Two Keys to the Mich State Game

MelroseHawkins

MelroseHawkins

Well-Known Member
1) Defensive transition - They will try to run to get some cheap transition points. Iowa needs to transition back, similar to what Iowa likes to do now. This game will be a track meet with each team having its runs. Should be fun to watch. Iowa's depth could be key with this.
2) Taking care of the ball - Mich St. is one of the best teams getting up in the mug on offensive players. Not many other teams go out 25 - 30 ft to guard man-to-man. Gessel, Ogelsby, Clemmons & co need to stay calm & take care of the ball out there. We will see if Iowa can exploit some of that D & get to the hoop somehow with the number of athletic players they now have.

I think this is what the game will come down to, stopping Mich States fast breaks & not giving the ball up by our guards. Go Iowa!
 
I'll be interested to see an improved Gessel from last year playing the point tonight. I believe Marble was at the point last year in the BTT. Clemmons looked like he was forcing things when he played MSU last year as he has a lot of friends on the team and is from East Lansing. He played well Saturday and we may need some quality minutes from him tonight. I also remember the Iowa centers dominating down low in the first half last year. I say go inside right away and make them bring help and kick it out to some shooters. I agree about key #1, defensive transition will be paramount in trying to get them to become a jumpshot happy team.
 
MelroseHawkins said:
1) Defensive transition - They will try to run to get some cheap transition points. Iowa needs to transition back, similar to what Iowa likes to do now. This game will be a track meet with each team having its runs. Should be fun to watch. Iowa's depth could be key with this.
2) Taking care of the ball - Mich St. is one of the best teams getting up in the mug on offensive players. Not many other teams go out 25 - 30 ft to guard man-to-man. Gessel, Ogelsby, Clemmons & co need to stay calm & take care of the ball out there. We will see if Iowa can exploit some of that D & get to the hoop somehow with the number of athletic players they now have.

I think this is what the game will come down to, stopping Mich States fast breaks & not giving the ball up by our guards. Go Iowa!
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3) Points off of the Bench: As long as the Bench produces Hawks will win this game. If the Bench performs like they did against Michigan it is going to be a tough game to win.
 
MelroseHawkins said:
1) Defensive transition - They will try to run to get some cheap transition points. Iowa needs to transition back, similar to what Iowa likes to do now. This game will be a track meet with each team having its runs. Should be fun to watch. Iowa's depth could be key with this.
2) Taking care of the ball - Mich St. is one of the best teams getting up in the mug on offensive players. Not many other teams go out 25 - 30 ft to guard man-to-man. Gessel, Ogelsby, Clemmons & co need to stay calm & take care of the ball out there. We will see if Iowa can exploit some of that D & get to the hoop somehow with the number of athletic players they now have.

I think this is what the game will come down to, stopping Mich States fast breaks & not giving the ball up by our guards. Go Iowa!
Click to expand...
The key advantage Iowa ought to have due to the injuries up front vs MSU will be rebounding. MI beat MSU by 9 on the boards in E Lansing just days after we had beaten the same MI team by one in rbs in Ann Arbor. It might be tough for the Spartans to get the rebounds for fast break point opportunities in Iowa City.

Where MSU isn't injured currently is the backcourt. In the first loss vs the Spartans last year, we lost at home by 3 without Marble playing. In the BTT, we lost by 3 with Marble only getting 8 and Gesell getting mugged. If Marble can assert himself and Gesell can stand up to the pressure (including making fts) , I don't think MSU can win. That said, a wounded animal with its back to the wall is a dangerous thing. That's what MSU is right now.
 
MelroseHawkins said:
1) Defensive transition - They will try to run to get some cheap transition points. Iowa needs to transition back, similar to what Iowa likes to do now. This game will be a track meet with each team having its runs. Should be fun to watch. Iowa's depth could be key with this.
2) Taking care of the ball - Mich St. is one of the best teams getting up in the mug on offensive players. Not many other teams go out 25 - 30 ft to guard man-to-man. Gessel, Ogelsby, Clemmons & co need to stay calm & take care of the ball out there. We will see if Iowa can exploit some of that D & get to the hoop somehow with the number of athletic players they now have.

I think this is what the game will come down to, stopping Mich States fast breaks & not giving the ball up by our guards. Go Iowa!
Click to expand...

I agree that it's important to get back on D, but will MSU try to run with us? They are down 2 players so I would think Iowa has a decided advantage in depth, and am not sure how much MSU will want to try to engage us in a 40 minutes up-n-down the floor type of game.

I'm actually more concerned about MSU making it an ugly half-court game. That said, I definitely agree with your #2, because I expect MSU to attempt to blanket our guards defensively all night, hand checking, bumping, etc. If the game is called the way it's supposed to be, it shouldn't be a problem as they will either have to back off, or we'll get them in foul trouble and earn a living at the line. If we get "Teddy V'ed" again, that's the way I could see MSU winning.
 
UncleHawk said:
The key advantage Iowa ought to have due to the injuries up front vs MSU will be rebounding. MI beat MSU by 9 on the boards in E Lansing just days after we had beaten the same MI team by one in rbs in Ann Arbor. It might be tough for the Spartans to get the rebounds for fast break point opportunities in Iowa City.

Where MSU isn't injured currently is the backcourt. In the first loss vs the Spartans last year, we lost at home by 3 without Marble playing. In the BTT, we lost by 3 with Marble only getting 8 and Gesell getting mugged. If Marble can assert himself and Gesell can stand up to the pressure (including making fts) , I don't think MSU can win. That said, a wounded animal with its back to the wall is a dangerous thing. That's what MSU is right now.
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Another thing you've gotta remember about that BTT game last year, is that Gesell was playing on one good foot. I seem to remember Gesell getting limited minutes in the 2nd half, with Clemmons doing most of the ball handling, and he had a lot of trouble against MSU's D. With Gesell healthy again, I think it'll go much better. We can also hope for an evenly officiated game this time.
 
For me, there's only one key and that's turnovers. If we can limit ours and force some from them, we win.
 
UncleHawk said:
The key advantage Iowa ought to have due to the injuries up front vs MSU will be rebounding. MI beat MSU by 9 on the boards in E Lansing just days after we had beaten the same MI team by one in rbs in Ann Arbor. It might be tough for the Spartans to get the rebounds for fast break point opportunities in Iowa City.

Where MSU isn't injured currently is the backcourt. In the first loss vs the Spartans last year, we lost at home by 3 without Marble playing. In the BTT, we lost by 3 with Marble only getting 8 and Gesell getting mugged. If Marble can assert himself and Gesell can stand up to the pressure (including making fts) , I don't think MSU can win. That said, a wounded animal with its back to the wall is a dangerous thing. That's what MSU is right now.
Click to expand...

You bring up a good point about their injuries to the front court. This makes me think even more they will try to run even more to try to get some cheapies without our 4's & 5's setting up on D. They have to pick their moments to run because I don't think it would be in Mich States best interest being down 2-3 players with Iowa's depth. Will we possibly see quite a bit of zone from them tonight sec to having to be guard oriented. It's not Mich St's style, but they may need to be to offset Iowa's 4 & 5's.

It will be an interesting strategic/mind game between McCaffery & Izzo.
 
CPHAWK82 said:
I'll be interested to see an improved Gessel from last year playing the point tonight. I believe Marble was at the point last year in the BTT. Clemmons looked like he was forcing things when he played MSU last year as he has a lot of friends on the team and is from East Lansing. He played well Saturday and we may need some quality minutes from him tonight. I also remember the Iowa centers dominating down low in the first half last year. I say go inside right away and make them bring help and kick it out to some shooters. I agree about key #1, defensive transition will be paramount in trying to get them to become a jumpshot happy team.
Click to expand...

It seems that McCaffery does like to go inside early against 4-guard offenses. He did that against Michigan and it worked early, but then things got out of hand. Michigan stomped the Hawkeyes in transition.
 
1. Show up
2. Chuckle

This is so sweet having two of their starters out. The perfect storm... we could of beat them with their best. We will crush them with what's left.
 
I think it's also key to find a way to score points and limit their ability to do so. If we come out on the plus side of that equation we'll be fine.
 
the defense needs to force low shot make % by MSU and turnovers which is where we get out on the break and finish.

The game at Mich the wolves shot a high % with out many turnovers which really kept our fast break down.

The key is still defense, contested shots, no easy drives and dishes
 
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