The State Of Texas Has 7 Schools In The Dance

[hawkeyebob62]

We can disagree. I do have a graduate degree, but mostly I'm practical farm educator and the school of hard knocks.

Iowa's lack of talent changes game dynamics. They are good at transition, but then again the other teams just don't pay much attention. If they had stellar D and were fighting for an upper finish, I'd be impressed. However they weren't doing that so game intensity is different.

I've also coached HS basketball.

When you are good, especially really good, everyone wants to take you down even the bad teams. When you aren't they don't come after you as hard.

Interesting thing about our transition game. When it's really clicking, it's fun as hell to watch. So how do teams adjust? Stop crashing the boards, take better percentage shots, or leave just one extra guy back. How do the Hawks adapt? Usually, we don't.

2014-2016, when we were going on mini-win streaks and killing the transition game, we almost always lost the second game against opponents because they adapted, and we failed to adapt.

It's almost painful when the Hawks crush it in the first half of conference schedule, because you just know the return games will not go the same way. Once the Hawks get that first loss after a hot streak, you can pretty much pencil "L" for the next three or four games, minimum.

 

[eyekwah]

I adopted Michigan because I like the way they are coached and the strategy they use to get the most out of the talent they have. Secondly most members on that team might actually be college material in the classroom. And last my son has a PHD from Michigan.

 

[BryceC]

Not any more after round one, only three.
I watched parts of some games; mostly Big Ten games. Since all four B1G teams won there first round games I don't think one can say Iowa would get curb stomped by the lower seeded teams. Looking at the last eight games they were much more competitive. They lost close games to Michigan (OT), Michigan State (-3), Indiana (-2), Minnesota (-4) and had wins against Illinois and Northwestern. There are teams in the tournament with a lot less talent than Iowa.

Jon Beilien after Michigan's OT win was far more positive about Iowa's talent than the people on this forum would ever want to admit.

I don't know about curb stomped, but Iowa didn't even beat a team that made the NIT this year.

Beilien can be as positive as he wants to be, but a team that has a season like ISU or Iowa has a talent problem and I don't think it's debatable.

 

[Fryowa]

Secondly most members on that team might actually be college material in the classroom. And last my son has a PHD from Michigan.

What a bunch of pretentious horseshit.

Nobody here gives two goddamns where your kid went to school or what his degree was; and who are to decide if 10 kids you've never met are college material?

 

[NikeHawk21]

I don't know about curb stomped, but Iowa didn't even beat a team that made the NIT this year.

Beilien can be as positive as he wants to be, but a team that has a season like ISU or Iowa has a talent problem and I don't think it's debatable.

I think it’s debatable. I think team chemistry, defined roles, and buying into a coach can be huge factors.

Let’s take a look at Ohio State over the last two seasons. Last season OSU was awful, winning 17 games and not being invited to the NIT. They lost from that team three of their top talents JaQuan Lyle, Marc Loving, and Trevor Thompson. This year they added a healthy Bates-Diop (B1G POY), Caleb Wesson, and Andrew Dakich. Bates-Diop is on a different level but Thompson at the very least matched Wesson’s production and Loving certainly brought more than Dakich. From a pure talent standpoint these teams weren’t that far off, certainly not the difference between no postseason and an NCAA 5 seed that had zero bad losses.

The difference is this year they bought into their coach, had defined roles, and had better team chemistry. Loving and Lyle were both me guys.

As far as Iowa goes I truly believe there was enough talent here to be an NCAA team this year (probably in the 8-11 seed range). The problem was the team didn’t buy into Fran, roles weren’t defined, and the guys just didn’t play hard for one another. Next year assuming Cook stays and Weiskamp coming in, I again don’t think talent will be an issue. It will be about Fran coaching the best out of the team and the players buying in.

 

[BryceC]

As far as Iowa goes I truly believe there was enough talent here to be an NCAA team this year (probably in the 8-11 seed range). The problem was the team didn’t buy into Fran, roles weren’t defined, and the guys just didn’t play hard for one another. Next year assuming Cook stays and Weiskamp coming in, I again don’t think talent will be an issue. It will be about Fran coaching the best out of the team and the players buying in.

We'll just have to agree to disagree here. I think there is a talent deficiency at both ISU and Iowa. I'm hoping that those deficits at both schools can be erased through the talent coming in and additional experience and less injuries, but I have my doubts.

 

[mopkins]

Think about that.

As a side note, I had the day off and have watched every game so far. Anyone who has seen a few can see that Iowa would get absolutely curb stomped by any of these teams. Totally wrecked.

Watching these teams play lockdown D and drive to the hole at a full sprint makes you realize that our team plays at 1/4 speed and wouldn’t even last five minutes in the NIT. So depressing when you look at the product put out in IC in the context of teams that actually play hard and put forth effort for a full 40 minutes.

FWIW Texas has 2 teams left after the weekend...and they both play Big Ten teams in the sweet 16.

Also after watching Syracuse and Texas A&M play defense I'm not sure why every team doesn't adopt a zone. Fran should force his players to watch how it is really supposed to work....and maybe Fran will learn a thing or two himself.

 

[mopkins]

We'll just have to agree to disagree here. I think there is a talent deficiency at both ISU and Iowa. I'm hoping that those deficits at both schools can be erased through the talent coming in and additional experience and less injuries, but I have my doubts.

I think Iowa has talent, just not a good combination of talent. They have pure shooters, and they have pure post players, but they don't have anything else. They don't have anyone who can create their own outside shot, and they don't have anyone who can take their man off the dribble. They also don't really have post players who can shoot from outside...although I think Garza will eventually become that player.

Iowa's personnel is just way too predictable. Remember the days when Iowa would throw 2 or 3 alley-oops to Aaron White per game? What happened to that? Did Fran completely give that up or does he just not have players who can execute it? My guess is the latter. Cook can certainly dunk, but Fran must not trust anyone to actually serve it up for him.

 

[Fryowa]

I think Iowa has talent, just not a good combination of talent. They have pure shooters, and they have pure post players, but they don't have anything else. They don't have anyone who can create their own outside shot, and they don't have anyone who can take their man off the dribble. They also don't really have post players who can shoot from outside...

Iowa is the worst defensive team in all of major college basketball, and they’re unbelievably slow in all facets. Slow to get back to the ball and defend after turnovers, slow to the hoop, and slow to set up possessions. Until they fix those two things this team will be a shit sandwich.

 

[mopkins]

Iowa is the worst defensive team in all of major college basketball, and they’re unbelievably slow in all facets. Slow to get back to the ball and defend after turnovers, slow to the hoop, and slow to set up possessions. Until they fix those two things this team will be a shit sandwich.

oh I wasn't even talking about the defense. The last 2 seasons have been brutally pathetic in that regard. This year Iowa had a top 25 offense and a top 250 defense. Its so obvious that defense is the glaring issue I didn't bother bringing it up.

 

[NikeHawk21]

I think Iowa has talent, just not a good combination of talent. They have pure shooters, and they have pure post players, but they don't have anything else. They don't have anyone who can create their own outside shot, and they don't have anyone who can take their man off the dribble. They also don't really have post players who can shoot from outside...although I think Garza will eventually become that player.

I like what you said about mostly pure posts and pure shooters, that is most certainly true. I still do think the pieces are there, Fran just did a horrible job of managing it this year. And again your talking offense above, which wasn’t our issue.

For defense I agree with Fry that we were extremely slow. Fran likes to play Pemsl and Kriener, but here’s the thing, when you have Cook and Garza already playing big minutes (50 minutes combined), you don’t need Pemsl and Kriener who are also true posts by nature but happen to be lessor players than Cook and Garza. You’d be hard pressed to find a really good college team that plays two posts at the same time for the majority of the game, that’s just not how basketball is played today, you only really need one post with guys spacing the floor around him.

Back to your point about too many alike players. To me Nunge (Stretch 4), Wagner (versatile defender), and Dailey (athletic wing), were the guys who really had skill sets different from others. They ranked 6th, 8th, and 11th in minutes played.

I firmly believe if you were to cut Kriener and Pemsl from the rotation, allowing Nunge and Wagner to move back to their natural 4 position, and giving more minutes to Dailey at the 3, this Iowa team would have been much much better and a bubble type team.