Being an uptempo team. Is this a good thing, or a bad thing?

K

kctom

Well-Known Member
So we all kinda like the fact that Iowa is one of the best uptempo teams in America. Its fast an fun to watch, there's some miachismo in there to as we like running the score up and being in top ten in all those cool categories like pts/gm, scoring margin, rebounding margin and so on and so forth. (or maybe it just a huge case Lickliter PSD?)

At any rate, Iowa is pushing the ball in transition and converting at high rates of success (and w/ lots of cool dunks including Woody's Sky Hook slam, now who didnt enjoy seeing 7' Iowa kid throw down like that?). So, Iowa is like 16th in Nation (KenPom) in # of possessions/gm. This is not your average meat and potatoes Iowa-bred Offensive Lineman plodder group. They run, soar, and slam. What a good thing it is to watch.

But is it effective way to win?

If you take the top 18 teams in KenPom, you get a transition average of....wait for it 218! That is the top 18 teams in the US, on avg, they all plod like a Kirk Ferentz 1st half offense. there are 351 teams in US, so this is in the 60th percentile of slowness. is it stifling D? (well that would also lead to easy tranistion run outs, maybe) is it controlled offense? (that could sure limit possessions, but these teams are stuffed w/ Lottery Picks going to the NBA).

So if ALL the other teams seem to being doing about the same thing, is being this 180 degree different from the rest, a good thing? Are they all right and Cap'n my Cap'n Fran wrong? If this works, why doesn't those McDonalds All-Americans at KS, UK and Duke do this?

Might it lead to other problems? Might it be a reason why this team cant seem to win games unless there is a 10-15 pt scoring margin? Is there something in this strange McCaffery Twilight Zone Transition Offense that contributes to this weird phobia that exists where Iowa blows big leads only to get beaten in the final minute or OT?

I have no idea, however, when one looks at the data sets, and you see ALL others are WAY over there, and you are the ONLY ones way over here, it makes you wonder, or at least it made me wonder.

So what is it guys, running and soaring makes our guys better able to compete, or is it a methodology that is doomed on the Big Dance Floor?

Respectfully,
KcTom
 
My view on it is ask Oregon's football team if they mind that they are different from the norm. Do they put as many guys into the NFL no, but they are competing at a national level.
 
I don't have data and/or comparison data, but I'd say Iowa probably ranks high on "points due to being up tempo"

We're not a great "set the offense and score" team...running helps us score tremendously.

So, I'd say, this team, this year, yes, we need to run it.
 
Good except when we start to push the issue too much.

Iowa is very uptempo, but if you notice, when iowa is playing well, they aren't "forcing" early shots. Sometimes when Iowa gets uncomfortable, they actually speed up even more and it causes more harm than good.

Iowa's offense really starts on the defensive end at any rate. Playing uptempo starts with playing really aggressive defense. When Iowa does the latter, the transition offense seems to come really easy for this group.
 
I am glad they can run the break and not be just a half court team.

The shots on the break can be such high percentage.

It will be great when the half court offense doesnt have these droughts, perhaps over the next few years a more efficient half court with the tough defense and fast break will lead to one of those really outstanding season.
 
Seth53 said:
I don't have data and/or comparison data, but I'd say Iowa probably ranks high on "points due to being up tempo"

We're not a great "set the offense and score" team...running helps us score tremendously.

So, I'd say, this team, this year, yes, we need to run it.
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I don't know about that. Last year pretty much the same team won 25 games playing quite a slower style of ball. I think what we are seeing this year is the final stages of McCaffery's vision for how Iowa plays ball.
 
It'd be better if we operated more effectively out of the half court, because there are teams that can take away the transition game from us (as we've seen lately). But most teams can't take that away, and we've got a downright lethal offense in those games. It's good to be able to be different.
 
Interestingly, 9 of the top 10 most efficient offenses reside in the top 17 teams (KenPom).

So Iowa is at 4th just behind #3 Michigan ( who tues play #4 ranked defense in nation behind The Cherub faced Mugger) so, this Iowa team can also convert well in the half court....
 
franstheman said:
I don't know about that. Last year pretty much the same team won 25 games playing quite a slower style of ball. I think what we are seeing this year is the final stages of McCaffery's vision for how Iowa plays ball.
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I don't recall Iowa really doing anything differently on offense last year. They have always tried to run as much as possible since Frans been here.
 
I believe Iowa converts 60% of their transition shots vs 48% of their non transistion, and they shoot more in transition than almost all other teams.

Soberingly and maybe telling, Sparty conveys on a higher FG% in transition and in half court than the Hawkeyes.
 
kctom said:
I believe Iowa converts 60% of their transition shots vs 48% of their non transistion, and they shoot more in transition than almost all other teams.

Soberingly and maybe telling, Sparty conveys on a higher FG% in transition and in half court than the Hawkeyes.
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It's telling. Say what you will about MSU's overly-physical style of defense, but they can play the game any way they want. Wanna run? Okay, they'll beat you that way without outstanding guard play. Want to slow it down? No problem, they'll pound it inside with great big men and get penetration from the guards for kickout threes.

That's one of the marks of a great team. But if a team is only going to have one or the other, I'd rather it be the ability to win in transition. Almost everyone can play a slowed down game; few teams can hang with us in a track meet.
 
I think it will pay dividends in the tournament. Coaches have less time to prepare for teams as it is, without having to try and account for a team that plays 10 deep. Like we do. We'll be a tough match up for anyone.
 
I enjoy watching it...think most fans do. A lot of recruits like to play up tempo. It lends itself to playing more guys...another recruiting plus. It's a good thing IMO...definitely the style of ball I want to watch.
 
I don't think it's good for recruiting, necessarily. Elite players want most of the minutes. Large egos are usually involved with high D-1 recruits and they don't want to sit on the bench and watch. That's my opinion anyway.
 
lightning1 said:
I don't think it's good for recruiting, necessarily. Elite players want most of the minutes. Large egos are usually involved with high D-1 recruits and they don't want to sit on the bench and watch. That's my opinion anyway.
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I think the elite players aren't worried because they know they will play...and I think most kids like to play up tempo. So I don't think the elite player is going to stay away because of a concern over PT. I think guys that would have to sit behind starters for a couple years like it because they can be that 8th, 9th or 10th guy that gets some minutes. Maybe I'm just saying this because it's what I would be thinking.
 
I think you can win with virtually any style of play provided the execution and skill is there, but IMO playing up-tempo is a good thing in certain ways because it can get you some easy buckets in transition as opposed to having to work harder for points against a defense that is set on every possession. Plus, I think recruits like the up-tempo style, so IMO it makes recruiting a little easier.

Maybe the down side is that to play up-tempo, you have to have a lot of depth to be able to do it effectively. If you don't have quality depth, that could be bad when your starters are out of the game. So recruiting is key (but I guess that goes without saying no matter what style you play).

Edit: With a lot of subbing going on in an up-tempo system, I think there's plenty of opportunity for minutes deeper into the bench, so lack of PT is probably not a big concern for elite talent. As mentioned, if you are that good, you'll be playing your share of minutes.

Just my 2 cents from an arm-chair coach who really doesn't know that much about basketball.
 
So my question relates uptempo and The Big Dance partners Iowa will play in rounds 2-5 who are very good slow dancers.

Iowa has been beaten by slow dancers in the B1G with super slow ratings of 174, 287, 322, 278.
 
I like up-tempo basketball for selfish reasons as it is more fun to watch and that's how the traditionally good Iowa teams of the past have played. However, looking at number of possessions by itself doesn't really tell you much. There's several ways to play fast, giving up quick easy baskets is one way. Iowa doesn't do this.

Iowa ranks 16th in overall tempo. However, we are 3rd in average offensive time of possession at 14.8 seconds and 332nd in average defensive length at 19.0 seconds per possession. This means we play fast because we get good shots early and force the other team to work when they have the ball. It is absolutely good to play this way. There are 351 teams in D-1, Syracuse is ranked 351st in average defensive length, Florida 350th, Arizona 348th, San Diego St 346th, Virginia 342nd, Gonzaga 334th. Last year Syracuse, Florida, Indiana, Michigan St, Ohio St, and Louisville were all ranked 332nd or lower. Forcing opponents into long offensive possessions correlates very well with winning, and we do that.
 
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