The following is the ESPN100 Evaluation of Matt Gatens in 2007:
September, 2007: Matt leads his team by doing whatever it takes to get the job done. He will score, pass, rebound, defend, take a charge or dive on a loose ball. He is excellent driving to the rim and finishing the play. He has good strength and knows how to play. He will be a solid player in the Big 10. Gatens is the ultimate system player. He plays hard and makes everyone around him better. He is one of the better passers in this class. His basketball IQ makes him much more comfortable in a team setting. Should make for a good wing player at Iowa.
What sticks out to me there: "He is excellent driving to the rim and finishing the play."
Yes, I know, this was high school and he was not playing against D1 athletes, or 7 footers, but the ability to get to the rim was there. Gatens had a pretty good year his freshman year and I think it is safe to say that most of us were excited about his Hawkeye career. The next thing we know, Lick has him bulking up and playing out of position at the 4 spot quite a bit. Perhaps he was struggling with his athleticism and mobility last year with the added weight and muscle?
Fast forward to the hiring of Fran McCaffery and his vision of a slimmer, more athletic, more agile Gatens, similar to his high school days. By all accounts, before the season started, Gatens was slimmer, more athletic and more agile, getting to the rim and finishing with dunks according to McCaffery.
Then, Matt tears a tendon in his thumb and has to have surgery and misses a few very crucial weeks of action with his teammates on the court. I would have to imagine he lost a step somewhat, lost his shot somewhat, maybe even lost some of that explosiveness that he had regained in the offseason. What, this was his fourth game back?
Again, unlike some of you, I am not going to pigeon hole Gatens into a spot of shooter only. McCaffery thinks he can get to the rim and wants him to get to the rim. Who gives a **** if it was a bad decision or not going up against a 7 footer last night. It didn't work, but it is over and done with!
Seriously people, one drive and one blocked shot later and some of you are talking about how Gatens has digressed, how he doesn't know his role.....blah, blah, blah. I am amazed at what kind of conclusions some of you can make off of one play or one half of basketball. It's borderline stupid in some cases.
Gatens is a good player. He is certainly not a role player on this team. He is a leader and one of the top 2 or 3 players on this team. He led the team in scoring last year and when it is all said and done, he will probably be close to that as well this year.
I for one am going to give McCaffery and Gatens a chance to let their plan pan out a little before I make any judgements whatsoever on what Gatens role should or should not be! I am also willing to let Gatens fully heal from an injury he is obviously still struggling with and get back into basketball shape. If you cannot trust that McCaffery has a plan for each and every player, then you will never trust McCaffery as the coach of the Hawkeyes.
We may end up seeing a much better Gatens under McCaffery compared to what we ever saw out of Gatens under Lick. But you sure as hell don't know that based on one drive to the basket and his fourth game back after injury! How soon we forget that Matt scored 15 points in his first game back this year against Xavier!!!
