A win on the road shooting 36% and being outboarded-gutty

[ChosenChildren]

I think I'm going to start a new thread so this comment may not be worth it but just to be fair to last years team, the competition was much better. The conference lost a lot of good players and is down from last year.

Not 100% sure about this. Iowa's KenPom ranking this year (#25) is ahead of last year's. KenPom compares Iowa against the entire country, and is a pretty good indicator of a team's strength from year to year.

 

[Knight78]

My cable package does not include ESPNU, so I had to follow along on ESPN's "Gamecast" and you can see a sentence or two every time something significant happens. I was shocked at how many times the statement "Missed lay-up" showed up for our bigs. It was unbelievable. Now, again, I am not watching it live ... don't know if they were getting hacked, don't know how close these lay-ups were or if they were "off balance" or anything like that, but it was amazing at how many there were.

There were also a lot of "missed tip-ins" on there, too. That can be a crowded type of shot, but it would be interesting to go back and count up all of those.

No team in this country misses more shots from inside of 1 foot than our Hawks. I really wish Woody could dunk from a standstill down there, but clearly he cannot. Aren't there special exercises you can do, and shoes that you can buy that help your leaping ability? Adam must've been sick when they were handing out those shoes.

I disagree with this. I think he can. The problem is that you have to have a dunking mentality. You have to believe you're going in to dunk the ball no matter what. White has that mentality. Gabe has that mentality. Woody does not.

 

[Gibsonian]

Having White bail them out with his overall game and free throw shooting was the biggest difference. The big guys missed too many bunnies and that's just inexcusable. It was great seeing JO hit 4 shots like that. I had a gut feeling he was going to have a difference making game or play before this year was up. Iowa don't win if he doesn't hit those shots. Big game for him. Hope they can get rested up and bring their A game against Indiana I doubt Iowa can shoot 36% and get out rebounded and beat them.

Agree. White was the man the past three games and we lose 2 of 3 easily without him. Dead on with our big guys missing bunnies. I've never seen so many point blank shots missed in a season! If our two big guys had any physicality in them we would be in awesome post game position. Even without that I and most all of HN remains hopeful.

 

[Hawkfnntn]

I disagree with this. I think he can. The problem is that you have to have a dunking mentality. You have to believe you're going in to dunk the ball no matter what. White has that mentality. Gabe has that mentality. Woody does not.

I'd sure like to think your right. It almost seems physically impossible that he couldn't. He's 7'1 with arms. His vertical would only need to be 8-10 inches to get a ball over the rim. I mean seriously if he can't physically do that hows he have a scholarship? I think it's a coordination/confidence thing. He can do it we've seen him do it when he's got a two step head start off one leg. When I played my I'm right handed but my right leg was my dominant jumping leg. For most it's their left. So I jumped off 2 feet better then just my left. I could jump off my left but not nearly as well and it just felt awkward. Maybe jumping off 2 feet is for him. I dunno. But it's frustrating as all get out when he catches a nice pass underneath and just lays it up and misses that's for sure.

 

[PCHawk]

My dunking mentality sucks too.

 

[CalvaryHawk]

My dunking mentality sucks too.

My dunking mentality is awesome, but physically I'd likely break a hip.

 

[Gibsonian]

I disagree with this. I think he can. The problem is that you have to have a dunking mentality. You have to believe you're going in to dunk the ball no matter what. White has that mentality. Gabe has that mentality. Woody does not.

Uh, no, Gabe does not have the mentality. Yes, he can and does dunk the ball, but if there is anyone contesting him, the ball doesn't go in.

Typical scenario: Gabe goes up for a bunny, is contested, shot doesn't go in, opponent gets the rebound. No foul.

It's being physical, and that is a mentality that if we could pick up for at least one of our big men, would be a huge benefit going down the stretch.