Horrendous Defensive Gameplan

N

NikeHawk21

Well-Known Member
Look I get that Michigan is a good team and I didn’t expect to win this one, but what in the world was that?

You knew Michigan was going to expose Garza in the pick and roll. Iowa looked like they had never seen it before, zero help or rotation. What in the world was that stupid match up zone thing in the first half. That was the worst defense I’ve ever seen I hope we never play that one again.

We played offense so damn well tonight and Garza has a historic night. We just were not properly prepared to defend.
 
We don't have a defensive gameplan. We just stand around and hope that the opponent shoots worse than we do on their own. Syracuse did.
 
It's weird how some nights our defense always has 2 guys guarding 1, which leads to wide open players. Other nights you don't see that. Is that a game plan or players trapping on their own? Either way it needs to stop. It's so bad.
 
smitharooney said:
With our lack of athleticism I’m not sure any defensive game plan works
Click to expand...


This is correct. I mentioned it in another thread that Iowa has some good basketball players but besides JT they have no athletes that play basketball. Their transition defense is poor and they consistently get beat off the dribble causing penetration which leads to reach in fouls or easy dish offs for lay ups
 
PCHawk said:
It's weird how some nights our defense always has 2 guys guarding 1, which leads to wide open players. Other nights you don't see that. Is that a game plan or players trapping on their own? Either way it needs to stop. It's so bad.
Click to expand...
That matchup zone thing in the first half made me want to gauge my eyes out.

I’ll still maintain the gameplan was bad, but one thing was Fredrick was nowhere near 100%. He was moving laterally like Bohannon does. That’s tough luck.

At some point Fran needs to trust Toussaint. He’s our best defensive guard. We need defense, our offense is very good.
 
kameltoez102 said:
This is correct. I mentioned it in another thread that Iowa has some good basketball players but besides JT they have no athletes that play basketball. Their transition defense is poor and they consistently get beat off the dribble causing penetration which leads to reach in fouls or easy dish offs for lay ups
Click to expand...
It’s painfully apparent when we play a trap zone with backside rotation for help . We don’t have the athletes to close out their lanes . There isn’t much Fran can do to stop good teams until he recruits better athletes
 
smitharooney said:
With our lack of athleticism I’m not sure any defensive game plan works
Click to expand...
Exactly, in the second half, the second unit cut the lead down and looked like they were giving Michigan problems on the press. They turned Michigan over and had them rattled. What then? Fran goes back to his starters who then got sliced up trying to run this press. Iowa is desperately low on athletes with speed. Slow playing Trussant is plain stupid. He should be getting all the minutes he can handle. Playing JBo at the expense of Joe T is stupid. Especially if JBo intends to pull the plug soon. Fran could have had JoeT up to speed by now if he had played him from day one. Conner too would have benefitted. I love JBo but watching him at half speed is frustrating, let alone handling so much of the point responsibility. Conner had a very nice game and I want to see him and JoeT work together to form a backcourt. Letting JBo play at half-speed is setting up Iowa to fail when and if he redshirts.
 
dahlhawk said:
Exactly, in the second half, the second unit cut the lead down and looked like they were giving Michigan problems on the press. They turned Michigan over and had them rattled. What then? Fran goes back to his starters who then got sliced up trying to run this press. Iowa is desperately low on athletes with speed. Slow playing Trussant is plain stupid. He should be getting all the minutes he can handle. Playing JBo at the expense of Joe T is stupid. Especially if JBo intends to pull the plug soon. Fran could have had JoeT up to speed by now if he had played him from day one. Conner too would have benefitted. I love JBo but watching him at half speed is frustrating, let alone handling so much of the point responsibility. Conner had a very nice game and I want to see him and JoeT work together to form a backcourt. Letting JBo play at half-speed is setting up Iowa to fail when and if he redshirts.
Click to expand...
I agree about the second unit getting some stops and making a nice little comeback there. Fran just doesn’t seem to value defense.

One issue tonight which was just tough luck for Iowa was that CJF was playing at like 70%. He couldn’t move very well. Fran just doesn’t trust Toussaint at this point which is starting to get frustrating.

I don’t think I agree about Connor having a good game. He scored 6 of his 12 points in the last 2:00 of the game which was basically scrub time. Had it not been for that he didn’t do a whole lot. He’s been really good for us this year, I like his new found role and that he doesn’t turn the ball over, just didn’t think tonight he was really a factor.
 
dahlhawk said:
Exactly, in the second half, the second unit cut the lead down and looked like they were giving Michigan problems on the press. They turned Michigan over and had them rattled. What then? Fran goes back to his starters who then got sliced up trying to run this press. Iowa is desperately low on athletes with speed. Slow playing Trussant is plain stupid. He should be getting all the minutes he can handle. Playing JBo at the expense of Joe T is stupid. Especially if JBo intends to pull the plug soon. Fran could have had JoeT up to speed by now if he had played him from day one. Conner too would have benefitted. I love JBo but watching him at half speed is frustrating, let alone handling so much of the point responsibility. Conner had a very nice game and I want to see him and JoeT work together to form a backcourt. Letting JBo play at half-speed is setting up Iowa to fail when and if he redshirts.
Click to expand...
With this roster vs top notch athleticism mixed with actual basketball skills you can’t play man to man , box one , 2-3 , 3-2 , 1-3-1 or a triangle 2 variation . You need really quick defenders
 
There's nothing here that's a surprise.

Combine a coach that doesn't value or understand defense with players that lack quick-twitch ability and you have a team that will finish bottom four of the conference.

Fran's era has plateaued. We'll have the occasional big upset on nights where we are lights-out from three, but fans shouldn't expect Iowa to flirt with the top 10 anymore under Fran's tenure.
 
Yeah, it's clear the issues on defense against elite teams are going to continue, but man, there are things you can do to slow teams down. Just like Howard said, I'm not going to double Garza because even if he scores 50, your other guys aren't going to get any shots because they aren't athletic enough to get their own shot against my defenders. Typical NBA mindset and he's right. Over the course of the game, it played out...we had one other guy in double figures.

What Fran should have said is, I'm going to have my guys go underneath the picks or fight through everything, stop the moron hedge by our big that ends up putting him in the middle of nowhere 25 feet from the basket...where he not only is out of the play...he can't rebound anything. How many times do you have to see that breakdown to stop doing it. my god...just play zone at least you force them to move the ball...and aren't giving up dunks all the time.

You force Simpson to beat you from the outside. The other thing is that the previous game, Michigan couldn't throw the ball in the ocean. I saw the game...they had open looks, but they had to work through harrassment to get them. Tonight, they buried everything.

Lastly, Toussaint should have played 30 minutes last night. Maybe 35. He can break down Simpson...or anyone of the Michigan defenders. That would have put more pressure on Michigan. JBo / CJ / Wieskamp couldn't get a shot for really long stretches. You let Toussaint break down his defender, someone has to help...guess what...open shots. He needed time in the game to get the feel....he didn't get it till it was too late.

Maybe I'm crazy...but I think this Iowa team is really good. Garza gives them a go to guy that defenses are going to have to deal with. Listen, Frederick and Pemsl aren't 100% yet. We can be better offensively...we need a penetrator. That game didn't get out of hand...and Michigan shot really well...and every single time we made a run...they had an answer or the officials did. It was uncanny.
 
Last edited:
WinOneThisCentury said:
Yeah, it's clear the issues on defense against elite teams are going to continue, but man, there are things you can do to slow teams down. Just like Howard said, I'm not going to double Garza because even if he scores 50, your other guys aren't going to get any shots because they aren't athletic enough to get their own shot against my defenders. Typical NBA mindset and he's right. Over the course of the game, it played out...we had one other guy in double figures.

What Fran should have said is, I'm going to have my guys go underneath the picks or fight through everything, stop the moron hedge by our big that ends up putting him in the middle of nowhere 25 feet from the basket...where he not only is out of the play...he can't rebound anything. How many times do you have to see that breakdown to stop doing it. my god...just play zone at least you force them to move the ball...and aren't giving up dunks all the time.

You force Simpson to beat you from the outside. The other thing is that the previous game, Michigan couldn't throw the ball in the ocean. I saw the game...they had open looks, but they had to work through harrassment to get them. Tonight, they buried everything.

Lastly, Toussaint should have played 30 minutes last night. Maybe 35. He can break down Simpson...or anyone of the Michigan defenders. That would have put more pressure on Michigan. JBo / CJ / Wieskamp couldn't get a shot for really long stretches. You let Toussaint break down his defender, someone has to help...guess what...open shots. He needed time in the game to get the feel....he didn't get it till it was too late.

Maybe I'm crazy...but I think this Iowa team is really good. Garza gives them a go to guy that defenses are going to have to deal with. Listen, Frederick and Pemsl aren't 100% yet. We can be better offensively...we need a penetrator. That game didn't get out of hand...and Michigan shot really well...and every single time we made a run...they had an answer or the officials did. It was uncanny.
Click to expand...
Very well said and thought out post, just as Howard made his gameplan for Iowa, Fran should have for Michigan. Simpson getting into the lane and setting up others is what makes Michigan go. Take that away by going under screens and letting him shoot. If he made 6 or 7 threes it would have been a better strategy than what we had.

On Toussaint, I have no clue why Fran is helbent on holding him back it seems. He said something about how he should have got him back out there in the Syracuse game... well ya Fran that’s true but it’s hardly the first time you’ve done that with the kid this year. Why does a sore Jbo play 36 minutes at Cuse when we have a commanding lead? Sooner or later we are going to have to take Toussaint off the training wheels Fran.
 
Look, I'm no coach so I can't really get into X's and O's, but the defense last night was total shite. Doesn't take a coach to see that. Wide open 3's and dunks all game long.

I know one thing: the "fly by" doesn't work as far as guarding the perimeter.
 
NikeHawk21 said:
At some point Fran needs to trust Toussaint. He’s our best defensive guard. We need defense, our offense is very good.
Click to expand...

Seriously? Did you even watch the game? Toussaint was completely outmatched last night. It was painful to watch. That would be the last thing I would criticize Fran for.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Share this page

Top