Next year: our best shooting team in a while?

[NikeHawk21]

Not as much of a sure thing, but Connor was 42% from 3 in high school and CJ was 48%. Idk how well that will translate into their college games, but Connor will likely be one of the first off the bench and some of the things we've heard about CJ lead me to believe he'll see floor. Kriener also has a decent looking shot if he can figure out how to put it all together and an outside shot is something Cook should be looking to add. As a matter of fact, the only guy I couldn't see shooting it from 3 is Pemsl (Though I'll probably still wince every time Kriener and Cook chuck one up until they demonstrate consistency.)

I don’t expect all that much from Connor. Maybe he spells JBo for a few minutes here or there. That’s just my personal belief. I don’t think he’s a 3pt shooter at this level, his release point is pretty low and slow.

Frederick can certainly shoot it but I don’t know how many minutes he will get next year. My hope is we shorten our rotation not lengthen it.

 

[N8theGr8]

I don’t expect all that much from Connor. Maybe he spells JBo for a few minutes here or there. That’s just my personal belief. I don’t think he’s a 3pt shooter at this level, his release point is pretty low and slow.

Frederick can certainly shoot it but I don’t know how many minutes he will get next year. My hope is we shorten our rotation not lengthen it.

That's fair, neither are proven at this level and aren't as prodigious of talents as Wieskamp appears to be. Coming into this year after watching Nunge's hs highlights and PTL games, I was convinced he would be an instant impact guy. That transition can be rough though.

 

[NikeHawk21]

That's fair, neither are proven at this level and aren't as prodigious of talents as Wieskamp appears to be. Coming into this year after watching Nunge's hs highlights and PTL games, I was convinced he would be an instant impact guy. That transition can be rough though.

Agreed. I would add on Nunge if Fran would have played him at the 4 and gave him more minutes he could have made more of an impact.

He started a few games at the 4 early in the year. He had a two game span where we played at Indiana and at Iowa State where he averaged: 14pts/7rebs/2 assists/1 blk. The biggest thing was he didn’t get minutes if he wasn’t making an early impact.

 

[lightning1]

I don’t expect all that much from Connor. Maybe he spells JBo for a few minutes here or there. That’s just my personal belief. I don’t think he’s a 3pt shooter at this level, his release point is pretty low and slow.

Frederick can certainly shoot it but I don’t know how many minutes he will get next year. My hope is we shorten our rotation not lengthen it.

Connor plays 20 mins per game. Minimum.

 

[NikeHawk21]

Connor plays 20 mins per game. Minimum.

In my mind Connor is a mid major player, but that’s just my opinion. I don’t see how his skill set equates to a quality B1G PG. Whether or not Fran plays him 20 minutes I guess is another story.

 

[ArvadaHawk]

Back to the premise of the OP:

JBo: 43% (96 3PM)
Moss: 38.6% (49 3PM)
Weiskamp: I would expect 35%-40%
Nunge: 33.3% (19 3PM)
Garza: 34.8% (16 3PM)

Of Garza’s 16 3s, 6 came in our final 5 games so he seemed to really find his stroke. If Cook does depart, Nunge will get a lot more shots. Dailey and Baer have both posted seasons of over 38% from deep in their careers, so they could hit a few off the bench. I think we should easily average 8+ 3s a game (we averaged 7.6 this year).

Although we aren’t the best driving team around, I would think having 5 shooters on the floor would open up some lanes.

The problem we'll have if Cook doesn't come back is that teams will no longer have to double team Cook and they'll be able to play us on the perimeter. That will pull down 3 pnt shooting % across the board, I would imagine. Garza could help inside, but I don't see him as needing double-teamed, yet; certainly, not to start the season.

 

[revkev73]

I am not sure how many we score or how the shooting will be...I mostly want to score more than the other teams.

Cook/Moss attending class, or on the edge of not making it with grades? That's a big issue IMHO

 

[lightning1]

In my mind Connor is a mid major player, but that’s just my opinion. I don’t see how his skill set equates to a quality B1G PG. Whether or not Fran plays him 20 minutes I guess is another story.

How did he come in as a true FR and take 2nd string PG minutes from C Williams, before the season even started? His dad is the HC. It doesn't have to make sense.

 

[NikeHawk21]

The problem we'll have if Cook doesn't come back is that teams will no longer have to double team Cook and they'll be able to play us on the perimeter. That will pull down 3 pnt shooting % across the board, I would imagine. Garza could help inside, but I don't see him as needing double-teamed, yet; certainly, not to start the season.

That’s a fair point I suppose. I hope we can keep Cook and surround him with the shooters we have.

 

[Northside Hawk]

How did he come in as a true FR and take 2nd string PG minutes from C Williams, before the season even started? His dad is the HC. It doesn't have to make sense.

My favorite image of lil' Lick is of him getting shaved (palmed ball mockingly held in front of his face) by Evan Turner. That was Evan's way of saying "Dude, you don't belong on a division 1 court."

That is a normal size guard in that picture (maybe Kramer) and lil' Lick makes him look like Luka Garza.

 

[Ian Pike Hammer]

There is a 3rd option for Cook, one we'd all not like to think about: he could transfer to a blue-blood college where he has a legit shot at a NC, you know, sit out a year waiting for a schollie to open up. (Duke, Kentucky) I think this is a very long shot, as, like you guys, I believe he loves the team and his team-mates. He shot a pretty good % from up close and his departure could bring down the shooting % next year.

 

[SteveGarvey1]

In my mind Connor is a mid major player, but that’s just my opinion. I don’t see how his skill set equates to a quality B1G PG. Whether or not Fran plays him 20 minutes I guess is another story.

I don't think it's clear how good he can be. He played in, what, four games and was never 100% in any of them. He's never going to be a great shooter, I'll give you that, but the rest of his game could still be B1G level, we just don't know yet. Just trying to be fair to the kid.

 

[PCHawk]

My favorite image of lil' Lick is of him getting shaved (palmed ball mockingly held in front of his face) by Evan Turner. That was Evan's way of saying "Dude, you don't belong on a division 1 court."

That is a normal size guard in that picture (maybe Kramer) and lil' Lick makes him look like Luka Garza.

Didn't Turner get yanked for doing that? Like the coach felt sorry for the cool kid making fun of the dork.

 

[N8theGr8]

I don't think it's clear how good he can be. He played in, what, four games and was never 100% in any of them. He's never going to be a great shooter, I'll give you that, but the rest of his game could still be B1G level, we just don't know yet. Just trying to be fair to the kid.

I think judgement is being reserved. There are plenty of solid mid major players that I'd love to have had as hawks. However, it speaks to his development and athletic potential. He's certainly good enough to be on a D1 court, but his play will dictate just how much that should be. Personally, I think he has a leg up because he's known the system and seen the inside of college preparation and games for years. So the mental aspect of his game could be well beyond his years, more akin to upperclassmen.

 

[IHawk94]

How did he come in as a true FR and take 2nd string PG minutes from C Williams, before the season even started? His dad is the HC. It doesn't have to make sense.

Or he was a more natural PG than CW, as you've pointed out plenty of times before. He was a 4*, top 100 recruit. 6'5, good passer who takes care of the ball. Has potential to be able to shoot it (shot, in a small sample, 50% from 3), understands the game really well with a high basketball IQ. Not Michael Jordan athletically obviously, but looking at how athletic his brother and his genes are I'm sure he has room to grow in that department as well. He can play both guard spots (maybe even all 3) and is much more than "just the coach's kid". If he wasn't at Iowa with Fran being the coach and the ranking he had, you would be irate. Stop saying he's just the coach's kid and that's why he plays and open your eyes to a good basketball player. John Lickliter never belonged on a D-1 roster, walk-on or not. That is nowhere near the truth behind Connor McCaffery.

 

[Northside Hawk]

Didn't Turner get yanked for doing that? Like the coach felt sorry for the cool kid making fun of the dork.

Not sure but I'm pretty sure that OSU team could have started Dallas Lauderdale at point guard and still defeated us handily.

 

[NikeHawk21]

I don't think it's clear how good he can be. He played in, what, four games and was never 100% in any of them. He's never going to be a great shooter, I'll give you that, but the rest of his game could still be B1G level, we just don't know yet. Just trying to be fair to the kid.

Absolutely, that’s just my assessment based on high school tape and the little we saw last year, I could be wrong but that’s just how I see it.

 

[lightning1]

Or he was a more natural PG than CW, as you've pointed out plenty of times before. He was a 4*, top 100 recruit. 6'5, good passer who takes care of the ball. Has potential to be able to shoot it (shot, in a small sample, 50% from 3), understands the game really well with a high basketball IQ. Not Michael Jordan athletically obviously, but looking at how athletic his brother and his genes are I'm sure he has room to grow in that department as well. He can play both guard spots (maybe even all 3) and is much more than "just the coach's kid". If he wasn't at Iowa with Fran being the coach and the ranking he had, you would be irate. Stop saying he's just the coach's kid and that's why he plays and open your eyes to a good basketball player. John Lickliter never belonged on a D-1 roster, walk-on or not. That is nowhere near the truth behind Connor McCaffery.

My.point was, you have to earn your playing time in most instances. That's what every player is told, regardless. How could Connor have "earned" minutes over C Williams, a player that's been in the program for 2 years? One possibility is that he's the head coach's son. The other possibility is that he's a better player.
Remember, I was responding to a poster that said Connor was a mid major basketball player, that wouldnt get more than spot minutes. I happen to think he was a big upgrade over C Williams, so that decision didn't upset me. I also think he's a big upgrade over Bohannon at the PG spot, assuming he can play some sort of defense that doesn't resemble a turn style.
That doesn't eliminate the possibility of him getting a leg up because he's Fran's kid.
The telling tale will be Patrick and how he's handled. There is no way he's strong enough to be an upgrade over anyone at the 4 or Joe Wieskamp at the 3. It will be interesting to see how many minutes he gets as a FR.

 

[WinOneThisCentury]

If Cook leaves...you probably have one guy on the roster that can get his own shot...Moss...and he's not a lock for that ability either.

When you have good to great D1 teams that focus on defense...you need guys on your roster that can create for themselves and for others. I'm not seeing where that is on this roster.

 

[lightning1]

Or he was a more natural PG than CW, as you've pointed out plenty of times before. He was a 4*, top 100 recruit. 6'5, good passer who takes care of the ball. Has potential to be able to shoot it (shot, in a small sample, 50% from 3), understands the game really well with a high basketball IQ. Not Michael Jordan athletically obviously, but looking at how athletic his brother and his genes are I'm sure he has room to grow in that department as well. He can play both guard spots (maybe even all 3) and is much more than "just the coach's kid". If he wasn't at Iowa with Fran being the coach and the ranking he had, you would be irate. Stop saying he's just the coach's kid and that's why he plays and open your eyes to a good basketball player. John Lickliter never belonged on a D-1 roster, walk-on or not. That is nowhere near the truth behind Connor McCaffery.

I've always said it was a no win situation for Fran, unless his kids were All American caliber performers. Do you think the other players felt like Connor "earned" anything?