ssckelley
Well-Known Member
Yep and the refs were not the reason why Iowa lost. They contributed as to why Iowa only made 8 free throws but the huge difference was only making 5 of 24 three point attempts.
The Breakdown: Hawkeyes Can’t Keep Up with Michigan State
- Thread starter RobHowe
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Yep and the refs were not the reason why Iowa lost. They contributed as to why Iowa only made 8 free throws but the huge difference was only making 5 of 24 three point attempts.
5 points? Connor got destroyed on a screen that cost us a made 3. Cook and Garza were both getting killed in the lane on all their misses. The same way they get killed every other game and get to the line a ton. If the refs didnt swallow their whistles for Izzo, we would have lost a close game and had to wonder "what if" we didn't shoot so bad. As it was, I would say officials easily cost us 10 free throw attempts and gave Michigan State an extra 3 point make.
I've said it before on here but I'll say It again. When Michigan State drives the ball, the ref has it in his head he's going to call the foul before the play happens. You can tell by the timing of the whistle. When we drive the ball, the refs stand there and watch the play unfold, then decide whether to blow the whistle. I will say, it's hard to see for sure on TV if they were actually fouling our bigs or not so I dont know if they were missing calls. But I do know it looked exactly like every other game where our shots are heavily contested every time and we shoot a lot of free throws, yet no calls were made. So either the refs did an absolutely extraordinary job of watching the action play out and letting the extremely close defense with no contact go uncalled (which never ever happens in college basketball) or we got Izzoed.
Pretty spot on. Iowa could have played better but even at their best I don't think they can beat MSU unless they're really having an off night. I think the same thing will happen next week against Michigan who will make things very difficult for Iowa on the offensive end. Both teams are just much better than Iowa. But both teams are much better than a lot of other teams too.
Like you said, time to move on. B1G season isn't even at the halfway point yet. Got a tough, but winnable road game in 2 days and Iowa needs it.
Knight78
Well-Known Member
So which one was it? First you say that they were lazy, then you say that they were gassed. If they were lazy first and jogging back, how did they get gassed? Or do you (rightfully) think that they were gassed and then simply couldn't sprint back giving they appearance that they were lazy? I don't think we lost this on lack of effort. I think we lost this on lack of shooting. Our effort forced 19 turnovers. That's not being lazy; 21 more shot attempts was the result. We lost this game due to shooting less than 40% FG and shooting 20% from 3pt range. Yes, many shots were contested, but how many point-blank shots did Cook and Garza miss?
Not Ready For Prime Time Guards
Michael Jordan, Greg Maddox, Tom Brady, Izzo, Saban, Meyer get special treatment from the officials. It has always been that way once a winning reputation is established. Few officials have the will power to make a call against a winning icon. They are human and like being liked and hired.
Few officials are controlled by their subconscious voice telling them..."This call needs to go Iowa's way, Kirk and Fran are established winners."
If iowa played their best last night, they would have won against the team that showed up (which was good but wasn't their best). What I'm saying is Iowa's best beats Michigan State's pretty good at home.
NikeHawk21
Well-Known Member
During MSU big run Iowa players were jogging back on defense, if they are too gassed that’s on Fran for not calling a timeout or getting other guys in there.
When MSU punched Iowa in the mouth they wilted and went back to the same soft lazy play that hurt them last year. Does that mean they suck, no it was just a rough night flush it and move on. Some of those things are a little harder when shots aren’t falling.
So to answer your question I think it was a little of both, I think Iowa expended a lot of their legs in the 1H that probably led to some of the poor shooting in the 2H, but I also think they couldn’t counter MSU’s punch at the beginning of the 2H, which led to lazy transition defense, lasy turnovers, lazy close outs etc.
Flush it and move on, Minny Sunday is another huge game.
With Iowa's ability to hit 3s I suppose you're probably right here. Iowa's "best" could score a ton of points. So I probably shouldn't have used that word.
I guess from from what I've seen from MSU, and Michigan for that matter, they are so much better at the guard spots than Iowa is. And that is an extremely difficult hurdle to overcome even if everything else goes your way.
And I don't mean that as a huge slight to Iowa. I do believe they need to upgrade the PG position. Its just that MSU and Michigan's guard play on both ends of the floor is outstanding and they'll hold the edge over most teams there.
3 point shots from Wieskamp and JB and others falling far short, a classic sign of exhaustion. Iowa got burned out in the first half, and had no answer when the far better talent started to play their game. Iowa morphed from tenacious competitors to bystanders. Could Fran have done anything different, I suppose, but he didn't, and hasn't very often.
NikeHawk21
Well-Known Member
I wasn’t too upset after the game. Iowa just didn’t play well enough to win. Sometimes that happens.
MSU was better, check out the quality of their recruits. Better coaching. I agree, not upset, but disappointed for the players and the program, needing to do something different on national TV than a Hawkeye Collapse.
It ended up being a 3 hour recruiting ad for MSU to a national audience. Iowa might offer playing time if the big guys don't want you.
Northside Hawk
Well-Known Member
I was thinking the exact same thing and it would have brought back memories of 1987 UNLV and I changed my thinking to something else in a hurry. I wasn't going to bring it up in the thread unless someone else referenced it.
WindsorHawk
Well-Known Member
Michigan State is allowed to play physical in conference play. And they regularly get more calls in conference play. But the officials are doing them no favors IMO. It's called tighter in the NCAA Tournament and has been hurting Michigan State IMO.
Now setting aside what I said above...Iowa played as good of defense as I can remember in a long long time in the 1st half. And despite the free throw disparity and everything else Iowa led at halftime. In the 2nd half I saw last year's Iowa. We weren't hitting shots and we quit defending. And Michigan State took control.
The 1st half shows what Iowa is capable of against elite team regardless of fouls when they really go after it on defense. The 2nd half should remind the guys what happens when they quit defending and try to win only playing on the offensive end.
I'm honestly not worried moving forward. There is no more MSU on the schedule. Half of our losses on the season are to MSU. No one else in the conference is at their level IMO. And we don't play a road game the rest of the season against any of the top 4 teams in the conference. I believe Iowa will look a lot like the team that just won 5 in a row ROS.
Now setting aside what I said above...Iowa played as good of defense as I can remember in a long long time in the 1st half. And despite the free throw disparity and everything else Iowa led at halftime. In the 2nd half I saw last year's Iowa. We weren't hitting shots and we quit defending. And Michigan State took control.
The 1st half shows what Iowa is capable of against elite team regardless of fouls when they really go after it on defense. The 2nd half should remind the guys what happens when they quit defending and try to win only playing on the offensive end.
I'm honestly not worried moving forward. There is no more MSU on the schedule. Half of our losses on the season are to MSU. No one else in the conference is at their level IMO. And we don't play a road game the rest of the season against any of the top 4 teams in the conference. I believe Iowa will look a lot like the team that just won 5 in a row ROS.
skinnykilmer17
Well-Known Member
Most likely would not have made a difference last night, but I have never seen a coach play situational basketball at this level as poorly as Fran. Seriously.
Seemingly has no grasp of how to substitute his players for their strengths etc. Do you remenber how Mr. Davis was constantly subbing defense for offense etc? How often do we isolate guys on offense? Why do we bench the hot shooter? Why do we have to have sooooo much dribbling (CMac is the worst at this) without going anywhere. So stagnant. Can we just pass the ball around quickky and reverse it more. More screens and yes, meaningful movement without the ball. Yeah I know, I know, not the offense he runs perhaps.
Seemingly no adjustments, counter adjustments, and his inability to use those bonus timeouts to stem opponent's runs. (Walked off the court with two in his pocket again last night). He sez he likes to have his players play through those moments. Good God. I have said it before, I truly suspect he lets games get away because everything moves too fast for him at times. Or he is too consumed with getting butt hurt over a call.
Fran, instead of continuing to break multiple clipboards, try coaching them up during a game against superior teams.
End of rant.
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Kirk and Fran are both last generation coaches, little new, frozen in systems, unable to adjust, surprise, transform.
Same thing happens in the NFL...McCarthy, Dallas OC, frozen in the past as the new game makes them even more frozen. Of course, the NFL isn't quite as forgiving with average.
And if Fran thinks the officiating lost the game, well, there is little hope. Just stop.
skinnykilmer17
Well-Known Member
Fran may someday get elite talent here (doubtful) including a point guard, but I don't believe he will ever be considered an elite coach imo.
Just doesn't have the chops for game coaching. Teams win games all the time when their shooting is off by doing those other things and by having a bench coach pushing the right buttons and coaching his tail off. Fran can't control his anger which makes this makes this much more difficult, if not impossible. This is his default mode. Unfortunate.
His abysmal record in close games is hard to ignore. There has to be a correlation.
Just doesn't have the chops for game coaching. Teams win games all the time when their shooting is off by doing those other things and by having a bench coach pushing the right buttons and coaching his tail off. Fran can't control his anger which makes this makes this much more difficult, if not impossible. This is his default mode. Unfortunate.
His abysmal record in close games is hard to ignore. There has to be a correlation.
