When Eric May plays well....
- Thread starter Mac50702
- Start date
Yea,it is on every announcers cue cards now,it seems.
Now, is there a grain of truth in this cliche? Yea,but still sick of hearing it.
Last nite if the Hawks come all the way back and win,it would have broken this pattern as Eric had a tough nite.
Wish it had happened.
I will say this...that position,whether manned by Eric or Zach,like last nite,does need to produce offensively. Zach did,and we came back.
blkngldFRO
Well-Known Member
I was going to start a new thread about May. I think he is still playing some tuff D most the time.
I just want to know what happen to this kid that made him lose so much confidence. That's what it seems like. Seems like he is laking the confidence he started the year with in abundance. Just going off the last two games it is like he is scared to pull up and shoot. There were a couple time last night when he got in the lane then dribbled around and looked to some one else to put up the ball.
I am also sick of the announcers saying this, because everyone needs to have a good game, for the hawks to do well.
I really hope this kid can get back to the confident offensive and defensive player we have seen him be at times.
I just want to know what happen to this kid that made him lose so much confidence. That's what it seems like. Seems like he is laking the confidence he started the year with in abundance. Just going off the last two games it is like he is scared to pull up and shoot. There were a couple time last night when he got in the lane then dribbled around and looked to some one else to put up the ball.
I am also sick of the announcers saying this, because everyone needs to have a good game, for the hawks to do well.
I really hope this kid can get back to the confident offensive and defensive player we have seen him be at times.
Herkeynerd
Well-Known Member
Exactly what I was thinking about after last nights game. This guy is a difference maker. It seems like if he can't get out in the open floor and get a highlight dunk, the game passes him by. I know a lot of people say, let the game come to you, but he passes the ball back so much. He made a good drive in the lane last night and finished with a finger-roll type scoop shot, I thought he might get going after that point, no dice. I'm baffled as to what is holding him back.
1111Hawk
Active Member
Just a shot in the dark but it seems like playing with Cartwright makes him tentative. I don't think he has a huge basketball IQ so he needs to remain in a set to succeed. When Bryce starts creating May is lost and unsure as to what he needs to be doing. When Cully was playing early in the season, May felt comfortable, knew what he was doing and where he was suppose to be on the court. The start of his decline seems to coincide with Cully's injury.
Eric May played well in the preseason for 2 reasons.
1. He was athletically superior to a lot of the teams we were playing. Guys were not taller, stronger, or really quicker than him.
2. Non of those teams really had any real advanced scouting on Eric.
I agree his basketball IQ is not very good and he tends to not quite understand where to flow. However his biggest detriment is he CANT create off the dribble at all. He might get one play a game where a defender slips up and allows Eric to get by, but Eric by no means can beat guys off the dribble with the shot clock winding down.
Eric is good at running the floor and filling lanes, but other teams in the Big 10 are pretty good at controling tempo and it's not like every Iowa possesion is a 3 on 1 fast break where Eric gets to run out and fill lanes.
For instance you see what a "basketball player" looks like when you watch Cartwright. He moves well, has good instincts and can get off some odd shots. Eric May does not have this ability because he really isn't a "basketball player". He has flashes but just does not have the skill to consistently do things. Really if you look at games where he scores well he is doing so by knocking down maybe 3 three point shots at least. Cartwright does not need to hit any 3 point shots to score 10+ points whereas Eric needs to.
People who don't understand this don't seem to understand basketball that well. There seem to be some people who understand this but some dont. People see a guy dunk a few times think he is some great basketball player. Eric is not timid per say, he is smart, knows he can't dribble and does not force things. He tries to drive, doesn't feel he can turn the corner and passed the ball. It's not timied it's called knowing he lacks certain skills.
hawkfarmer
Well-Known Member
blkngoldUofI
Well-Known Member
I would insert Marble in May's place and let May sit and maybe he will be more May like when he comes off the bench. Even the basket that he had lastnight towards the end of the game he had a tough time even looking at the rim. It's a shame he is so scared to pull the trigger on some shots because he has some oppurtunities. With his vertical he should be able to rise above his defender and shoot.
so what, its doable with hard work in the offseason
hawkfarmer
Well-Known Member
I'm saying you're asking a lot, and without the initial talent no, it's not possible. I'm not sure that May has the ability to make it happen. Has he improved at all since last year? He had an entire off-season to improve, has he?
He has, his mid range jumper is a lot better, and his three point shooting numbers are up. The problem is he has very little ball handling skill, if he can improve that, all other aspects of his game will fall into place.
hawkeye12345
Well-Known Member
It gets old because we hear it every game.
tm3308
Well-Known Member
I think he has a point. May played much better, not just in the preseason, but all of last season as well, when Cully was running the point. His low basketball IQ holds him back drastically when the point guard improvises and creates like Cartwright does, because he doesn't know where to go or what to do. Cully sticks to the ****** much more than Bryce does.
Which actually could open things up for us if May were willing to come off the bench next year and Marble works to improve his defense. Let Marble play with Cartwright as much as possible, and bring May in with Cully. That way we get the most out of May offensively, but don't lose anything defensively when Marble (who is much more able to work in the flow) is in the game.
sportstalent
Well-Known Member
Here is my problem with all the talk of putting Marble on the floor and not May...what has Marble done since he had the big game of what 18 pts? Marble plays better defense than given credit, but nowhere near what May plays. May is on the floor for that reason and that is more valuable right now then having one career game. Marble has shot the ball terribly in recent memory, but fans who want May out only remember the 5 straight points he scored against Wisconsin, but forget the two or three shots that had no chance of going in.
I don't know what really has happened to May other than his ball handling is just not where it needs to be...aside from that he does everything else well. The problem is the ball handling portion of his game gets exploited more often than not and when he loses it once or twice he has the deer in the headlight look when he has the ball the rest of the game. There are so many times I just scream "Shoot the ball" when he is on the elbow and nobody within 8 ft. of him and he passes it. Then when he does beat his man off the dribble, he then will not pass the ball and it gets stolen...is that basketball IQ, I don't know. Cartwright did the same thing the first half of the season, turned the ball over in traffic, took the ball too deep...however, Cartwright has nobody that can play his spot for an extended period of time and I think that has helped him play through his early struggles, he had no choice...sink or swim. May's ball handling will hinder him as I think most have said from the offseason all the way through this season. If he cannot improve upon it, someone will take his job.
Marble is going to be a very good player and would have benefited from a redshirt year, but Iowa's roster is in no shape to allow that to happen, especially with Payne getting hurt. I just don't see him as deserving to start over May right now, he is the only player that potentially could. Marble has a long way to go as a player before he is a starter, but a great offseason could change that.
I don't know what really has happened to May other than his ball handling is just not where it needs to be...aside from that he does everything else well. The problem is the ball handling portion of his game gets exploited more often than not and when he loses it once or twice he has the deer in the headlight look when he has the ball the rest of the game. There are so many times I just scream "Shoot the ball" when he is on the elbow and nobody within 8 ft. of him and he passes it. Then when he does beat his man off the dribble, he then will not pass the ball and it gets stolen...is that basketball IQ, I don't know. Cartwright did the same thing the first half of the season, turned the ball over in traffic, took the ball too deep...however, Cartwright has nobody that can play his spot for an extended period of time and I think that has helped him play through his early struggles, he had no choice...sink or swim. May's ball handling will hinder him as I think most have said from the offseason all the way through this season. If he cannot improve upon it, someone will take his job.
Marble is going to be a very good player and would have benefited from a redshirt year, but Iowa's roster is in no shape to allow that to happen, especially with Payne getting hurt. I just don't see him as deserving to start over May right now, he is the only player that potentially could. Marble has a long way to go as a player before he is a starter, but a great offseason could change that.
tm3308
Well-Known Member
This I agree with completely. I don't think May should lose his starting spot unless Marble improves over the offseason. It just seems that May clicks better when Cully is running the point
Honestly,I do not see this as a case of Eric being more compatible with Cully over Bryce. Last year is ancient history now. Cully is a distant memory now.
As for Eric not having bb IQ...just not buying that really either. Clearly,Bryce is more aggressive on the long alley-oop passes to Eric on the break than Cully ever was...too aggressive lately. That is on Bryce.
I simply think we are seeing the limitations of Eric's game right now.
He is fast and a good straight line off of one foot jumper.
Not particularly quick,tho,and a bit mechanical in his movements.
Not a skilled dribbler with his left hand.
A good 3 point shooter,and a decent mid-range shooter.
A good on ball defender.
In other words,he is not untalented but he is flawed in some ways,and that is why he was not a highly rated recruit. He can polish off some rough edges,improve incrementally on some skills,and be a solid player in the rotation the next two years...a star he will not be...but that is fine.
As for Eric not having bb IQ...just not buying that really either. Clearly,Bryce is more aggressive on the long alley-oop passes to Eric on the break than Cully ever was...too aggressive lately. That is on Bryce.
I simply think we are seeing the limitations of Eric's game right now.
He is fast and a good straight line off of one foot jumper.
Not particularly quick,tho,and a bit mechanical in his movements.
Not a skilled dribbler with his left hand.
A good 3 point shooter,and a decent mid-range shooter.
A good on ball defender.
In other words,he is not untalented but he is flawed in some ways,and that is why he was not a highly rated recruit. He can polish off some rough edges,improve incrementally on some skills,and be a solid player in the rotation the next two years...a star he will not be...but that is fine.
blkngoldUofI
Well-Known Member
It's pretty simple for me, Marble gives the team more scoring and plays defense just as well as May does. It might help May to sit for the first 5 minutes of the game, calm down and see what the other team is doing on both ends of the floor. Seriously, May doesn't even look at the basket anymore.
