I wonder what it feels like...

1977Hawkeye

1977Hawkeye

Well-Known Member
...to be a fan of a team that can win a close game?

This continues to be a problem. Late in close games, this seems to be the pattern:

Offense - turn the ball over or force a wild shot
Defense - foul and gift the opponent 2 FT's

Rinse and repeat until you've lost the game, even if it takes 2 overtimes.

Don't give me the "young team" thing - Yeah, they're inexperienced, but it doesn't seem to matter if it's freshmen or one of Fran's experienced teams, because this keeps happening year after year. His teams just seem lost in clutch situations and fold during crunch time. We've seen this move before.

Maybe call a timeout and calm your players, draw something up, etc. instead of letting your players flounder in these games time after time?

I dunno. Maybe I'm crazy, but this is what I'm seeing the past several years.
 
I agree. I think he really needs to reassess his end game strategies. He is putting to much trust into this players.....who can in general have trouble with basketball fundamentals anyway...in particular the defensive end of the court.
 
SpecialKHawk said:
Not saying you are wrong but we just won a close game against Michigan..... an OT win.
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Although it was great to win the Michigan game......we were gifted there with a late Michigan turnover with the ball handler dribbling the ball of his leg....if I recall correctly in regulation. Was almost shocked to see another team goof it up there.

Was really shocked to see us make it to OT tonight with those 2 misses from the line by little red.
 
HaydenHawk56 said:
Although it was great to win the Michigan game......we were gifted there with a late Michigan turnover with the ball handler dribbling the ball of his leg....if I recall correctly in regulation. Was almost shocked to see another team goof it up there.

Was really shocked to see us make it to OT tonight with those 2 misses from the line by little red.
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There was like 2 seconds left and he was nowhere near the basket with nowhere to go. He could have made a prayer but it was far from a gift. We are 50/50 in single possession games this year which is the norm. Better than losing almost every single one in "give the game away" fashion like the last group of seniors did.
 
I honestly think it is just confirmation bias. I spent all day listening to Cyclone fans take about how they are the worst team in the nation in end game situations.

When you win the close ones, you enjoy it, when you lose them you focus on it and remember all the other times it happened.
 
HaydenHawk56 said:
Although it was great to win the Michigan game......we were gifted there with a late Michigan turnover with the ball handler dribbling the ball of his leg....if I recall correctly in regulation. Was almost shocked to see another team goof it up there.

Was really shocked to see us make it to OT tonight with those 2 misses from the line by little red.
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And Nebraska wasn't gifted by our player dribbling in for a layup and losing it out of bounds? Or by our typical offensive pass across the top that was stolen for a layup? Or, or or.... "Gifts" occur in almost every close game. I hope our players learn from their mistakes and keep improving.
 
The last few years Iowa reminds me of Phil Mickelson, at the end of many U.S. Opens...so close, wanting it so bad, but making stupid mistakes the last two holes to give the damn dream away on a platter.
 
Can't reiterate enough, as many of us have been saying, a great PG makes the difference in many of these close games for us. We just haven't had it. Get a guy who can beat his man, things change.
Not sure why Fran didn't call timeout when Bohannon picked up his dribble in no mans land and ended up throwing up a prayer from the baseline. Fran definitely could be better in these end game situations.
 
IlpYGwoeBk said:
I honestly think it is just confirmation bias. I spent all day listening to Cyclone fans take about how they are the worst team in the nation in end game situations.

When you win the close ones, you enjoy it, when you lose them you focus on it and remember all the other times it happened.
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You are probably right to a degree. When it happens, it seems like it's ALL the time.

Maybe I'm too quick to jump on this team, and as SpecialK said, we did just beat Michigan in OT.

But Fran's record in close games has been pretty horrendous over the years.. I don't have the numbers in front of me and I'm not to go and dig it up again, but I know it's been discussed many times.

Seems like Fran always has timeouts left in his pocket once these games are over.. I'd just like to see him try to guide his team through these spots.. I know you aren't always going to win every close game, but overall, "letting them play through it" doesn't seem to be working out too well.

I like Fran and the way his teams fight, but the end of game situations seems like a definite weakness.
 
HaydenHawk56 said:
Although it was great to win the Michigan game......we were gifted there with a late Michigan turnover with the ball handler dribbling the ball of his leg....if I recall correctly in regulation. Was almost shocked to see another team goof it up there.
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Knight78 said:
And Nebraska wasn't gifted by our player dribbling in for a layup and losing it out of bounds? Or by our typical offensive pass across the top that was stolen for a layup? Or, or or.... "Gifts" occur in almost every close game. I hope our players learn from their mistakes and keep improving.
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I'm not talking about things that effect other teams. I'm talking about our end of game situations and how we are handling them. Of course, turnovers happen in most games.
 
KCRC answered my post over on the thread about Fran not winning a high percentage of close games. I asked for data supporting KCRC's assertion that Fran did not do well in that department. His data shows that Iowa under Fran has only won about 35% of close games. I said I would be OK with about a 50/50 split. Take a look...pretty interesting
 
bogeyman said:
Can't reiterate enough, as many of us have been saying, a great PG makes the difference in many of these close games for us. We just haven't had it. Get a guy who can beat his man, things change.
Not sure why Fran didn't call timeout when Bohannon picked up his dribble in no mans land and ended up throwing up a prayer from the baseline. Fran definitely could be better in these end game situations.
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Maybe he and KF share toothbrushes together. :eek:
 
InGoodCo said:
Iowa gave Nebraska so many "gifts" last night its laughable.
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True but Nebby returned the favor by clanking a lot of FTs, including two which could have ended the game in regulation.

What I haven't seen discussed is the 14(!) steals Nebby had. Young team (Iowa) or not, that's pretty impressive.
 
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