Iowa's bucking a trend this year

H

Hawkfnntn

Well-Known Member
Most college basketball fans would say to have a good successful team you need above average back court play and a really good point guard. Not necessarily scoring point guard but one that really dictates how the game is played. And I'd say it's safe to say Iowa doesn't have either. They are the opposite where the front court is relied upon to do the dirty work and score.

I'm pretty sure Fran would like to have better play out of the guards that goes without saying but he loves an uptempo game with guards that handle the ball a lot. However I think he's really just working with what he has and it's a testament to his coaching. I think he's dialed back MG and he's not forcing things as much as he had earlier this year or in the past. The others just really have underperformed big time. Well Jok was a crap shoot as to what we should have expected. Most expected more from him but I didn't. I wanted to see how he handled more minutes first. He's still learning and going to be streaky with his shots and shot selection. But JO and Clemmons haven't done anything really.

So it'll be interesting if they can keep it rolling and have as good a year as last year or even better. With the league being where it is only 2 or 3 teams in the league remotely scare me and they've already beaten one of em in OSU. So hope they keep it going and give MSU a tough game tomorrow.
 
It is certainly unique to see a team led by two 6' ft 9" combo forwards. We are an odd match-up in that sense.

White is going to play like a 1st or 2nd team All Big player. If Uthoff can play like a 3rd teamer, we should be a competitive team and make the tournament.
 
It's amazing to me that Fran can't get a stud guard to come to Iowa yet. After seeing what Marble (initially a Lickliter recruit) did, and then seeing the Iowa frontcourt...they're a really good guard away from being a next level team. That guard would play ridiculous minutes and basically be handed the reigns to the offense. I don't really understand it personally. Fran seems to have no problem getting medium sized forwards to come running to Iowa in masses, but those forwards can't really get their games going without a good point guard to create for them.

I realize Fran went all in on Ulis and missed out, which happens when Kentucky comes calling, but even looking out on the horizon to 2015 and 2016 it doesn't really look like Iowa is in on any PG's.
 
mopkins said:
It's amazing to me that Fran can't get a stud guard to come to Iowa yet. After seeing what Marble (initially a Lickliter recruit) did, and then seeing the Iowa frontcourt...they're a really good guard away from being a next level team. That guard would play ridiculous minutes and basically be handed the reigns to the offense. I don't really understand it personally. Fran seems to have no problem getting medium sized forwards to come running to Iowa in masses, but those forwards can't really get their games going without a good point guard to create for them.

I realize Fran went all in on Ulis and missed out, which happens when Kentucky comes calling, but even looking out on the horizon to 2015 and 2016 it doesn't really look like Iowa is in on any PG's.
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Yea you'd think he could recruit some good guards too and it'll be really important that the TN kid Fleming coming next year be pretty darn good early. He may be asked to have a Marbleish type of role where he handles the ball alot too on top of scoring.

Fran has struck out on forwards too he's probably pretty darn frustrated overall with how recruiting has gone the last couple years. But you never know. It only takes one home run to really help a program maybe Fleming can be all of that and a bag of chips. But that's me hoping on that the same way many were with Jok this year... Who knows.
 
Hawkfnntn said:
But JO and Clemmons haven't done anything really.
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Oglesby was clutch down the stretch at Ohio State. Fran went with Clemmons down the stretch against both Ohio State and Nebraska. Both have done a lot of good things IMO.

I love the current player rotation. I think Fran used the non conference season to try different things and has it where he wants it now...Clemmons and Gesell at the 1, Jok and Oglesby at the 2, Uthoff at the 3 and White, Woodbury, Olaseni and a little Uhl at the 4 and 5.

There are 2 other areas where Gesell and Clemmons don't get enough credit IMO. First...I think both play excellent defense on the opposing team's 1. Second...I'm never worried when the other team picks us up full court or presses because I have total confidence in either of them to get the ball up the court.
 
They just need to NOT turn the ball over and make the occasional 3 point shot. That is all I ask.
 
Hawkfnntn said:
Yea you'd think he could recruit some good guards too and it'll be really important that the TN kid Fleming coming next year be pretty darn good early. He may be asked to have a Marbleish type of role where he handles the ball alot too on top of scoring.

Fran has struck out on forwards too he's probably pretty darn frustrated overall with how recruiting has gone the last couple years. But you never know. It only takes one home run to really help a program maybe Fleming can be all of that and a bag of chips. But that's me hoping on that the same way many were with Jok this year... Who knows.
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I wouldn't count on Fleming to handle the ball as much as Marble. I'd say he's more of a Matt Gatens type. Similar body type and style of game, both are considered shooters.
 
WindsorHawk said:
Oglesby was clutch down the stretch at Ohio State. Fran went with Clemmons down the stretch against both Ohio State and Nebraska. Both have done a lot of good things IMO.

I love the current player rotation. I think Fran used the non conference season to try different things and has it where he wants it now...Clemmons and Gesell at the 1, Jok and Oglesby at the 2, Uthoff at the 3 and White, Woodbury, Olaseni and a little Uhl at the 4 and 5.

There are 2 other areas where Gesell and Clemmons don't get enough credit IMO. First...I think both play excellent defense on the opposing team's 1. Second...I'm never worried when the other team picks us up full court or presses because I have total confidence in either of them to get the ball up the court.
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Yes JO and Clemmons have had some small stretches where they played ok. But neither play big mins or are going to make a big impact game in and game out. I'm not saying that they've been 100 percent terrible and don't deserve to play ever kind of thing. I'm just saying that they aren't what you'd expect from the guard spot of a good team as a group. Last game Iowa got like 2 pts from all the guard spots... And still won. That's just bucking a huge trend in where college ball is. Just imagine if MG and company all start playing better going forward... I think they can and hope they do.
 
Hawkfnntn said:
Yes JO and Clemmons have had some small stretches where they played ok. But neither play big mins or are going to make a big impact game in and game out. I'm not saying that they've been 100 percent terrible and don't deserve to play ever kind of thing. I'm just saying that they aren't what you'd expect from the guard spot of a good team as a group. Last game Iowa got like 2 pts from all the guard spots... And still won. That's just bucking a huge trend in where college ball is. Just imagine if MG and company all start playing better going forward... I think they can and hope they do.
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That's fair.
 
311hawk said:
They just need to NOT turn the ball over and make the occasional 3 point shot. That is all I ask.
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Exactly, and you'd think between the four of them, *one* could have a decent game per night?
The other three could suck, but *one* of them....please Mr. Basketball God?
 
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