When you don't have a complete team this happens.

HaydenHawk56

HaydenHawk56

Well-Known Member
That is personal and xs and os.

No elite point guard (but Tyler Cook tries...LOL)
No elite 5 man.
A bunch of hybrid 3s and 4s
ok 2s

Factor that all in with a team that can play some offense, but can be horrible on defense (like tonight). Leaves you with a team that will get your hopes up and then crashing down. Rinse and repeat.
 
I agree, how much more can you ask for at the 5 than what Garza brings. Iowa’s best player and it’s not even close.
 
I was also confused about the no elite 5 man part. Garza is one of the best 5s in the conference. Maybe because he can shoot the 3???
I agree with the rest though.
 
I actually think the starting 5 is fine except JBo. He’s just not a complete player and unless he’s hitting 3s he doesn’t bring much else.

Baer off the bench is fine. The rest of the bench is just inconsistent.
 
SidFarkas said:
Luka Garza with his 4th straight 20 point B1G game since Whitey in 2015.

I’ll take that 5 spot.
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Garza, to me, feels more like a very good 4 man. And I think Garza is very good (has all around skills for a big man).

Tyler, for the most part as well (minus shooting, handles, dribbling). I guess, what I mean by having a 5 man, is a guy that is tall as he is wide. If only Cook and Garza had somebody like that to play along side with, and have Kriener to come off the bench if two of those guys were in foul trouble......they would really have something cooking in the front court. Iowa needs a big brother in the middle to clog up the lane. Garza can play at the 5, but I think we still need a guy with more of a stocky frame on his bones to play the 5 spot.
 
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HaydenHawk56 said:
Garza, to me, feels more like a very good 4 man. And I think Garza is very good (has all around skills for a big man).

Tyler, for the most part as well. I guess, what I mean by having a 5 man, is a guy that is tall as he is wide. If only Cook and Garza had somebody like that to play along side with, and have Kriener to come off the bench if two of those guys were in foul trouble......they would really have something cooking in the front court. Iowa needs a big brother in the middle to clog up the lane.
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I agree and have been saying this since Fran got here - we need a linebacker at the 4 in this conference. Cook could be with his body type, but doesn’t play like it.
 
remember - we are now in the era of 'positionless' basketball.... wait til next year when Garza and Nunge are our leading 3pt shooters.
 
I think it comes down to we have a lot of role players. We need somebody that can put the team on their back when theres a slump.
Offense isnt rhis teams issue. You score 87 points and you should win. Guys need to step up and play defense
 
THawk122 said:
I think it comes down to we have a lot of role players. We need somebody that can put the team on their back when theres a slump.
Offense isnt rhis teams issue. You score 87 points and you should win. Guys need to step up and play defense
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I only saw replays and highlights of the game but it looked on defense the hawks were too extended worrying about the 3 ptr leaving the lane wide open for easy entrance passes and easy Minny dunks, which I saw plenty of in the highlights. Minny must not have played great defense but if the hawks would have forced three more turnovers or misses they win 87-85.

Get tough on defense.
 
THawk122 said:
I think it comes down to we have a lot of role players. We need somebody that can put the team on their back when theres a slump.
Offense isnt rhis teams issue. You score 87 points and you should win. Guys need to step up and play defense
Click to expand...
Teams that have the 1 or 2 players with NBA potential have that extra gear. They can rise above when needed.

Teams w/o those players can excel if they are fundamentally sound in all aspects, and if they can bring a team concept, in your face, blanket defense. These defensive teams can frustrate and defeat teams with better talent at times and have great seasons.

Iowa, at heart, isn't interested in playing this type of game. And when they need that extra gear, JB and CMAC don't have such a gear, as much as they would want one. Cook thinks he has the gear, but, most often the grinding of gears is heard.
 
THawk122 said:
I think it comes down to we have a lot of role players. We need somebody that can put the team on their back when theres a slump.
Offense isnt rhis teams issue. You score 87 points and you should win. Guys need to step up and play defense
Click to expand...

Agreed. I think defense is an attitude. Everyone wants the ball and to score points, that's what shows up in the stat book and gets you NBA attention. Only certain players are willing to put the work in to play the kind of defense it takes to win games. Fran can teach defense all he wants. I scoff at any notion that he doesn't care about it or doesn't teach it. But you have to have buy in in practice and effort on game-day. I think Iowa having a legit PG who can run a half-court offense and set the tone as a great on-ball defender would make a world of difference for Iowa. It obviously takes more than one player but on defense sometimes everyone else feeds off its leader. Even a combination of 1's like Mike Gesell who was more of an factor on offense and Anthony Clemmons who was a really good on-ball defender would help alot. All we have now is alot of good 2's who can shoot.
 
1hawkifan said:
I don’t mean to be negative sally here but I think we need to crean a few players after the season.
Dailey
Kriener
Till
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I actually think Till has been pretty good for what little time he's seen and the role he's been asked to play. When was the last time Dailey did something important? He defends well, that's about it :(
 
I guess, at least at this point, I'm seeing things a little different. I think our big men, for the most part, are fine. We do not have an elite shot-blocker like we have had in years past. And I could wish that we could get a little more out of our bigger-man reserves, Kriener and even Baer, as they show us just enough on some nights to wish we could have more. I could also wish Tyler Cook would improve some of his fundamentals (like free throw shooting on the road in key moments) so that he could be the all-around player a guy with his sites on the pros should be.
But the last two games have highlighted our real trouble - and that is our guard play. Against Michigan State, the collective stench rising from the play of JBo, Moss, McCaffery, Dailey and even Wieskamp reached the limits of the territory covered by the B1G. Okay, so they had an off night and we lost. But it was only one game.
So what was their response in the next game? With the exception of one (really) good half by Moss, EXACTLY the same thing against Minnesota. We just cannot be a good team having back-to-back bad nights by virtually the entire guard court.
For several years now, we have been told that the key to consistent winning in the NCAA is top-notch guard play. Someone in Iowa City needs to listen and turn up their game. Good grief - neither JBo nor McCaffery are even trying to look for shots anymore.
 
I guess if you want to nit pick on Garzas game it's fair to say he isn't a great rebounder or defender. He doesn't have much explosiveness in his legs. Not sure how many phone books he and Woodbury can jump over but it's not many. But the guy is so skilled with his offensive game. My gosh he's fun to watch. He doesn't take many bad shots either. He doesn't predetermine his moves he feels and reads the defender. Unlike Cook who I think tries to predetermine what he's going to do all the time. Tough to play basketball that way...
 
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