Wow- that was a wicked game almost blew it but I will take the W …. Regardless … need to play better obviously down the road and near future and need a big win like Michigan
Close Call
- Thread starter JerseyCityHawk
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That was among the strangest games I can remember. Down 11, then up 17, then down 1.
That's a least 3 teams that had a lot of success in the second half using a guard (I think) to go to the hoop. UCLA, Rutgers and now USC. Woods was unstoppable, but I don't understand why. Four USC players standing around watching him score, what, 17 points in a row?
Another game with Manyawu and Koch not contributing a whole lot. Banks and Stitz combining for 9 turnovers. Even Mr Reliable Tate Sage was ineffective.
Good to get that win. A loss after leading by 17 would have been devastating.
That's a least 3 teams that had a lot of success in the second half using a guard (I think) to go to the hoop. UCLA, Rutgers and now USC. Woods was unstoppable, but I don't understand why. Four USC players standing around watching him score, what, 17 points in a row?
Another game with Manyawu and Koch not contributing a whole lot. Banks and Stitz combining for 9 turnovers. Even Mr Reliable Tate Sage was ineffective.
Good to get that win. A loss after leading by 17 would have been devastating.
Obviously Hawks need to develop more consistent play throughout games if we are to get a decent seed in BIG tournament and hopefully the Dance. Honestly, I thought that last shot was going in. Glad it did not!
There was also that player from Indiana that was torching them over and over and over again driving to the rim. I'm a bit surprised that this keeps happening given Ben's focus on defense.
Ben is not a proponent of double teaming much, I remember him saying that at Drake. And he doesn’t like giving up the kick out when you double for an open 3. Which is why I believe you’ve seen guys go off, especially guards. Neither Stirtz or Combs are particularly quick defenders which can make for some tough matchups for both of them. That being said it’s crazy to not do something to stop 1 guy who’s not even much of a scorer just get to the paint time and time again. I’d be interested in hearing what he has to say.
At the end of the day, there are times when a player on the team still has to play straight up man to man defense cause the other guys aren’t available on the play. I like Combs a lot, but he got abused a few times by that guard going to the hoop. That’s gonna happen to most players at some point in a game or on a few possessions. Ben doesn’t have extra lock down defensive guards to use and help out in those situations this year. He’s always had a few on his prior teams to help out or switch to.
Well he was finally going to put Howard on him. And I"m a fan of Combs as well but as the announcer said at some point he just had to get more physical or actually do something. He was absolutely getting bullied out there. Commit a hard foul to let him know you're there or do something to make it a little harder for the guy.
I've never been good at math, but my arithmetic has always been outstanding, so I'm confident in saying that giving up two points instead of three points makes sense.
Whenever you're out of position on defense, whenever you're late on close-outs and switches, you're likely going to get burned from distance. Play soundly defensively, call out switches, and stay with your man. Help out as well at the rim. TIA.
Indiana, Rutgers, UCLA and USC - all had guys attacking the rim successfully in the 2nd half when the Hawks were ahead.
They are also all Iowa wins.
Maybe Ben is just crazy like a fox?
Just like past teams, this group struggles with keeping guys in front of them. They do a really good job on the perimeter hedging screens and creating turnovers as well as staying in their gaps with help defense. They just struggle to keep a guy in front of them for two dribbles. I think part of the issue with Combs last night late in the game, was he didn't want to get called for a foul and create a three point play. Musselman was able to get into the refs heads and change the way the game was being called.
Squeaking by with a one point win. Hawks were up 17 with 9:30 to go. Gotta fix that for sure. Dodged a bullet.Indiana, Rutgers, UCLA and USC - all had guys attacking the rim successfully in the 2nd half when the Hawks were ahead.
They are also all Iowa wins.
Maybe Ben is just crazy like a fox?
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First coach and team we've had in my lifetime where we can play bad and win. Any of the previous coaches we lose by 20 the way we played last night and we want a couple other games like this also where we played awful.
??? And yet Woods had what 3 or 4 and ones? look like it didn't work the way Combs thought..
It was disconcerting to witness a no name players go off like that for sure. My only explanation was that we (obviously) had not correctly scouted him - which is understandable given his prior history. It sucks that we don’t have a defensive ‘glove’ on our roster, but then again when have we? 
Luckily this is just year one of rebuilding the program, so baby steps…
Luckily this is just year one of rebuilding the program, so baby steps…Last night was the first time I was kind of pissed off at Ben. When 1 player starts going en fuego on you, take a timeout, and you tell your guys that's enough out of him. Make someone else on his team score a basket. If that mean's leaving the perimeter to double him on a drive, so be it. Over and over again he is iso driving into the lane and no one came. Trap his *** and force him to make a good pass instead of hero balling us to death.
Also, on offense up 17 with like 7 minutes, what the hell were we doing? The strategy should be to leave the ball in Stirtz's hands and run a 10 second offense where he either shoots a 3 or passes it to someone else for one. We turned the ball over like 3 times on the baseline against their 7'5 giant and had an illegal pick called, just worthless possessions that had no shot of scoring points. The second you drive or run your repeated pick and roll action, you are risking TO's, fast breaks, and illegal screen calls. That's the only chance they had of making a comeback.
Oh, and they had about 4 and1s this game plus 3 easy layups where we refused to foul. That is Franball, weak *** fouling that results in 3 points instead of 1 or 2. Foul hard when beaten = shave points. This would've been a 5 point win without the drama.
Also, on offense up 17 with like 7 minutes, what the hell were we doing? The strategy should be to leave the ball in Stirtz's hands and run a 10 second offense where he either shoots a 3 or passes it to someone else for one. We turned the ball over like 3 times on the baseline against their 7'5 giant and had an illegal pick called, just worthless possessions that had no shot of scoring points. The second you drive or run your repeated pick and roll action, you are risking TO's, fast breaks, and illegal screen calls. That's the only chance they had of making a comeback.
Oh, and they had about 4 and1s this game plus 3 easy layups where we refused to foul. That is Franball, weak *** fouling that results in 3 points instead of 1 or 2. Foul hard when beaten = shave points. This would've been a 5 point win without the drama.
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Except its happened in several games not just last night. Dent did the same thing in the UCLA game when we had pulled well ahead. It seems like we play pretty good team defense for stretches, but we don't really have a shut down defender in the backcourt. It seems like Ben moves Banks on whomever the hot guy is.
That's what I was thinking. The Scout, and also switching on him.It was disconcerting to witness a no name players go off like that for sure. My only explanation was that we (obviously) had not correctly scouted him - which is understandable given his prior history. It sucks that we don’t have a defensive ‘glove’ on our roster, but then again when have we?
Me too… I would of shat my pants if that did go in and boy was that f’ing close to going in
A few things I think might be going on:
Iowa is very good at getting back and stopping transition-many opponents rely on their transition game and if that is neutralized, then they have to run their half court sets more often. transition teams generally don’t have the best half court game. Add in coach mac biggest strength is scouting the opponent, making it difficult for them to run their standard half court stuff.
So one alternative is going ISO ball in half court sets … it’s simple and eliminates the possibility of turning the ball over due to picked off passes. ISO ball also neutralizes Iowa’s scouting report (something coach hangs his hat on). Like someone said earlier in this thread, Iowa isn’t going to help a ton like most teams do due to their defensive philosophy.
Iowa is very good at getting back and stopping transition-many opponents rely on their transition game and if that is neutralized, then they have to run their half court sets more often. transition teams generally don’t have the best half court game. Add in coach mac biggest strength is scouting the opponent, making it difficult for them to run their standard half court stuff.
So one alternative is going ISO ball in half court sets … it’s simple and eliminates the possibility of turning the ball over due to picked off passes. ISO ball also neutralizes Iowa’s scouting report (something coach hangs his hat on). Like someone said earlier in this thread, Iowa isn’t going to help a ton like most teams do due to their defensive philosophy.
Last 6 minutes was a flashback to Fran era D. If Fran was still our coach after first 4 min of 2nd half with 7 fouls on iowa called before 1st on them i guarantee Fran would have been T’d up. Thank goodness we have McCollum cause 2 pts off a technical would have been the difference in the game. He didn’t let it rattle him or the team one bit.
Agree with the comment here about fouling. If you're going to foul then don't let them score and get a +1 opportunity -make them shoot two free throws instead.