uofihawkInation
Well-Known Member
The good:
First, I feel Cartwright did a good job controlling the tempo of the game. He really got up the court quickly after a score or a rebound. This led to some pretty solid passes (one in particular where he split 2 defenders with a bounce pass to Gatens). I also think he did a good job keeping possession of the ball, something he struggled with recently.
Second, McCabe played very smart on Leonard. He really took the notion that the refs weren't going to dictate the game, and used it to his advantage. He has a bigger build than Leonard, and he was smart in not picking up a single foul today. Somewhat related, I want to point out that Brommer played better defense on Leonard than I had expected. Really bodied him up well.
Third, I thought Basabe played very well, minus a few plays. The possession when he pump faked, then power dribble, but missed the lay-in was a wonderful move, but you HAVE to finish that. He also totally lost Leonard, allowing an easy dunk. Outside of those, he really stepped up today when we needed his energy. Definitely playing closer to what we saw last year.
Four, Iowa had tremendous hustle getting to the offensive boards today. There was a huge possession where they got 2 offensive rebounds (could have been 3, don't remember) and wasted a good minute to 1:30 off the clock. It was around the 6 minute to 5 minute mark in the second half. Against a team with more height in the post, 14 O-boards, and out-rebounding them as a whole, is a sign of great effort. Also want to point out Oglesby's string of hustle plays. The kid definitely plays with heart out there and it shows when he can follow up a missed layup with a tip in, or a drive and dish in the lane for an easy bucket. Hopefully that continues tomorrow as they face MSU.
Overall, it was a good defensive effort by Iowa. Yet, Illinois had some sloppy guard play throughout the game.
Where I would like to see improvement on this game:
OFFENSE. At times, Iowa seemed to be pouring in buckets. Went on a 20-6 run late in the second half, but couldn't put the game away when they had the lead up to 7. Iowa seemingly ran out of gas, and it happened fairly early. It was a good think Illinois fell into a cold spell there, too.
Free throws. I understand a young team will struggle at the line often. Especially late in the game, as they are worn out, etc. But cripes. I'm ecstatic if someone besides Gatens hits both shots from the stripe. I think White will improve his FT% drastically, as will Marble, but I also think both them plus McCabe and Oglesby are capable of better than shooting low 70's at the line. Almost gave away the Minnesota game there due to poor FT, left a bunch at the line for both the Nebraska and NU home games, and missed some late ones today. Definitely would like to see the younger guys improve on that over the off-season.
Oh, and one last awesome point - here's to more Hawkeye Basketball this season!
Other's breakdowns?
First, I feel Cartwright did a good job controlling the tempo of the game. He really got up the court quickly after a score or a rebound. This led to some pretty solid passes (one in particular where he split 2 defenders with a bounce pass to Gatens). I also think he did a good job keeping possession of the ball, something he struggled with recently.
Second, McCabe played very smart on Leonard. He really took the notion that the refs weren't going to dictate the game, and used it to his advantage. He has a bigger build than Leonard, and he was smart in not picking up a single foul today. Somewhat related, I want to point out that Brommer played better defense on Leonard than I had expected. Really bodied him up well.
Third, I thought Basabe played very well, minus a few plays. The possession when he pump faked, then power dribble, but missed the lay-in was a wonderful move, but you HAVE to finish that. He also totally lost Leonard, allowing an easy dunk. Outside of those, he really stepped up today when we needed his energy. Definitely playing closer to what we saw last year.
Four, Iowa had tremendous hustle getting to the offensive boards today. There was a huge possession where they got 2 offensive rebounds (could have been 3, don't remember) and wasted a good minute to 1:30 off the clock. It was around the 6 minute to 5 minute mark in the second half. Against a team with more height in the post, 14 O-boards, and out-rebounding them as a whole, is a sign of great effort. Also want to point out Oglesby's string of hustle plays. The kid definitely plays with heart out there and it shows when he can follow up a missed layup with a tip in, or a drive and dish in the lane for an easy bucket. Hopefully that continues tomorrow as they face MSU.
Overall, it was a good defensive effort by Iowa. Yet, Illinois had some sloppy guard play throughout the game.
Where I would like to see improvement on this game:
OFFENSE. At times, Iowa seemed to be pouring in buckets. Went on a 20-6 run late in the second half, but couldn't put the game away when they had the lead up to 7. Iowa seemingly ran out of gas, and it happened fairly early. It was a good think Illinois fell into a cold spell there, too.
Free throws. I understand a young team will struggle at the line often. Especially late in the game, as they are worn out, etc. But cripes. I'm ecstatic if someone besides Gatens hits both shots from the stripe. I think White will improve his FT% drastically, as will Marble, but I also think both them plus McCabe and Oglesby are capable of better than shooting low 70's at the line. Almost gave away the Minnesota game there due to poor FT, left a bunch at the line for both the Nebraska and NU home games, and missed some late ones today. Definitely would like to see the younger guys improve on that over the off-season.
Oh, and one last awesome point - here's to more Hawkeye Basketball this season!
Other's breakdowns?
