JonDMiller
Publisher/Founder
The Iowa basketball team improved to 3-0 on the season, beating Northern Illinois 88-55 on Thursday night in Carver Hawkeye-Arena. It was the third straight game where Fran McCaffery was able to go deep into his bench and get his starters plenty of rest.
Things will change on Sunday when Iowa plays Creighton, the pre-esason favorite to win the Missouri Valley Conference and a team that ranks #2 in 'mid-major' polls behind Gonzaga.
Iowa was led in scoring by freshman guard Josh Oglesby's 16 points off the bench, including 4 of 7 shooting from beyond the arc. Matt Gatens (20 minutes) had 15 and Eric May (19 minutes) scored 14. Bryce Cartwright (19 minutes) scored four points but added nine assists to no turnovers. Aaron White scored nine while Melsahn Basabe and Zach McCabe scored eight apiece. Oglesby logged the most minutes of any player in this game with 23.
Iowa hit 33 of 61 shots (54%) on the night including 13 of 21 from three point range. Iowa's maximum number of treys made in a game last year was 10.
The Hawkeyes committed just nine turnovers for the game, with the primary bench rotation committing just seven of those. Iowa scored 34 points in the paint and scored 28 points off of 16 NIU turnovers, an excellent conversion percentage. The Hawkeyes also led in fast break scoring 16-0 and led by 39 points with just over three minutes to play in the game.
Five Hawkeyes are averaging in double figures in scoring through their first three games with nine Hawkeyes averaging double figures in minutes.
This is the deepest Iowa team since the 2005-2006 Hawkeyes that finished second in the Big Ten and won the Big Ten Tournament. I am not saying this team is as talented as that squad, because it's not. However on any given night one of nine players has the ability to lead this team in scoring. It's worth pointing out that in their first three games, a true freshman has led the team in scoring twice.
The competition level certainly heats up on Sunday as was mentioned. Game time is 3pm at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines and ticket are still available. Four of Iowa's next eight games will come against 'legit' competition.
Iowa hasn't looked extremely sharp to date but is winning by roughly 30 points per game. When you play bad opponents, you need to dominate and that's just what Iowa has done. They've also done it without consistent play from Basabe or Devyn Marble, players who look like they haven't made the mental transition away from the Prime Time League. Perhaps that's just a matter of raising the stakes as it relates to competition; they'll have that chance to show their mental toughness in three days.
Things will change on Sunday when Iowa plays Creighton, the pre-esason favorite to win the Missouri Valley Conference and a team that ranks #2 in 'mid-major' polls behind Gonzaga.
Iowa was led in scoring by freshman guard Josh Oglesby's 16 points off the bench, including 4 of 7 shooting from beyond the arc. Matt Gatens (20 minutes) had 15 and Eric May (19 minutes) scored 14. Bryce Cartwright (19 minutes) scored four points but added nine assists to no turnovers. Aaron White scored nine while Melsahn Basabe and Zach McCabe scored eight apiece. Oglesby logged the most minutes of any player in this game with 23.
Iowa hit 33 of 61 shots (54%) on the night including 13 of 21 from three point range. Iowa's maximum number of treys made in a game last year was 10.
The Hawkeyes committed just nine turnovers for the game, with the primary bench rotation committing just seven of those. Iowa scored 34 points in the paint and scored 28 points off of 16 NIU turnovers, an excellent conversion percentage. The Hawkeyes also led in fast break scoring 16-0 and led by 39 points with just over three minutes to play in the game.
Five Hawkeyes are averaging in double figures in scoring through their first three games with nine Hawkeyes averaging double figures in minutes.
This is the deepest Iowa team since the 2005-2006 Hawkeyes that finished second in the Big Ten and won the Big Ten Tournament. I am not saying this team is as talented as that squad, because it's not. However on any given night one of nine players has the ability to lead this team in scoring. It's worth pointing out that in their first three games, a true freshman has led the team in scoring twice.
The competition level certainly heats up on Sunday as was mentioned. Game time is 3pm at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines and ticket are still available. Four of Iowa's next eight games will come against 'legit' competition.
Iowa hasn't looked extremely sharp to date but is winning by roughly 30 points per game. When you play bad opponents, you need to dominate and that's just what Iowa has done. They've also done it without consistent play from Basabe or Devyn Marble, players who look like they haven't made the mental transition away from the Prime Time League. Perhaps that's just a matter of raising the stakes as it relates to competition; they'll have that chance to show their mental toughness in three days.
