Adam Woodbury is a HAWKEYE

[expos1994]

I have to think that many of you are miserable in your daily lives.

This is the best frick'n team, best frick'n group of players, best frick'n coaching staff, most exciting team and highest ranked team in a long...long...long time.

And yet you *****...

Get a life or at least find one you can enjoy.

Do you know how much better this team would be with a dominant 7'1" Center?

Instead we have a guy who is clearly not playing up to his potential. Or what his potential was supposed to be. I'm not going to pretend that Woodbury is the reason we're ranked #10. Right now he's the 8-11th best player in an 11 man rotation.

Not what we were hoping for. If you want to pretend it's what you expected, then go ahead. If it makes you feel better.

 

[1977Hawkeye]

For a guy that can't dunk, he sure wins his share of opening tip-offs. Seriously, we start with a ton of offensive vs. defensive possessions.

I can't think of any aspect of a college basketball game that's less important than who wins the opening tip.. I guess in OT, winning the tip gets you an extra possession in the extra 5 minute session, but generally speaking, the tip off is just a formality that starts the game. Basically like firing a pistol to start the potato sack race at your local fair. What they ought to do is bring back tip offs around the FT line like they used to do in the event of a held ball, and do away with this silly alternating possession crap. Make the jump ball a bigger part of the game. Otherwise, you may as well just flip a coin to see who gets the ball first.

Regarding Woodbury, I still think the guy could be really good before it's all said and done. I'm not terribly blown away by his game at this point either, but he does some good things out there. As Jon said, the light doesn't always go on for big guys as early as it does for guards, wing players, etc.

Woody is still just half way through his sophomore season. Remember Les Jepsen? That guy didn't really blossom until his senior year, and I'll wager that Woody is ahead of where Jepsen was at this stage of his career. It's hard to remember 1988, though, but I remember Jepsen looking pretty shaky his first couple of years.

 

[duhawk70]

For those of you that have the Minnesota and OSU games on DVR, I recommend you rewatch Woodbury. On most of our curls, Adam is the one setting the pick. Also watch to see how quickly he outlets the ball on the break. He is also in the right place on our 2/3 zone.
We need to look at his total game rather than the fact that he missed a dunk. Emir Williams (a prep all-american) missed a dunk last night for OSU and he is a leaper.
Woodbury turned 20 a couple of weeks ago and will get a lot better. My only regret is that he was not redshirted (and Oleseni). If one watches Wisconsin, you will see big men that have a complete post game (drop step, up and under, square up jump shot, 3 pt shot, block out, outlet, etc). Bo's big men are usually(almost always) redshirted and always fundamentally sound before they play many minutes.We did not have that luxury w Woodbury or Oleseni which was too bad.
If I was to look at just one part of AW's game, I would focus on how much better our team defense is with him in there. To do that we need to realize that defense is more than blocking shots, it's being in position and playing tall. He is a good player and we are lucky to have him.

In conclusion, as Lou Carnesseca said "Big guys come slow" when refering to Billy "the whopper" Paultz. I've been a fan long enough to remember getting excited the first time I saw Les Jepsen catch, pivot and square up for the first time in his career.

 

[expos1994]

You're right this is the best frick'n team and the best frick'n gall darn coach ... I almost cried reading that.
And because it's the best freaking dag blasted team in a long looooong long time we want them to win it all. And if we're gonna win it all we need to get better. That's where the criticism stems from. And rightfully so. Woodbury needs to step up his game. Period.

I'll also be the first to tell you how crappy McCabe played from the ISU game until this last game... where he actually played halfway decent and played a better role (mainly... didn't shoot it so much.)

 

[duhawk70]

I think if we look back, almost all of Iowa's big men in my memory didn't do much until their Jr or Sr years (many never). We just need to get off of being critical w AW. The things most fans notice (i.e. missed dunks and lack of vertical) may not be the aspects of his game the coaches are looking at. Again, I'm really glad we have him. I was impressed by the Minnesota center (last year, too). Remember he is two years older than Adam.

 

[ssckelley]

For those of you that have the Minnesota and OSU games on DVR, I recommend you rewatch Woodbury.

NO! I prefer to look at the boxscores and stat sheets to see that Woodbury was over rated coming in. If I watch any videos it will be a gif or a youtube video of him getting his dunk attempt blocked by the rim.

Watching players move without the ball sounds boring!

 

[PCHawk]

Do you know how much better this team would be with a dominant 7'1" Center?

Instead we have a guy who is clearly not playing up to his potential. Or what his potential was supposed to be. I'm not going to pretend that Woodbury is the reason we're ranked #10. Right now he's the 8-11th best player in an 11 man rotation.

Not what we were hoping for. If you want to pretend it's what you expected, then go ahead. If it makes you feel better.

Woody is probably the 8th to 11th best offensive player but he ranks higher than that for overall player. Also that's a pretty bold statement to suggest a basketball team would be better with a dominant 7'1" center. Do you have stats to back that up?

 

[Jjgoiowa11]

I bet Adam Woodbury has thicker skin than a lot of you who get teary-eyed when fans criticize a player.

I'm glad Woodbury is a Hawkeye. He's an Iowan and it's important that the best Iowans play for Iowa.
That being said he deserves the criticism. I know he can do better and still believe he will... hopefully yet this year.

I know right! I mean he should be criticized by an old buffalo fart like yerself for not being Shaquille O'neil. How dare he be a true Soph and not shaq-fuing the Big10 right now...

 

[duhawk70]

Re the dominanting 7'1" center and the need for one, just checked the stats on the 70-71 team which is among the best Iowa teams ever. The center on that team was Dick Jensen fom Madrid, Iowa. He averaged 3.9 ppg. Not sure how many of these were dunks. Minutes/game don't seem to be available but since this was Ralph Miller's "Six Pack" team w only Ben McGilmer playing much off the bench I would assume he played quite a few minutes.
I'm sure we all would like to see growth in AW's game but I would guess that the coaches like what they see and are pleased w his contributions.

 

[ssckelley]

Re the dominanting 7'1" center and the need for one, just checked the stats on the 70-71 team which is among the best Iowa teams ever. The center on that team was Dick Jensen fom Madrid, Iowa. He averaged 3.9 ppg. Not sure how many of these were dunks. Minutes/game don't seem to be available but since this was Ralph Miller's "Six Pack" team w only Ben McGilmer playing much off the bench I would assume he played quite a few minutes.
I'm sure we all would like to see growth in AW's game but I would guess that the coaches like what they see and are pleased w his contributions.

Brad Lohaus was not all that dominating on the 86/87 team either. He averaged 27 minutes, 11 points, and 7.7 rebounds per game which is about what Olaseni and Woodbury average (11.6 and 9 rebounds in 31 minutes per game). I think Iowa is fine at the center position.

 

[1st]

Re the dominanting 7'1" center and the need for one, just checked the stats on the 70-71 team which is among the best Iowa teams ever. The center on that team was Dick Jensen fom Madrid, Iowa. He averaged 3.9 ppg. Not sure how many of these were dunks. Minutes/game don't seem to be available but since this was Ralph Miller's "Six Pack" team w only Ben McGilmer playing much off the bench I would assume he played quite a few minutes.
I'm sure we all would like to see growth in AW's game but I would guess that the coaches like what they see and are pleased w his contributions.

What is your point? Are you saying that they wouldn't have traded Dick Jensen for someone who could average 15 points per game? If they would of had a better big man, they might have been national champs.

 

[duhawk70]

My point would be that with this team at present the center position is needed for defense and screening and other off ball things. we can do very well w Woodbury/Ole at the center position.

Another point would be that complete, dominating big men are few and far between, Kansas has one in Embiid (sp?) and MSU has one in Payne. Payne is a four year guy and the Kansas guy is kind of amazing for a playerw little experience and being fairly young.

I do not think that our center position w AW and GO will be a problem as the season progresses but that is only my opinion. I will now defer to any and all that enjoy bashing 20 yr olds and base their opinions of a players ability on how high they can jump. OSU has a team full of players who IMHO are almost "human highlight films" (Thompson, Loving, Smith, Williams and Ross) and that is not working out well for them so far but we are only halfway thru the season and just a third into the Big Ten so the juries out.

 

[duhawk70]

Another point would be that in my opinion, a good coach looks at his personal and after doing so puts together a plan for the season and each game where the idea is to put the players and team as a whole in the position of best being able to utilize their skillset to win games. We have to play with the hand we are dealt so to speak so we have as part of that hand W/O as our players at he 5 position. I for one think our coaches (quite a great group) have done a great job w this.

we seem to get the best out of our players as best I can observe and I, for one, am impressed w their coaching.​

 

[Seth53]

Woody is averaging 10 rebounds per 40 minutes and is only playing 15.6 minutes per game.

There are 13 guys in the B1G averaging at least 6 rebounds per game and Melsahn is playing the least amount of minutes of those 13 at 18.6 minutes per game.

Woodbury's production is just fine when he is in the game.

The problem is he's only in the game 15.6 minutes. Thanks for enlightening that.

 

[HawkIPA]

The problem is he's only in the game 15.6 minutes. Thanks for enlightening that.

Some of the blame falls on Woody for his lack of playing time because of foul trouble. Its also because Iowa has a pretty damn good back up center that needs to be on the floor as well.

I never said the problem was hes only getting 15 or so MPG. I said his production is fine when he is on the floor and I provided some stats to back up my point. You on the other hand seem to get all butthurt when somebody disagrees with you.

 

[Jjgoiowa11]

Re the dominanting 7'1" center and the need for one, just checked the stats on the 70-71 team which is among the best Iowa teams ever. The center on that team was Dick Jensen fom Madrid, Iowa. He averaged 3.9 ppg. Not sure how many of these were dunks. Minutes/game don't seem to be available but since this was Ralph Miller's "Six Pack" team w only Ben McGilmer playing much off the bench I would assume he played quite a few minutes.
I'm sure we all would like to see growth in AW's game but I would guess that the coaches like what they see and are pleased w his contributions.

What is your point? Are you saying that they wouldn't have traded Dick Jensen for someone who could average 15 points per game? If they would of had a better big man, they might have been national champs.

I think u got his point... Sad that u admitted that if u really didn't

 

[Knight78]

Woody is still just half way through his sophomore season. Remember Les Jepsen? That guy didn't really blossom until his senior year, and I'll wager that Woody is ahead of where Jepsen was at this stage of his career. It's hard to remember 1988, though, but I remember Jepsen looking pretty shaky his first couple of years.

Jepsen? How about Lohaus? Lohaus, who was originally recruited by Olson, was ready to move on for his senior year after two years plus a redshirt year under Raveling and getting very little playing time, but Mr. Davis convinced him to stay. It worked out pretty well for him.

I'd say from a playing time standpoint, Woody is better than either of these two at this point in his career.

 

[Knight78]

Woody is probably the 8th to 11th best offensive player but he ranks higher than that for overall player. Also that's a pretty bold statement to suggest a basketball team would be better with a dominant 7'1" center. Do you have stats to back that up?

History doesn't prove that out. There was this pretty fair seven footer named Shaquille O'Neal. I heard he was pretty dominant. Led the nation in rebounding and blocks twice, scoring once. National player of the year. LSU never made it past the second round of the NCAA tournament while he was at LSU.

 

[sportstalent]

History doesn't prove that out. There was this pretty fair seven footer named Shaquille O'Neal. I heard he was pretty dominant. Led the nation in rebounding and blocks twice, scoring once. National player of the year. LSU never made it past the second round of the NCAA tournament while he was at LSU.

Don't forget they had Stanley Roberts as well and he wasn't too bad and also that fella Chris Jackson before he changed his name...ton of talent and zero results.

 

[libradawg]

Some of the blame falls on Woody for his lack of playing time because of foul trouble. Its also because Iowa has a pretty damn good back up center that needs to be on the floor as well.

I never said the problem was hes only getting 15 or so MPG. I said his production is fine when he is on the floor and I provided some stats to back up my point. You on the other hand seem to get all butthurt when somebody disagrees with you.

I'm honestly not seeing the foul trouble that got so much press earlier this season. Given his minutes whether he fouls or not, he's never going to out there long enough to collect his fifth. And we have also proven we aren't exactly broken up about Olaseni getting extra minutes, or Uthoff and McCabe in a small lineup. Fouls have a lot less to do with it than Fran does. He wants him to develop which is going perfectly according to plan, he wants Olaseni's production, he wants to run with small quick lineups when he saw other teams trying that with success against us.

The best thing for this team is 16 for Woody a night. Plain and simple. Next year he becomes part of a fierce front court system alongside White and Uthoff in the starting lineup. This year he's part of a three-pronged assault that fits any system we need at any given time.