Gatens is a GREAT HAWK
- Thread starter rjhindm
- Start date
HawkeyeRyno
Banned
Some of my anger comes from the frustration I have not seeing Matt getting an opportunity to play in the post season. Great kid. I may be negative, but never critical of a player. Matt and Cole played during an absolute wretched period of Iowa hoops and both have my vote as fave Hawks because they stuck through it. Wish both could be freshmen next season.
Biggusblockus
Well-Known Member
Anyone who thinks Oglesby can replace Gatens minutes effectively next year (as some have suggested) should have pause for concern after watching this game tonight.
Great game Matt - great game.
Great game Matt - great game.
rjhindm
Well-Known Member
Respectable post Ryno...thank u
EddyP
Well-Known Member
Certainly not there yet but you see signs occasionally. Got a lot of work to do for sure. Seems like a good kid with a good attitude, I think he'll get there. But it probably won't be next year.
FalseMirage
Well-Known Member
If Fran would've gotten here even one year sooner I think Matt would've gone dancing this year. He played in the worst era of Iowa basketball and that's a crying shame.
jacknicholson
Well-Known Member
jacknicholson
Well-Known Member
It's a good thing we had Matt during this period. We would really have been disgraceful otherwise.....
atomicblue224
Well-Known Member
he could have gone to florida gators during championship run but he didnt , he stuck around . good job and good luck on your future matt.
Define Great.
Because there are some things about Matt that are commendable, but as the supposed leader of the team he has fallen short of being the guy who can build team unity. He isn't the kind of player who can put the team on his back, and he does a lot with what he has, but is limited athletically.
I think people feel bad for the hometown kid we wished could play on a better team. But great players make teams better and they make other players want to play with them. This just has not been the case with Matt.
Also, great players don't need other great players around them to put up great numbers and to get all conference recognition. They need that for wins, but you don't see GREAT players put up average numbers just because you don't have another scorer in college basketball. Also, Matt doesn't draw double teams. Teams basically play him straight up and he puts up extremely pedestrian numbers for a guy who started for four years. He is not in the top ten in scoring, rebounding, shooting percentage, or assists.
Sorry, but there is just nothing but sentimentality that would lead anyone to consider Matt a Hawkeye Great.
He is a hometown kid that was a decent contributor during one of the worst eras of the history of the program. It is appropriate to feel bad for him. It would have been nice if he was a contributor on a much better team. But going beyond that is just hyperbole.
Because there are some things about Matt that are commendable, but as the supposed leader of the team he has fallen short of being the guy who can build team unity. He isn't the kind of player who can put the team on his back, and he does a lot with what he has, but is limited athletically.
I think people feel bad for the hometown kid we wished could play on a better team. But great players make teams better and they make other players want to play with them. This just has not been the case with Matt.
Also, great players don't need other great players around them to put up great numbers and to get all conference recognition. They need that for wins, but you don't see GREAT players put up average numbers just because you don't have another scorer in college basketball. Also, Matt doesn't draw double teams. Teams basically play him straight up and he puts up extremely pedestrian numbers for a guy who started for four years. He is not in the top ten in scoring, rebounding, shooting percentage, or assists.
Sorry, but there is just nothing but sentimentality that would lead anyone to consider Matt a Hawkeye Great.
He is a hometown kid that was a decent contributor during one of the worst eras of the history of the program. It is appropriate to feel bad for him. It would have been nice if he was a contributor on a much better team. But going beyond that is just hyperbole.
Sirhouseman
Well-Known Member
He was a beast tonight in the second half. ugh too bad nobody gave him any help. Tough loss, but man he laid it out. I don't care who is coming in next year, his production will be missed. Talk about putting a team on your shoulders.
Tmoney12
Well-Known Member
Sirhouseman
Well-Known Member
Sirhouseman
Well-Known Member
This is terribly wrong.
HawkeyeHypnosis
Well-Known Member
He's Matt Greatens
Uhh... What?
It seems like you are expecting a star basketball player that puts up huge numbers and basically carries the team every night... Is that it? Is that what a great hawk is in your mind?
You don't have to be an amazing player that will be playing professionally to be a great Hawkeye.
Matt was the main reason we came back against PSU. He put the team on his back and it has been said countless times that he works extremely hard every practice and game. He can't physically make Basabe make those FTs. He can't make May contribute offensively. He can't make Ogelsby hit his shots. He can't make anyone do anything. He can only do his best, work hard, set a good example, and be a good leader... which he is.
It seems ridiculous to say he isn't a great hawk because he didn't score 30 points a game or lead the league in steals, rebounds, etc.
I think you would have a hard time finding someone who actually knows something about basketball and follows Matt Gatens/the Hawkeyes/the B1G that would agree with you.
You are entitled to your own opinion, but sometimes it is better to be silent and have everyone think you are a fool than to speak and remove all doubt.
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Hawkfan3318
Well-Known Member
Imagine a Horner, Haluska, Gatens combo. That would be sick. I agree with most, Gatens was just unfortunate to be on such bad teams throughout the last four years.
GoHawks24
Well-Known Member
Wow is right. I nominate CAAR's post for worst of the year so far, Jon. What a bunch of FAIL in your post. smh...
I wouldn't say 30 points a game. That is a completely unreasonable number, but asking that the player be top 10 in the conference in rebounding, scoring, or assists seems reasonable. Or that he made one of the all-conference first second or third teams two or more times.
Listen, as I said, there is a lot about Matt which is highly commendable. Without Matt over the last four years things are even more dismal than they have been for Iowa basketball. While other players had more individual notable seasons than Matt during his tenure at Iowa, he is the one that stuck it out and continued to perform on a consistent basis. We owe him a debt of gratitude, that is definite.
I just don't put him in the group of Hawkeye greats such as Marble, BJ, Acie, Street, Andre, Ronnie Lester, Freddy Brown, Stokes, Nelson, and the like.
Or even in the group with Brunner, Horner, Oliver, Haluska and Reggie, who were multiple all conference performers, but who I suspect the old timers wouldn't put in the first group.
It might just be a testament about how bad Iowa has been in the last four years that we are even having this conversation.
ColumbusHawk
Well-Known Member
Spot on. Gatens had zero first half points. He was part of the problem in the first half.
