players on the team. Fran has never done that.
I would have to go all the way back to the 2019 game @Minnesota to think of an example of him doing it.
NikeHawk21
Well-Known Member
After 54 points in the first half and a continued layup wide open three point contest for the first 5 minutes of the 2H.
Izzo pulled Ward after 1 possession against Iowa... 1 effing possession he yanked him. Ward an all conference guy you know the guy who shot something like 17/20 verse Iowa this year. He yanked him after one possession.
If you think Fran has ever coached his “stars” that way you are completely clueless.
I was happy yesterday to see Fran pull the starters, but pulling 5 guys is not the same as singling out one guy and sending a message, which Fran rarely ever does.
It is hard work, with not much "viewable" glory, but it is the key to being consistently very good.
Unfortunately, more often than not, opponents look at Iowa as a day off to work to work on the shot.
Fran's default setting is to not care much about defense, the others follow the leader.
Plus we don't have a "shut down defender" to inspire the others.
You're right that he rarely does it and you were right that he doesn't do it to the extent Izzo does, but you were wrong when you said he never does it.
NikeHawk21
Well-Known Member
Sure and if you look on the game thread and the other thread about it I was one of the only guys backing the decision at the time.
That being said his leash is way too long with this stuff. Again much as the same with this current group of players they can say what they want to say to the media, but talk is cheap. As many have noted maybe it’s not such a surprise we have a soft minded group of players.
Bo Ryan was downright brutally tough on Sam Dekker as a freshman, who was one of the best recruits the badgers had landed in Bo’s time. It paid off as Dekker played unbelievably in the Badgers back to back final 4 runs.
