Iowa Basketball Lands Seydou Traore

Iowa seems a little light in the backcourt but should have a lot of athleticism in the front court for the next couple of seasons. Only true guards are Dix, Harding, and Thelwell.
 
Iowa seems a little light in the backcourt but should have a lot of athleticism in the front court for the next couple of seasons. Only true guards are Dix, Harding, and Thelwell.
True. But, in modern basketball and especially in Fran's systems, guys like Koch or either Sanford can play the wing. So, while have a 6'8 guy play the two position is a bit unusual, there really is little difference in Fran's system between the 2, 3 or 4.

One thing is for sure, except when Harding is on the floor, this team is going to be long at all 5 positions....
 
True. But, in modern basketball and especially in Fran's systems, guys like Koch or either Sanford can play the wing. So, while have a 6'8 guy play the two position is a bit unusual, there really is little difference in Fran's system between the 2, 3 or 4.

One thing is for sure, except when Harding is on the floor, this team is going to be long at all 5 positions....
Yup on your last sentence. That is Fran. I am good with that.
 
Can he rebound and can he defend at the 4 spot? Krikke was terrible and Rebracca was at best, serviceable at the 4 or the 5. Demeble, Freeman and Pryce’s maturation process, and where that goes, will dictate how much you need from Traore.
 
True. But, in modern basketball and especially in Fran's systems, guys like Koch or either Sanford can play the wing. So, while have a 6'8 guy play the two position is a bit unusual, there really is little difference in Fran's system between the 2, 3 or 4.

One thing is for sure, except when Harding is on the floor, this team is going to be long at all 5 positions....

From what I am hearing/reading, Cooper will struggle IN THE BEGINNING at the defensive end and we have such a small sample size with Pryce. That combo are basically stepping into the Pmac role and not to turn this thread into the 18,000 one where we are shitting on a McCraffrey, but you are going to need more production from that role/spot. My point being, is that role needs to get buckets or it needs to be able to defend and rebound.
 
From what I am hearing/reading, Cooper will struggle IN THE BEGINNING at the defensive end and we have such a small sample size with Pryce. That combo are basically stepping into the Pmac role and not to turn this thread into the 18,000 one where we are shitting on a McCraffrey, but you are going to need more production from that role/spot. My point being, is that role needs to get buckets or it needs to be able to defend and rebound.
I do not foresee Cooper getting many minutes if Py returns. Ladji is probably starting next to Owen. Traore needs to get bigger, although he didn't look only 6'7" and thicker than 215. He looks like a good recruit.
 
I do not foresee Cooper getting many minutes if Py returns. Ladji is probably starting next to Owen. Traore needs to get bigger, although he didn't look only 6'7" and thicker than 215. He looks like a good recruit.
Don't be surprised if Tadjo gives Ladji a run for his money for mins... He kinda looks like a Tyler Cook 2.0 type of kid to me. Ladji will have to really show something if he's going to fend him off. I look forward to see how they matchup. I know he'll be a true freshman but Cook played a lot early on too. Frans not afraid to play the younger better players too.

Traore looks like a diamond in the rough. He's an athletic ball of clay with 3 yrs for Fran to hopefully play with.
 
I do not foresee Cooper getting many minutes if Py returns. Ladji is probably starting next to Owen. Traore needs to get bigger, although he didn't look only 6'7" and thicker than 215. He looks like a good recruit.
Disagree. Whether PS returns or not (and he will) Koch will be pushing for a starting role. The boy can ball and score. Since when has Fran ever valued defense? He wants to win 88-84 every night.

Dix, two of these three: Harding/Koch/PrS, PS, Freeman. That is my projected starting line-up.
 
It seems like Dembele, Tadjo, and Traore are very similar players. Iowa definitely needs more athleticism and defense but it might be overkill.
 
It seems like Dembele, Tadjo, and Traore are very similar players. Iowa definitely needs more athleticism and defense but it might be overkill.
Dembele and Tadjo I think will certainly be competing for mins at the 4. Traore is more of a 3 though. I think he'll be backing up P Sandfort.

It's sort of a position less front court nowadays in the traditional sense. Either you're posting somebody up with the floor spread out with cutters or you're picking and rolling two guys with the floor spread out. Or going 1 on 1. And you just choose your matchups for those options.
 
Disagree. Whether PS returns or not (and he will) Koch will be pushing for a starting role. The boy can ball and score. Since when has Fran ever valued defense? He wants to win 88-84 every night.

Dix, two of these three: Harding/Koch/PrS, PS, Freeman. That is my projected starting line-up.
Interesting here's my lineup. Koch can score I'm sure but is he a really tall 2 or a 3? I don't think he's a 4. Not when he's barely 200 lbs at 6'8. He might play some this yr but I'd bet it'll be about as much as what Pryce Sandfort did this last yr

Thelwell/Harding might be 65/35 split
Dix
PS
Dembele/Tadjo I could see these two splitting their mins
Freeman.
 
Interesting here's my lineup. Koch can score I'm sure but is he a really tall 2 or a 3? I don't think he's a 4. Not when he's barely 200 lbs at 6'8. He might play some this yr but I'd bet it'll be about as much as what Pryce Sandfort did this last yr

Thelwell/Harding might be 65/35 split
Dix
PS
Dembele/Tadjo I could see these two splitting their mins
Freeman.

Pryce played 8.7 minutes a game last year. What would you like to wager that Cooper plays more than 12 minutes a game this season?
 
Pryce played 8.7 minutes a game last year. What would you like to wager that Cooper plays more than 12 minutes a game this season?
Is that what Pryce played? I woulda guessed he played closer to 10-12 but I guess not. I wouldn't be confident in putting the farm down on anything these days. A week ago you coulda got me on Bluder retiring. I woulda thought she had 2 or 3 yrs left easy. My pure speculation on the breakdown of these mins is way more flimsy then my thoughts on that. But here they are for fun.

I figured Koch, Traore and Pryce will be backing up Peyton Sandfort mostly and so long as PS isn't in foul trouble he's gonna be playing 30 plus mins. Not leaving much more then 10 mins or so.

How many mins was PM playing 20-22ish? That's who's mins are being fought over here pretty much so yeah if you're right and Koch is ahead of Traore and say Pryce primarily plays the 2 backing up Dix there's 20 plus mins to be split between Koch and Traore making 12ish possible for Koch.

It also depends on that 4 spot with Dembele. He seems to be a bit of a wild card. If he can go from playing 10 mins to 20 plus and split that spot with Tadjo that'd be huge. But what if he can't... Is Tadjo able to do 25 plus right out of the gate? Koch could be a skinny small 4 in some lineups too I suppose. So the more I talk it out I can see Koch playing more then the 8-10ish I'd originally thought.
 
Fran does a good job of recruiting multi-position players for the system. I think this roster has that, and we could see mixing and matching, especially early, before they figure out a rotation. And then, I think there are guys that could improve during the year to earn more minutes.

If you count Thelwell and Traore, everybody expect Dix, Payton Sandfort and Riley Mulvey, who has played sparingly, is in their first or second year here.
 
Peyton, DIx, Freeman, and Harding should start

Dembele and Tadjo probably will split minutes

Pryce and Cooper should be first players off the bench

Drew Thelwell is an interesting wild card and could be a pleasant surprise

Looks like Owen will have more support inside

If Cooper and Tadjo can contribute by the start of the Big Season, we could be a
dangerous team

Dix, Peyton and Cooper nailing threes, will take the pressure off Freeman inside

Looking forward to Brock's passing expertise, I hope he is shooting at least 1,000 threes an hour
the entire Summer/Fall
 
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