This run should get us our Bennett Stritz replacement
- Thread starter BuiltLikeWilt
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BuiltLikeWilt
Well-Known Member
I watched vids of Drake vs Mizzu before our last game , It seemed that the other guys were more confident and engaged especially Cam and Howard they will need to get that back. They do have a Big ten season under thier belt now .
InGoodCo
Well-Known Member
Bennet was still getting a mil at Iowa, we will actually free up cap space. I don't think Iowa needs to get a "top" guy in the portal, and I doubt Ben see's it that way either. We want the top guys, but Iowa just went to the Elite 8 with a roster of D2 kids. I wouldn't worry about NIL anymore and think more about fit, system fit, personality. I would personally would have liked to see Iowa get an incoming PG who is a freshman that can develop this coming season and get a backup PG that might play 10-15 a game and spell Combs.
Zstatman
Well-Known Member
I've been thinking I would like to see one of our wings emerge as a PG.
Between Conn, Harris, Thompson, Sage or Koch maybe one of them could do it.
How tall was that Illinois PG, 6'6"..........
I saw a pretty good PG in person in the Fieldhouse back in the day, Magic Johnson, I know it can be done
Between Conn, Harris, Thompson, Sage or Koch maybe one of them could do it.
How tall was that Illinois PG, 6'6"..........
I saw a pretty good PG in person in the Fieldhouse back in the day, Magic Johnson, I know it can be done
NorthKCHawk
Well-Known Member
The replacement for Stirtz is not going to be one guy. No one will play those types of minutes and be the nealy sole focus of the offense. I think its sort of like replacing Caitlyn Clark. You can't. You just have to raise the quality of the other four starting positions. Combs is a good distributing point guard this year. I thought he was over his head at times, but he is a great defender and a good passer in this system. He can handle the 1 or 2 but I think he is better at the 1. So, we don't necessarily need a PG, but we do need a guard that can shoot from the outside at a deadly clip. Combs gives Ben flexibility to go after the best guard available, but he doesn't have to be a PG.
Then we just need a center. We are loaded at the forward/wing positions IMHO.
Then we just need a center. We are loaded at the forward/wing positions IMHO.
I've been thinking I would like to see one of our wings emerge as a PG.
Between Conn, Harris, Thompson, Sage or Koch maybe one of them could do it.
How tall was that Illinois PG, 6'6"..........
I saw a pretty good PG in person in the Fieldhouse back in the day, Magic Johnson, I know it can be done
I don't think college players just all of a sudden become a PG. There are 2 specialized positions in modern basketball: PG and rim-protecting big (and many teams don't even have the rim-protector). Everyone else is interchangeable.
To be a good team, the 3 or 4 guys who are not a PG need to be able to play D, shoot, and at least one of them needs to be a secondary creator. But you absolutely need a PG to get things started, and that is a job and a position that someone needs to have played their whole life by the time they get to this point. I don't know, maybe someone from the group you listed did play as a PG all through high school. But if not, I think the best you can hope from them is a secondary ball-handler and creator; you cannot expect them to play point.
SwirlinLingerie
Well-Known Member
Stirtz, Hausen and Folgueiras were reportedly in the $5.5M range combined, so depending on how things shake out with Alvaro, there should be some money available.
That said, who knows what the payroll is for next year, and what it will cost to retain Sage, Koch, Thompson, etc.
Sort of a hard way to think about it, but pretty much have to consider every college player now being under a 9 month contract and a substantial portion of a team may change from year to year. Enjoy the season you watched them, and don't assume any of them will necessarily be back.
BuiltLikeWilt
Well-Known Member
That is SO hard to stomach !!
It feels like I might disagree with McCollum here (and he obviously knows infinitely more than me), but I think Folgueiras should be a high priority. We see again and again that these players* step up a level, struggle to adjust early, and then take off late in the season into year 2. He has a unique skillset, he is a fan favorite, and it feels like he could really elevate his game. I hope we get to see that at Iowa.
*recent Iowa examples: Mark Gronowski, Lucy Olsen, Filip Rebraca (went from 5.8 ppg and 5.6 rpg to 14.1 and 7.5 in 2 years at Iowa), Zach Vanvalkenburg (0 TFL and 0 sacks in first year with Iowa, 15.5 and 5.5 in last year), etc.
NorthKCHawk
Well-Known Member
He and Koch are by the far the two guys you have to retain. I don't see Koch going anywhere. He would not be in real high demand and his father got to see what he just did at his school.
Not so sure on Al. He is the most skilled offensive player coming back. He got more consistent as the season went on. If he is not the projected starter at the 4 next year, I don't know who is.
thedukeofearl
Well-Known Member
Ben seems particularly adept at recognizing talent and developing that talent to fit rather into his system
thedukeofearl
Well-Known Member
The Hawks this year seemed rather adept at passing the ball and keeping in motion making it difficult
for the opponent's D to operate efficiently
I thought I would be somewhat bored watching Ben's offense, but watching very well coached play
with such efficiency and skill against teams loaded with 4/5 star players was extremely entertaining
GO HAWKS
NorthKCHawk
Well-Known Member
A buddy of mine who is a little plugged in said he would not be surprised if Al transfers. There is a sense that he and McCollum may not be the perfect fit for each other. Part of that could be language and culture barriers. But, I hope he stays. He has a unique skillset and certainly would be a likely starter on a team on the rise.
Yes, BUT...let's briefly discuss the huge miss on Hausen, a high paid transfer that basically rode the bench all year. Some had him penciled in as a starter. Great kid! I feel bad for all concerned because he truly seemed to be engaged with the system and process. Great teammate and leader.
In this transfer portal world, you can't afford (literally) to have misses like this.
Hawkboys
Well-Known Member
Iowa's tourney run begs to differ...
NorthKCHawk
Well-Known Member
Exactly. The same stuff is said about free agents in football. Yes, you can miss. It happens. Sometimes you take a chance at a seasoned transfer and it does not work out. There are no certainties.
McCollum had such a unique approach this year plays Stirtz for 40 minutes and forcing the offense to go through him nearly all the time. I am near certain he will not be looking to plug another player into that same system. It will be more balanced and I have to believe he will play more guys next year.
Also, even if you only have a 7-man rotation, you still need capable guys from 8-11 in case there are injuries or foul trouble. I have no problem with signing and paying Hausen. He was capable of playing at this level, just was not good enough on D to be on the court every game. That's McCollum's culture and approach.
BuiltLikeWilt
Well-Known Member
I really like Al But his mental game, his hands and strength need improvement ..He seemed to make more dumb mistakes than the others, just from getting to fired up. He made a couple nice shots down the stretch but that doesnt make him irreplaceable. Our young long forwards and new kid coming in can carry the ship . but saying this I do like AL and if he stays should be better next year.
InGoodCo
Well-Known Member
Also, 15 scholarships means you can miss all the F you want too. Ben plays 8 guys.
