Two observations from watching the tourney teams

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NickM

Well-Known Member
1. I don't seen any other team running screens to get guys open for three point shots. The subsantial amount of threes being taken are drive and dishes, or inside out. I can't for the life of me understand the Oglesby back and forth, back and forth until he is good and exhausted before curling off a screen and taking a jump shot from 22 feet. It's not fair to expect Oglesby or anyone to hit that shot with any consistency.

2. I haven't seen anyone defend the ball screen the way Iowa does, with the over agressive hedge by the guy guarding the screener coupled with the guy guarding the ball trying to go over the top of the screen. Seems like everyone is going under the ball screens, with the guy guarding the screener actually backing off a bit to give room for the defender to go underneath.
 
Watch Baylor, Heslip is curling around screens all over the place (he sometimes just stands around keeping a defender away from the action). Takes 1defender fallowing around constantly because if you give him an open three it has a good chance to go in.
 
Which would be fine if he had better fast twitch muscles and ran like his feet weren't covered in mud.
 
Difference is these tourney teams have playmakers. Even the mid-major and low mid-majors have a playmaker that Iowa lacked. Allows them to attack the basket and have defenses collapse on them for the open 3. Amazes me how many of these "mid-majors" have a playmaker and Iowa can't get one.
 
MJSCK said:
Which would be fine if he had better fast twitch muscles and ran like his feet weren't covered in mud.
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Like the speedy Brady Heslip? It doesn't take good athletes to run off screens. It takes good conditioning, a knowledge of how to set the defender up and most importantly good screeners.
 
Problem is we don't have a quick release guy. Og is our best 3 point shooter, and he has the slowest release I have ever seen on a quality outside shooter
 
I'm not sure I agree with your observations. I see tons of aggressive screen hedging and the three point shooter motion.

But I think there is one thing about the good tournament teams that Iowa doesn't have. The good teams in the tourney seem to have a fluidity, particularly on offense, that Iowa lacks. Teams like ISU, Kentucky, Carolina, Wichita, and others, have five man lineups that are much more flexible and less tightly defined in terms of positions and roles. I really like the way ISU plays on offense. Almost about everybody on the floor can handle the ball and shoot. It kind of reminds me of the Miami Heat, as ridiculous as that might sound.

Iowa has some good players, but we have too many guys that can only do one or two things. We need players that can adapt and play in any number of different ways, because that's how you win in the tournament.

Maybe what I'm really saying is that we just need better players. Deandre Kane has so many different elements to his game. We don't have that many guys like that.

I still like the idea of the big, long starting 5. But if we don't have the talent to achieve it, I would like to have a roster/lineup that sacrifices some height and formal structure for athleticism and versatility.
 
NickM said:
1. I don't seen any other team running screens to get guys open for three point shots. The subsantial amount of threes being taken are drive and dishes, or inside out. I can't for the life of me understand the Oglesby back and forth, back and forth until he is good and exhausted before curling off a screen and taking a jump shot from 22 feet. It's not fair to expect Oglesby or anyone to hit that shot with any consistency.

2. I haven't seen anyone defend the ball screen the way Iowa does, with the over agressive hedge by the guy guarding the screener coupled with the guy guarding the ball trying to go over the top of the screen. Seems like everyone is going under the ball screens, with the guy guarding the screener actually backing off a bit to give room for the defender to go underneath.
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Have you watched any games in this tournament?
 
Based on my observations of the talent on tourney teams making the Sweet 16 (or soon to make it), I would venture to say Iowa will not get to that level for quite some time.
 
The biggest differences I see between Iowa and good tourney teams.

1. Iowa dribbles more in 10 minutes than most teams do in a game. Good teams understand how to move the ball via the pass.

2. Most teams, unless they are playing mostly guards like ISU or Villinova, look to get the ball on the block at least once a possession. Even those teams of all guards get the ball on the block more than Iowa does. Iowa gets the ball on the block maybe 5 times a game.

It bewilders me why we can't get the ball on the block and why the coach allows the guards to refuse to make entry passes when some does post.

3. I don't see anyone else playing 3 guys who are not a threat to hit a jump shot beyond the foul line at the same time. Iowa started 3 non shooters this year it was the biggest reason we struggled IMO.
 
glidinghawk said:
Based on my observations of the talent on tourney teams making the Sweet 16 (or soon to make it), I would venture to say Iowa will not get to that level for quite some time.
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This is what I'm afraid of. Teams have already figured out Iowa. Oh well, this is what we've become. Go Hawks!
 
TheIowaHawkGuy said:
This is what I'm afraid of. Teams have already figured out Iowa. Oh well, this is what we've become. Go Hawks!
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They've figured out what we've been. I've still got plenty of hope for the future, especially if Fran can get us into the Chicago area on the recruiting trail.

Teams wouldn't be able to stop our transition game so easily if we could effectively operate in the halfcourt. This year's team couldn't do that, so teams could afford to bail out on the offensive glass and play defense (especially once the shots started falling with high regularity). But give White a respectable jumper (or insert a player in the future in that role who has one), and there's a lot more production coming from that spot. White disappears because if it's not a track meet and defenses take away the back door alley-oop, he's got nothing anymore. Teams play him to drive because he has no jumper and so they can defend him without fouling, which limits his ability to get to and convert at the line. If Uthoff can get stronger, I think he could fill the role at the 3 very effectively.

White has enough skills to create his own shot opportunities, IMO. What he apparently lacks is the ability to hit the shots he might create.
 
I think if Iowa can get a quality recruit this spring, they will get some national recognition next year. They may of been close to making the sweet sixteen this year. Losing to arkansas in overtime isn't a disgrace. Iowa isn't the greatest team offensively against a quality athletic team, but they are going to be a lot more athletic next year.
 
LawVHawk said:
IMHO Tennessee did us a solid. No way was Iowa ready to play in this tournament. No way.
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And yet, that game went to OT with Tenn destroying Mass and Mercer.

The way things have shook out, Iowa would have beaten Mass and Merc with another shot at Mich.

I'd take that in a heartbeat and say a good year.
 
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