Hawkeye Basketball Looks to Overcome March Woes

Three days have passed since a disappointing loss in the Big Ten Tournament to a less than stellar Penn State basketball team. This disappointment has wained and the excitement level is once again high in Hawkeye Nation as they prepare for Friday's game with Davidson. When you look at the deck Iowa has been dealt in regards to their tournament pairings, one cannot complain and there is a great shot to make it to day two. In addition, with a little bit of luck and if Iowa can play a complete 80 minutes next weekend, they could be looking at their first Sweet Sixteen appearance in 16 years.

With that being said, Hawkeye fans have been in this situation before. For the most part, when Iowa has made it to the big dance, we as fans have been optimistic and have had a lot of confidence to at least win one game in the tournament. Yet, Iowa has not treated their fans to a victory in the NCAA tournament since 2001, when they were also a #7 seed and defeated Creighton, before losing to Kentucky in the second round. Fourteen years is too long; it's time to turn things around in March. 

Here's a look at Davidson, the regular season champions and at-large selection from the A-10, who Iowa fans better be careful in classifying as a "mid-major." This team poses a threat to Iowa because of their shooters, and if Iowa has a poor shooting night like they did against Penn State, Iowa will not only get beat, but they could get run out of the gym. 

Davidson's Team Offensive Statistics:

• Points Per Game: 80 (6th in the nation)
• Assists Per Game: 17 (3rd in the nation)
• Turnovers Per Game: 10
• Field Goal Percentage: 47% (31st in the nation)
• Three Point Percentage: 40%
• Free Throw Percentage: 71%

Davidsons' Team Defensive Statistics:

• Points Allowed Per Game: 69 (248th in the nation)
• Rebounds Per Game: 25.5 (49th in the nation)
• Blocks Per Game: 2.9 (240th in the nation)

Davidson's Player Rotation and Game Averages:

• Tyler Kalinoski (6'4 Sr. Guard): 17.0 points, 5.6 Rebounds 4.1 assists, 1.4 TO, 47% FG, 43% 3
• Jack Gibbs (5'11 So. Guard): 16.3 points, 4.8 assists, 2.4 TO, 49%FG, 44% Three
• Brian Sullivan (5'11 Jr. Guard): 12.8 points, 3.9 assists, 1.4TO, 40%FG, 35% Three
• Jordan Barham (6'4 Jr. Guard): 11.9 points, 6.0 Rebounds, 1.1 Assists, 1.1 TO, 59% FG, 47% 3
• Peyton Aldridge (6'7 Fr. Forward): 9.3 points, 5.0 Reb, 1.5 Assists, 0.8 TO, 46% FG, 39% 3
• Oskar Michelsen (6'9 Fr. Forward): 5.8 points, 39% FG, 36% Three
• Jordan Watkins (6'1 Fr. Guard): 3.4 points, 44% FG, 46% Three
• Nathan Ekwu (6'7 Fr. Forward): 3.1 points, 45% FG, 38 % Three
• Andrew McAuliffe (6'8 So. Forward): 2.8 points, 57% FG

Based on these athletes and numbers, Davidson likes to win by outscoring teams. Their defense is not good, but their offensive numbers are pretty wowing. Yes, they don't play in a Power 5 conference, but they are doing something right by being in the Top 10 in the nation in scoring and assists. This team is dangerous; they shoot well and share the basketball. I would much rather play a team with "one guy," but the Wildcats have four guys averaging double figures and have shown an ability to create on the offensive end and open up their great shooters from the outside. They are scary because of the ability to shoot, and we have seen Iowa struggle against good shooting teams in the past. 

While Davidson is scary, I like Iowa's chances in this game for the following reasons: length and experience. I also like the fact that Davidson does not play solid defense consistently, and Iowa will be rested and will have had several days of preparation by the time Friday night rolls around. 

Back to length and experience - This is what will lead Iowa to victory if they execute. Davidson has shooters, but they are relatively young and they cannot match up with Iowa's size. For Iowa to win this game, they can still get out and run like they like to do, despite Davidson's desire to play uptempo and play games in the 70's. However, if Iowa's offense is perimeter based and they lack movement and effective screening (as we have seen at times this season), they could struggle. Iowa needs to use their length and size on both the offensive and defensive ends. 

Offensively, Iowa needs to get the ball inside and they need to look to penetrate. They can shoot from the perimeter, but their perimeter shooting will not be effective unless there is ball movement and a presence of getting the ball in the lane via the drive and entering through the post. Defensively, I look for Iowa to switch up defenses, as I can see their length giving Davidson trouble in both the half-court and pressure defensive situations. 

On the year, Davidson is 1-3 against ranked opponents, with their lone win coming against then ranked #22 Dayton. The Wildcats and Hawkeyes have one common opponent this year: North Carolina. Davidson was defeated by the Tar Heels by 18 at home, while Iowa knocked off North Carolina in the Dean Dome by 5. 

I think this game will be close early, but if Iowa shows up and plays up to their capabilities, I see them pulling away in this one. 

Final Keys for a Hawkeye Victory:

• Length Looms Large - Dominate the Paint, Rebound the Basketball, and Create Havoc on "D"
• Defend the Perimeter - Iowa must hold Davidson to less than 48% shooting to win
• Composure - Davidson will make a run and will probably lead in this game. Iowa cannot lose their composure and must be able to overcome adversity.
• Stay Within - Sometimes in big games, players will try to do too much. Stick to your roles and do your job. You do that and good things will happen.

Final Score: Iowa - 77

                    Davidson - 65

Where's the Appreciation?

The Iowa Hawkeye men's basketball team currently sits at 20-10 and is 11-6 in the Big Ten. They are a virtual lock for the NCAA tournament and with a win on Saturday against Northwestern, they could possibly play their way into a double-bye in next weekend's Big Ten Tournament. The last time they won double digit Big Ten games was in 2005-2006, but the last time they won 20 games in back-to-back-to-back seasons dates back to the Tom Davis era, in which his teams achieved 20 wins in five straight seasons, starting with the 1994 team and ending with the 1999 team. That stat also will make anybody scratch their head to why Dr. Tom was run out of Iowa City. However, the question can be asked, does the state of Iowa really appreciate what Fran McCaffery has brought to Iowa and how he is beginning to build a first class program that will compete each year in the Big Ten? I say, not necessarily.

Too often this year, people around basketball (and sometimes "loyal" and "diehard" fans) have chosen to consistently focus on the negatives and focus on things that have nothing to do with the team and truly are wasting their time and breath talking about. Sometimes it has been about media members, coaches' post game comments, and maybe the most ridiculous of them all: talking about Adam Woodbury "intentionally" poking opposing players in the eye. It is ridiculous. Focus on the product on the court.

In addition, some "Hawkeye" fans want to compare Iowa basketball to Iowa State and Northern Iowa and ridicule Iowa based on the success of UNI and ISU. Don't get me wrong, it is great to have three good programs in the state of Iowa, but truly, what has UNI and ISU accomplished yet? Not a lot. Why do some fans choose to hate on McCaffery, while considering Jacobson and Hoiberg the second coming of Jesus Christ? Jacobson has experienced success in a mid-major conference. It's success you cannot take away from him, but just remember, it is the Missouri Valley Conference. While Jacobson has had success, Hoiberg has never had a team at ISU finish better than third place in the league (not counting the postseason tournament). To this point, Fran hasn't won a lot of "big" games or coached an upper-echelon team yet, but three straight 20 win seasons signals that they are on their way. His teams continue to improve in every facet of the game, especially on defense, and I believe it is tough to argue against the point that he has rejuvenated Carver Hawkeye Arena by filling seats and playing a brand of basketball that people can enjoy and appreciate.

My last point is that Iowa fans should appreciate the fact that Fran McCaffery builds his programs through recruiting players with the hope of them playing four years at the University of Iowa and graduating with a degree. It is a philosophy, but I so much more appreciate watching players grow in a program for four years than just renting players and doing it through transfers. People say it has worked for Hoiberg, but has it? People may say I hate Iowa State, which you would have legitimate reasons for, but I do not hate Hoiberg. I even attended his basketball camps as a little kid, but I just cannot appreciate a program built on transfers and relying on transfers to be successful.

Now, Iowa could very well be a one and done team in both the Big Ten Tournament and NCAA tournament, but as a fan and someone who has coached, it is truly awesome to see a group of kids compete hard and play their butts off night in and night out. I'm not here to say that Iowa fans hate their own team, but I am here to say stop focusing on the petty things and the negatives. This team is fun to watch. My point is it is just time to appreciate a winning product at the University of Iowa. Consistency and competitiveness has returned to the Iowa Basketball program. Enjoy it and Go Hawks.