HaydenHawk56
Well-Known Member
Heck...top 25?
When was the last time Iowa was a top 10 team in 3 point percentage defense?
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SpecialKHawk
Well-Known Member
What's it matter?
Hawkalum2002
Well-Known Member
We were 31st just last year, so top 10 percent nationally. Going to be tough for any Big 10 team to finish in the top 10. Last year MSU was 21st and Purdue 32nd right behind us as the top three Big 10 schools. There were teams that finished with 7, 8, 9, 11 and 12 wins all ahead of us. It's as much about the talent of the opposition as it is about actually playing defense. We were 38th two years ago, 49th three years ago when Ohio State did finish top ten and Indiana 12th. The last two years are about as good as one could ask for given two great perimeter defenders in MG and Sapp, and Uthoff blocking shots there as well. I don't remember it ever being better in the past twenty years, but sometimes you run into Gonzaga and Villanova type games and it doesn't matter. Probably how MSU and Purdue felt against us last year, or Maryland the year before when we crushed them.
It's either KenPom or someone like him that says that is a pretty worthless stat. A lot of random luck involved. Tonight was half about our defense and half about it being their night. Proof is the second half. They missed a lot more open shots.
HaydenHawk56
Well-Known Member
Because we generally suck at defending the perimeter. Does not matter if it was under Alford, Lick, Fran....even Mr. Davis. We get lit up from there.
That's the Iowa curse. Team always shoot put of their minds against us.
InGoodCo
Well-Known Member
It really does seem that way - and it's NOT a Fran thing - I feel like I've been watching that unfold since Mr. Davis.
SteveGarvey1
Well-Known Member
I don't think our defense in the first half was that bad. Purdue just couldn't miss from 3. It happens. Had they clanked half of those makes, which by law of averages happens a lot, it would have been a much tighter ball game.
MelroseHawkins
Well-Known Member
Always thought the same thing. There is at least 1 player it seems every game having their best career 3 pt shooting game against us. Seems that way.
SpecialKHawk
Well-Known Member
The point is we got beat by a better team. What's the point about worrying about what we did x number of years before. Learn what you can and move on. About half the season remains to play for better or worse.
1977Hawkeye
Well-Known Member
You're absolutely right, but the 3 point shot has been around for at least 30 years, and it seems like we're yet to see an Iowa team that does a good job of defending it, going all the way back to Mr. Davis's teams. I know it's easier said than done but it makes me wonder why Iowa teams always seem to struggle so badly with this.
It's frustrating. That's all.
HaydenHawk56
Well-Known Member
[QUOTE="SpecialKHawk, post: 15672x number of years before. Learn what you can and move on. About half the season remains to play for better or worse.[/QUOTE]
Well of course we got beat by a better team. That is not my point. In general, defending the 3 point shot has been a real problem for Iowa going back to at least the late 80s. Even against poorer teams that we should handle (Nebraska Omaha.......remember when UC Riverside hit 21 of 36 point shots against Iowa back in 88. I think we were like number 4 in the country at the time.....UC Riverside was a D2 team.
Well of course we got beat by a better team. That is not my point. In general, defending the 3 point shot has been a real problem for Iowa going back to at least the late 80s. Even against poorer teams that we should handle (Nebraska Omaha.......remember when UC Riverside hit 21 of 36 point shots against Iowa back in 88. I think we were like number 4 in the country at the time.....UC Riverside was a D2 team.
Joshbrown
Well-Known Member
It's funny, over the decades I used to think of this and immediately think of how we make QBs look like Heisman winners. Then I went back and rewatched games. In football we have actually done a solid job of not letting QBs have a career day against us. Yes it happens, but not as often as I thought it did. Then it hit me. Iowa football since KF has focused more on defense than offense. So we've done a respectable job of keeping offensive playmakers in check (don't bring up McCaffrey, it happens). During the last half of the 20th century the Basketball program was fun to watch because it executed exciting offense. But sadly for Hawkeye fans the BBall program went in the wrong direction under Alford.
So it seems our fate is to forever have a basketball team that can't play defense, and a football team that can't play offense. But the football program deserves credit for maintaining what Fry built and occasionally having a fun offense. The BBall program on the other hand lost it's mojo sometime during Mr. Davis's tenure and has never recovered. I still believe with the right coach Iowa Basketball can return to its glory days.
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MelroseHawkins
Well-Known Member
With all do respect, there is really not a comparison between Fry's offense and Ferentz's offense. Fry was one who changed the offensive philosophy of the conference for a certain time period. He was an innovator with what he did with players and what he ran. IE. Standing up the TE's, the 5-7 QB drop back facing the defense etc.. Ferentz never maintained this or built on this. Ferentz has a totally different philosophy which is on more of a line with the NFL which is fine. Running the ball, control the LOS, clock control, field position.
They've had similar results record-wise and bowl appearance-wise but have done it two completely different ways.
Alford started out fine and the program lost it's mo jo after the Pierce situation and never really recovered. I wouldn't say lost it in the Davis era although there were recruiting concerns later in his tenure which led to jumping on Alford when available. Davis might have been able to stem that time period, we will never know. But, Alford had the program going and was competitive early on, Reggie Evans, Luke, etc..
