Starting 5

[Hawkfnntn]

I'd like to see PMac and Sandfort at the 2.

Pmac isn't a 2.... Sandfort is ideally a 3 but he could play some 2 here and there. His catch and shoot ability will be utilized a ton I bet.

If Iowa wanted to play with almost an all forward lineup they pretty much could. Having guys all 6'6-6'9 out there would be an interesting way to play

 

[HuckFinn]

Pmac isn't a 2.... Sandfort is ideally a 3 but he could play some 2 here and there. His catch and shoot ability will be utilized a ton I bet.

If Iowa wanted to play with almost an all forward lineup they pretty much could. Having guys all 6'6-6'9 out there would be an interesting way to play

Oregon vs Iowa in the Dance kicked our ass 4 or 5 guys 6’9”. I think Fran would be fine with that type of lineup. I really gave up on defining 2’s, 3’s, 4’s. Maybe 5’s are next. 1’s? Hmm. But this is the BT.

 

[Hawkfnntn]

Oregon vs Iowa in the Dance kicked our ass 4 or 5 guys 6’9”. I think Fran would be fine with that type of lineup. I really gave up on defining 2’s, 3’s, 4’s. Maybe 5’s are next. 1’s? Hmm. But this is the BT.

Yeah guys are all just individuals too. Some guys can play 2 on O but on D they can't really guard them or vice versa. It's all about matchups. Good coaches spot where they have an advantage and exploit it via film in prep leading up to it or even as the game gets going in the flow of it.

The 5 spot will be interesting to me. Rebraca seems to be just who he is I don't see much improvement to his game. How much the youngsters have improved and how much will Fran play them will be a huge X factor to me. Or does he just go small and play PM, KM, and Sandfort on the front line for stretches?

 

[NorthKCHawk]

I remain disappointed that Fran could not land a transfer big, but I think Flip will be better this season than most think. He was getting used to the size and physicality of the league last year, and there were some growing pains, but the kid never backed down. Most importantly, he never forced the issue or played outside of his skill level/lane. He mostly took good shots, got hustle baskets and rebounds, and played the best D he could. He has a little Ryan Kreiner in him, and I mean that as a compliment. Of course he is limited physically in what he can do against some of the bigger 5s, but that is what it is. I am not expecting a massive jump, but I think he will be better and will not be a liability on the floor. I think the other 2 centers will be better as well.

We should be better than last year (due to returning players at the position) at the 5, 3, and 2. We should be different at the 1. Better or worse is hard to say. We will, almost definitionally, be worse at the 4, but let's hope identical twins are identical in as many ways as possible.

 

[Zstatman]

Rebracca has a shot at playing pro ball, most likely Europe, but it will be as a 4 not a 5. Fran needs to help him with that as best he can this coming year.

 

[NorthKCHawk]

Rebracca has a shot at playing pro ball, most likely Europe, but it will be as a 4 not a 5. Fran needs to help him with that as best he can this coming year.

I know it was a small sample size, but his outside shot sure didn't look great last year. Hard to see a guy that size playing pro ball in Europe without a legit 3-ball in the quiver. He will get his chance I am sure. A lot of contracts to be had overseas.

 

[Hawkfnntn]

I know it was a small sample size, but his outside shot sure didn't look great last year. Hard to see a guy that size playing pro ball in Europe without a legit 3-ball in the quiver. He will get his chance I am sure. A lot of contracts to be had overseas.

Over there they have lots of levels of pro ball. I agree not having an outside shot is limiting for players nowadays but with as many opportunities over there as there are I'll be surprised if he doesn't have a future to some extent at it.

 

[NorthKCHawk]

At the end of the day, Flip is 6'8 and a pretty good athlete. That usually allows you to play hoops somewhere for $, whether that is for room and board in Romania or millions in the league.

From what I read, he wants to go pro and make a career of this, so I suspect he is working his butt off in the gym this Summer.

 

[Knight78]

I know it was a small sample size, but his outside shot sure didn't look great last year. Hard to see a guy that size playing pro ball in Europe without a legit 3-ball in the quiver. He will get his chance I am sure. A lot of contracts to be had overseas.

Well, I'll point to use another Hawkeye who didn't have much of a shot outside about 10 feet who played 8 years in Europe and was smaller than Flip: Greg Brunner.

 

[trj]

Well, I'll point to use another Hawkeye who didn't have much of a shot outside about 10 feet who played 8 years in Europe and was smaller than Flip: Greg Brunner.

Brunner could fall out of bed and give you 15 and 8. Rebraca isn’t quite that dude. Big difference.

 

[Zstatman]

It seems like we are all saying the same thing, Rebracca has a future in pro ball, probably overseas, but he's going to need to be able to shoot from deep to be able to do it.

What I'm saying is that Fran can help him by letting him shoot from deep and show his stuff, assuming he has some stuff to show. Maybe we play sometimes without a 5, maybe Mulvey or Ogundele improve enough to get some good minutes, maybe the portal comes thru this summer, it just seems that Fran will do the things he can to help. If he plays the majority of his minutes at the 5 he will probably have to due to team needs and that doesn't portend well for the team, IMO.

The Phx Suns have an interesting case in point here. They signed the first ever Danish player to an NBA contract last March. Iffy Lundgren, he's 6'4" and 27 years old. I think he may have played with Aaron White somewhere along the way. Anyway, four years ago he was shooting less than 30% from deep. He was playing in Moscow but wanted a shot at the NBA. His wife, yes, his wife, told him he needed to improve his 3 shot and over that four year period he raised it to right around 40%. When Russia invaded Ukraine he opted out of his contract (must have had an invasion clause) and the Suns signed him to a two way contract. He will be playing for the Suns in the Vegas summer league so he's got his shot to at least make the roster. Rebracca is sort of a similar case, he's got to show he can hit from deep.

 

[HuckFinn]

It seems like we are all saying the same thing, Rebracca has a future in pro ball, probably overseas, but he's going to need to be able to shoot from deep to be able to do it.

What I'm saying is that Fran can help him by letting him shoot from deep and show his stuff, assuming he has some stuff to show. Maybe we play sometimes without a 5, maybe Mulvey or Ogundele improve enough to get some good minutes, maybe the portal comes thru this summer, it just seems that Fran will do the things he can to help. If he plays the majority of his minutes at the 5 he will probably have to due to team needs and that doesn't portend well for the team, IMO.

The Phx Suns have an interesting case in point here. They signed the first ever Danish player to an NBA contract last March. Iffy Lundgren, he's 6'4" and 27 years old. I think he may have played with Aaron White somewhere along the way. Anyway, four years ago he was shooting less than 30% from deep. He was playing in Moscow but wanted a shot at the NBA. His wife, yes, his wife, told him he needed to improve his 3 shot and over that four year period he raised it to right around 40%. When Russia invaded Ukraine he opted out of his contract (must have had an invasion clause) and the Suns signed him to a two way contract. He will be playing for the Suns in the Vegas summer league so he's got his shot to at least make the roster. Rebracca is sort of a similar case, he's got to show he can hit from deep.

Good story. Thanks!

 

[InGoodCo]

Next years team has way less questions marks coming in then last year. This team will have expectations. The only thing I'd advise is picking Iowa to not be in the top half of the conference cause it's pretty rare under Fran they enter that territory regardless of who's coming back.

 

[NorthKCHawk]

Well, I'll point to use another Hawkeye who didn't have much of a shot outside about 10 feet who played 8 years in Europe and was smaller than Flip: Greg Brunner.

Comparing Flip to Bruner is a disservice to Bruner. And I like Flip. But, those are way different dudes. Charles Barkley was also an undersized forward with no outside shot. Dennis Rodman. Reggie Evans. But those guys were absolute animals on the boards and defense. Again, just not Flips game. He needs to prove he can shoot.

 

[Zstatman]

Plus, the game has changed. Most of the names being thrown out that didn't have a 3 point shot were playing in a earlier, different era. Right now, and maybe forever, the 3 reigns supreme.

 

[Knight78]

Brunner could fall out of bed and give you 15 and 8. Rebraca isn’t quite that dude. Big difference.

Brunner wasn't asked to guard 7' guys like Dickinson or Edey either. If you don't think guarding guys that physically outmatch you isn't going to affect your entire game, then I don't know what to tell you. That and the offenses run by Alford and Fran are completely different.

 

[Knight78]

Comparing Flip to Bruner is a disservice to Bruner. And I like Flip. But, those are way different dudes. Charles Barkley was also an undersized forward with no outside shot. Dennis Rodman. Reggie Evans. But those guys were absolute animals on the boards and defense. Again, just not Flips game. He needs to prove he can shoot.

Barkley started his pro career a "The Round Mound of Rebound". He weighed in around 280 as a rookie. He dropped over 30 pounds before his second season and found his outside shot. Rodman and Evans were rebounding and defense guys and neither took many shots outside of about 10 feet. Flip has decent form at the FT line and has scored from the elbow. I see his offense expanding this season and drawing the opposing center away from the basket.