Dear Mike Gesell

[sodakhawkeye]

If Mike didn't play the way he did yesterday, Iowa loses by 15. He may get swatted from time-to-time, but he is the only one that asserted himself or tried to make a play.

I agree with this 100%. He has to try and make plays because nobody else does. Ufhoff doesnt want the ball. Its tough for Jok to get open as tight as they guard him. Woody and Sapp are not offensive players.

Watch how teams defend the penetration. Nobody leaves Jok or Uthoff to help, so no kick out. Whoever guards Woody goes and helps on Gesell because they have no fear of him scoring. Woody doesnt even try to position himself so he can receive a pass.

Mike takes way too much brunt for the mistakes of 5 guys on the floor

 

[NEIChawk]

If Mike is hacked, does he convert the FT's? You know, most of the time when watching other players, they try and initiate contact while going to the rim, get the call, go to the line. He was by the defender, but maybe could've slowed a little, guy runs into him...he was duped by a lengthier player....who knows...At least Mike made a move...no one else was doing it....

 

[WindsorHawk]

I don't blame Gesell at all for that last play. He converts on those drives probably 65-70% of the time with the other 30-35% of times getting his stuff rejected. Nobody else is helping out so what's he supposed to do?

I would put him at about 50% yesterday. I think he got 2 or 3 in the 1st half and got nothing on 2 or 3 in the 2nd half.

 

[WindsorHawk]

Don't blame Mike, it has been a team effort

This. There's a lot of discussion about the end of the game. But we played dumb at the beginning of the game. Eliminate the early unforced turnovers and this is never a game IMO. Right now every team we play smells blood. They know if they can stay within 6 or 7 we will implode in the last 3 or 5 minutes of the game. We never should have let them think they belonged on the same court as us IMO. Just take care of the ball.

 

[HawkeyeWalker]

It's spelled more actually. You aren't funny. And if you really enjoy watching Gesell get swatted time after time in huge moments of the game, or watching him stand there dribbling the ball aimlessly at the end of the half or most of our possessions not knowing what to do, you must really not care. Why shouldn't I post something on here hoping to God he reads it and actually listens to what I'm saying. Call a ******* timeout for once, take leadership of the team for once, make a play in crunch time for once. Listen, I know it's not just Mike. We are a lock for the NCAA Tourney. All is not lost. But if I have anyway of getting thru to him I hope he does read this. Do something different..or maybe I'm just waiting for a 4 year, 4 star starting point guard to play like one and he just doesn't have the ability. I just want change from him.

You know it's not just Mike, but you call him out, by name, in your thread title.

I am well aware the "moar" thing isn't funny, it's actually very stupid stupid. I am tired of players getting called out. Mike had a heck of a game. Losing sucks.

Rinse, repeat.

 

[PCHawk]

I'm glad he got stuffed at the rim. It didn't suck as bad as the half courter they would have made at the buzzer would have.

 

[HawkeyeWalker]

so you're mad at gesell for running the play fran called during the timeout? there was a reason uthoff got tackled. he was setting a screen for gesell to drive to the hoop.

i remember the first time i watched a basketball game

Where the heck have you been whammer?!

 

[PCHawk]

He put himself in a bad position trying to dunk it. I know it's easy to second guess his decision after the fact but there is no way a quick lay in gets rejected there. It was a great play on the ball tho so Gesell probably thought the dunk was a sure thing.

 

[Knight78]

Please don't drive the ball into the lane and try to lay it up over taller defenders the rest of the season. Please call Timeout on your own if you get the ball with the last shot at the end of the first half and demand Fran to design a play. Please wake up as you are a 4 year starter and this is your final shot playing basketball.

But once again..please don't drive the ball into the lane where you get your **** swatted 95% of the time. Pass the ball.

Sincerely, Every Iowa Fan

It would be nice if his teammates worked to get open so he didn't have to drive, but apparently you are just watching the ball and not watching the game.

 

[Tate4Heisman]

I am tired of Gesell getting ripped for trying to make something happen because nobody else on the court can or wants to. Jok isn't feeling well and not getting open. Woody only looks at the rim when he has a layup. Uthoff had opportunities to make something happen in the last three minutes and choose not to or couldn't. Maybe Clemmons should be the one with the ball in his hands at the end of the game but until Fran decides to try that it is going to be Gesell. If the rest of the team would have played as well as Gesell yesterday Iowa would have won. Yet we have people on here ripping him.

 

[PCHawk]

I am tired of Gesell getting ripped for trying to make something happen because nobody else on the court can or wants to. Jok isn't feeling well and not getting open. Woody only looks at the rim when he has a layup. Uthoff had opportunities to make something happen in the last three minutes and choose not to or couldn't. Maybe Clemmons should be the one with the ball in his hands at the end of the game but until Fran decides to try that it is going to be Gesell. If the rest of the team would have played as well as Gesell yesterday Iowa would have won. Yet we have people on here ripping him.

I don't believe you. Can you post proof that Woody looks at the rim on layups?

 

[koralakers]

Part of me thinks MG WANTED the ball blocked--drove the ball into rim-defender knowing it would be swatted. Saved him the USUAL end-of-game 15-foot brick or blown 7-footer.

 

[proudhawkfan21]

Dear Mike, thank you for 3, should have been 4 ncaa tourney bids. Iowa basketball is back. Thank you for your part in our re-birth.

 

[doughudd]

Please don't drive the ball into the lane and try to lay it up over taller defenders the rest of the season. Please call Timeout on your own if you get the ball with the last shot at the end of the first half and demand Fran to design a play. Please wake up as you are a 4 year starter and this is your final shot playing basketball.

But once again..please don't drive the ball into the lane where you get your **** swatted 95% of the time. Pass the ball.

Sincerely, Every Iowa Fan

Didn't we blow a game because we couldn't inbounds a ball twice in a row? Yes we need more inbounds plays.

 

[heloteshawkeye]

W/out MG vs. OSU and this Hawk team woulda got killed. He kept us in the game. Solid pg a lot of teams would love to have.

 

[Niemo]

Dear Mike, thank you for 3, should have been 4 ncaa tourney bids. Iowa basketball is back. Thank you for your part in our re-birth.

Well said.

 

[BlacknGold19]

Dear Mike, thank you for 3, should have been 4 ncaa tourney bids. Iowa basketball is back. Thank you for your part in our re-birth.

Keep finding ways to try and be positive and try to be the cool guy on the message boards. Mike has shown ZERO improvement on the offensive side of the ball during his 4 years. He gets owned at the rim by the big boys. His jump shot looks like Caitlyn Jenner's face. He has NO leadership of the team and he's a 4 year starting PG.

Like I've said. I have nothing against Mike and wish him the best. But I'm just being honest and realistic. I'm not going to sit here and say something I don't believe and try to be Mr. positive because I might get in trouble on a Message Board. This is life, and I call it as is. If you think Gesell is a great PG and doesn't deserve criticism from our fan base..then your expectations are garbage.

 

[HawkeyeWalker]

Keep finding ways to try and be positive and try to be the cool guy on the message boards. Mike has shown ZERO improvement on the offensive side of the ball during his 4 years. He gets owned at the rim by the big boys. His jump shot looks like Caitlyn Jenner's face. He has NO leadership of the team and he's a 4 year starting PG.

Like I've said. I have nothing against Mike and wish him the best. But I'm just being honest and realistic. I'm not going to sit here and say something I don't believe and try to be Mr. positive because I might get in trouble on a Message Board. This is life, and I call it as is. If you think Gesell is a great PG and doesn't deserve criticism from our fan base..then your expectations are garbage.

It sure seems like you have something against Mike.

Keep it real broham.

 

[BlacknGold19]

It sure seems like you have something against Mike.

Keep it real broham.

Not really. Just pointing out his lack of ability and leadership you'd expect from a 4 Star 4 year starting PG. I'd trade him for quite a few PG's on other teams across the country in a heartbeat.

Mike is an average Big 10 player. He never turned into the player that most Iowa fans expected in his career.

Are you honestly happy with Gesell's production during the last 4 years? Please explain why if you are.

 

[Knight78]

Not really. Just pointing out his lack of ability and leadership you'd expect from a 4 Star 4 year starting PG. I'd trade him for quite a few PG's on other teams across the country in a heartbeat.

Mike is an average Big 10 player. He never turned into the player that most Iowa fans expected in his career.

Are you honestly happy with Gesell's production during the last 4 years? Please explain why if you are.

While we all want more, he is one of three Hawkeyes to ever amass 800+ points, 350+ assists, 200+ rebounds and 100+ steals his freshmen through junior seasons (Jeff Horner and Dean Oliver are the other two). He currently sits at 1049 points (currently 41st all-time), 521 assists (currently 4th all-time), 313 rebounds and 154 steals (currently tied for 9th all-time). He's well on his way to being one of the top point guards in Iowa men's basketball history.

Do I think he could have done better? Well, yeah. I think every one of the players could have done better here or there. But his body of work over the past four years speaks for itself.