JonDMiller
Publisher/Founder
From time to time I like to take a look back and compare a current Iowa team to the previous season. As it relates to the Iowa basketball team, this is especially true as Fran McCaffery continues to push forward with his rebuilding work with the program. The graphic below shows Iowa's current season stats through 11 games on the left with last year's stats through 11 games on the right. Iowa is 9-2 this year following their win against Northern Iowa and they were 6-5 through 11 games last year following a win against Drake on December 17th.
First the graphic, then the discussion.
Iowa is averaging 75.5 points per game this year, just one-tenth of a point more than they were through 11 games last year. The big difference is in scoring margin thanks to a defensive effort that is allowing 7.1 fewer points per game.
Iowa's field goal percentage numbers are virtually identical; .441 this year vs .440 last year. Once again, Iowa's defensive numbers are much better this year as teams are shooting just 38.8 from the floor in 2012-2013 compared to 46.2% last year through seven games. That....that was not a good effort through 11 games last year.
Iowa's three-point shooting is down this year (32.5% compared to 34.7%) and I was surprised to see that Iowa has attempted 30 more three point attempts this year than last year. On the defensive side of the ball, teams are hitting just 28.2% from three this year compared to 36.7% last year on just six more attempts this year than last year. Teams are making 1.4 fewer three's per game against Iowa this year through 11 games than last year.
Iowa is off a bit at the line from last year as it relates to percentage (73.3% to 74.3%) but the loss of Matt Gatens is the likely difference. Iowa has attempted 40 more free throws through 11 games this year than last, which is good to see. Iowa's opponents have attempted 31 fewer free throws this year than last year, too.
The Hawks are averaging 3.6 more rebounds per game this year and allowing .4 fewer rebounds per game for their opponents. Iowa's rebounding margin of +5.4 is nearly four rebounds per game better in margin than one year ago.
Iowa is averaging more assists per game this year (16.1 to 14.8) but their opponents are averaging 4.6 fewer assists per game this year than last which is a dramatic drop.
Iowa is averaging more turnovers per game this year (1.3 more to be exact) in addition to creating 2.4 fewer turnovers per game than last year, but Iowa has the exact same assist to turnover ratio (1.2).
Iowa has 58 blocks so far this year compared to just 22 through 11 games one year ago. As for attendance at home, Iowa is averaging 12,431 per game (seven dates) so far compared to 10,398 per home game last year (eight dates).
Through 11 games one year ago, Matt Gatens was Iowa's leading scorer at 14.1 points per game and 155 total points. Devyn Marble leads the way for Iowa this year with 166 points (15.1 per game). Gatens was Iowa's only double-figure scorer one year ago and Aaron White is at 13.5/ppg this year.
Speaking of White, he was averaging 7.6ppg/4.6rpg last year through 11 games and getting 16.4 minutes. This year he is at 13.6/6.7 at 27.3 minutes per game.
Melsahn Basabe is averaging 7.5/4.4 this year where he was at 8.6/5.3 last year. However Basabe is averaging 17.2 minutes per game this year and 22.3 through 11 games last year. He has 16 blocks through 11 games this year compared to just six through 11 games last year.
No one would say that the Basabe of last year played better and/or with more energy than the Basabe this year. Basabe also started all 11 of those games last year with no starts this year. He's a better player this season, he looks like he is having fun and has embraced his role where you could not say that in the early going one year ago, if at all.
Devyn Marble was averaging 9.5 points per game through 11 games last year and averaged 23.5 minutes per game, making three starts. He is at 15.1 points per game this year averaging 32.4 minutes per game, the only Hawkeye averaging over 30 minutes per game. Matt Gatens was averaging 32.5 minutes per game through Iowa's first 11 games last year.
Through Iowa's first 11 games last year Matt Gatens was 13-51 from three (35.3%). Marble is 14-39 through 11 games this year (35.9%). Marble had a great game against UNI but I don't think we can expect him to go off from distance over the second half of the season the way Gatens did last year, as Gatens' performance was one of the best in Hawkeye history for a one month snapshot last February.
It is interesting to see that Marble has attempted 130 shots through 11 games where Gatens had attempted 106, considering Iowa has attempted 38 fewer field goals this year than last year through 11 games. Marble has taken 20.7% of Iowa's shots this year through 11 games compared to Gatens 15.9% through 11 last year.
The last nugget; Iowa has nine players averaging double figures in minutes per game through 11 games this year. Last year through 11 games? They had 10 players averaging double figures.
ADDITION: I was looking at strength of schedule and the like this AM. Iowa is at 297 per Pomeroy as of 12/15. Some are worrying about that as it relates to their hopes that Iowa can get into the NCAA tournament.
Don't worry about the schedule.
Last year, Iowa has the 311th ranked out of conference schedule per Ken Pomeroy. By the end of the year, Iowa's SOS was 38th in the nation due to the strength of the Big Ten. The league is just as good this year if not better.
Iowa just needs to beat the NW, PSU's and Nebraska's plus a couple wins over ranked teams.
First the graphic, then the discussion.
Iowa is averaging 75.5 points per game this year, just one-tenth of a point more than they were through 11 games last year. The big difference is in scoring margin thanks to a defensive effort that is allowing 7.1 fewer points per game.
Iowa's field goal percentage numbers are virtually identical; .441 this year vs .440 last year. Once again, Iowa's defensive numbers are much better this year as teams are shooting just 38.8 from the floor in 2012-2013 compared to 46.2% last year through seven games. That....that was not a good effort through 11 games last year.
Iowa's three-point shooting is down this year (32.5% compared to 34.7%) and I was surprised to see that Iowa has attempted 30 more three point attempts this year than last year. On the defensive side of the ball, teams are hitting just 28.2% from three this year compared to 36.7% last year on just six more attempts this year than last year. Teams are making 1.4 fewer three's per game against Iowa this year through 11 games than last year.
Iowa is off a bit at the line from last year as it relates to percentage (73.3% to 74.3%) but the loss of Matt Gatens is the likely difference. Iowa has attempted 40 more free throws through 11 games this year than last, which is good to see. Iowa's opponents have attempted 31 fewer free throws this year than last year, too.
The Hawks are averaging 3.6 more rebounds per game this year and allowing .4 fewer rebounds per game for their opponents. Iowa's rebounding margin of +5.4 is nearly four rebounds per game better in margin than one year ago.
Iowa is averaging more assists per game this year (16.1 to 14.8) but their opponents are averaging 4.6 fewer assists per game this year than last which is a dramatic drop.
Iowa is averaging more turnovers per game this year (1.3 more to be exact) in addition to creating 2.4 fewer turnovers per game than last year, but Iowa has the exact same assist to turnover ratio (1.2).
Iowa has 58 blocks so far this year compared to just 22 through 11 games one year ago. As for attendance at home, Iowa is averaging 12,431 per game (seven dates) so far compared to 10,398 per home game last year (eight dates).
Through 11 games one year ago, Matt Gatens was Iowa's leading scorer at 14.1 points per game and 155 total points. Devyn Marble leads the way for Iowa this year with 166 points (15.1 per game). Gatens was Iowa's only double-figure scorer one year ago and Aaron White is at 13.5/ppg this year.
Speaking of White, he was averaging 7.6ppg/4.6rpg last year through 11 games and getting 16.4 minutes. This year he is at 13.6/6.7 at 27.3 minutes per game.
Melsahn Basabe is averaging 7.5/4.4 this year where he was at 8.6/5.3 last year. However Basabe is averaging 17.2 minutes per game this year and 22.3 through 11 games last year. He has 16 blocks through 11 games this year compared to just six through 11 games last year.
No one would say that the Basabe of last year played better and/or with more energy than the Basabe this year. Basabe also started all 11 of those games last year with no starts this year. He's a better player this season, he looks like he is having fun and has embraced his role where you could not say that in the early going one year ago, if at all.
Devyn Marble was averaging 9.5 points per game through 11 games last year and averaged 23.5 minutes per game, making three starts. He is at 15.1 points per game this year averaging 32.4 minutes per game, the only Hawkeye averaging over 30 minutes per game. Matt Gatens was averaging 32.5 minutes per game through Iowa's first 11 games last year.
Through Iowa's first 11 games last year Matt Gatens was 13-51 from three (35.3%). Marble is 14-39 through 11 games this year (35.9%). Marble had a great game against UNI but I don't think we can expect him to go off from distance over the second half of the season the way Gatens did last year, as Gatens' performance was one of the best in Hawkeye history for a one month snapshot last February.
It is interesting to see that Marble has attempted 130 shots through 11 games where Gatens had attempted 106, considering Iowa has attempted 38 fewer field goals this year than last year through 11 games. Marble has taken 20.7% of Iowa's shots this year through 11 games compared to Gatens 15.9% through 11 last year.
The last nugget; Iowa has nine players averaging double figures in minutes per game through 11 games this year. Last year through 11 games? They had 10 players averaging double figures.
ADDITION: I was looking at strength of schedule and the like this AM. Iowa is at 297 per Pomeroy as of 12/15. Some are worrying about that as it relates to their hopes that Iowa can get into the NCAA tournament.
Don't worry about the schedule.
Last year, Iowa has the 311th ranked out of conference schedule per Ken Pomeroy. By the end of the year, Iowa's SOS was 38th in the nation due to the strength of the Big Ten. The league is just as good this year if not better.
Iowa just needs to beat the NW, PSU's and Nebraska's plus a couple wins over ranked teams.
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