Iowa thoughts

[MUDPT]

Currently teams are shooting an eFG of 54.6% on us.  The only other time in the KenPom era (since 2002) we were over 50% was 2004 when we were 50.3%.  Our defense is awful.  I don't know whose fault it is, but it can't help young players to set a defensive scheme in your game plan and then completely change it, midway during the game. 

Iowa is predicted to tie for 3rd now in the Big Ten, per KenPom.  Remember their Big Ten schedule sucks.

[Dr. Blackheart]

We watched two teams last night:  One focused on putting in systems, schemes and figuring out their rotations.  One who has that all figured out and was focusing on the match-ups and situationals. 

Iowa came out and jumped right on the youngsters and raped and pillaged them.  Haanif, with seven turnovers, is not the answer at starting PG.  It is unfair in his development to put him in that situation.  Traci obviously isn't ready either.  So, you have to switch Du and Haanif and their starting roles. 

The defense is on the coaches.  The team is clueless out there, and a total team effort is needed.  Lots of games in a row here for improvement.

Now the topic of Luke.  MU's offense should all start with him, not launching threes that don't come within the flow of the offense.  However, Luke takes himself out of games with more dumbass fouls more than the opponents take him out with defense.  It is really maddening how stupid almost all his fouls are.

This game won't answer how good a coach Wojo is, but this next set of games will, to see how the young team responds.  And I am not talking Wins or Losses here at this point, but whole team's response, including this staff's.

[brewcity77]

Haanif is clearly not a point guard. Traci is, but he's not ready. Duane should be playing 30+ at the point until someone else earns the time off him. Maybe giving him the keys will help with his confidence.

[MUfan12]

Haanif is clearly not a point guard. Traci is, but he's not ready. Duane should be playing 30+ at the point until someone else earns the time off him. Maybe giving him the keys will help with his confidence.

Cheatham can be a change of pace PG in spots, but that's it. I'd rather have Traci play, and make his mistakes than try to shove a square peg in a round hole.

[GGGG]

I am certainly not saying "fire Wojo," and I know he is young and learning, but the problem I see is that he has no change up.  Especially on the offensive end.  He seems to be basically running the same offensive motion every game for two years.  On the defensive end, he switched to zone because he had to.  But good teams (Iowa) can pick apart a zone if they can shoot.

Duke runs basically the same offense and it does rely on a lot of 3 point shooting.  But K has got shooters galore to open things up in the middle.  We don't have shooters.  Yet we chuck them up constantly.  Eventually you have to learn that something else is needed with this group.  Maybe something as simple as a dribble drive motion offense.  But that's my worry...no apparently adjustments.

[mattyv1908]

Nothing Wojo has done thus far that I've seen has been Big East caliber.  This team is going to get brutalized in conference play.

Perhaps Buzz was right in his assessment of the direction of the Big East.  I couldn't help but get a little sad when watching the end of St John's come back against Rutgers.  It was just a few years ago that Rutgers was a perennial door mat in the real Big East and now they're looked at as a resume boosting opponent from the B1G for a team from our conference.

[brewcity77]

I am certainly not saying "fire Wojo," and I know he is young and learning, but the problem I see is that he has no change up.  Especially on the offensive end.  He seems to be basically running the same offensive motion every game for two years.  On the defensive end, he switched to zone because he had to.  But good teams (Iowa) can pick apart a zone if they can shoot.

Duke runs basically the same offense and it does rely on a lot of 3 point shooting.  But K has got shooters galore to open things up in the middle.  We don't have shooters.  Yet we chuck them up constantly.  Eventually you have to learn that something else is needed with this group.  Maybe something as simple as a dribble drive motion offense.  But that's my worry...no apparently adjustments.

Agreed completely. I loved the move to zone last year, but that's the only coaching move of his I can say that about. It's not that I don't think he can be a good coach, just that thus far, he hasn't been.

[thekahoona]

The main thought that I had throughout the game was that our team looked like they had never practiced together. There was no cohesion on defense or offense. Communication seemed to be virtually non-existent.

[Galway Eagle]

Nothing Wojo has done thus far that I've seen has been Big East caliber.  This team is going to get brutalized in conference play.

Perhaps Buzz was right in his assessment of the direction of the Big East.  I couldn't help but get a little sad when watching the end of St John's come back against Rutgers.  It was just a few years ago that Rutgers was a perennial door mat in the real Big East and now they're looked at as a resume boosting opponent from the B1G for a team from our conference.

For the record SJU wasn't much better those few years ago. I mean they lost to Rutgers in 2012 and 2010 and barely beat them their good year in 2011. 

[geps]

This team's motto should be "Turning sure wins into nail biters, toss up games into losses, and legitimate opponents into blow out losses."

+1

[Lennys Tap]

Iowa is going to do quite well in a very very very tough Big Ten this year.

What's going to be very, very, very tough about the Big 14 this year? The almost always crappy (Penn State, Rutgers, Nebraska, Northwestern) are crappy. So is Minnesota. So is Illinois. Of the 3 perennial powers, Michigan State is down slightly and Ohio State and Wisconsin are down big. Purdue, Iowa and Michigan are TBD. Maryland and Indiana are good. But given the significant fall off at OSU and UW I think the conference is down a bit.

[willie warrior]

What's going to be very, very, very tough about the Big 14 this year? The almost always crappy (Penn State, Rutgers, Nebraska, Northwestern) are crappy. So is Minnesota. So is Illinois. Of the 3 perennial powers, Michigan State is down slightly and Ohio State and Wisconsin are down big. Purdue, Iowa and Michigan are TBD. Maryland and Indiana are good. But given the significant fall off at OSU and UW I think the conference is down a bit.

I would not consider MSU as down, Lenny. Down for them maybe is just the Sweet 16.

[ChicosBailBonds]

I would not consider MSU as down, Lenny. Down for them maybe is just the Sweet 16.

I think people get caught up in the name programs being down and feel that means the whole conference will be down.

MSU and Maryland are loaded
Purdue, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan should all be good to very good
Ohio State and Wisconsin will be down from last year, but no one is going to want to play them
Northwestern had a big injury, so we'll see where they go.

It would be surprising if they don't end up one of the top 3 conferences in the country again this year.

[Galway Eagle]

I think people get caught up in the name programs being down and feel that means the whole conference will be down.

MSU and Maryland are loaded
Purdue, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan should all be good to very good
Ohio State and Wisconsin will be down from last year, but no one is going to want to play them
Northwestern had a big injury, so we'll see where they go.

It would be surprising if they don't end up one of the top 3 conferences in the country again this year.

I agree with this.  In the NBE's first year GTown and us were both down and that didn't mean the NBE was a flop without two of it's top programs. 

[Lennys Tap]

I would not consider MSU as down, Lenny. Down for them maybe is just the Sweet 16.

There not "down" like Wisconsin and Ohio State, but. I think they're down (as I said) slightly.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

What's going to be very, very, very tough about the Big 14 this year? The almost always crappy (Penn State, Rutgers, Nebraska, Northwestern) are crappy. So is Minnesota. So is Illinois. Of the 3 perennial powers, Michigan State is down slightly and Ohio State and Wisconsin are down big. Purdue, Iowa and Michigan are TBD. Maryland and Indiana are good. But given the significant fall off at OSU and UW I think the conference is down a bit.

Rutgers and Nebraska suck.

Penn State and Northwestern are top 100 teams, top 125 at worst.

Minnesota and Illinois are top 75 teams.

Ohio State and Wisconsin are top 50 teams.

Iowa and Michigan are top 40 teams

Purdue, Michigan State, and Indiana are top 20 teams.

Maryland is a top 10 team.

The B1G is really deep. They just lack a truly elite team. Though I think every conference does this year.

[connie]

I know we are young, but we have had the same problems in each of the three games we played this year.  I know this is a new team, but the problems we have seen in these three games have dogged our teams for a few years.  We do not have a competent playmaking point.  We have no credible three point shooter (yes I know we had Carlino last year--imagine the disaster if we didn't).   We used to criticize TTT for his "dribble around the perimeter and jack something up" offense. That looks inspired compared to what has been on display this year.  I can't comment on the defense.  There appears to be no communication.  No one seems to know when they are supposed to switch or where they have to rotate.  They are often not just a step behind, but completely clueless.  Man is just awful but from what I saw last night Iowa ripped up the zone that at least seemed to at least slow down UIPUI.

I'm not heading for the cliffs yet, but I am frustrated, and ranting, and tired of hearing excuses for a continuing problem.

[mattyv1908]

Here's the scary thing IMO.  Last year's team was limited but at least Buzz's guys Wojo inherited played hard.  In that dreadful season last year nobody could say that Derrick, Juan or Steve weren't giving their maximum effort.  I don't see the fire in this team at all.

[ecompt]

Here's the scary thing IMO.  Last year's team was limited but at least Buzz's guys Wojo inherited played hard.  In that dreadful season last year nobody could say that Derrick, Juan or Steve weren't giving their maximum effort.  I don't see the fire in this team at all.

Yep. And you can't play defense without fire. This team is just going through the motions on D.

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

I would not consider MSU as down, Lenny. Down for them maybe is just the Sweet 16.

Northwestern is pretty good this year. The Vic Law injury hurts but I would kill for a point guard like Bryant McIntosh right now.

[MerrittsMustache]

Here's the scary thing IMO.  Last year's team was limited but at least Buzz's guys Wojo inherited played hard.  In that dreadful season last year nobody could say that Derrick, Juan or Steve weren't giving their maximum effort.  I don't see the fire in this team at all.

Yep. And you can't play defense without fire. This team is just going through the motions on D.

Yes! It's all about da fire and da passion! 

MU's early season struggles have nothing to do with effort or "fire." The players are playing hard but they're lost, especially defensively. When you're lost, you spend too much time thinking. When you're spending too much time thinking, you hesitate. When you're hesitating, you're done.

My primary concern with this team is that, despite the roster turnover, last year's problems remain. Poor rotations on D, relying on 3s, tentative play, lack of boxing out, poor passing out of double teams, silly fouls, etc. To me, that's on the coaches.

Another thing that stands out to me is that MU doesn't currently have a strength. There's not that one thing that, if all else is going wrong, you know you can depend on - whether that's tough D or rebounding or getting to the line or sharing the ball or 500% effort, or whatever it may be. There's no aspect of the game upon which MU can currently hang their hat.

[jesmu84]

Yes! It's all about da fire and da passion! 

MU's early season struggles have nothing to do with effort or "fire." The players are playing hard but they're lost, especially defensively. When you're lost, you spend too much time thinking. When you're spending too much time thinking, you hesitate. When you're hesitating, you're done.

My primary concern with this team is that, despite the roster turnover, last year's problems remain. Poor rotations on D, relying on 3s, tentative play, lack of boxing out, poor passing out of double teams, silly fouls, etc. To me, that's on the coaches.

Another thing that stands out to me is that MU doesn't currently have a strength. There's not that one thing that, if all else is going wrong, you know you can depend on - whether that's tough D or rebounding or getting to the line or sharing the ball or 500% effort, or whatever it may be. There's no aspect of the game upon which MU can currently hang their hat.

Wrong MM. FIRE! PASSION! HEART!

[muwarrior69]

I have no words. All this talent and a Coach K mentored head coach should be a winning combination. It seems to me once they put on that Marquette uniform they forget how to play basketball.

[mattyv1908]

Yes! It's all about da fire and da passion! 

MU's early season struggles have nothing to do with effort or "fire." The players are playing hard but they're lost, especially defensively. When you're lost, you spend too much time thinking. When you're spending too much time thinking, you hesitate. When you're hesitating, you're done.

My primary concern with this team is that, despite the roster turnover, last year's problems remain. Poor rotations on D, relying on 3s, tentative play, lack of boxing out, poor passing out of double teams, silly fouls, etc. To me, that's on the coaches.

Another thing that stands out to me is that MU doesn't currently have a strength. There's not that one thing that, if all else is going wrong, you know you can depend on - whether that's tough D or rebounding or getting to the line or sharing the ball or 500% effort, or whatever it may be. There's no aspect of the game upon which MU can currently hang their hat.

If you think that the effort level is on par with the recent MU players (Butler, Lazar, Jae and DJO) then we're watching different games.

I've never been shy about my distaste for Wojo from day one.  I think he's in over his head and it shows during games.  I find it more concerning that a top 10 recruiting class looks to be completely lacking basic basketball IQ considering many on this board were so sure we'd now have a coach who valued basketball players over athletes. 

I can rip Wojo to shreds about his coaching, but giving max effort to a certain extent is on the players.  A sense of personal pride so to speak.  Unless collectively the group doesn't have faith in their leader the effort level lies squarely on the players.  So far it's been lacking.

[mubb3434]

Literally just had a hawk run into my patio window. Bastard is rubbing it in.