Luke Garza Hype Train

Most teams, and people, have weaknesses in several areas...identifying them is the first step towards becoming elite as a program and player.

What percentage of fans think that Iowa has had strong post play the last few years? Strong PG play?

It has been, more often, laughable at the lack of it...and especially the development of it...Pemsl and Baer have changed it...hopefully Garza etc, will change it...looks like it, so far.
 
If we are going to be as good as the best teams, we need better players period. Not just a point guard who can penetrate. I think those better players are already on the team but could possibly still be a year away from being one of the best.
 
Unsurprisingly... it appears like a bit of a moving target.

The best way to have a great team is to get as many good players on the floor as possible.

Could we do better than JBo? Absolutely.
Could we do a worse? Absolutely.

The core of this team is made up of primarily freshman and sophomores. Our losses the next two seasons are rather minimal outside of Baer and we are set to add at least two top 100 players.

We can sit around and complain about needing better guys at every position or we can enjoy this team's Ascent with Fran at the helm. I know what I'll be doing.
 
revkev73 said:
As stated...elite PG isn't needed much for the majority of Iowa's schedule...but when Iowa plays against talent...more often than not, Iowa is mismatched, confused, and goes down, hard. There are exceptions of course.
Click to expand...
That's weird because Iowa played its best and beat some of the best teams on its schedule last year. (Wins vs ISU, Mich, Pur, @Mary, @ UW)

They also beat three elite PGs in Monte Morris, Derrick Walton and Melo Trimble. Those are likely the three best PGs on our schedule last year along with Nate Mason who we had beat as well.

I think you tell yourself something so many times you ultimately believe it to be true.
 
NikeHawk21 said:
Unsurprisingly... it appears like a bit of a moving target.

The best way to have a great team is to get as many good players on the floor as possible.

Could we do better than JBo? Absolutely.
Could we do a worse? Absolutely.

The core of this team is made up of primarily freshman and sophomores. Our losses the next two seasons are rather minimal outside of Baer and we are set to add at least two top 100 players.

We can sit around and complain about needing better guys at every position or we can enjoy this team's Ascent with Fran at the helm. I know what I'll be doing.
Click to expand...
But for some strange reason, people don't say we need better players at every position. They just say we need our point guard to be better at one thing. It's weird.
 
revkev73 said:
As stated...elite PG isn't needed much for the majority of Iowa's schedule...but when Iowa plays against talent...more often than not, Iowa is mismatched, confused, and goes down, hard. There are exceptions of course.

This is also true of the football team...lots of wins, great season, then a game vs a top level team...a pathetic blowout, embarrassing...

Iowa needs more athletic talent to get to the upper levels...not hating on the current players...just the way I see it...it is a common narrative...painful, but not surprising.

Things can change...things can get better...I think they might with Fran...he inherited a mess...and is digging out.

He also needs to bring his A game...to the court...he has been average...and often out-coached...But...really like him as coach.
Click to expand...


Iowa football beat Michigan last year. Are they considered top level? I am never going to get too crazy upset about bowl games anymore. 1. They are mostly all a MONTH after the season. Seriously? That's the dumbest thing ever. What other sport including the NFL do you play an entire season and then take a full month off ? You're going to have mixed results. 2. The CFB playoffs and BCS have made the lesser bowls matter even less - motivation for teams is mixed. 3. Iowa routinely, and I mean, routinely are playing in bowl games they have no business being in because of the traveling fan base. They are more times then not playing teams that are considered better then them, the results have bared that.

Iowa basketball has been upgrading the talent level every year since Fran's step foot in Iowa City.
 
revkev73 said:
The top elite PGs burn the lower level PGs off the dribble and in many other ways that aren't easily tracked by raw numbers...however...to the eye...one can easily see those teams which have "it" and those who don't. We need the "it"...while also appreciating JB...and what he brings.

Elite PGs put tremendous pressure on the defenses they face...if no one can match up to their athletic abilities.

They can also lock down the play makers on the other end...clogging up the flow.

Iowa faces this when they play "elite" teams.

It is an old story...that isn't that complicated.
Click to expand...

This is absolute BS and now you're pizzing on me and telling me it's raining. Jordan is in the top in almost every stat in the book. I didn't even see listed assist to TO ratio which I know he was solid at as well. There are stats to track virtually EVERYTHING or output of a player now. So, now you come with "Well, there is not stat for a player burning another player......", which makes absolutely no sense. Who cares if a player can dribble around and burn another player. If that player doesn't do something positive with the ball then it makes no difference. If the player burns another player and ends the play with an assist or a made shot it will end up in a stat and positive for he said player.

What a stupid statement or attempted point. You can't track how many times a player burns another player, but DOESN'T DO ANYTHING WITH THE BALL. Heard it all now.
 
PCHawk said:
But for some strange reason, people don't say we need better players at every position. They just say we need our point guard to be better at one thing. It's weird.
Click to expand...

Great point PC. Last year we needed interior defense much more than some penetrating PG. If we had Woody last year, that team is easily a NCAA team. Not because he is the best player, but because he provided excellent interior defense. He didn't provide any offense to speak of, but he was excellent on the defensive end

BHGP just broke this down well, how bad our interior defense was. https://www.goiowaawesome.com/iowa-...al&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer

The 2017 Iowa team ranked 330th in the country in field goal percentage allowed at the rim, as opponents scored on 67% of their tries. Making things worse, Iowa also gave up a larger percentage of shots at the rim than they had in the previous four years.

Another issue Iowa had last season was defensive rebounding. According to Kenpom, they finished 296th in the nation in opponent offensive rebounding and dead last in the Big Ten.

It just blows my mind that people still gripe about the PG situation, when we had very good production from our PG. Yet they completely and totally ignore what the absolutely glaring problems were for this team last year, and that was interior defense.
 
revkev73 said:
I like JB...he is a gamer, winner...fearless...not highly athletic...
Click to expand...


Doesn't matter. He's highly productive. Isn't that what is important.

Some receivers in football are not the fastest, but, they either cut or accelerate fast or run great routes. Other attributes can pull a player forward. Some need to not get tunnel vision on one attribute to judge the whole of the player.

Yes, having an "elite" PG or whatever that means would be nice. Are you ever going to get that "elite" PG that has every damn attribute, chances are no. So, you'd rather have that PG that can dribble and burn a defender but not shoot the best outside? But, I'll take all JO BO brings with his production, even it it means missing that one measly attribute some fans looooooong for.
 
SteveGarvey1 said:
So now the Luka Garza hype train post has morphed into a Jordan Bohannon hype train debate. Go figure.
Click to expand...

I'm trying to get the train back on the track. Once again here is the article that talks about Garza: https://www.goiowaawesome.com/iowa-...al&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer

I think interior D is huge for this years team. I think Cook and Pemsl will both be better, as they are a year older and in the system. I think Garza could really solidify it though. Just having to finish over top a 6'11 250 lbs player who has a 7'4 wingspan will help a ton.
 
deanvogs said:
I'm trying to get the train back on the track. Once again here is the article that talks about Garza: https://www.goiowaawesome.com/iowa-...al&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer

I think interior D is huge for this years team. I think Cook and Pemsl will both be better, as they are a year older and in the system. I think Garza could really solidify it though. Just having to finish over top a 6'11 250 lbs player who has a 7'4 wingspan will help a ton.
Click to expand...

That's definitely what this team was missing last year. They had enough points, just gave up to many points.
 
deanvogs said:
There were 14 4* PG last year. I tracked them all year long, and this is how Jordan stacked up against them:

Freshly updated number (March 20th) of Jordan Bohannon vs the 15 4* PG from the class of 2016:

Jordan 5th now at 10.9 PPG
Jordan 2nd in Assists at 5.1 PPG
Jordan 2nd in eFG% at 53.5%
Jordan 5th in Orate at 112.2
Jordan 7th in PER 14.9

So out of 15 4* Pg and Jordan (15 total players as Gilbert was out for the season with an injury), Jordan finished in the upper half of all the stats that I was tracking all season long. Jordan ended up easily beating Charlie in APG & PER, and crushed him in eFG%, and Orate
Click to expand...

If talking about elite PG's why wouldn't you include the 5* recruits. It's weird to just have 4* listed.
 
JonDMiller said:
(*Luka, not Luke) I am trying to keep a level head about his production this summer...I dont think the competition overseas was all that good...probably sub PTL...but he did extremely well in PTL, and he dominated overseas..and I will stick to what I wrote last week...he has the most advanced offensive game of any true frosh true center since at least Guy Rucker, and maybe going back to Michael Payne.

Click to expand...

Didn't the Fab 5 at Michigan make it to the title game as true freshmen?????????

There is no excuse not to make it past the first round in the big dance.

We have the horses, we have the technology . . . better, bigger, stronger, faster than before. Gentlemen, we have the ability to make the world's first bionic team.

 
MelroseHawkins said:
Doesn't matter. He's highly productive. Isn't that what is important.

Some receivers in football are not the fastest, but, they either cut or accelerate fast or run great routes. Other attributes can pull a player forward. Some need to not get tunnel vision on one attribute to judge the whole of the player.

Yes, having an "elite" PG or whatever that means would be nice. Are you ever going to get that "elite" PG that has every damn attribute, chances are no. So, you'd rather have that PG that can dribble and burn a defender but not shoot the best outside? But, I'll take all JO BO brings with his production, even it it means missing that one measly attribute some fans looooooong for.
Click to expand...
So true. The whole point of penetrating is to get points and assists. If Bohannon had trouble getting points and assists, I could see the problem. He doesn't so I don't.
 
deanvogs said:
I'm trying to get the train back on the track. Once again here is the article that talks about Garza: https://www.goiowaawesome.com/iowa-...al&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer

I think interior D is huge for this years team. I think Cook and Pemsl will both be better, as they are a year older and in the system. I think Garza could really solidify it though. Just having to finish over top a 6'11 250 lbs player who has a 7'4 wingspan will help a ton.
Click to expand...

If Uthoff was our 3 last year, we make the dance easily without interior defense or a point guard who can beat his guy off the dribble. Doesn't that kinda tell you (not you because you already know) that there is many ways to win in basketball?
 
Hawk5656 said:
If talking about elite PG's why wouldn't you include the 5* recruits. It's weird to just have 4* listed.
Click to expand...

That's my point. If you aren't a 5* one and done type, there isn't this batch of "elite" PG. sorry man but we aren't going to get the Alonzo Balls of the world. We can get 4* players though.
 
deanvogs said:
That's my point. If you aren't a 5* one and done type, there isn't this batch of "elite" PG. sorry man but we aren't going to get the Alonzo Balls of the world. We can get 4* players though.
Click to expand...


I predict our next 2 PGs will be 4 stars. (Connor is going to play PG) and DJ Carton.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Share this page

Top