Thoughts on Nova Game

[bpiercehawks]

It's strange to say, but I actually think it's a bad thing if we start off hot from 3. We then fall in love with the 3 ball and don't run offense/move the ball. I'd like to see us run a lot more high/low with Woody and JU. Fran also runs some nice screen-the-screener action inside to get JU the ball in the paint. We only run this a few times a game, however. One thing that I also think is strange is our end-game situations (not earth-shattering there) - what is strange to me is that Fran is an excellent baseline OOB coach and these are similar special situations. We score off of these plays every game. I'd love for us to run some of these actions as the clock winds down. Finally, we can't have Woody or Mike get in first half foul trouble. We lack quality depth at those two spots. I think Sapp plays a huge game today. Maybe not in points, but in defense, toughness, leadership. His foul the other night will continue to motivate him. That kid is mentally tough. Go Hawks!

 

[hawkeyebob62]

It's strange to say, but I actually think it's a bad thing if we start off hot from 3. We then fall in love with the 3 ball and don't run offense/move the ball. I'd like to see us run a lot more high/low with Woody and JU. Fran also runs some nice screen-the-screener action inside to get JU the ball in the paint. We only run this a few times a game, however. One thing that I also think is strange is our end-game situations (not earth-shattering there) - what is strange to me is that Fran is an excellent baseline OOB coach and these are similar special situations. We score off of these plays every game. I'd love for us to run some of these actions as the clock winds down. Finally, we can't have Woody or Mike get in first half foul trouble. We lack quality depth at those two spots. I think Sapp plays a huge game today. Maybe not in points, but in defense, toughness, leadership. His foul the other night will continue to motivate him. That kid is mentally tough. Go Hawks!

One key issue with "end-of-game" scenarios: how many times in four years has MG had the ball in hand int hese situations? And, beofre Friday, how many times had it come out "positive"?

Need a different plan in that scenario...

 

[PCHawk]

It's strange to say, but I actually think it's a bad thing if we start off hot from 3. We then fall in love with the 3 ball and don't run offense/move the ball. I'd like to see us run a lot more high/low with Woody and JU. Fran also runs some nice screen-the-screener action inside to get JU the ball in the paint. We only run this a few times a game, however. One thing that I also think is strange is our end-game situations (not earth-shattering there) - what is strange to me is that Fran is an excellent baseline OOB coach and these are similar special situations. We score off of these plays every game. I'd love for us to run some of these actions as the clock winds down. Finally, we can't have Woody or Mike get in first half foul trouble. We lack quality depth at those two spots. I think Sapp plays a huge game today. Maybe not in points, but in defense, toughness, leadership. His foul the other night will continue to motivate him. That kid is mentally tough. Go Hawks!

Your point that Fran is good at out of bounds plays is a main reason I think end of game situations isn't on him. You simply can't be good at drawing up plays for one but not the other. It's not the plays Fran is calling. It's the fact that all 5 guys are hoping someone else makes a play.

 

[hawkeyebob62]

Your point that Fran is good at out of bounds plays is a main reason I think end of game situations isn't on him. You simply can't be good at drawing up plays for one but not the other. It's not the plays Fran is calling. It's the fact that all 5 guys are hoping someone else makes a play.

Then MG needs to--as PG and leader--take charge in late-game huddles and TELL guys to be ready for the ball...

 

[PCHawk]

One key issue with "end-of-game" scenarios: how many times in four years has MG had the ball in hand int hese situations? And, beofre Friday, how many times had it come out "positive"?

Need a different plan in that scenario...

If the other 4 guys are doing such a bad job that Mike doesn't even have anyone else to pass to, how does it matter if Clemmons is the one with the ball and Mike is one of the 4 guys not trying to get open?

 

[Cardinals54]

My thoughts on this game are that I'm gonna sit back, enjoy every second, not go ballistic if we happen to lose, and relish the opportunity to make some waves on the national stage should we win. Just flat looking forward to the game... and let the chips fall where they may. GOOOO HAWKS!!

 

[HawkAssassin]

Have to have low turnovers and good shots. Can't let their physical play get to us and force us to make poor decisions.

 

[ssckelley]

They have to play almost mistake free basketball like they did against Temple (3 turnovers) but will need to shoot a better percentage of shots.

I don't have a very good feeling about this game. Jok & Uthoff will have to shoot out of their minds for us to have any chance.

 

[trj]

Typical Jay Wright nova team it will seem as if you are playing 4 guards.....a scaled down, collegiate version of Golden St. Perimeter D will be the key Iowa will have to get in people's grill and defend.

 

[ibahawkeye]

They have to play almost mistake free basketball like they did against Temple (3 turnovers) but will need to shoot a better percentage of shots.

I don't have a very good feeling about this game. Jok & Uthoff will have to shoot out of their minds for us to have any chance.

It's either this scenario or Mike having a 25 point game like he did against one of the games against Sparty along with Baer and Uhl being very efficient from 3 and adding some points.

 

[trj]

If the other 4 guys are doing such a bad job that Mike doesn't even have anyone else to pass to, how does it matter if Clemmons is the one with the ball and Mike is one of the 4 guys not trying to get open?

If Clemmons were a better scorer it would matter, but he isn't.....so it doesn't matter.

 

[ArvadaHawk]

They have to play almost mistake free basketball like they did against Temple (3 turnovers) but will need to shoot a better percentage of shots.

I don't have a very good feeling about this game. Jok & Uthoff will have to shoot out of their minds for us to have any chance.

Seems as though Nova is a guard dominant team (play 3 guards regularly) so I think we need to feed JU and see a lot of Uhl on the court with JU. Their front line players that avg more than 10 minutes are 6'-7", 6'-8" and 6'-11" and that's it. The "enemy recon" article on the front page indicates Nova fans believe they have problems with teams that push the pace and have problems with rebounding. Not sure if either is true, but if they are, then we need to run and then quickly feed players posting up down low if there's no fast break opportunity. Keep JU and Jok on same side of court and post JU. That would be tough to guard for a small team. Again, Uhl needs to see a lot of minutes. Williams will need to be error free for any minutes he plays, which may be more than usual with Nova being guard heavy.

 

[STILLBUSTER]

As posted in RHowe's article thread ... Nova is everything that exposes Iowa and makes them play poorly. It won't be Gonzaga bad but will be their worst loss of the season, +15. I'd recommend dvr, with the option to delete without viewing, unless you're "into" that sort of masochistic thing.

 

[ssckelley]

It's either this scenario or Mike having a 25 point game like he did against one of the games against Sparty along with Baer and Uhl being very efficient from 3 and adding some points.

Gesell doesn't even look to shoot anymore, he passed up on all kinds of wide open looks against Temple. About the only time he shoots anymore is when he tries to create something off the dribble, which feels like the best case scenario is he gets fouled when he does that. I expect the same against Villanova, they will leave him wide open and if he can get his confidence back and nail a few shots he could be a game changer.

 

[trj]

Then MG needs to--as PG and leader--take charge in late-game huddles and TELL guys to be ready for the ball...

You either want the ball at money time or you don't. It is part of your DNA or it is not. When MG is dribbling around you can come to basketball, fight to get to the open spot or you can stand around and convince yourself that is what you are doing.

 

[PCHawk]

Then MG needs to--as PG and leader--take charge in late-game huddles and TELL guys to be ready for the ball...

You have 5 uperclassmen out there. Mike needs to take charge. But so do the others. It's probably too late for them now, but if they could have had some good luck earlier in their careers like they had the other night, maybe it would have changed how they handled close games.

 

[trj]

Gesell doesn't even look to shoot anymore, he passed up on all kinds of wide open looks against Temple. About the only time he shoots anymore is when he tries to create something off the dribble, which feels like the best case scenario is he gets fouled when he does that. I expect the same against Villanova, they will leave him wide open and if he can get his confidence back and nail a few shots he could be a game changer.

^^^^If this scenario plays out Jok/Uthoff won't have that many clean looks. Everytime they touch the ball there will be guys flying at them. Remember whoever is guarding AW is floating around also.

 

[ibahawkeye]

You have 5 uperclassmen out there. Mike needs to take charge. But so do the others. It's probably too late for them now, but if they could have had some good luck earlier in their careers like they had the other night, maybe it would have changed how they handled close games.

Uthoff and Jok lack of handles limits the ability to be able to give them the ball and just let them create. Instead we try to set up picks for a catch and shoot situation. We've struggled to get them open it ends up with Mike still having the ball in his hands and forced into a bad scenario that wasn't ever what the play intended to be.

At least that's the way I see these late game scearios going down.

 

[EstronHawkKing]

Go Hawks!

 

[trj]

Uthoff and Jok lack of handles limits the ability to be able to give them the ball and just let them create. Instead we try to set up picks for a catch and shoot situation. We've struggled to get them open it ends up with Mike still having the ball in his hands and forced into a bad scenario that wasn't ever what the play intended to be.

At least that's the way I see these late game scearios going down.

Catch and shoot guys can still work their way open. Uthoff has length he can shoot over people come to the basketball, demand it.