Anyone Still On Their Soapbox?

[Northside Hawk]

Fran's coaching/lineup decisions did NOT cost us this game. Michigan State did. We ran the same sets late in game that have led to numerous victories this season and Sparty was equal to the task.

It sucks when two teams play tough, hard nosed basketball and only one can win. Just ask Rutgers, Wisconsin, Illinois and Minnesota, who were tough against us but not tough enough at the end. Sparty shut us down the same way we shut those teams down.

It was easily our toughest loss since the Pa!estra. Now, and I posted this yesterday, we can't let it linger to our next game and come out flat, or we',re dealing with a spiral at the worst to of the year. Still lots to play for. And no one knows that more than the bespectacled red face on the bench.

 

[1hawkeye1]

Wrong. Toussaint came out, Winston went off.

 

[tksirius]

Wrong. Toussaint came out, Winston went off.

This

 

[Northside Hawk]

"1hawkeye1, post: 1938627, member: 75820"]Wrong. Toussaint came out, Winston went off.[/QUOTE]
Winston was a senior who was openly challenged by his coach.. I don't think it would have mattered, just my opinion.

Winston went off on us in Carver last year with a similar barrage. Joe has been co i g on, but I think Cassius would have scored on him.

 

[NikeHawk21]

I think Fran made some poor coaching moves last night.

He didn’t get Garza any rest despite Kriener and Pemsl having good nights. It showed up at the end when Garza ran out of steam.

He left Pemsl in inside two minutes when Kriener had the hot hand on offense, Pemsl turned it over.

He saved his two timeouts for the fouling portion at the end of the game instead of using them to draw up a set for a bucket when the game was slipping away and Iowa had several bad possessions in a row.

Fran is fine he’s done very well this year but I think he made some poor coaching decisions last night. Still we could have won the game if Wieskamp would have showed up. Both things can be true.

 

[NikeHawk21]

Wrong. Toussaint came out, Winston went off.

This

As I said last week Fran will always prioritize offense over defense, that’s just in his DNA. Toussaint is our best defensive guard but one bad offensive play sends him to the pine for extended periods.

 

[Xerxes]

Fran also didn't use his "use it or lose it" timeout in the 1st half.

With such a short bench and Garza particularly playing every minute those timeouts are gold and need to be used to give guys a break.

 

[SpiderRico]

I don't know that I'd go so far as to say that Fran's coaching moves COST US the game. But at the very least, his decisions left us in some tough spots. JT should have not come out with 3 fouls. Let him play thru and if he fouls out, you've still got Bakari. Garza should have gotten more rest.....either thru strategically placed timeouts (I'm still of the belief that there's a secret clause in Fran's contract that pays him bonus dollars for each TO he has left at the end of a game) or thru outright substitution.

In my mind, what hurt us more were the refs, especially the fat hispanic one, swallowing their whistles in the last 5 mins of the game. It's no coincidence that that's when MSU went on their 13-2 run to seal the game.

 

[Northside Hawk]

I don't think people are giving Michigan State enough credit. Just my opinion.

 

[SpiderRico]

I don't think people are giving Michigan State enough credit. Just my opinion.

MSU barely beat us when Garza and JW went a combined 9-29. If they have even avg games, we win going away. It was more what we didn't do, than what MSU did do in this one. Typically, at Breslin, it's all about what MSU does to people. In this case, we just couldn't rise to the occasion. It happens.

 

[tksirius]

As I said last week Fran will always prioritize offense over defense, that’s just in his DNA. Toussaint is our best defensive guard but one bad offensive play sends him to the pine for extended periods.

Toussaint: 5pts, 2-5 FG, 1-2 3PT, 3 assists, 2 turnovers, 3 rbds, 1 block

Evelyn: 9pts, 3-7 FG, 1-5 3PT, 1 assist, 3 turnovers, 3 rbds

 

[Xerxes]

I don't think people are giving Michigan State enough credit. Just my opinion.

Their D over the last 4 minutes of the game was clearly the biggest factor in game. They were outstanding over that stretch.

 

[NikeHawk21]

Toussaint: 5pts, 4-8 FG, 2-5 3PT, 3 assists, 2 turnovers, 3 rbds, 1 block

Evelyn: 9pts, 3-7 FG, 1-5 3PT, 1 assist, 3 turnovers, 3 rbds

Joe T was 1/2 on 3s and 2/5 overall

 

[tksirius]

Joe T was 1/2 on 3s and 2/5 overall

Yeah it was a typo, I fixed it.

 

[cohawkeye]

Tough loss because i thought we'd get blown out on the road...but instead lead most of the way with joe w strugglin...poor last 2 minutes with a chance to get this one and have some mojo. Time to get a home W once again and get wiesy back hot down the stretch and with CJ back soon...see what happens

 

[MelroseHawkins]

As I said last week Fran will always prioritize offense over defense, that’s just in his DNA. Toussaint is our best defensive guard but one bad offensive play sends him to the pine for extended periods.

I have not problem playing a lock down defender if giving up offensive points. It can help in the team net points and also get into the head of the opposing player. See Joe Wieskamp.

 

[SteveGarvey1]

When we lose, it's not always because Fran did this or didn't do this or the refs did this or that. Sometimes it's just because the other team outplayed us.

And Wieskamp struggling did have something to do with it, yes.

 

[homes]

It's tough to win a game when your second leading scorer is providing nothing. The fact that they were in it as long as they were is a testament to 1) how hard they played and 2) that Fran had them ready to go. They faded in the end but they were playing very well for a lot of the game. I think they just wore out.

 

[chucktownhawk]

I don't think people are giving Michigan State enough credit. Just my opinion.

I am b/c they have the horses to finish. We don't. I do agree with 1H1 about JT. Winston kept blowing by Evelyn like a thief in the night. JT's only going to get better and last night I thought he did a great job against Winston in the 1st half. Winston wasn't going to let the Iowa Hawkeyes win. If Winston didn't have the hot hand, Henry or Watts would have scored more than they did. HORSES (and not the kind you see at the carnival) is what we need

 

[WindsorHawk]

Garza was tired at the end. I’m not going to argue those saying timeouts could have been used to rest him. But those suggesting Kriener or someone else should have been in the game saw a different game than the one I watched.

Kriener was in foul trouble. And the someone else was Till. Fran tried that and quickly realized the game was going to get away from us if he remained in the game. Tired Luka gave us the best chance IMO. If he gets more rest I think the game is lost well before the last 5 minutes.

I do think playing Toussaint over Wieskamp the last 5 minutes would have given us the best chance. But I want to win the war (NCAA games) not the battle (maybe beat MSU). Pulling a guy whose confidence is in the tank may not have been the best long term move. Fran knows the psyche of his guys better than I do. And Fran only has so many options. I’m confident we win with CJ.

Side Note - PSU has a tough game tonight. Then they have to travel to Iowa City for a morning game Saturday. This one is setting up nicely...unlike several recently that set up well for our opponents.