ISU Game Thread

[Kyle]

Re: ISU Game Thread

I don't buy the out-coached. If you double down Brackins ISU would have hit some 3's. This team has the ISU record for 3's so they have to be able to shoot 3's.

I agree with you coming into the game, but these were in game adjustments I would have made, not pre-game strategy. ISU shot 14% from 3-pt tonight. It wasn't their night from 3-pt land and it was obviously Brackins night down low...coach should have recognized this and adjusted accordingly.

Also, I don't mean to be a debby downer, it's just frustrating. I think this team shows great promise and I think coach Jake is a hell of a recruiter, I just think his in game coaching adjustments are really hurting us. The good news is recruiting talent seems to be something you either have or you don't, where in game coaching comes with experience.

[MediaPanther]

Re: ISU Game Thread

I normally like Higgins...but he sucked too.

Higgins is terrible all the time. He'd rather pay attention to whether his hair is out of place than anything going on in the game. I've watched him make terrible call after terrible call over the years. He reminds me of Hightower. He wants the attention on him rather than the game.

[AmesPanther]

Re: ISU Game Thread

I agree with you coming into the game, but these were in game adjustments I would have made, not pre-game strategy. ISU shot 14% from 3-pt tonight. It wasn't their night from 3-pt land and it was obviously Brackins night down low...coach should have recognized this and adjusted accordingly.

14% because they were well defended. Eik is a good shooter, but I never saw him left alone. For that matter if Brackins gets pressure in the paint even he will step out and hit the 3 pretty well.

[Kyle]

Re: ISU Game Thread

14% because they were well defended. Eik is a good shooter, but I never saw him left alone. For that matter if Brackins gets pressure in the paint even he will step out and hit the 3 pretty well.

I don't care how good your 3-pt defense is, 14% shooting is a lot more than just good defense. ISU had several open looks, the shots just weren't falling. Also, Brackins is 25% behind the arc, hardly good. And he did step out and shoot a three tonight...he missed.

I know hindsight is 20/20, but fortunately with basketball you get halftime to take a look at some of the hindsight. The second half looked a lot like the first half...Brackins putting on a clinic in the paint.

[Newshound]

Re: ISU Game Thread

Is James hurt?

You won't be seeing James in uniform for a while. He's got mono. It's really making the decision not to redshirt him look foolish. He probably won't be back until the Valley season.

[Newshound]

Re: ISU Game Thread

As for the game, I didn't like the decision not to bring defensive help on Brackins. He's a load and UNI doesn't have anyone who can match up with him 1-on-1. At times, he had Kwadzo or Dunham on his back hip, not even one of UNI's interior players. That's a total mismatch. I know ISU has several guys who can shoot it, but they were 2 of 14 from the arc. At some point. let them prove they can make a few and put more focus on Brackins. And if you notice with Brackins, once he catches it down there, he's chucking it up. There is no passing it out.
Offensively, UNI settled for too many 3s in the second half. It was fool's gold Adam Koch making the first one, because he missed his last three. Ali and Johnny were a combined 2 of 18 from the arc. I thought UNI, particularly in the second half, should have used more dribble pentration with Kwadzo or try and isolate Koch off the dribble. At some point, you got to think it's not your night shooting the 3s.
I didn't have a problem with Eglseder riding the bench in the second half. The game was played at a little quicker pace than some and he's still not in shape. Also, he wasn't real strong around the basket when he got chances tonight. He's got to shoot over people, not fade away or try to avoid contact. Defensively, his footwork isn't good enough to stay with Brackins.
Plain and simple, UNI has got to improve defensively. Offensively, this team is more entertaining to watch. Yes, they missed a ton of 3s tonight, but you can see progress is being made. Kwadzo has improved by leaps and bounds, and Koch is more assertive. The number of possessions with late shot clock is dwindling. Defensively, they really struggle to get stops in pivotal situations. Until that gets fixed, they'll be a middle of the pack Valley team.

[run&blade]

Re: ISU Game Thread

Gotta play Jordan more, he is the only thing UNI has going from an offensive standpoint. Sure he might be a defensive liability but so is chucking 32 3-pointers and making a disgusting 18%.

They are tough to watch, constant chucking of 3points, nobody has the ability/guts to dribble drive and break the defense down.

The playing minutes make no sense to me, Jordan hardly plays yet others are allowed to chuck 3 pointers all night, make none of them, and still play major minutes.

If Jake can't make Koch and Jordan work together then this season is over, he has to force this or lose trying. The alternative is a game of long distance horse which these guards flat out stink at.

[BMPanther]

Re: ISU Game Thread

Eglseder riding the bench in the second half. The game was played at a little quicker pace than some and he's still not in shape. Also, he wasn't real strong around the basket when he got chances tonight. He's got to shoot over people, not fade away or try to avoid contact. Defensively, his footwork isn't good enough to stay with Brackins.

Jordan scores a quick seven points and then they take him out and keep launching threes? To me that's idiotic. You have a seven footer hitting almost 70 percent of his shots. Also, he was starting to figure Brackins out, blocking his last shot, before not seeing the floor again.

[Da Hog]

Re: ISU Game Thread

Sounds more and more like Moran has some contraints with driving to the hoop that Kwadzo doesnt have. I will put it out there right now to put the ball in Moran's hands a little more to make things happen. Especially when his shot is off. If this is done when his shot is on, its just as effective. But if all 3 gaurds arent hitting the outside shot, the penetration wont work very well like last night. Especially with Jordan who seems to play a little slower. Koch should benefit but thats about it. And Dunham was lucky I think last night, and shouldnt see near as much time normally. Bad loss when it should have been lop-sided the other way with 45% shooting.

[jman2004]

Re: ISU Game Thread

Jacobson should've stolen a play out of McDermott's book and key in on stopping ISU's strengths. Brackins. Force someone else from ISU to step up and beat us. Did anyone think, before the game even, that we had a single player that could "man up" to Brackins?

ZERO attempts in-game to stop him and what, 31 points to show for it. That's pathetic coaching.

[jman2004]

Re: ISU Game Thread

Jordan scores a quick seven points and then they take him out and keep launching threes? To me that's idiotic. You have a seven footer hitting almost 70 percent of his shots. Also, he was starting to figure Brackins out, blocking his last shot, before not seeing the floor again.

Jordan didn't see the floor again because Jordan could barely make it up and down the floor. A worn our Big E does us NOTHING down low. It's hard enough for him to grab a rebound when he's healthy and at full strength, let alone play defense on Brackins when he's worn out and tired. He's not conditioned well at this point in time, that was evident to most people in attendance last night.

[jman2004]

Re: ISU Game Thread

Sounds more and more like Moran has some contraints with driving to the hoop that Kwadzo doesnt have. I will put it out there right now to put the ball in Moran's hands a little more to make things happen. Especially when his shot is off. If this is done when his shot is on, its just as effective. But if all 3 gaurds arent hitting the outside shot, the penetration wont work very well like last night.

I have no idea what you're trying to say. Kwadzo made it to the hoop just fine last night. No one could hit from outside and we kept right on shooting. That's it.

[run&blade]

Re: ISU Game Thread

Jordan didn't see the floor again because Jordan could barely make it up and down the floor. A worn our Big E does us NOTHING down low. It's hard enough for him to grab a rebound when he's healthy and at full strength, let alone play defense on Brackins when he's worn out and tired. He's not conditioned well at this point in time, that was evident to most people in attendance last night.

Then walk the ball up the court, is there a big hurry to shoot a brick from 22 feet?

[jman2004]

Re: ISU Game Thread

Then walk the ball up the court, is there a big hurry to shoot a brick from 22 feet?

Obviously there's no hurry. We usually didn't chuck those threes until we passed the ball around the perimeter for twenty seconds or so.

Doesn't change Jordan's situation. Walk, run, doesn't matter. Jordan was good for three minute spurts last night, and that was it. Walking the ball up the court wouldn't have mattered. He looked dead at times.

[Purrrrrfect]

Re: ISU Game Thread

True, it didn't even look promising when Koch was slowly joggin up the floor even after a miss. He played one heck of a game though. Well deserving to be tired.