The 16-5 Hawks have had a lot of ups and downs since IowaLaw's Non-Conference Report Card. The momentum continues to ebb and flow. Last week, the Hawks were riding a 5 game winning streak and ranked in the Top 20. Two losses in a row and an upcoming matchup against Michigan is generating more "here we go again" sentiment. Can they finish strong, or will they wilt down the stretch as in years past? 10 conference games are in the books, and there are 10 to go. Time will tell!
1. Most Valuable Player - Tyler Cook. Cook continues to be the heart and soul of this team. Unfortunately, because he leads the entire Big 10 conference in turnovers, somehow the Hawks seem to play nearly as well with him on the bench (which is odd considering Cook is the best player on the team). Cook's 16.6 pts and 8 rebounds are in the conversation for 2nd team all Big 10. His dunks can fill a highlight reel, but his accuracy on layups, short jumpers, and free throws (69%), plus his aforementioned costly turnovers (more than 3 per game) show that he needs another year of polish before he can even sniff the NBA. If the Hawks are going to make a run at a top 4 finish in the Big 10, Cook needs to be told he's not a point guard, he needs to play within his game, and he needs to continue getting to the free throw line.
2. Hustle Award - Luka Garza. Garza is a brute. One day he's sporting a black eye, the next, it's cotton in his bloody nose. The guys is a cross between Chris Street, Ryan Bowen, and Jake Jaaks. His 15 points and 5 rebounds are huge, but his intangiables are even more crucial. Right now he is playing the best basketball of his career, with back to back 20 and 25 point games. If the guy were athletic, he would be an NBA lottery pick.
3. Fading Down the Stretch - Connor McCaffery. One cannot evaluate McCaffery without noting that he is a 4 **** recruit and the 2nd highest rated guard in the McCaffery era (behind Wieskamp). He's the son of a coach and a star multi-sport athlete. While McCaffery started to up his game and looked like he might reach his 4 star potential, he has slammed back down to earth in recent games. Against MSU and Minn, he scored just 4 and 1 point respectively. While his assists have been solid, his defense is not Big 10 caliber. I like what McCaffery brings to the team, but we have to remember the guy is already a sophomore. When walk-on Beher was paying his own way to go to Iowa as a soph, he averaged 8 points, 5 boards and 2 assists. Garza is the same age as McCaffery and is taking over games. Moss had 28 points in a game last year as a soph. Unfortunately, McCaffery will never have the quickness of an elite Big 10 point guard, so his 8% shooting from behind the arc (last in the Big 10) needs to improve. Because he redshirted, he still has time to be a floor general that makes the headsy plays, takes charges, and protects the ball.
4. On the Rise - Isiah Moss. In IowaLaw's Non-Conference Report Card, Moss was deservedly awarded the most disappointing player award, as he was a non-factor for the first 1/4 of the season. In recent weeks, Moss has stepped up his game. He had 21 points against Illinois and 23 points against Minn, but just 2 against MSU. Moss is the hot hand the Hawks need to compliment their solid post play. He's upped his points per game to 10, and is shooting a scorching 46% from 3 point range.
5. Top Newcomer - Joe Wieskamp. Joe continues to impress as Fran's highest rated recruit. His 11 points and 5 boards continue to exceed the numbers the great Jess Settles put up during his 1994 Big 10 freshmen of the year campaign. If Joe could show a little emotion out there, it might up his leadership and intensity rise to the next level. Will he be a Jared Uthoff type, or will he have an edge to him?
6. Most Disappointing - Jordan Bohannan. The guy plays with the confidence/arrogance usually reserved for the most elite players. He wears his long pants and his pompedor, and has averaged nearly 30 minutes per game for 3 years at Iowa. Fran/local media loving him the same way that Kirk/local media love Nate Stanley, and coincidentally Bohannan continues to be Stanley-esque on the court. He racks up huge stats and can't miss in blow out wins against inferior opponents, then completely disappears in the tough games that count. In Iowa's last two tight games, the announcers noted that the guy looked like a deer in the headlights, even at home. Against Minn, he had less points (2) than turnovers. In 31 minutes against MSU, he had just 3 points and 4 turnovers. Worse yet for the Hawks, his defense has been as bad as his recent offensive performance. What it comes down to is athleticism. When the opponent doesn't have it, J-Bo shoots lights out. When they do, we are better off putting the ball in Moss' hands.
7. Most Underrated - Ryan Kriener. IowaLaw was right after the non-con when he said that Kriener needed to see more playing time. He's not a star, but Kriener brings a level of finess to the court that no one else has. His shooting percentage (55%) is second on the team to Cook (58%), and he hits 3 pointers at the same accuracy as Bohannan (37%). It will be interesting to see whether or not Kriener has another gear next year, or if he's maxed out his potential.
8. 6th Man of the Year - Nicholas Baer. Who else but the 2017 Big 10 Sixth Man of the Year. Baer continues to be sneaky good. Quietly coming off the bench and hitting big 3s when the Hawks need them most. He's got an all around game and ranks in the top 5 on the team in nearly every statistical category, including leading the team with 1.3 steals per game.
