Thank the good Lord!
- Thread starter lightning1
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NikeHawk21
Well-Known Member
Iowa will be a better 3pt shooting team next year, but it is not even in the realm of being as important as improving our defense.
You mention Michigan, but their team was completely different in the way it was constructed as ours. They started 5 guys that shoot the 3, and almost every guy who played could shoot it, plus they had a drive and kick type point guard.
Iowa was constructed completely different with our strength being Cook and Garza inside, surrounded by a few efficient shooters on the outside. We still had a very efficient offense.
Defense was and is still the main concern. Part of that stemmed from bad shots and turnovers. It’s funny someone mentioned JBo should shoot every time and you are advocating for firing away more threes, if we start doing that, our defense will continue to struggle. The reason being is bad shots often lead to run outs the other way, and when JBo is one of the guys trying to defend those runouts the opponent will get tons of easy buckets.
We need to continue to get good shots, which are Cook and Garza down low, and open 3s from JBo, Moss, Weiskamp, and Dailey. We don’t need to start chucking 3pt shots at will.
NikeHawk21
Well-Known Member
To clear up this Michigan statistic being tossed around:
Michigan (41 games):
(3P%: 35.7%) (3PA Per Game: 24.7) (3PM Per Game: 8.8)
Iowa (33 games):
(3P%: 37.6%) (3PA Per Game: 20.4) (3PM Per Game: 7.6)
So Michigan attempted about 4 more threes than Iowa per game and made about 1.2 more per game. Statistically speaking they were not a much better 3pt shooting team than Iowa.
DEFENSE, particularly defensive efficiency is what separated them from Iowa!
Michigan (41 games):
(3P%: 35.7%) (3PA Per Game: 24.7) (3PM Per Game: 8.8)
Iowa (33 games):
(3P%: 37.6%) (3PA Per Game: 20.4) (3PM Per Game: 7.6)
So Michigan attempted about 4 more threes than Iowa per game and made about 1.2 more per game. Statistically speaking they were not a much better 3pt shooting team than Iowa.
DEFENSE, particularly defensive efficiency is what separated them from Iowa!
InGoodCo
Well-Known Member
I'm not surprised at all - I said right in my initial post I am not surprised and I don't expect sunshine and rainbows around here. I am surprised how cynical and shitty every one is constantly tho after 1 really bad year. It was a train wreck, but 1 train wreck shouldn't have undone placing in the top half of the B1G the previous 5 seasons. I know, we weren't hanging banners but we were over all solid and moving forward. We have a train wreck and everyone jumped ship pretty quickly on Fran. If Iowa turns it around this year, and I expect them to, I'll be here to remind ya'll what's up.
I expect the dance. That's my expectation every season. When it's not met, I have to look at all the circumstances and access my level of anger. 2 seasons ago, damn - that was tough. We missed it by a game. I was willing to let that shit slide. Last year, F no - that was horrible. Fran gets another season to figure it out or I will be leading the charge on wanting him gone.
Jordan said exactly what I wanted to hear as a fan. I'm not gonna shit on that because it's June and not October. I was pimping that Fran helped Wagner and Ellingson move on. I still feel he did. They weren't gonna contribute and that was no more clear then last season. I feel like he gave them a push. How he wants to fill those spots are up to him, I would have liked to see a grad transfer, but there are a lot of variables with that. Iowa needs help at 1,2 & 3 IMO as far as a grad transfer is concerned. The roster this season is much different then last in that we have Jordan Bohannon at the 1 who is one of the better offensive players on the team and PG's in the B1G. Our 2 declared early for the draft but came back and we have Joe W who is a top 50 kid coming in at the 3. Mark that with now having Connor and MD emerging as the season progressed and I'm not shocked he didn't fill those spots immediately.
Several years ago I would have liked Iowa to learn defense, play defense, with energy.
It was obvious to the casual fan (and the opponents) that Iowa had little interest in defense and was, most often, a jackknife waiting to fold during crunch time. (a symptom of no defense teams)
That the players and coaches are now "talking" about learning and playing defense is, well, to the point of the surreal.
There are lots of critical fans about, and on this site, but the bigger problem is the enabling fan base and enabling leadership that allows it to go on...and on...
It was obvious to the casual fan (and the opponents) that Iowa had little interest in defense and was, most often, a jackknife waiting to fold during crunch time. (a symptom of no defense teams)
That the players and coaches are now "talking" about learning and playing defense is, well, to the point of the surreal.
There are lots of critical fans about, and on this site, but the bigger problem is the enabling fan base and enabling leadership that allows it to go on...and on...
NikeHawk21
Well-Known Member
It just seems like you only focus on the negative posts and forget about the positive ones which is what I said in my first response to you. The only poster really posting harsh negative things before your response is someone who rarely says anything of value or positive so he is probably one you should take with a grain of salt.
My post I guess was on the negative side but I didn’t single out JBo for saying it, I basically said it’s to be expected and anyone who knows anything about anything would be focusing on defense which is true. Let us not forget that our defense is also what let us down in Jok’s senior season, so much of the talk last off-season was about improving the defense. We said man if we can just play defense at an average level we should have a solid year, and that turned out to be true, but unfortunately we took two steps backwards on the defensive end. Point being we’ve been talking about defense for quite some time, so I’m not surprised we want results and not just talk.
Lastly, because I was the one saying Fran needs to bench guys for poor defense and turnovers which you addressed. That doesn’t not mean Cook and JBo don’t play. What it means is early in the year when we are playing cupcakes and Tyler Cook makes a lazy defensive play you yank him for 5 minutes. When JBo turns the ball over and jogs back on defense he comes out and gets a firm talking to. When your team sees that those are not acceptable plays even for your best players, the message tends to be sent pretty clear. I watched Bo Ryan do this masterfully for years. Particularly he was extremely tough on Sam Dekker, especially his freshman year. By his sophomore year when they made their run to NC game, Dekker was playing at an elite level and especially in crunch time. It about proper motivation, and when it comes to Fran and defense, I don’t feel he does a great job in that regard. Some others happen to agree with me.
InGoodCo
Well-Known Member
Iowa fans are the problem is my favorite. In 15 and 16 when Iowa had a top 35 adjusted defensive efficiency rating, what were they enabling?
Enabling/adoring fans can be a problem, as much as those "critics" who makes the players "feel bad" and the coaches grumpy. And don't forget how critical fans keep the best PGs away from Iowa. AKA excuse
Enabling fans are part of the problem, inept leadership and often coaching is a bigger problem (these people get paid millions of dollars to figure out the value of defense for example)
Complicated problems aren't solved with simple solutions...like being most positive on the internet.
BB team has and has had a lack of leadership on several levels: AD, Head coach, and player leadership. Who is the leader on the BB team?
Enabling fans are part of the problem, inept leadership and often coaching is a bigger problem (these people get paid millions of dollars to figure out the value of defense for example)
Complicated problems aren't solved with simple solutions...like being most positive on the internet.
BB team has and has had a lack of leadership on several levels: AD, Head coach, and player leadership. Who is the leader on the BB team?
InGoodCo
Well-Known Member
I agree with a lot of what you are saying and you are right, I probably do focus on the negative. It burns me out. I am burnt out on Iowa hoops after last season and searching for rays of optimism. I do probably swing to hard the other way sometimes, it's who I am - I can admit it. I hate that we act like Iowa has never played defense because their current makeup hasn't and that we've always struggled with it because we have the last 2 seasons. I also think they are going to get better as they mature and that players aren't always what they are by the time they are sophomores. I want results too - it's all I care about, but I am at least feeling good that they are talking about it. I expect Iowa to make a giant turn around this season. I aint afraid to set that expectation for myself. I think we return a lot and have strong upperclassman leadership that was missing from last years team. I think these guys get burnt out from over sea trips and PTL's and on and on. I expect a fresh team with a different outlook. I expect that the staff took a long hard look at things this off season in what they are doing and how they are doing it. No one wants to be better next season more then Fran Mac and his players. That's just my opinion. I will definitely be here next year and putting ya'll on blast. I can't wait!
InGoodCo
Well-Known Member
Last year there wasn't one. Fran's senior class was terrible and we saw the results play out on the floor. That doesn't mean it's not going to be different this year. It was different the season before. And the season before that - and the season before that.
Team leadership has been a constant problem for Fran...MG and Woodie, were not "leaders" on the team. That seemed pretty obvious to me, just by watching...not saying they didn't play hard, were good kids, etc. They just weren't what the team needed. Who have been the floor leaders for Iowa...the one or two who get in the face of the players when they don't help out on defense, turn around and chase the ball after they have been mugged with a move?...etc. etc. Tell me who the leaders have been and I will listen.
Yes, hopefully this coming year will be a big improvement...give me a PG with talent, and a couple of leaders...things will change quickly. Cook isn't that guy. He is working on his NBA game. JB isn't that guy.
Yes, hopefully this coming year will be a big improvement...give me a PG with talent, and a couple of leaders...things will change quickly. Cook isn't that guy. He is working on his NBA game. JB isn't that guy.
NikeHawk21
Well-Known Member
This team has NCAA talent, I’ve maintained that, but they will need to commit to playing hard all the time and Fran will need to change some of his ways.
If Iowa plays well next year and you want to rub that in peoples faces that sounds good. I’ll just be happy we turned it around. Bottom line is what we saw last year was a Pig. I don’t blame people for being down, we won 4 conference games last year and will in essence have the same team next year. There are reasons for hope no question, but even a 6 win improvement in conference win total is something that isn’t as common as you might think.
1977Hawkeye
Well-Known Member
Our fans don't enable anything IMO. I seem to remember CHA being a ghost town when Lick was our coach. Attendance shrinks when things suck, and rebounds when things are going well. Not much different than most other fan bases, way I see it.
Now our leadership.. That may be another story. I do take issue with the buyouts and contracts our AD has been handing out over the years.
IMO they will be better on defense next year just because it can't get worse. However, I do disagree with the folks that say Fran can't coach D - he's had pretty dang good defensive teams at Iowa at times. To go so far bad as it did last year is a total institutional failure. However there are some defensive issues that just aren't fixable that I think will be present on the team next year. How much they can improve is a legit question.
HawkGold
Well-Known Member
Other teams not scoring is not indicative of good D.
Specifically Fran's teams have troubles with the following fundamentals.
1. Foot movement
2. Hand and arm placement/movement
3. Unsure of which player to pick up.
4. Closing out.
5. Blocking out
6. Stopping the dribble drive which is related to several above.
Some teams are better than others at some of these over his tenure. These have been ongoing problems.
Good D coaches don't have repeated issues with these areas.
SpiderRico
Well-Known Member
Now that we are in the age of Twitter, it seems like it's just assumed that if a few vocal individuals say something, it's automatically extrapolated to an entire population.
There are a few, high volume posters here that are pretty negative when it comes to anything involving the coaches....so it's just automatically assumed that the rest of(or at least most) fans feel that way.
That's just not the case at all.
There are a few, high volume posters here that are pretty negative when it comes to anything involving the coaches....so it's just automatically assumed that the rest of(or at least most) fans feel that way.
That's just not the case at all.
InGoodCo
Well-Known Member
I'm probably guilty of falling for that trap. I expect a BIG bounce back season for Iowa. I have a feeling that Coach Fran teams swing hard one way or the other all the time. They take on the personality of the HC. He's passionate and over the top either with praise or with wrath. When things are going good, they go great, when things go bad, they go f'ing terrible. I also believe that 2 of Fran's really hard swings the wrong way came the seasons his teams took over seas trips. That might speak to the case of them not being mentally tough. It could be fatigue or burnout. Maybe he loses the team when they have that much contact with their HC? All the extra games? I don't know...I don't know what it is. I am not pretending to know but I just expect the pendulum to swing hard the other way this year. Sports are funny that way sometimes.
lightning1
Well-Known Member
G U T L E S S G A R Y B A R T A
MelroseHawkins
Well-Known Member
Disagree. Iowa seemed to score enough to win games last year. It was ALL on the defense. So, I agree it has to do with defending the 3's, but not necessarily having to make many more 3's. It was all on the defense. As for offense and the team Iowa had last year, another key offensive piece was how well the 4 & 5's (in particular Cook,l Garza and Pemsl) shot free throws to take advantage of fouls.
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