Iowa picked 9th next season

SpiderRico said:
As I said before, we didn't have a problem scoring last year and we won't have a problem doing it this year. Our offense is clicking and I see no reason that it won't be even more potent next year.

The problem was defense. And it doesn't make me exude a lot of confidence when a majority of the players who made us a defensive liability are back. Fran talked about it in his post-games until he was blue in the face, but for the most part, it never got better. I have a hard time believing that we are all of a sudden going to figure out how to play defense.

I hope they prove me wrong.
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Maybe I watched a different season than you, Iowa definitely had troubles scoring at times. Against the better teams, Iowa had droughts, but even in their wins their were droughts.

Iowa's issues last season:
Yes, defense
Half-court offense due to lack of a true PG, therefore scoring droughts
Rebounding, espcially defensive
A center that can challege shots

Iowa's incoming class addresses all the issues, not saying it is going to solve them from day one, but it isn't going to hurt either. Again, yes defense was an issue, but there a lot of things that led to it. Iowa didn't rebound well on the defensive side, or get to many 50/50 balls.
There are many aspects of the game that Iowa can improve upon and there are a lot more pieces there for that then there has in quite a few years.
 
HawkeyeShane said:
Dynamite drop-in, Monte! I LOVE a good Kingpins reference! :D
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You just enjoy seeing smashed fingers, Shane.....

Plus it gives me an opportunity to show The Jesus.....

john-turturro-as-jesus-quintana1.jpg


:D
 
With Matt gone the defensive focus will be on White and Marble. They probably won't put up numbers much different than this year. Hope lies in Gesell getting the ball to the right spot in a timely manner so everyone contributes. We'll be balanced with different people being the guy depending on the game match-ups. Offensively we'll be decent and if Marble develops into a go to guy at the end of possessions we;ll be okay.

Our defense should get better in the post, but I still expect McCabe and Basabe to spend time at the 5. In short stints they can survive, but we lack size. Hopefully the Big O learns a lot this summer and can give us some defensive minutes. Woody will play like a freshman who's learning and lacking strength IMO. He still may be our best post option.

We need someone who can stop dribble penetration at the three spots outside. I'm not sure who that option is. Marble at the three maybe able to control his man.

I expect it will be difficult to replicate the 2 W's over Wisky and I think we may have difficulty picking up a W against an improved Indiana team. If we win the games we think we should I'd say 7th is about right. We'll be better, the league will be tougher and people won't take us for granted. We're on a good path but it's definitely still uphill.
 
DowsHawk said:
With Matt gone the defensive focus will be on White and Marble. They probably won't put up numbers much different than this year. Hope lies in Gesell getting the ball to the right spot in a timely manner so everyone contributes. We'll be balanced with different people being the guy depending on the game match-ups. Offensively we'll be decent and if Marble develops into a go to guy at the end of possessions we;ll be okay.

Our defense should get better in the post, but I still expect McCabe and Basabe to spend time at the 5. In short stints they can survive, but we lack size. Hopefully the Big O learns a lot this summer and can give us some defensive minutes. Woody will play like a freshman who's learning and lacking strength IMO. He still may be our best post option.

We need someone who can stop dribble penetration at the three spots outside. I'm not sure who that option is. Marble at the three maybe able to control his man.

I expect it will be difficult to replicate the 2 W's over Wisky and I think we may have difficulty picking up a W against an improved Indiana team. If we win the games we think we should I'd say 7th is about right. We'll be better, the league will be tougher and people won't take us for granted. We're on a good path but it's definitely still uphill.
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Very nice post, DowsHawk.....
 
We need someone who can stop dribble penetration at the three spots outside. I'm not sure who that option is. Marble at the three maybe able to control his man. [/QUOTE said:
Gessel will be a significant improvement over Cartwright on d but a man on crunches would have been an improvement.

Clemmons and Ingram will be huge improvements in the perimeter D area, far better than anyone Iowa has had recently. Their defensive ability is the reason they were given scholys but their offense may or may not keep them off the floor.

Marble can guard the 2/3 spot allot better than he can the point, still an average defender at best.

Anyone not thinking Woodbury will be a huge improvement over Zack McCabe at the 5 defensively is crazy.
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RocknRollface said:
Gessel will be a significant improvement over Cartwright on d but a man on crunches would have been an improvement.

Clemmons and Ingram will be huge improvements in the perimeter D area, far better than anyone Iowa has had recently. Their defensive ability is the reason they were given scholys but their offense may or may not keep them off the floor.

Marble can guard the 2/3 spot allot better than he can the point, still an average defender at best.

Anyone not thinking Woodbury will be a huge improvement over Zack McCabe at the 5 defensively is crazy.
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I don't think anyone is saying that Woodbury won't be a huge improvement over McCabe. They are saying that he isn't the cure all that some are making him out to be on defense.
 
IAJay said:
I don't think anyone is saying that Woodbury won't be a huge improvement over McCabe. They are saying that he isn't the cure all that some are making him out to be on defense.
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Well a huge improvement is a big step in the right direction.

Iowa should at least be an average defensive team next year vs the awful defensive team they were this past year.
 
RocknRollface said:
Well a huge improvement is a big step in the right direction.

Iowa should at least be an average defensive team next year vs the awful defensive team they were this past year.
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I'm not saying you're wrong in your assessment, but what evidence do we have at this point to make a statement that says we'll even be average defensively?

We graduated the only player who played any semblence of defense last year in Gatens. None of the players that return showed much of anything in the way of defensive intensity last year. Sure Basabe had some blocks, but for every block he got I could show you times where he looked absolutely terrible on defense.

Now we're thinking that freshmen are going to come in and cure our defensive ills? Against teams like OSU, MSU, Indiana and the like?

I just don't see it.

The only way I see us improving on defense next year is through coaching strategy adjustments or by an increased reliance on the full-court press that might be able to limit the opponents possessions via turnovers created.

I hope like heck I'm proven wrong, though!
 
SpiderRico said:
I'm not saying you're wrong in your assessment, but what evidence do we have at this point to make a statement that says we'll even be average defensively?

We graduated the only player who played any semblence of defense last year in Gatens. None of the players that return showed much of anything in the way of defensive intensity last year. Sure Basabe had some blocks, but for every block he got I could show you times where he looked absolutely terrible on defense.

Now we're thinking that freshmen are going to come in and cure our defensive ills? Against teams like OSU, MSU, Indiana and the like?

I just don't see it.

The only way I see us improving on defense next year is through coaching strategy adjustments or by an increased reliance on the full-court press that might be able to limit the opponents possessions via turnovers created.

I hope like heck I'm proven wrong, though!
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Iowa was short inside and slow outside those two things make it very hard to play D.

We add two really good perimeter defenders in Ingram and Clemons, (much better on ball defenders than Gatens) and one who is decent in Gessel, and we add interior height.

Marble playing the point was another reason the perimeter D was poor, and when Cartwright played it was much worse. RD won't have to guard small quicker guys next year which will help.

Woodbury will be a enormous improvement over McCabe at the 5. When you replace a 6'7 guy will no vertical with a 7'1 guy opposing guards are going to be much less enthusiastic about trying to get all the way to the rim and other centers are not just going to be able to turn and dunk.

Overall Iowa will just simply not have as many weak defensive players on the court all at the same time as they did last year and hopefully Marble, White and Basabe will improve on D.

Also with added depth and athleticism they will be able to press more often and more effectively IMO.
 
RocknRollface said:
Iowa was short inside and slow outside those two things make it very hard to play D.

We add two really good perimeter defenders in Ingram and Clemons, (much better on ball defenders than Gatens) and one who is decent in Gessel, and we add interior height.

Marble playing the point was another reason the perimeter D was poor, and when Cartwright played it was much worse. RD won't have to guard small quicker guys next year which will help.

Woodbury will be a enormous improvement over McCabe at the 5. When you replace a 6'7 guy will no vertical with a 7'1 guy opposing guards are going to be much less enthusiastic about trying to get all the way to the rim and other centers are not just going to be able to turn and dunk.

Overall Iowa will just simply not have as many weak defensive players on the court all at the same time as they did last year and hopefully Marble, White and Basabe will improve on D.

Also with added depth and athleticism they will be able to press more often and more effectively IMO.
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Is this because they're black?
 
RocknRollface said:
Iowa was short inside and slow outside those two things make it very hard to play D.

We add two really good perimeter defenders in Ingram and Clemons, (much better on ball defenders than Gatens) and one who is decent in Gessel, and we add interior height.

Marble playing the point was another reason the perimeter D was poor, and when Cartwright played it was much worse. RD won't have to guard small quicker guys next year which will help.

Woodbury will be a enormous improvement over McCabe at the 5. When you replace a 6'7 guy will no vertical with a 7'1 guy opposing guards are going to be much less enthusiastic about trying to get all the way to the rim and other centers are not just going to be able to turn and dunk.

Overall Iowa will just simply not have as many weak defensive players on the court all at the same time as they did last year and hopefully Marble, White and Basabe will improve on D.

Also with added depth and athleticism they will be able to press more often and more effectively IMO.
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How is it possible to "know" either of these two things.
 
oroko said:
How is it possible to "know" either of these two things.
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Common sense on Woodbury Mcabe, that shouldn't need any explanation.

And as far as the two freshman being better on ball defenders, I think that should be pretty obvious too. Gatens was a good overall defender but there are allot of facets to defense, keeping quick guys in front of him off the dribble was probably his least strong suit.

Everything Ive seen and read indicates that AC and PI are going to be good at pressuring the ball and keeping players infront of them.
 
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