Purdue observations

[Luftgekuehlt67]

Probably a good thing we don't need Connor on the floor to score

He is a floor general and very game savvy

Earlier in his career, he would take the ball inside and usually

Make a layup and/or get free throws

He always has been around 90 % on FTs

He is an excellent passer and is adept at the psychological game

He and Jordan get into the opponents' heads

Connor is also quite skillful at the Nudge

Throwing an opponent off balance while avoiding a foul

For sure! Connor is my favorite current Hawkeye. He does so much that doesn't show up on the stat sheet.

 

[Hawkfnntn]

My feedback on this speaking as someone who was, at one point, an above average jump shooter and has spent a bit of time researching "The Art of Jump Shooting" as it were (an Internet expert, in other words)...

1. I agree Connor's form is bordering on "unorthodox" - it's a bit weird.

2. In my experience, there's not a lot that can be done about it. Tweaks? Absolutely. Every good jumpshooter I know thinks a lot about their shot and has made tweaks to it over the years. Given the kind of coaching microscope that Connor is under as a starting P5 D1 basketball player, you can rest assured tweaks have been suggested/tried. But, with form like Connor's, you're talking about a total overhaul to get to something more "orthodox" looking (for whatever that's worth...if his shot was unorthodox but money, we wouldn't be having this discussion!). I've never personally seen that work. Some of that is just well-worn habit, but a lot of it comes down to bone structure, body geometry, etc.

3. I think the whole "square up to the basket" thing is overrated. Some guys naturally shoot that way and some guys can be taught/tweaked into shooting that way...but there are way too many good shooters who don't shoot that way for that to be a hard and fast rule. Myself, I would deliberately angle myself - from feet through shoulders - so that my right shoulder (I'm right handed) was nearer to the rim. It feels very natural and, empirically, is effective. I have experimented several times with "squaring up" (and not just "let me try to shoot a couple differently", I mean systematically working on it to see if it would be effective) and it throws my entire shot off - I have trouble keeping my elbow straight, stuff like that. Angling my body keeps everything aligned for me, it's just my body structure I suspect.

Yeah there's guys that have odd looking shots and can be good with it. There's guys like Kenny Smith. Michael Adams from back in the day who had some weird ways of releasing the ball from their hands. It's a touch thing as much as it is anything. I was a pretty good shooter as well and I often knew before it'd left my hand if it was going in sometimes. There's a flow to it in games where once you've shot a zillion of them you just know. Rey Allen Kyle Korver Steph Curry guys like that they don't even think about the mechanics anymore. It's just the grip and feel of the ball.

I feel that if what you're doing is way unorthodox and it doesn't work. Maybe try squaring up more. Shooting strait should be the easier part. You can coach a kid to aim at the front of the rim. It's getting the right arch and distance that's trickier. You just have to shoot a ton of times to get a feel for it and some have it more naturally then others.

And how a guy shoots around can be different then when in games which I suspect may be his larger issue. I bet in practice he hits them way way better then we think. In games he just looks discombobulated with it. Not even remotely confident or comfortable. It's one thing to be a reluctant shooter but you can't be getting to the point he is without it being an issue for the offense and team as a whole. That's what I'm worried about.

 

[WindsorHawk]

Hawk D has improved considerably

Jordan needs to keep shooting

The only way to get out of a slump

There is no doubt that he will fe back to form

Hawks are adept at using the glass

Tapping to the ball off the glass to a teammate on rebounds

Or tipping the ball to a teammate who is more open on offense

Still poor % from beyond the arc: 12-34, 35.3, better though

Only 11 TOs, not too shabby, that is a bonus this year

Connor had 4 turnovers to 6 assists, uncharacteristic for him

Purdue played very tight D, and we found a way to win the game going away

Oh Yeah, Keegan needs much more floor time

He didn't miss a shot: 3-3 from the field and 1-1 from Sniper Range

PMac didn't miss a shot either, although has 2 TO's

Good to see him scoring

it was extremely difficult to get an open shot the entire night

However, teamwork and solid floor play won the day

JoeW and Garza play very well together, rather intuitive

It's All Good, Lads

For me personally it says a lot about the bench when I’m never scrutinizing who’s on the floor. And I don’t panic when Garza sits.

 

[Ree4]

My feedback on this speaking as someone who was, at one point, an above average jump shooter and has spent a bit of time researching "The Art of Jump Shooting" as it were (an Internet expert, in other words)...

1. I agree Connor's form is bordering on "unorthodox" - it's a bit weird.

2. In my experience, there's not a lot that can be done about it. Tweaks? Absolutely. Every good jumpshooter I know thinks a lot about their shot and has made tweaks to it over the years. Given the kind of coaching microscope that Connor is under as a starting P5 D1 basketball player, you can rest assured tweaks have been suggested/tried. But, with form like Connor's, you're talking about a total overhaul to get to something more "orthodox" looking (for whatever that's worth...if his shot was unorthodox but money, we wouldn't be having this discussion!). I've never personally seen that work. Some of that is just well-worn habit, but a lot of it comes down to bone structure, body geometry, etc.

3. I think the whole "square up to the basket" thing is overrated. Some guys naturally shoot that way and some guys can be taught/tweaked into shooting that way...but there are way too many good shooters who don't shoot that way for that to be a hard and fast rule. Myself, I would deliberately angle myself - from feet through shoulders - so that my right shoulder (I'm right handed) was nearer to the rim. It feels very natural and, empirically, is effective. I have experimented several times with "squaring up" (and not just "let me try to shoot a couple differently", I mean systematically working on it to see if it would be effective) and it throws my entire shot off - I have trouble keeping my elbow straight, stuff like that. Angling my body keeps everything aligned for me, it's just my body structure I suspect.

I went to the fieldhouse probably 15 years ago after not playing any basketball for probably 5 years. I missed about 5 3 pointers in row warming up from the top of the key until I tried something different, I bounced the ball sideways, stepped forward caught it one handed turned and threw it up - made 4 in a row. My friends couldnt believe it. I guess my point is that some people shoot a lot better when they're off balance, and I'm definitely one of them.

 

[Northside Hawk]

His first half he was a little sped up, but that 2nd half with those dimes to Murray made up for it

I tell my tenth grade son the same thing. Why do quick players think they have to go full speed all the time?

If a baseball pitcher throws 100 mph but its straight as a string, a major league hitter will eventually catch up to it. But a pitcher who throws 93 with cut and movement can make hitters look like jackasses.

Same with a quick guard. If they go red line all the time they are surprisingly easy to guard, and risk being out of control. Because they are moving so fast they can only go one direction and the defense knows where they're going and will eventually anticipate and get there.

If they go under control and vary their approach, they are actually harder to guard. Ever notice how CJ, Wieskamp, and even occasionally JBo can get where they need to go when they drive, despite not being overly quick? Its because they vary their speed on the approach, and exercise body control.

You see this with football wide receivers as well. A crafty route runner with average speed like Steve Largent was harder to cover than a sprinter who could only run fast in one direction.

It was nice to see Joe T. throttle it down a bit last night. He was still quick enough to get where he needed to go. And he was dropping some DIMES!

 

[Northside Hawk]

Defensively they are both solid, especially Connor. I think that's why he's on the court as much as he is (besides the obvious coaches son).

Connor is on the court because of his basketball IQ. He sets up cutters, passes well and knows the offense. And when he came back in late he made two huge defensive plays, with his intelligence again being the key.

 

[Seth53]

Betcha Purdue wished they had Biggie back, prowling down low.
Oh, wait, he's under arrest.
Having 3.4 POUNDS of pot in your vehicle will do that.

 

[Northside Hawk]

Observations from IU-Northwestern:

This is not your 2019-20 Cats. They have players who can go one on one and create off the dribble. They may be mirroring the jNW football team and be poised for a big comeback season. Chris Collins even played some zone.

Jess Settles is not as bad a listen when not doing an Iowa game. He gives good insights, and you don't have to hear old stories on Kent McCausland and Kevin Skillett.

The Archie Miller program seems to be stuck in neutral. This is what they canned Crean for? Hoosier fans have to be yearning for the Cody Zeller days of about seven years ago. This looks like a team that will finish around tenth or eleventh in the conference.

 

[BILLBUCKNER]

But he's not the only one, Connor hasn't been hitting many 3's either. Granted he hasn't "chucked" up as many as Nunge (3 less) but when Connor isn't a threat to shoot and make a 3 it makes it much easier for the opposing team to defend the others. I was cringing last night watching Purdue give Connor zero respect from the 3 point line, they were leaving him wide open daring him to shoot.

If I'm the opposing coach game planning my defense against Iowa I'm going to collapse around Garza and force the McCaffery boys, Toussaint, Nunge, and even Bohannon to beat me on the perimeter. Bohannon has made a few 3's (16) but he's also chucking up WAY more (54) and I'll adjust the defense if he suddenly gets hot. I'm going into the game just worried about Weiskamp, Garza, and Fredrick on the perimeter.

We had some wide open easy looks and it appears that they don't just take their time and shoot it like they are at practice.

 

[BILLBUCKNER]

Does Painter have a magical portal to a land of giants? Seriously, every year he has a new guy that is freakishly tall. Granted, that kid was not very good and looked as likely to trip as run, but man he was big.

I have never seen a 7foot 4 inch player that look like a 5 year old. When they zoom in on him there is no way he looks that big.

 

[Northside Hawk]

I have never seen a 7foot 4 inch player that look like a 5 year old. When they zoom in on him there is no way he looks that big.

Jamal Anderson was like that. The Atlanta Falcons running back from the nineties.

When you saw a close up of his face, it was difficult to fathom that he was 5'11, 235 lbs.

He had a Lynn Swann/Sugar Ray Leonard type face.

 

[#1DieHardHawk]

I agree with the above posters that pointed out that Connor's value goes beyond the box score. He may not have the best outside shot, and he's limited athletically, but his intangibles are off the charts. He's a coach on the floor that understands his role. Almost every highly successful team has a guy like that.

Teams doubling Luka off of Connor will be an issue moving forward. There's really no easy way around it schematically. One option would be to post-up Connor more often. He's almost always taller than his opposing guard, and has some decent low post skills. Luka can rotate out to the perimeter, where he has to be respected, giving Connor more room to be creative. Luka pulling out the opposing big also opens up cutting lanes for JoeW and CJF. Connor is savvy enough to hit a cutter or kick it out to Luka if the center drops into the paint. It's a wrinkle that could put added stress on the defense.

 

[#1DieHardHawk]

As for shooting technique, it really kind of boils down to probabilities.

Maintaining good form always gives you the best odds of converting. Almost all of the great shooters have near perfect form at the release point, and that's the key. Some players have unorthodox movements as they go through the shooting motion, but if you freeze the screen precisely at the release point, the shoulders are almost always squared up to the basket with the elbow in towards the target and the dominant foot slightly forward.

That said, there are players that got away with odd form over the years. Jamal Wilkes would be a good example. He basically shot the ball from behind his head with the elbow out, putting a twisting motion on the ball. Definitely an odd form, but he was nevertheless a deadly outside shooter in his day.

 

[HuckFinn]

Betcha Purdue wished they had Biggie back, prowling down low.
Oh, wait, he's under arrest.
Having 3.4 POUNDS of pot in your vehicle will do that.

View attachment 7284

I don’t really have a problem with that...

 

[dahlhawk]

Keegan could and maybe should be a starter soon. He's easily one of the 5 most productive players per minute already. He's constantly making good things happen.

Keegan is reminding me of a former Duke player who Iowa is familiar with, Grant Hill. Before people start jumping on me about the comparison remember Hill never started to shine until his second year in the program, I think he went pro after his junior year. He had a monster run in the NCAA's. I believe Keegan with his ball skills, length, and shot has a chance by his junior season to be something very special, he already is as a true freshman.

 

[FCAS]

Keegan is reminding me of a former Duke player who Iowa is familiar with, Grant Hill. Before people start jumping on me about the comparison remember Hill never started to shine until his second year in the program, I think he went pro after his junior year. He had a monster run in the NCAA's. I believe Keegan with his ball skills, length, and shot has a chance by his junior season to be something very special, he already is as a true freshman.

Keegan gets off the floor quickly. And I'm not really thinking about the 2 dunks. What stood out to me in partiruclar was a weak side rebound he had.

 

[HuckFinn]

I am pleased with his early performances. Very curious about his twin’s future.

 

[ssckelley]

Keegan is reminding me of a former Duke player who Iowa is familiar with, Grant Hill. Before people start jumping on me about the comparison remember Hill never started to shine until his second year in the program, I think he went pro after his junior year. He had a monster run in the NCAA's. I believe Keegan with his ball skills, length, and shot has a chance by his junior season to be something very special, he already is as a true freshman.

It's not a bad comp, Keegan may never reach that level but I can see why you would make the comparison.

Although Grant Hill didn't start shooting the 3 ball regularly until his junior year at Duke. Keegan is a head of Hill there.

 

[thedukeofearl]

I thought Wiesy summed it up incely in his postgame interview, Iowa had been embarrased by Purdue in the games he's played since arriving in IC. The Hawks knew what they were in for, Purdue would play good D, hit the boards, hustle and would be well coached, that's what they were up against and they responded like a good team should.

Purdue really put on some defensive pressure there in the second half and while we had some lapses we did what we had to do.

In Nunge's defense, I'd guess he's making those shots in practice, if h weren't he wouldn't have the green light to keep shooting. I'm guessing he'll start hitting.

Nunge is doing very well as far as I can see

He is tough on the boards especially the offensive boards

He appears to be learning how to finish around the basket

Luka is a Most Excellent example

Jack is going to be an essential factor this season

And, I believe he is establishing himself

 

[thedukeofearl]

it’s the mixing it up on the boards, always in the right spot and never forcing things. He’s got a nice stroke and knocks it down at a good clip when it’s there, but he is definitely a team first guy and I love it. Serious potential there.

He must one of Kenyon's sons

He was always in the Right Spot

All over the floor, with steals, assists and disruptive play on D

He was extremely savvy

I do believe he was Michigan Player of the Year his senior season, 1992