JonDMiller
Publisher/Founder
The older I get the more I despise people using officials as an excuse to rationalize a loss.
That said, I come away from watching Iowa's 59-56 loss to Michigan State in the second round of the Big Ten tournament feeling as though the men in stripes played too great a role in the contest.
Michigan State has a reputation for playing in your jersey defense. They are physical. It's the type of physicality the Big Ten is 'known for' and quite frankly the type of physicality that is ugly basketball and has made the Big Ten the butt of more than a few jokes through the last decade-plus.
In the second half of this game, right about the time Iowa was up double digits with under 10 minutes to play, Michigan State's guards were delivering a lot of contact on Iowa's guards when they had the ball, but no calls came. That happened over and over. Michigan State's Adreian Payne 'blocked' an Iowa dunk attempt that actually didn't get any ball, but no foul was called.
Late in the game, with Iowa down one and Michigan State shooting with three-seconds left on the shot clock, Aaron White was whistled for a very, very questionable foul.
It was so bad even Iowa State fans could not believe what they were seeing:
https://twitter.com/JnJ4cy/status/312755079079936002
https://twitter.com/nvil23/status/312752922276552706
I realize this is going to read like a 'whiny fan' rant. I'm fine wearing that one in this instance. The 'hand checking' that MSU was allowed to get away with was just egregious, and former NBA Champ Bob Hansen felt the same during and after the game as I listened to the broadcast. Does Bob want Iowa to win? Yes he does. However Bob is not your typically bleeding heart homer that you hear on University approved radio.
All this said, Michigan State is a very, very good basketball team. They are a better basketball team than Iowa is and the better team, on the whole of the season, won the game.
Aside from the highly debatable officiating, here is where Iowa lost the basketball game: Iowa had 19 turnovers to 13 for Michigan State and the Spartans had 16 offensive boards to Iowa's seven. Iowa had back to back unforced errors in the last two minutes by Marble and Anthony Clemmons led to five MSU points. Going over eight minutes and forty seconds scoring just two points (10:24 to play and leading by 12 to 2:21 to play trailing by eight) in part of a 24-4 run.
Yes, that is why Iowa lost. But we'll remember the officiating, and while it was poor and certainly contributed to the changing of momentum and it was mind numbing how a team as physical as Michigan State is had just three fouls with just over three minutes to play in the game, Iowa had more than enough chances to win the game.
Fran McCaffery led off his press conference with this quote: "I've coached in a lot of games, a lot of seasons. I've coached in a lot of tournaments, NCAA tournaments. This team deserved a better fate tonight."
McCaffery was asked a follow up question on officiating...he paused for over 15 seconds before providing a three word answer. It was uncomfortable and also spoke volumes about what he thought of the officiating and how it impacted his team's chances to win.
When asked about whether youth had anything to do with his team falling apart down the stretch, he became angry and defensive, perhaps even defint: "That had nothing to do with it! Nothing...at all...to do with it." He didn't scream, but he was firm.
In the end, Iowa drops to 21-11 on the year and went 10-10 against Big Ten competition. Iowa's RPI will settle somewhere in the 70's, most likely too far out of the mix to make it into the NCAA tournament. Iowa will likely wind up as a #1 seed in the NIT tournament and while this sort of finish is what I expected for this team before the season began, they were so close to a magical kind of season...something that comes out of the blue that you do not expect.
It's a shame that Iowa won't make it into the NCAA tournament because they are playing like a Top 30, Top 40 team in the nation. But that's not how it works and Iowa's out of conference schedule is going to wind up costing them.
Iowa will learn its post season fate on Sunday evening and school officials have said they would be able to host some NIT games, even with Carver Hawkeye Arena being a site for the Women's NCAA tournament.
That said, I come away from watching Iowa's 59-56 loss to Michigan State in the second round of the Big Ten tournament feeling as though the men in stripes played too great a role in the contest.
Michigan State has a reputation for playing in your jersey defense. They are physical. It's the type of physicality the Big Ten is 'known for' and quite frankly the type of physicality that is ugly basketball and has made the Big Ten the butt of more than a few jokes through the last decade-plus.
In the second half of this game, right about the time Iowa was up double digits with under 10 minutes to play, Michigan State's guards were delivering a lot of contact on Iowa's guards when they had the ball, but no calls came. That happened over and over. Michigan State's Adreian Payne 'blocked' an Iowa dunk attempt that actually didn't get any ball, but no foul was called.
Late in the game, with Iowa down one and Michigan State shooting with three-seconds left on the shot clock, Aaron White was whistled for a very, very questionable foul.
It was so bad even Iowa State fans could not believe what they were seeing:
https://twitter.com/JnJ4cy/status/312755079079936002
https://twitter.com/nvil23/status/312752922276552706
I realize this is going to read like a 'whiny fan' rant. I'm fine wearing that one in this instance. The 'hand checking' that MSU was allowed to get away with was just egregious, and former NBA Champ Bob Hansen felt the same during and after the game as I listened to the broadcast. Does Bob want Iowa to win? Yes he does. However Bob is not your typically bleeding heart homer that you hear on University approved radio.
All this said, Michigan State is a very, very good basketball team. They are a better basketball team than Iowa is and the better team, on the whole of the season, won the game.
Aside from the highly debatable officiating, here is where Iowa lost the basketball game: Iowa had 19 turnovers to 13 for Michigan State and the Spartans had 16 offensive boards to Iowa's seven. Iowa had back to back unforced errors in the last two minutes by Marble and Anthony Clemmons led to five MSU points. Going over eight minutes and forty seconds scoring just two points (10:24 to play and leading by 12 to 2:21 to play trailing by eight) in part of a 24-4 run.
Yes, that is why Iowa lost. But we'll remember the officiating, and while it was poor and certainly contributed to the changing of momentum and it was mind numbing how a team as physical as Michigan State is had just three fouls with just over three minutes to play in the game, Iowa had more than enough chances to win the game.
Fran McCaffery led off his press conference with this quote: "I've coached in a lot of games, a lot of seasons. I've coached in a lot of tournaments, NCAA tournaments. This team deserved a better fate tonight."
McCaffery was asked a follow up question on officiating...he paused for over 15 seconds before providing a three word answer. It was uncomfortable and also spoke volumes about what he thought of the officiating and how it impacted his team's chances to win.
When asked about whether youth had anything to do with his team falling apart down the stretch, he became angry and defensive, perhaps even defint: "That had nothing to do with it! Nothing...at all...to do with it." He didn't scream, but he was firm.
In the end, Iowa drops to 21-11 on the year and went 10-10 against Big Ten competition. Iowa's RPI will settle somewhere in the 70's, most likely too far out of the mix to make it into the NCAA tournament. Iowa will likely wind up as a #1 seed in the NIT tournament and while this sort of finish is what I expected for this team before the season began, they were so close to a magical kind of season...something that comes out of the blue that you do not expect.
It's a shame that Iowa won't make it into the NCAA tournament because they are playing like a Top 30, Top 40 team in the nation. But that's not how it works and Iowa's out of conference schedule is going to wind up costing them.
Iowa will learn its post season fate on Sunday evening and school officials have said they would be able to host some NIT games, even with Carver Hawkeye Arena being a site for the Women's NCAA tournament.
