Is mental toughness real?

[Bigtenchamp]

A mentally tough defense would have been yelling at each other? Really? How do you know that Denver was trying as hard as they can, but Seattle was just better?

Also, you seem to describe mentally tough as happening only when things look bleak. What about the prepared athlete that dominates because he never gets behind and doesn't have to dig down even more. He/she is always at the top of their game, no matter what the situation. That is mentally tough, IMO.

Okay so yeah a team that never gets behind, player that is 100% on top of his game at all times...

Which reality is that?

Human beings will face adversity - how do they handle it?

Some can some wilt - its a mental thing.

 

[woodyk1]

Okay so yeah a team that never gets behind, player that is 100% on top of his game at all times...

Which reality is that?

Floyd Mayweather. 1976 Indiana Hoosiers. Tiger Woods for a portion of his career. Wayne Gretzky. Shaun White (in the half pipe). Bruno Sammartino

 

[Bigtenchamp]

Yeah all of those teams, people on those teams at some point in their lives and career faced or will face adversity... they weren't good just because "they got their homework done early" and no one or any player dominates every game.

Have you seen Tiger Woods struggles lately? Most golf experts agree that is a combination of injuries and not being as mentally tough as he once was...

Pro golfers often talk about how when they age the mental part of the game is what declines so fast...

They start getting the yips on short puts ect.

Talk about a mental game.

 

[clicheusername3]

Mental toughness beats hard work when hard work doesn't work hard.

 

[hawkfan33]

Of course we can never know what's insides someones head... no way to be 100% factual on that.

But a repeated pattern over a number of games isn't really a fluke - it shows that somethings going on.

And to me (from playing basketball myself, from watching it my entire life, from coaching sports for years) it looks like he is struggling mentally.

I.e. lacking confidence

Exactly, which is why it's easy to see May wasn't mentally tough. Iowa consistently loss close games last year, games where a mentally tougher person could have provided just one or two more baskets which could have put us over the hump. Thank you for proving my point.

 

[Tierney]

Exactly, which is why it's easy to see May wasn't mentally tough. Iowa consistently loss close games last year, games where a mentally tougher person could have provided just one or two more baskets which could have put us over the hump. Thank you for proving my point.

Its easier to be mentally tough in basketball when you have the athleticism to go with it. If you aren't on the same par athletically with your opponent, it makes it a lot tougher.

 

[hawkfan33]

Its easier to be mentally tough in basketball when you have the athleticism to go with it. If you aren't on the same par athletically with your opponent, it makes it a lot tougher.

And May had that athleticism, which is why it's a shame he didn't have the mindset to go with it.

 

[libradawg]

Of course we can never know what's insides someones head... no way to be 100% factual on that.

But a repeated pattern over a number of games isn't really a fluke - it shows that somethings going on.

And to me (from playing basketball myself, from watching it my entire life, from coaching sports for years) it looks like he is struggling mentally.

I.e. lacking confidence

Still not buying this. Nobody will tell me why they think mentality plays a role when he's already overcome every viable stressor known to NCAA man? I'll just start listing some stuff.

1- Started college life day one as a PG for rebuilding program in best conference in country
2- Fended off severe competition from not only a fellow classman but a 3 POS Superstar
3- Again, Fran always talked about Marble at the point and right when it's about to happen, Gesell takes it back.
4- It's not that he's been able to win close, bitterly fought games. It's his ability...
5- To lose them and shrug them off.
6- 7 of first 10 ever FT made. Yes, one more should've gone, maybe to nerves, but hardly an indictment on his head.
7- 13 of 15 in first Iowa Rivalry games
8- To 2013-2014 now. He's best against best B1G teams. How?
9- Quarterbacked a 21-point road lead that disappeared and became a loss brink situation. He attempted three 3-pt shots and went 3-4 from the stripe.
10- After losses: 10-5-2-2 vs ND, 4-4-1-1 vs APB in 13 min, 9-6-2-2-1 vs NW, 11-6-2 vs NW again, Illinois game I mentioned.

The capper is B1G play I think. 6.2 OOC, 9.2 in Conference. 3.3 AST to 3.8 in B1G, and when you really think about it, he had ONE really rough FT stretch. ISU, Nebraska and Wisconsin saw him go 8-16 in two losses that would have murdered a lesser man's confidence. Instead it looks to me like he's pushing for a 3-4 trend. Please don't ask where, I totally don't see it besides last 3 games LOL, but I had something to use as evidence for this.

This is just an eye test thing for me, but I absolutely don't see that he's out there maybe thinking about too much. I've proven BARD the spotlight and B1Gness of it all hasn't fazed him, so only thing there is to worry about is him fighting his own game vs what Fran wants. I'd like to see more deep balls out of him, but as far as mental stability goes he looks much better than Horner did (headlines scared him at first), and Oliver-calm. 75% from here on out and a few more threes. THEN I'm convinced.

 

[fsanford]

To echo some other comments in this string, mental toughness=confidence. A person's confidence is very real thing.

 

[libradawg]

And May had that athleticism, which is why it's a shame he didn't have the mindset to go with it.

He also seemed to bring it out in the NIT. I swear two of the threes vs VA and MD were from 27 feet. Those are the shots you normally commission Marble to take, given that he's a certified Pro once NIT rolls around. He knew how badly Iowa fans wanted this season to come, for his name being less of a loss, perhaps even addition by subtraction. No way you cannot know that.

 

[Bigtenchamp]

[/B]

Still not buying this. Nobody will tell me why they think mentality plays a role when he's already overcome every viable stressor known to NCAA man? I'll just start listing some stuff.

1- Started college life day one as a PG for rebuilding program in best conference in country
2- Fended off severe competition from not only a fellow classman but a 3 POS Superstar
3- Again, Fran always talked about Marble at the point and right when it's about to happen, Gesell takes it back.
4- It's not that he's been able to win close, bitterly fought games. It's his ability...
5- To lose them and shrug them off.
6- 7 of first 10 ever FT made. Yes, one more should've gone, maybe to nerves, but hardly an indictment on his head.
7- 13 of 15 in first Iowa Rivalry games
8- To 2013-2014 now. He's best against best B1G teams. How?
9- Quarterbacked a 21-point road lead that disappeared and became a loss brink situation. He attempted three 3-pt shots and went 3-4 from the stripe.
10- After losses: 10-5-2-2 vs ND, 4-4-1-1 vs APB in 13 min, 9-6-2-2-1 vs NW, 11-6-2 vs NW again, Illinois game I mentioned.

The capper is B1G play I think. 6.2 OOC, 9.2 in Conference. 3.3 AST to 3.8 in B1G, and when you really think about it, he had ONE really rough FT stretch. ISU, Nebraska and Wisconsin saw him go 8-16 in two losses that would have murdered a lesser man's confidence. Instead it looks to me like he's pushing for a 3-4 trend. Please don't ask where, I totally don't see it besides last 3 games LOL, but I had something to use as evidence for this.

This is just an eye test thing for me, but I absolutely don't see that he's out there maybe thinking about too much. I've proven BARD the spotlight and B1Gness of it all hasn't fazed him, so only thing there is to worry about is him fighting his own game vs what Fran wants. I'd like to see more deep balls out of him, but as far as mental stability goes he looks much better than Horner did (headlines scared him at first), and Oliver-calm. 75% from here on out and a few more threes. THEN I'm convinced.

I'm talking about free throws in pressure situations you are talking about a truck ton of other things here.

I never said he is struggling in all part of the game.. he is a bad player or anything - plus this thread isn't about one player.

Quite simply this year he is struggling from the free throw line (especially in clutch situations)

It's a mental block - what else could it be?

The guy his entire life has shot good from the free throw line.

It can happen to anyone - you miss a couple against Iowa State and then all the sudden you find yourself in a funk.

It's easy to do - it happens all the time.

 

[Tierney]

And May had that athleticism, which is why it's a shame he didn't have the mindset to go with it.

I was talking about the team as a whole. There is a reason that Iowa has a lot of guys that shot free throws at a high level in high school, but they aren't doing it at Iowa. When the team isn't as athletic as the other team, it will effect other aspects of your game. Iowa has some good athletes, but there are some teams in the conference that can give them fits athletically. If Iowa wasn't a long team, the match-ups would be a lot worse.

 

[Bigtenchamp]

The performance that MSU had against us with all those players out - that's toughness.

Izzo knows how to get that out of his guys or he recruits it... probably a little bit of both.

 

[hawkfan33]

He also seemed to bring it out in the NIT. I swear two of the threes vs VA and MD were from 27 feet. Those are the shots you normally commission Marble to take, given that he's a certified Pro once NIT rolls around. He knew how badly Iowa fans wanted this season to come, for his name being less of a loss, perhaps even addition by subtraction. No way you cannot know that.

He did play very well in the NIT. Too bad he couldn't have came through when it mattered in the B10 tournament or any of the close losses during the conference season. May's mental makeup was definitely better suited for the NIT than the NCAA tournament.