This team is better than last year's.

[HawkeyeMike23]

I think it will be more difficult for teams to prepare for Iowa this year compared to last year. Last year, opponents planned their defense around stopping RDM. Once they were able to, the offense just looked stale. This year, it seems like we have a few scorers who can carry the load on different nights. If White gains most of the attention in a game, JU and others will have more open shots.

That's the positive outlook, the negative outlook would be that those same guys couldn't consistently score while most of the defensive attention was focused on Marble, so why will they be much better with additional defensive attention being applied to them.

 

[bogeyman]

It's not just on the offensive end, there are a lot of rebounds that we should be getting cleanly but are letting smaller players knock away and the ball gets batted around more often than it should before we control it.

Yep definitely could be more physical on both ends of the floor. Wish we had one guy who had some bulk, but like KF would say we just need to execute the fundamentals (boxing out, communication etc.) since we lack the muscle.

 

[HawkeyeMike23]

I'm really not as down on the team as it may appear with my posts. I've said before I think we will make the NCAA tournament this year, but I just haven't seen enough to get too worked up yet. Clemmons does look much improved, he seems to have solidly claimed a spot in the rotation going forward. Uthoff seems to be more aggressive and looking for his shot more, I hope that continues. As weird as it sounds I hope he has some 4/15 nights this year because that would mean he's confident enough to keep shooting even if he's having an off night, we're going to need a lot of offense from him against good teams. Woody and Gabe both look like they have continued to improve. I think this team will have a shorter rotation and much more clear cut rotation which will also be a good thing.

 

[InGoodCo]

I'm not ready to make any claims on things after 2 games, but I was in the camp that thought they would be better this season. I just think the core of players are better. I think that every year Fran has brought in better players than the next. I think those players are maturing and will as a result play better. I think a lot of players have progressed and added bulk and strength. I think the program is still building and as a result, will continue to ascend. That was the camp I was in when the year started, still in that camp. Losing to TX will not change my mind on that.

 

[1977Hawkeye]

I'm really not as down on the team as it may appear with my posts. I've said before I think we will make the NCAA tournament this year, but I just haven't seen enough to get too worked up yet. Clemmons does look much improved, he seems to have solidly claimed a spot in the rotation going forward. Uthoff seems to be more aggressive and looking for his shot more, I hope that continues. As weird as it sounds I hope he has some 4/15 nights this year because that would mean he's confident enough to keep shooting even if he's having an off night, we're going to need a lot of offense from him against good teams. Woody and Gabe both look like they have continued to improve. I think this team will have a shorter rotation and much more clear cut rotation which will also be a good thing.

I see what you're saying and I agree - good shooters keep shooting because they'll start to fall. I just hope they are more like 8-for-15 nights, though.

 

[Knight78]

It's fun to watch a TEAM play. The Iowa program lost that last season IMO and it's nice to watch them play together, not watching Iowa spread and let one person win or lose a game. IMO Fran and this staff learned an awful lot of from last season, good came from a bad situation and nobody can convince me otherwise.

Sounds a lot like the Mark Twain quote: "When I was 16 I was convinced my father was an idiot. It was amazing how much he learned by the time I turned 25."

 

[Knight78]

There's clearly evidence the team has drastically improved their 3 point potential this year.

Not to be a downer, but we were saying the same thing last year after playing two below-average opponents. We all started talking about our lack of 3-point ability during the B1G season where defense was actually applied to the shooters.

 

[hawkforlife9]

That is all.

Duh, the ball hog graduated. They can be a team again.

 

[JHHawk]

I'm really not as down on the team as it may appear with my posts. I've said before I think we will make the NCAA tournament this year, but I just haven't seen enough to get too worked up yet. Clemmons does look much improved, he seems to have solidly claimed a spot in the rotation going forward. Uthoff seems to be more aggressive and looking for his shot more, I hope that continues. As weird as it sounds I hope he has some 4/15 nights this year because that would mean he's confident enough to keep shooting even if he's having an off night, we're going to need a lot of offense from him against good teams. Woody and Gabe both look like they have continued to improve. I think this team will have a shorter rotation and much more clear cut rotation which will also be a good thing.

Agree with Mike23.

Marble gets this bad rap for playing hero ball last year, but it is yet to be tested that without him, Iowa will score better in tight games...I have doubts.
Watching ISU last nite, I saw guys just pull up and make shots...Long and Morris are good jumpshooters....do we have anyone as good? I have doubts.

I hope we see other guys have developed enough to hit the big shots.....someone has to shoot it, last year it was Dev....yet to be determined if we have a group of guys who can do better than Dev.

Texas is huge, and skilled, and athletic. Turner is off the bench but the #2 pick in some mock drafts for next spring.
I expect us to get hammered, honestly, but that is not the end of the world...they are a top ten team. Just beat Cal in game #2 and it will be a good learning experience for our Hawks...they will not see another team with the kind of big athletes that the Horns have...so we will know the worst.

 

[Knight78]

For this fact alone I think this team IS better than last year's. It will be more difficult for opposing teams to know who to defend; generally there will be five players on the floor who can score or create opportunities for others. We didn't have that advantage as much last year.

So far Clemmons appears to be much stronger running the point and a threat to score. Hope he can continue that against tougher competition and in the conference. Olesani has really impressed; is best off the bench or could he start in place of Woody?

Olesani has done well so far... against two inferior opponents. And yes, definitely off the bench. While Gabe is a bit more athletic, Woody's passing skills alone rate him above Gabe. Woody is also more vocal to teammates on defense which makes the entire team better defensively; the same as last year.

 

[JHHawk]

Duh, the ball hog graduated. They can be a team again.

Yes, Iowa is so much better with no NBA prospects this year....those talented NBA types totally screw us up....just look at the Lick years...we had no one,and we flourished.

 

[blkngldFRO]

There just hasn't been evidence either for or against a statement like that. I think the potential to be better is there. I think we have more players that fit the way we play. McCabe and Basabe (as much as I liked Mel) seemed undersized and Marble (as good as he was, and he was good) played more hero ball than one would like in an offense like ours. That said, there's a lot of question marks and I'm not sure we have a really good player (White may be but we'll see)

New York will show us something about this team. That's a trip that has me both nervous and excited.

The only thing i would say is you get a feeling that this team is already jelling better than last year. I can remember who it was last night but that little bounce behind pass to drop it for the trailing 3 that was nice. Didn’t see those kind of plays and confidence in each other last year. To already see that this early is promising.

Agreed still not enough evidence to make the OP statement, but what evidence is there it leans closer to that then the other.

Go hawks I feel like 8 year old me on Christmas what are we going to get on Thursday?!?

 

[HawkeyeMike23]

I see what you're saying and I agree - good shooters keep shooting because they'll start to fall. I just hope they are more like 8-for-15 nights, though.

Right, my real concern is that he has 1/5 nights where the shots don't fall early and he gets passive. I think he's the key to the team this year, if Uthoff isn't a 13-15 ppg scorer in the B10, I struggle to see where else we're going to get enough points from to win consistently.

 

[BigD]

I hope we all feel this optimistic after we have played Texas. The two teams we have beaten this far are not very good. I do like it that our outside shooting has looked really good. I do feel our half court game needs to improve especially feeding the ball down in the post. Gabe and Woody need to really step up this season to make this team complete. They have done fairly well but we haven't played a team that can challenge us in the post yet.

Texas is big and strong down low and will really give us a pre-B1G glance at what's coming when we get to conference play. I am hoping for a win as that would be HUGE and would put IOWA on the national stage B1G time.

It could be just what the doctor ordered to get our recruiting to where we can start signing the top
players in the country instead of just being barely beat out by other college basketball programs. The Iowa basketball program is on the cusp of being really good. This year could be huge for determining if they can get over that cusp. It's going to be fun to watch this team grow together this season. Go Hawks and BEAT Texas.

 

[jacknicholson]

The only thing i would say is you get a feeling that this team is already jelling better than last year. I can remember who it was last night but that little bounce behind pass to drop it for the trailing 3 that was nice. Didn’t see those kind of plays and confidence in each other last year. To already see that this early is promising.

Agreed still not enough evidence to make the OP statement, but what evidence is there it leans closer to that then the other.

Go hawks I feel like 8 year old me on Christmas what are we going to get on Thursday?!?

That was Oglesby to a trailing Uthoff who nailed a three, one of the best plays of the game. Josh is playing well as a steadying influence, passing well, playing good D. We shouldn't forget Uthoff as a threat with the three. He is as good as anyone on the team.....

We have the possibility of being a better team with better chemistry, that elusive quality that the best teams have.....

Good Post, BigD......

 

[PCHawk]

The only thing i would say is you get a feeling that this team is already jelling better than last year. I can remember who it was last night but that little bounce behind pass to drop it for the trailing 3 that was nice. Didn’t see those kind of plays and confidence in each other last year. To already see that this early is promising.

Agreed still not enough evidence to make the OP statement, but what evidence is there it leans closer to that then the other.

Go hawks I feel like 8 year old me on Christmas what are we going to get on Thursday?!?

I'm hoping for a Nintendo.

 

[PCHawk]

I think people underestimate how good you have to be to absolutely destroy the teams we played. It doesn't prove we are a top 15 team but it does prove we are above average at least. I would say there are no more than 30 teams that would win that convincingly both games.

 

[tweeterhawk]

I think people underestimate how good you have to be to absolutely destroy the teams we played. It doesn't prove we are a top 15 team but it does prove we are above average at least. I would say there are no more than 30 teams that would win that convincingly both games.

So basically you're saying this is a Top 30 team?

 

[1977Hawkeye]

Not to be a downer, but we were saying the same thing last year after playing two below-average opponents. We all started talking about our lack of 3-point ability during the B1G season where defense was actually applied to the shooters.

Last year in the first two games against UNC Wilmington & Omaha, Iowa was a combined 7-26 (26.9%) from behind the arc.

First two games this year, they are a combined 18-41 (43.9%).

Sure, it's just two games so only time will tell if it'll continue, but I'm definitely encouraged by the outside shooting so far.

 

[Tierney]

Last year in the first two games against UNC Wilmington & Omaha, Iowa was a combined 7-26 (26.9%) from behind the arc.

First two games this year, they are a combined 18-41 (43.9%).

Sure, it's just two games so only time will tell if it'll continue, but I'm definitely encouraged by the outside shooting so far.

When you have a lot more scorers, its a lot easier to score.