Was at Iowa's practice today

burky247

burky247

Well-Known Member
I have to admit I was completely surprised at the tempo at which we practice. Much more up tempo than I was expecting. And I'm not talking about running the floor on breaks or anything(although I was surprised at the amount of time they spent on that). I'm talking about the practice as a whole. Even their half court sets were blistering. The ball movement was so fluid and concise. Lots of sets where they weren't allowed to dribble but simply use passes and screens to get opportunities. It simply was amazing how quickly they moved the ball around. It was very fun to watch.

Defensively, again, very up tempo. And to their credit, constant communication. Way more than I have seen at any games so far this year. Hopefully that is a good sign for tomorrow.

I have been critical of the system. And am still not sold. But I have to admit that what i saw today gave me more hope than any game I have watched so far this year. The practice I saw earlier in the year made me want to vomit in my mouth. Today's practice reminded me of the football practices I have witnessed. How we flow from one drill to another without losing tempo or intensity.

One of my biggest complaints this season has been how robotic we appear to be on offense. As if not our players just aren't sure of their roles or responsibilities yet. And how this offense doesn't help our players create enough shots. I'm starting to think maybe I am wrong on that point. And now our players are getting enough experience to execute the offense.

I'm still not sure how exciting it will be. But I think I'm about ready to stop complaining about the system for a while. All I know is I left Carver pumped about thinking of the game tomorrow night. And maybe that's what Iowa basketball should ultimately be about anyway.
 
K, I don't want to be a negative nancy but the second team's defense just isn't good. This is why next season's class is so important to add depth for practice purposes. Cully Payne and Gatens are being guarded by the likes of Lil Lick, Bawinkle and Neari. I am able to see practice quite often and it the lack of quickness on the bench really hurts our starters ability to practice game like conditions. I am glad you will be there tomorrow though.
 
ForeverHawk said:
Was Tucker back today? If so, what was his involvement?
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Tucker is back. Not sure how much time he will get based on his reps today. Wouldn't expect a ton of time tomorrow. But that's just my opinion.

Kind of cool seeing Archie for the first time. Reminds me of Looby in a way. Seems to run the court well. Needs to bulk up before next season. If he can commit the way Fuller did in the weight room, it would help him tremendously. Because right now he gets pushed out of the lane with ease.
 
The added depth of the four incoming freshman next year in addition to Archie and Tucker and Iowa will have much needed depth not only for games, but for practices as well. This alone should help the team improve some. The key here is no transfers, or at least no core player transfers!
 
IAJay said:
K, I don't want to be a negative nancy but the second team's defense just isn't good. This is why next season's class is so important to add depth for practice purposes. Cully Payne and Gatens are being guarded by the likes of Lil Lick, Bawinkle and Neari. I am able to see practice quite often and it the lack of quickness on the bench really hurts our starters ability to practice game like conditions. I am glad you will be there tomorrow though.
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I think you are being realistic, not negative. Most of my assessment is compared to the first practice I watched this season. When I watch practices, I tend to not even notice the rim. So I'm not giving a glowing report because the first team dominated the second team in a score sense. If we can transition our ball movement and tempo from practice to the game I think things could get pretty interesting the last part of the season. I'm not talking about tourney runs or anything like that. Just more and more improvement.
 
burky247 said:
Tucker is back. Not sure how much time he will get based on his reps today. Wouldn't expect a ton of time tomorrow. But that's just my opinion.

Kind of cool seeing Archie for the first time. Reminds me of Looby in a way. Seems to run the court well. Needs to bulk up before next season. If he can commit the way Fuller did in the weight room, it would help him tremendously. Because right now he gets pushed out of the lane with ease.
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Didn't coach L already say he wasn't going to play v. OSU?
 
I am happy that you like what you saw, it is very encouraging. The dribble drive is such an important part of this system and it's really to bad Payne and Gatens don't have the quick defenders they usually see in the Big Ten to practice getting into the lane against.
 
FYI- Tucker will NOT play tomorrow. Lickliter is still uncertain when or if AT will play again this season. He has a long way to go still.
 
burky247 said:
I have to admit I was completely surprised at the tempo at which we practice. Much more up tempo than I was expecting. And I'm not talking about running the floor on breaks or anything(although I was surprised at the amount of time they spent on that). I'm talking about the practice as a whole. Even their half court sets were blistering. The ball movement was so fluid and concise. Lots of sets where they weren't allowed to dribble but simply use passes and screens to get opportunities. It simply was amazing how quickly they moved the ball around. It was very fun to watch.
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Maybe Lickliter is going to morph into Ralph Miller. Could God possibly be that generous to us?
 
The ball movement has improved immensely the last few games. It is amazing how smooth the team has looked while on offense. Hopefully it doesn't regress against Ohio State.
 
FreddyBrown said:
Maybe Lickliter is going to morph into Ralph Miller. Could God possibly be that generous to us?
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At first, I thought you said "Ralph Wiggum".

However, I prefer my coach being a Milhouse...

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Being around a different sport at the D1 level- I don't think you ever get a feel or proper grasp for how good the players are until you see them up close and personal.

A team that isn't good - like the Hawks- still, they are different caliber athletes and why it's always funny when people think the average high school player who had some success in high school could compete against these guys.

Go to a practice. I bet that view would change in a hurry.

You might not see in a game- when they are matched up against other superior athletes- the overall athleticism and skillsets of every player.

Isolate them in a practice setting, with nothing else to compare too on the field or court, and you start to really understand how good the players are.
 
I don't suppose they worked on any in-bounds plays against pressure?
This has been lacking the entire Lickliter era.
 
iahawk20 said:
FYI- Tucker will NOT play tomorrow. Lickliter is still uncertain when or if AT will play again this season. He has a long way to go still.
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What a waste of talent, and basically two years of eligibilty. I hope he can get back into some games this year. But we have all seen what happens when you get into coach lick's doghouse. No playing time.
 
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