Note to Michigan St....Iowa is better than when you first played them

I think michigan state is down a player or two, but they absolutely man handled Iowa in east Lansing. If we cant match that level of intensity and physicality, the typical Fran team folds last in the first half. I am as hopeful as anyone for a win, but there is no doubt it will be tough sledding
Yep. Hawks need to bang hard on people. Need a chip on their shoulder.
 
Yep as far as overall 19 game record goes it matches the 2015-2016 team. They do have some work to do to match the 20-5 record that team eventually had before the wheels came off.

Yep that 2015-16 team started 10-1 in conference play as well. So I still give the edge to that team to this point. That team was rolling through 25 games. Iowa needs to go 4-2 over the next 6 to match that. Looking at the next 6, that looks like a tall order.

A win over MSU Thursday would be a big step in the right direction, though.
 
At Michigan State, we shot the ball horribly...and some of them were open looks. We went cold and they didn't...and the game got away in a hurry. The big question in this game to me is do we have an answer for Winston? He penetrated all day long and dished to their big men who were standing under the basket waiting...no help and no one who could do anything about it. Can we stop penetration? Thats the key.
 
No pressure on Iowa and they have 3-4 days to prepare. Michigan State plays Maryland tonight in a big game at home. Michigan State has 2-3 days to prepare. Short turn around could help Hawks. Hawks aren't traveling. Plenty of time to watch film. No reason the Hawks shouldn't be prepared. Michigan State also plays Purdue on Sunday. Brutal week for them.

I expect Iowa to put forth the same effort as the past few games. Won't be jumping off a cliff if we lose.
 
Last edited:
Losing to MSU at MSU has been a near certainty. Losing to MSU at Iowa has not been. I think MSU raises the rim on the Iowa side each half by about 2 inches and then switches at half. It's all done electronically. 2 inches done over a 20 minute half - it's imperceptible to the human eye. That's the only rational explanation I can offer for the disparity in outcomes.
 
Last edited:
There are a few things the Hawks can do to win this game. First of all, they need to play a tough zone defense and rebound well, deny easy passes into their bigs, we need to turn this game into a 3 pt. shooting contest. Second, they need to attack Cassius Winston, he may be a savvy player, but he’s not a very good defender. If we can get him in foul trouble, you limit what MSU can do offensively. Thirdly, keep Cassius Winston from penetrating the lane as much as possible. And lastly, Fran needs to be in the officials ears early and often, he can’t sit around and let Izzo influence the officiating. If we can achieve most of these, we can win. This is OUR HOUSE! Go Hawks!
 
There are a few things the Hawks can do to win this game. First of all, they need to play a tough zone defense and rebound well, deny easy passes into their bigs, we need to turn this game into a 3 pt. shooting contest. Second, they need to attack Cassius Winston, he may be a savvy player, but he’s not a very good defender. If we can get him in foul trouble, you limit what MSU can do offensively. Thirdly, keep Cassius Winston from penetrating the lane as much as possible. And lastly, Fran needs to be in the officials ears early and often, he can’t sit around and let Izzo influence the officiating. If we can achieve most of these, we can win. This is OUR HOUSE! Go Hawks!
It's possible.
 
Top