The Breakdown: Rutgers Ruins Hawkeye Senior Day

[Cableman]

Hopefully Fran got a different view watching the game with Dolph yesterday and will come up with something to get things turned around

 

[trj]

Iowa hasn’t really played well since the Michigan game. Now that teams have decided not to let JBO beat them you are seeing the results.

Iowa’s offense feeds their defense. You gotta get Garza rolling again.

 

[#1DieHardHawk]

Your point #2 is the concerning one. Yesterday we got the defecit down to twelve and then Rutgers promptly ripped off back to back breakaway dunks. In one of the dunks Connor can clearly be seen glancing at the bench with a confused look on his face, if not quite a shoulder shrug, when he should have been busting it back on defense. That's not the first time I've seen him with that "not me" look on his face. He was caught looking at his dad/coach with that same look during a timeout in the Maryland game. Then of course the technical at OSU.

We need Connor, and others, to have that "next play" look that they had earlier in he season. The focused look they had in January, or during the Iowa State game. The body language we've shown the last three or four games would have gotten us rolled by fifteen against the Clones. And we would have lost most of the road games we've won.

It's definitely a big concern, and was last season as well.

I think it all boils down to recruiting. When he gets a commit, Fran always talks about the player "being a tremendous kid" with a "great family."

That's all fine and good, but, other coaches talk about their recruits being "leaders" and having that "competitive instinct" or being "tough-minded." Every year we have way too many passive wall-flower types. What we need is an infusion of grit and determination (along with some actual athleticism along the perimeter).