This team better get back to what got them here.

[lightning1]

They better get their defense back on track. It's been ugly over the past few games. They cannot coast through the end of the regular season. If Fran allows them to get away with that, They'll try and coast through the NCAA tourney. They'll get beat.

 

[99topdawg]

This is exactly right. Their defensive intensity wore teams out earlier in the year, which is why they were able to win so many games by double-digits. They just didn't have it tonight. Bring it on Wednesday and take the week off, getting ready to kick Bucky's tail.

 

[Bigtenchamp]

I agree their defense has been worse lately.

But also there outside shooting and bench play hasn't been as good.

They are in a bit of a slump... but they are still winning.

They will get hot again.

 

[KCHawkeye]

I was thinking the same thing. Stats don't look bad, but the good guys let Minni hang. On the other hand the goofs hit some big threes.

 

[SmokeTownHawk]

I would hope that this slump of sorts is coming at the right time. With this team I really don't think a 1 and done is adequate in the Big Dance.

 

[tweeterhawk]

Once again a Fran McCaffery-coached team peaks too early.

There was no energy, little emotion for most of the night. Did not play like a top 25 team, much less one supposedly in the top 5. Should have been able to put these cellar-dwellers away early.

 

[proudhawkfan21]

I challenge you to look at it from a different perspective. Is it possible that our intensity has not dropped off as much as our opponents having a lot more tape and games to evaluate? Great coaches in the big....some of the best players in the country...they are going to close the gap at some point. I don't see woody being any less intense...uthoff is playing hard...i don't think jok takes plays off. Better point guard play from mason...trimble...ferrell...those are good creators who break down defenses. Don't just assume our intensity isn't there. Zone vs Indiana was just moronic and we stayed in it. They just crashed the week side guard and wing/post on offense any time a shot went up....bad coaching decision to stay in zone. Otherwise, I feel our guys are playing with every bit of intensity as they were at the beginning of the big season.

 

[loesshillshawk]

I agree their defense has been worse lately.

But also there outside shooting and bench play hasn't been as good.

They are in a bit of a slump... but they are still winning.

They will get hot again.

We said that last year.

 

[bcl20]

Once again a Fran McCaffery-coached team peaks too early.

You're really smart

 

[1977Hawkeye]

I would hope that this slump of sorts is coming at the right time. With this team I really don't think a 1 and done is adequate in the Big Dance.

Kind of what I'm thinking. If you're going to slump, do it now in winnable games.. Get hot again in March.

 

[tweeterhawk]

You're really smart

Beg to differ, Mr. Basketball?

 

[WestCoastHawk]

They haven't been moving the ball nearly as well and throw up some stupid shots early in the clock. Not sure what is going on.

 

[tweeterhawk]

They haven't been moving the ball nearly as well and throw up some stupid shots early in the clock. Not sure what is going on.

Would like to know where Jarrod's shooting touch has gone. He's been ice cold last couple of games.

 

[deanvogs]

Once again a Fran McCaffery-coached team peaks too early.

There was no energy, little emotion for most of the night. Did not play like a top 25 team, much less one supposedly in the top 5. Should have been able to put these cellar-dwellers away early.

Beg to differ, Mr. Basketball?

I do.

Fran gets a pass for anything that happened in '10-'11 considering what Lick left him.

Fran's second year '11-'12, we were much better at the end of the year. After starting 3-6 in B1G play, we finished 5-4 in the last half with wins over ranked Wisconsin and Indiana. This got us into the NIT, and started the turnaround of the program

The next year ('12-'13) we were also much better at the end of the year. After starting 3-7 in B1G play, we finished 6-2 in the second half, and then made a deep NIT run

In '14-'15 we collapsed. Fran's son was diagnosed with cancer, and the team cratered from that point on.

In '15-16' we were much better at the end of the year. We started 4-4 in B1G play, then went 8-2 including winning 6 in a row to finish conference play. We won our first NCAA game in what feels like a lifetime.


So while it is a cute little narrative you are trying to push, the facts point out it is just a fantasy in your head that Fran's teams "Peak" too soon. They have played much better at the end of the year, except for the year when Fran was dealing with his son's cancer.

 

[HawkeyeWalker]

Would like to know where Jarrod's shooting touch has gone. He's been ice cold last couple of games.

He started cold. Then went for 25, 15, 6.

 

[tm3308]

He started cold. Then went for 25, 15, 6.

He still didn't shoot well. He did most of his scoring around the rim and was 1-7 from behind the arc.

 

[WindsorHawk]

Once again a Fran McCaffery-coached team peaks too early.

Please explain. Iowa has had a better postseason the last 4 years running. This will likely be the 5th year in a row that we improve from the prior year.

 

[WindsorHawk]

I care about 1 thing every game...scoring 1 more point than the opponent. Mission accomplished last night!

 

[dwghawk]

Holy catfish people! The Hawkeyes are 20-5 overall, 11-2 and atop the BIG. Lets sit back and enjoy this and see what happens before we start critiquing the best basketball season we have had in 30 years. I know it is pretty hard to go through a long BB season like this without getting a few chinks in the armor. Every team they play is gong to give them their best shot from here on out. But damn, somebody is doing something right down there and we need to just sit back and enjoy the roll.

 

[Bigtenchamp]

We said that last year.

huh? maybe you did... I haven't seen an Iowa team shoot well from the outside for 3 years