Pretenders...had you didn't I

loesshillshawk

loesshillshawk

Well-Known Member
I just thought I would re-think my original post. Being a die hard hawkeye fan, loving the resurgence of Iowa basketball, being an old 30 year basketball coach, and possibly over-thinking things at times...I thought I would try to clarify my original thoughts :confused:

When I posted pretenders my premise was is this another Iowa team, coached by McCaffery, that peaked too early, that simply was soft, that was unable to take the scouting pressure and adjust???? I just was not sure what was happening with the perceived results lately.

When I watch the hawks I was seeing, less movement with the basketball. I mean we can all admit that early in the year our offense was a thing of beauty, great shots late in the shot clock, with people in great position to rebound, etc. Lately I was seeing a stagnant offense, quick shots, out of position for rebounds, just looked out of sync. Which as a coach I realize this time of year is when coaches figure out how to play you, and what is the best way to attack you individually and as a team. So do we not adjust well? Did we peak early? Guys burnt out with the fiery practices I hear about?

Defensively we played a higher percentage of man earlier in the year. Which I think at the D1 level leads to better rebounding, and we do a great job hedging screens and limiting penetration. Now I see a high % of zone, which let's be honest D1 shooters tear zones up. It is also tougher to rebound in a zone, and quite frankly our guards are quick, but top flight teams are simply quicker at the guard position then Iowa. So what gives, are we tired? We have not been in huge foul trouble lately? Just a coaching Philosophy?

Free-throws tied for 96th in the nation at a 71% rate. Lately doesn't really matter who we seem to miss free throws late in the game. We all know when the tournaments roll around the teams that hit those at the highest rate usually win. So guys who shoot so well from the field should not be shooting 70% or worse.

I guess with my poor choice of the word pretender...I was catching myself wondering if this team was LEGIT. Are they actually capable of being as good as my favorite Iowa team of all-time---1980. Could we win the whole thing? I think we can but I also just was wondering out loud if the things I talked about above will limit this team? I hear Izzo say on National TV how good we are...BUT he wants to play us again now. So maybe after being in the confessional this was my penance to try to "clear my name".

Feel free to discuss concerns, or maybe strengths that this particular Iowa team has. I personally think if we get back to what we were doing earlier in the year, pressing MORE and EARLIER, we are capable of beating anyone on a neutral floor.
 
Throughout the FM era I have always been concerned with Iowa's half court offense and defense. I still worry about Iowa's half court offense getting stagnant at times but their defense has played well all year and that gives me more hope that they get by even if the offense isn't clicking.

I see the seasons as a marathon. Teams can start off hot, cool down for a stretch, heat up again in March and fall early in the NCAA's or the opposite, start bad, heat up for a stretch, etc. Its the nature of the beast so to speak. Right now, I believe Iowa is a really good team, that isn't playing as well as they were about a month ago.
 
Heck, this is only the third time Iowa has seriously challenged for the B1G title since Lute left. Just shows how awful Iowa basketball has been for over well over thirty years. Ralph won the B1G two of his last three years.

The '80 team before Lester got hurt was the second best Iowa team I have ever seen. It was still far behind JJ & the Dealers.
 
great post loess, thank you for clarifying your Pretenders thread. I think maybe we've hit the wall mentally and physically, nothing this next week off can't cure. Get a win tonight and I think we'll be just fine down the stretch
 
We played great for the first half of ISU, the 2nd half at Purdue and at MSU. Other than that, there isn't a whole lot of difference between how we're playing now and how we played at any other point in the season. When we play average like at Maryland and Indiana, we have a chance to win it all. It's not likely but we have a chance. When we play great there is a very good chance we'll beat anyone.
 
ssckelley said:
I'm glad you are finding joy in this. Wtf are you looking for, a medal?
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No it just makes me sick that I point out deficiencies in the team and all of a sudden I am a cyclone troll. This team is limited and this staff is limited on what they are doing. Facts are facts, however, come to my house and I watch every game, I cheer for them, and will always do so.
 
I respect your position, Loesshillshawk. You are likely more knowledgeable than I in your assessments. I am, in my defense, a student of the game and a long time season ticket holder, including the year Ralph Miller's Six Pac won the BT championship and averaged over 100 points per game, a feat that will never be achieved or even approached. I attended games through George Raveling, Mr. Davis, Steve A., and even Lick. For what it is worth: Iowa has one of the most talented basketball teams I have ever seen, and they are among the best coached. Like ALL teams, they have their weaknesses. They are not a "physical" team; they are more athletic in the old sense of how basketball, in my view, was meant to be played.

Effort has never been an issue with Fran's teams. Lack of confidence? Yup. Tendency to get into their own heads in a negative way? Yup. Does Fran get outcoached: Rarely. Is he better at change up defenses that confuse opponents more than most coaches? Yup. Does he face some of the same problems that our football program faces in terms of recruiting big time players? Yup. Does he do a good job of "coaching them up" when they get here? Yup. Do teams eventually figure out that if you get really physical with Iowa, bang on them, hold them, push them, etc. that you can take them out of rhythm on some nights? Yup. Can he control when a team "peaks"? Are you kidding? How is that possible? Get real. If you can explain this one, I will believe everything else you ever say.

This team has been ranked in the top 5-10 for a good share of the season. They are not getting any breaks from those who follow big time college basketball day after day after day. Iowa never does. They were, in fact, predicted to finish near the bottom third of the BT by nearly everyone. They are coached by a guy that is not in the same atmosphere as the traditional top coaches in the BT, right or wrong. Now they are going through a slump that is not exactly a rare event in Division 1 college basketball, even among the elites.

I don't know where they will end up. Maybe they win the next three and a BT championship. Maybe they do, or don't show up big time in the BT tournament. Maybe they do, or do not, make a splash in the NCAA's. But, I do know this: Quit using the excuses like, "they don't pass the eye test" they aren't "athletic" they aren't "tough" they are "division two" recruits, they are coached by a mediocre coach.
Those are all cop outs that do not tell us anything about the good and bad regarding Iowa basketball, or, I might add, Iowa football. We ain't dumb enough to accept that kind of mediocre "explanation."

Speaking of Loess Hills: I was born in Red Oak. Greetings.
 
I'm pretty sure I have some level of lactose intolerance. I eat a bowl of cereal or have some ice cream and I will be clearing out rooms the rest of the day. Not to mention the bloated feeling. I really don't like the taste of soy milk or almond milk so what should I do?
 
HuckFinn said:
I respect your position, Loesshillshawk. You are likely more knowledgeable than I in your assessments. I am, in my defense, a student of the game and a long time season ticket holder, including the year Ralph Miller's Six Pac won the BT championship and averaged over 100 points per game, a feat that will never be achieved or even approached. I attended games through George Raveling, Mr. Davis, Steve A., and even Lick. For what it is worth: Iowa has one of the most talented basketball teams I have ever seen, and they are among the best coached. Like ALL teams, they have their weaknesses. They are not a "physical" team; they are more athletic in the old sense of how basketball, in my view, was meant to be played.

Effort has never been an issue with Fran's teams. Lack of confidence? Yup. Tendency to get into their own heads in a negative way? Yup. Does Fran get outcoached: Rarely. Is he better at change up defenses that confuse opponents more than most coaches? Yup. Does he face some of the same problems that our football program faces in terms of recruiting big time players? Yup. Does he do a good job of "coaching them up" when they get here? Yup. Do teams eventually figure out that if you get really physical with Iowa, bang on them, hold them, push them, etc. that you can take them out of rhythm on some nights? Yup. Can he control when a team "peaks"? Are you kidding? How is that possible? Get real. If you can explain this one, I will believe everything else you ever say.

This team has been ranked in the top 5-10 for a good share of the season. They are not getting any breaks from those who follow big time college basketball day after day after day. Iowa never does. They were, in fact, predicted to finish near the bottom third of the BT by nearly everyone. They are coached by a guy that is not in the same atmosphere as the traditional top coaches in the BT, right or wrong. Now they are going through a slump that is not exactly a rare event in Division 1 college basketball, even among the elites.

I don't know where they will end up. Maybe they win the next three and a BT championship. Maybe they do, or don't show up big time in the BT tournament. Maybe they do, or do not, make a splash in the NCAA's. But, I do know this: Quit using the excuses like, "they don't pass the eye test" they aren't "athletic" they aren't "tough" they are "division two" recruits, they are coached by a mediocre coach.
Those are all cop outs that do not tell us anything about the good and bad regarding Iowa basketball, or, I might add, Iowa football. We ain't dumb enough to accept that kind of mediocre "explanation."

Speaking of Loess Hills: I was born in Red Oak. Greetings.
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Controlling when a team peaks. Now that's funny. Izzo teams are good in March because they are really talented teams and when it's important for them to show up and win, they have the talent to do it. Izzo should get ridiculed for not being able to get his players take early season games serious enough to put in the effort to win them. Not praised for finally getting his players to perform up to their abilities for a few weeks. I guess underperforming for 2/3 of the year, then performing at their talent level for the last third, is better than overperforming for 2/3 of the season, then performing at their talent level for the last third.
 
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HuckFinn said:
I respect your position, Loesshillshawk. You are likely more knowledgeable than I in your assessments. I am, in my defense, a student of the game and a long time season ticket holder, including the year Ralph Miller's Six Pac won the BT championship and averaged over 100 points per game, a feat that will never be achieved or even approached. I attended games through George Raveling, Mr. Davis, Steve A., and even Lick. For what it is worth: Iowa has one of the most talented basketball teams I have ever seen, and they are among the best coached. Like ALL teams, they have their weaknesses. They are not a "physical" team; they are more athletic in the old sense of how basketball, in my view, was meant to be played.

Effort has never been an issue with Fran's teams. Lack of confidence? Yup. Tendency to get into their own heads in a negative way? Yup. Does Fran get outcoached: Rarely. Is he better at change up defenses that confuse opponents more than most coaches? Yup. Does he face some of the same problems that our football program faces in terms of recruiting big time players? Yup. Does he do a good job of "coaching them up" when they get here? Yup. Do teams eventually figure out that if you get really physical with Iowa, bang on them, hold them, push them, etc. that you can take them out of rhythm on some nights? Yup. Can he control when a team "peaks"? Are you kidding? How is that possible? Get real. If you can explain this one, I will believe everything else you ever say.

This team has been ranked in the top 5-10 for a good share of the season. They are not getting any breaks from those who follow big time college basketball day after day after day. Iowa never does. They were, in fact, predicted to finish near the bottom third of the BT by nearly everyone. They are coached by a guy that is not in the same atmosphere as the traditional top coaches in the BT, right or wrong. Now they are going through a slump that is not exactly a rare event in Division 1 college basketball, even among the elites.

I don't know where they will end up. Maybe they win the next three and a BT championship. Maybe they do, or don't show up big time in the BT tournament. Maybe they do, or do not, make a splash in the NCAA's. But, I do know this: Quit using the excuses like, "they don't pass the eye test" they aren't "athletic" they aren't "tough" they are "division two" recruits, they are coached by a mediocre coach.
Those are all cop outs that do not tell us anything about the good and bad regarding Iowa basketball, or, I might add, Iowa football. We ain't dumb enough to accept that kind of mediocre "explanation."

Speaking of Loess Hills: I was born in Red Oak. Greetings.
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Nice Huck...nice post.
 
Stanzi said:
I'm pretty sure I have some level of lactose intolerance. I eat a bowl of cereal or have some ice cream and I will be clearing out rooms the rest of the day. Not to mention the bloated feeling. I really don't like the taste of soy milk or almond milk so what should I do?
Click to expand...

First off, it's ok Stanzi, as every human has some level of lactose intolerant, as we are not built to effectively digest bovine milk.

Try some of the unsweetened almond milk, it's a little less thick and sweet than the regular. I've never tried goat milk as its a little harder to come by, but I've heard it tastes decent and similar to cows milk, with much less lactose.

Just "pretend" it doesn't have lactose.
 
HawkeyeWalker said:
First off, it's ok Stanzi, as every human has some level of lactose intolerant, as we are not built to effectively digest bovine milk.

Try some of the unsweetened almond milk, it's a little less thick and sweet than the regular. I've never tried goat milk as its a little harder to come by, but I've heard it tastes decent and similar to cows milk, with much less lactose.

Just "pretend" it doesn't have lactose.
Click to expand...


Stanzi will probably come back tomorrow and tell us how much he likes soy and almond milk. :)
 
Since January this team HAS been a bunch of pretenders. I LOL'd when pundits and some of you here were seeing Iowa as a No. 1 or 2 seed. As we've seen, Fran McCaffrey coached teams are simply not mentally and physically tough. Look for a quick exit from the Dance.
 
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