Has Iowa Turned The Corner?

MelroseHawkins

MelroseHawkins

Well-Known Member
It kind of feels that way. I think they are a much more consistent team now. They seemed to have gelled at this point which helps with consistency and sustaining leads and finishing games. Iowa has a bunch of players that are interchangeable and can play multiple positions, 1-3, 2-4, etc.. This helps in games like last night when a couple 4-5's get into foul trouble. Iowa can keep what they are doing with minor tweaks. They can still play a zone with long players to protect some guys. They don't have to commit to playing small ball when this happens.

People have a problem with Fran not recruiting a position of need such as a premier true PG, but, nobody gives him credit making a team of interchangeable players that have length, which, may end up being more productive. This is why I started the thread some time back about Iowa being a mismatch for many/most teams. It is that they play long and have interchangeable players which can allow them to go to a productive zone to change things up. The versatility of the players might be a better assett than that true PG.

Iowa not has the bar to play for a 5 seed. I'd be happy with that.
 
What makes this team special offensively is that our 1-3 are all knock down 3pt shooters so defenses need to stay attached to them, thus freeing two very dominant interior post players in Cook and Garza to have ample space to play down low. It becomes a pick your poison for a defense. With that said we still lack the quickness and driver element which can hurt on some nights. Either way we are a very good offensive outfit.

Have we turned the corner as a program? I’m not sure yet but I hope so. I think everyone has realized that two back to back poor recruiting classes along with the uneven classes really set us behind. With Garza and Weiskamp as underclassmen to carry the torch forward when the junior class departs following next season I feel good about where we sit. Hopefully we can parlay this season into some good recruiting (XF & Tyler Beard please).
 
I wouldn't say any kind of corner has been turned. I need something tangible for that. A B1G title, a conference championship or a sweet 16. Otherwise, this is just a regular season that's going well. I do however think that a lot of doubts have been dashed about Fran's coaching abilities and his recruiting prowess. I also think Iowa is looking in pretty good shape for the future. Super excited for next year with what's coming back.
 
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If the OP meant turn the corner as a program, it will take more than one year even if we make the Final Four.

But I'm going to enjoy this year because I really like how it's setting up.

Beat Maryland and you're suddenly looking at the Wisconsin game being for a potential double bye in the conference tournament! And who says we can't go in there with a 50/50 chance.

That's a slight improvement from a year ago.
 
MelroseHawkins said:
It kind of feels that way. I think they are a much more consistent team now. They seemed to have gelled at this point which helps with consistency and sustaining leads and finishing games. Iowa has a bunch of players that are interchangeable and can play multiple positions, 1-3, 2-4, etc.. This helps in games like last night when a couple 4-5's get into foul trouble. Iowa can keep what they are doing with minor tweaks. They can still play a zone with long players to protect some guys. They don't have to commit to playing small ball when this happens.

People have a problem with Fran not recruiting a position of need such as a premier true PG, but, nobody gives him credit making a team of interchangeable players that have length, which, may end up being more productive. This is why I started the thread some time back about Iowa being a mismatch for many/most teams. It is that they play long and have interchangeable players which can allow them to go to a productive zone to change things up. The versatility of the players might be a better assett than that true PG.

Iowa not has the bar to play for a 5 seed. I'd be happy with that.
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I am extremely reluctant to get too confident. However I do like the grit I am seeing from this team. They have proven that they can play with just about anybody. As long as we don't get MSU or a team like them we might have a sweet 16 run in us.

I don't know if we have turned a corner, but I am enjoying the ride all the same. GO IOWA!
 
I think we are approaching a corner. Maybe more like a fork in the road that could go either way. I mean we could have one heck of a special season yet ahead of us still. Or not... And for next yr we could possibly not have Tyler Cook and regardless of what some think. If Cook leaves that'll be some huge production that'd need to be replaced. So hard to say how that'd go down. That said Cook could even come back and holy crap IF that were to happen we could be a top 4 or better team in the BIG next yr hands down.
 
Northside Hawk said:
If the OP meant turn the corner as a program, it will take more than one year even if we make the Final Four.

But I'm going to enjoy this year because I really like how it's setting up.

Beat Maryland and you're suddenly looking at the Wisconsin game being for a potential double bye in the conference tournament! And who says we can't go in there with a 50/50 chance.

That's a slight improvement from a year ago.
Click to expand...

I meant turn the corner as far as play more consistent and better team ball and finishing games now. This team is not a current "bubble" status team but playing at "automatic" bid level and potentially could be a solid 5 seed.
 
Northside Hawk said:
If the OP meant turn the corner as a program, it will take more than one year even if we make the Final Four.

But I'm going to enjoy this year because I really like how it's setting up.

Beat Maryland and you're suddenly looking at the Wisconsin game being for a potential double bye in the conference tournament! And who says we can't go in there with a 50/50 chance.

That's a slight improvement from a year ago.
Click to expand...


Slight improvement!?? o_O Iowa already has 3 more conference wins than last years total of 4, and, this is supposed to be a better all around conference this year.
 
Hawkfnntn said:
I think we are approaching a corner. Maybe more like a fork in the road that could go either way. I mean we could have one heck of a special season yet ahead of us still. Or not... And for next yr we could possibly not have Tyler Cook and regardless of what some think. If Cook leaves that'll be some huge production that'd need to be replaced. So hard to say how that'd go down. That said Cook could even come back and holy crap IF that were to happen we could be a top 4 or better team in the BIG next yr hands down.
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Cook comes back and get the Foster kid for the future. Woo!!
 
This year's team is playing far better team-basketball.
Think about it...it's a damn Tough sport. Long season, during the winter, guys get injuries here and there, easy to catch a bug that'll wear you down. It's a grinding, physically demanding sport, so you need guys that will step up, step in and take over when a teammate is off a bit.
This team has 5-6 different guys can go easily off for 15-20 points on any given night. You need that. All strong teams have that.
Last night against Indiana was a perfect example: Garza has been EN FUEGO the past 5-6 games. Last night he was off and Joe Cool stepped up early and T. Cook was THE MAN for the first 75% of the game
and then...
(cue the Superman-music)
JBo kicks in the door, grabs the game by the throat, announces to all in Assembly Hall that he's not letting this one get away, not tonight.
The beautiful thing about it was there wasn't a damn thing any of the Hoosiers or the refs could do about it.
Great team-effort, great road win - Go Hawks!
 
Hawkfnntn said:
I think we are approaching a corner. Maybe more like a fork in the road that could go either way. I mean we could have one heck of a special season yet ahead of us still. Or not... And for next yr we could possibly not have Tyler Cook and regardless of what some think. If Cook leaves that'll be some huge production that'd need to be replaced. So hard to say how that'd go down. That said Cook could even come back and holy crap IF that were to happen we could be a top 4 or better team in the BIG next yr hands down.
Click to expand...

Agreed. Many on this board complain about Tyler Cook. But he gets automatically doubled every time he touches the ball near the paint. Without him, I think our offense would look much bleaker and space/maneuverability on offense would be way tighter. He's not always perfect at passing out of double teams... but it's still a huge component to the team.
 
Turning the corner is when you see year to year consistency. I expect that out of a coach who is approaching a Decade at the Helm. So presently we are in the mist of a very nice year, let’s see if it can be built on.
 
Iowa has, what, 3 road wins in the Big Ten this year? That's kind of a sweeping corner turn and a good sign of some needed toughness.

I am guessing "success" at Iowa, for most of the fan base, is getting into the NCAA tournament, which lots of other teams do on a regular basis. Winning 2-3 games would be a treat and not beyond reach.

Championships are what separates pretty good teams from great teams.

Fran did inherit a dumpster fire when he came, so, so far this year has been a bit of a light at the end of the tunnel from my perspective.

If this team is "into it" on the defensive end and can bring some energy they are tough to beat. If they think they are good enough to cruise, the season will have an unhappy ending.
 
Well, this team appears to have figured out how to respond to runs...which is good. Against Michigan and Indiana they have worked the ball to the post after the opponent has grabbed momentum. In all instances, they were patient and got the shot they wanted. That's a sign of maturity. In both MSU losses...we were jacking everything we got that was open. Izzo starts giving you the threes when you go cold...he wants you to play faster.

We have learned a valuable lesson.
 
This looks like the most formidable Iowa team Fran has fielded in terms of they can beat a lot of teams on any given night. They have also shown they can take some games on the chin and get back up off the mat (thus far). The latter is the most important point and hopefully continues. If that continues, a mental toughness corner may have been turned for Fran's program. The key will be year to year consistency along with tangible results (championships, sweet-sixteens or better).

What gives me pause though on the rest of the year.......I still have in the back of mind that Fran's teams have a tendency to fall apart at some point in the season (however, that concern keeps diminishing with each Iowa win) and Iowa still does not have an elite point guard along with a stocky, oak tree in the middle of the paint. See Michigan St's current roster for examples of what I'm talking about. Great guard play can take a team a long way in the NCAAs. If JBO/Moss continue to hit from the outside like they are doing that would be great. Otherwise, can they create for themselves when their shots are not dropping? That could prove to be problematic as we have already seen before.
 
I think the key with this team and Fran moving forward is how to stop the bleeding when they run up against a hot team or a hot AND talented team. Game decsions, momentum shifters. When to work your offense when you NEED buckets (set plays) vs chucking it up from 3 four possessions in a row down 5-8 pts and all of a sudden its down 15 and its curtains. Getting that TO immediately to stop a run or huge shift in momentum. In the losses other than Wisconsin we helped games get out of reach by making poor shot selection on offense and not transitioning or closing out on defense. At least 4 of our losses got out of hand quickly. This team though, has the talent. Keep working that zone defense until its like five fingers of a hand working together. Mix in the press and some man concepts to keep people honest. The key in the Big Ten and NCAA is withstanding those big runs. Dont try to get 7 pts back in 2 possessions (pretty hard) and keep chipping. When we do that, we win.
 
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