Recap, Reaction: Hawkeyes Top Utah

I’m shitfaced at a company Christmas party. Glad the Hawks won. I will run it back tomorrow and nitpick everything. Hawks winning 95-89 tells me a lot.
 
I am sober now, so I took a look at the box score and will watch the game tomorrow. Is there something going on with Traore that I need to know?
 
I recorded the game and watched later on in the evening.

That was a fun and entertaining game to watch. Both teams played a fun and up paced offensive game and even a good amount of defense too.
 
One of the most interesting developments during yesterday's game was when Freeman picked up a really stupid 4th foul midway through the 2nd half, so Fran sat him and then inserted Dembele around the 10 min mark. Dembele played solid and did what he does best: defensive rebound. I kept waiting for Fran to put Freeman back in the game...and waited...and waited. Never happened. Dembele played the entire rest of the game. Fran tends to go with lineups that are working, no matter who's on the floor, and yesterday was perhaps the most extreme example of that.
Yesterday was also the first time in his 2-year Iowa career that I remember Pryce Sandfort hitting a shot that actually mattered in a key game. My thoughts on that are: 'congrats'...and given how much playing time he gets, 'it's about time'.
 
Grady said:
One of the most interesting developments during yesterday's game was when Freeman picked up a really stupid 4th foul midway through the 2nd half, so Fran sat him and then inserted Dembele around the 10 min mark. Dembele played solid and did what he does best: defensive rebound. I kept waiting for Fran to put Freeman back in the game...and waited...and waited. Never happened. Dembele played the entire rest of the game. Fran tends to go with lineups that are working, no matter who's on the floor, and yesterday was perhaps the most extreme example of that.
Yesterday was also the first time in his 2-year Iowa career that I remember Pryce Sandfort hitting a shot that actually mattered in a key game. My thoughts on that are: 'congrats'...and given how much playing time he gets, 'it's about time'.
Click to expand...

Dembele was one of the main reasons we won

Outstanding game
 
It was a tough game, but the Hawks remembered the NIT loss last season and
didn't want to lose to them twice in one year

Dembele had a career game and Dix and Peyton made some highlight moves to
keep the lead

Really fun game to watch, Utah is a Good Team, but the Hawks were better
 
Grady said:
One of the most interesting developments during yesterday's game was when Freeman picked up a really stupid 4th foul midway through the 2nd half, so Fran sat him and then inserted Dembele around the 10 min mark. Dembele played solid and did what he does best: defensive rebound. I kept waiting for Fran to put Freeman back in the game...and waited...and waited. Never happened. Dembele played the entire rest of the game. Fran tends to go with lineups that are working, no matter who's on the floor, and yesterday was perhaps the most extreme example of that.
Yesterday was also the first time in his 2-year Iowa career that I remember Pryce Sandfort hitting a shot that actually mattered in a key game. My thoughts on that are: 'congrats'...and given how much playing time he gets, 'it's about time'.
Click to expand...
On Pryce: Geez. Kind of rough?
 
thedukeofearl said:
It was a tough game, but the Hawks remembered the NIT loss last season and
didn't want to lose to them twice in one year

Dembele had a career game and Dix and Peyton made some highlight moves to
keep the lead

Really fun game to watch, Utah is a Good Team, but the Hawks were better
Click to expand...

Pay backs are a bitch. My family and I were at that game last year in Salt Lake
City. Both teams looked sluggish last year in the NIT playoff game. This game looked and felt like a NCAA tournament game. Energy, extra effort, and very focused. Both teams really wanted this one. That’s what makes the win even sweeter.
 
It may be some hyperbole, but I thought that Iowa's performance in that game was one of the best I have seen during the Fran era.

One, in terms of defensive intensity and hustle, that first 5-10 minutes was exceptional. Utah spaces and motions as well as any team Iowa will face, but yet we completely disrupted what they wanted to do. The Iowa players were quick to read lanes and converge on ball-handlers, but yet also hustled to recover. It reminded me of the defense Otzelberger preaches. The difference is that he has a way of getting his players to sustain it the entire game. Either way, it was refreshing to see.

Two, our own spacing and motion were on-par with Utah most of the game. Excellent recognition and very few forced shots. Brock and Thelwell on the floor at the same time can be electric in spots. The only real negative for the game is Freeman's tendency to get into foul trouble. That 4th foul was completely dumb. He has to be smarter than that.

Getting back to Utah, if Fran leaves after this season (which I've posted is my gut feeling), I hope we take a good look at Smith. That guy can coach.
 
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