some teams/players just arent clutch

theboat

theboat

Well-Known Member
We can debate all day about how good this team is, but the fact is that they can beat anyone in the country for 38 minutes. They just don't have the clutch gene to finish things off. I don't think that is a knock on anyone. They just are who they are at this point.

My hopes are that there is a method to this madness. I really think that Fran is treating these games like the preseason and is still trying to develop the things they lack. The real season starts in a month anyway and Fran knows this. Enjoy the ride folks.
 
Last edited:
Don't get your hopes up. I think you're trying to give Fran way too much slack here. If you think this team is going to flip a switch and suddenly start closing games out in march, I think you'll be disappointed.

I don't buy the trying to develop things we lack for the post season. We were competing for a big ten title and every win would build this team's confidence.
 
ibahawkeye said:
Don't get your hopes up. I think you're trying to give Fran way too much slack here. If you think this team is going to flip a switch and suddenly start closing games out in march, I think you'll be disappointed.

I don't buy the trying to develop things we lack for the post season. We were competing for a big ten title and every win would build this team's confidence.
Click to expand...

They will rally. Just wait.
 
Good article in espn the magazine talking about clutch and how old school people think it is real while saber metric/statisticians say it doesn't exist. I think some are able to be less effected by pressure than others but all players play worse in pressure. In fact the article brings up that late in close games at home the home players shoot worse from the line than normal. If you understand stats there are yrs above the average and yrs below. That creates the average.

some are less affected by pressure but people don't elevate beyond their normal ability under pressure.
 
Very few teams have a Michael Jordan who can create his own shot anywhere, anytime.

That being said for all the good plays the hawks run coming out of timeouts during the main part of a game it seems very few of the plays they run at the ends of game are run clean. Teams overplay the hawks at the end of games and we cant make them pay. I would like to see the hawks run the regular curl cut offense, no marble one on one, no set plays, but run their screens and curls and try to get a DUNK, and big slam down 99% shot off of an assist.
 
I love this team, but they just aren't clutch. Sadly I would be surprised if they make it past the first round in the NCAA tourney.
 
uihawk82 said:
Very few teams have a Michael Jordan who can create his own shot anywhere, anytime.

That being said for all the good plays the hawks run coming out of timeouts during the main part of a game it seems very few of the plays they run at the ends of game are run clean. Teams overplay the hawks at the end of games and we cant make them pay. I would like to see the hawks run the regular curl cut offense, no marble one on one, no set plays, but run their screens and curls and try to get a DUNK, and big slam down 99% shot off of an assist.
Click to expand...

And that is why gesell must be in the game at the end and the offense should run through him. We are one of the top scoring and most efficient offenses with mike at the helm. I would love to see how efficient we are when mike is in versus when marble is at pg.
 
It's crazy how much my mindset has changed while watching games. 2 years ago I was hoping we could stay close the whole game so we have a chance to win at the end. Now I spend the whole game hoping we can build a 10 point lead before the 2 minute mark. If we don't get there I feel defeated before the game is even over. I really wonder if the players feel the same way.

I could be wrong on this but isn't the Xavier game the only time in the last 2 years that we have won a 1 possession game when there is under a minute left? We can't buy a bucket, a stop, a rebound, or a call at the end of games. We have lost so many games where we just needed someone to get a defensive rebound but they either miss a box out, simply drop the rebound, or the ball unluckily doinks right to one of their guys.

Other teams make mistakes at the ends of games and actually get away with them sometimes. Not us. If we leave a guy wide open he's going to make it. There is a ton of pressure for the guy to make it but do you think he feels it? Nope, nothing but net. (or the occasional bounce around the rim awhile before it falls).
 
Practice makes perfect.

Now is the time for practicing the mentality of closing out games. It hasn't happened this season. And while past performances are not guarantees of future results, those past performances are indicators of probably results.

Iowa will win its first round game. There has been little problem this season with lesser teams.
The 32 round is a crapshoot.
The 16 round is not likely.

The matchups that would help, of course, but tight game vs. top tier team. Iowa is 2-7.
 
I think this is what has made this season so frustrating. Similar to football a few years ago. Its about the "what could have been".
Even if they win half of these close games they are sitting at the top of the conference with 2, 3, or 4 losses total. In the top 10 nationally.
The close games always give more to debate about. One call, one missed shot, missed free throws. Coulda woulda shoulda. That is what is so frustrating. Couple that with the fact the same thing happened last year and you have a group of frustrated fans. We all think everyone should learn and improve upon from their mistakes, but if it doesnt happen people get more and more frustrated.p
 
Clutch is one thing we aint. If any more games go down to the wire, I do not have high hopes.
Not trying to dis, just is what it is.
 
DDThompson said:
Practice makes perfect.

Now is the time for practicing the mentality of closing out games. It hasn't happened this season. And while past performances are not guarantees of future results, those past performances are indicators of probably results.

Iowa will win its first round game. There has been little problem this season with lesser teams.
The 32 round is a crapshoot.
The 16 round is not likely.

The matchups that would help, of course, but tight game vs. top tier team. Iowa is 2-7.
Click to expand...

The problem is that we won't be playing much less of a team if we keep losing the games we need to win.
 
djwoody98 said:
If we win for 58 minutes we'd be 26-0.
Click to expand...
But that is what this thread is all about. Some Iowa players (players that Fran relies on) can't think straight at home or on the road when the game is on the line. Veteran players. Players in leadership positions.

Maybe Fran needs to recruit those who can. Or, at the end of games, design plays for the 2 Iowa players where, IMO, the urgency of the situation doesn't affect their play.
 
Last edited:
HawksMN said:
Clutch is one thing we aint. If any more games go down to the wire, I do not have high hopes.
Not trying to dis, just is what it is.
Click to expand...
If it's the truth, then it isn't a dis.

2-7 is the truth. 3 of those at home. So it's not a dis. Facts be facts.
 
DDThompson said:
If it's the truth, then it isn't a dis.

2-7 is the truth. 3 of those at home. So it's not a dis. Facts be facts.
Click to expand...

Law of averages will come about just might not be until next yr. remember when it seemed like we won every close game in football and then it seemed like we lost every close game in football. Same thing here.
 
HomerChampless said:
But that is what this thread is all about. Some Iowa players (players that Fran relies on) can't think straight at home or on the road when the game is on the line. Veteran players. Players in leadership positions.

Maybe Fran needs to recruit those who can. Or, at the end of games, design plays for the 2 Iowa players where, IMO, the urgency of the situation doesn't affect their play.
Click to expand...

Still need a coach that understands this. When you have a coach that runs substitutions the way he does creating and finding a leader is sometimes hard to do.

Yesterday is a perfect example because having MG sit in a game like that was negligent on his part. Seriously that was TERRIBLE!!! Sadly this isn't the first time we've seen crap like this.
 
Last edited:
HawkPrdatr40 said:
Still need a coach that understands this. When you have a coach that runs substitutions the way he does creating and finding a leader is sometimes hard to do.

Yesterday is a perfect example because having MG sit in a game like that was negligent on his part. Seriously that was TERRIBLE!!! Sadly this isn't the first time we've seen crap like this.
Click to expand...

This is why the ending yesterday didn't surprise me. Running good half court offense is difficult without your starting PG who also happens to be the quickest player of the dribble on the team. As KF likes to say, you get what you deserve and Fran certainly did so yesterday.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Share this page

Top