Get a grip

[UNI Guy]

Here’s some perspective. We hung with Nova and Xavier, beat UTA and UNLV, and had a shot at an at large bid going into the Iowa State game. Now we are below .500. Same players, same coaches, same team. Mind blowing.

I asked about this exact issue on another thread, but got no response as how we could have gone downhill so far in the matter of 6 weeks.

[Panther AC]

A little more perspective: despite our 11-12 season record, we are 6th in the country in fewest points allowed per game and undefeated (8-0) when we score at least 68 points!

[BCPanther]

Of course we're great at fewest points allowed, we play at the 6th slowest pace in the country.

We're 42nd in Defensive Efficiency. That's very good but not elite like we have been.

The scary thing is that there are 101 teams that are LESS efficient on offense....

[4N6]

The scary thing is that there are 101 teams that are LESS efficient on offense....

Yikes ..........

[run&blade]

I would think opponents field goal percentage would be a more valuable stat when looking at defense. Teams like UNI basically burn the shot clock every offensive possession so less possession less points.

I am sure they are good at field goal percentage also but as most realize, it really doesn't matter when the offense is..well....offensive.

This reminds me of the NFL head coach that said, "I am all for it" when asked about his offense's execution.

[clenz]

I know you're a passionate fan my man.

But damn you do tend to get out on the ledge pretty fast.

We've got AJ next year and scholly's to use. Things can change quickly in modern college hoops. Let's not go with the nuclear option just yet.

Still standing by this?

AJ isn’t fixing **** that’s wrong with this program.

recruting? Kids any other potential high profile for a MM recruits good bye for a while.

[SteinPizza]

Not your individual talent but a larger poplulation leads to the opportunity to play against better competition from a younger age which accelerates development.

How often, even in Iowa, could the 1A Champion beat the 4A Champion? Maybe 1 out of every 10 years, Maybe?

Heck, how often could the 3A Champion beat the 4A Champion? Wahlert has won several state titles in 3A after going 15-9 in the 4A league they play in.

I've got no issue with us taking small town Iowa kids if they show they are special but it seems to me like we give up on chasing higer end talent and 'settle' for Iowa kids.

It won’t shock you that I agree. I have no problem with recruiting smaller school Iowa kids either, but don’t sign guys who are in over their heads at this level. While nobody can predict the future, it also seems like we have had several signees who in hindsight just weren’t good enough to play MVC ball, or didn’t develop enough to do so. No offense to the players - just an observation. We do seem to settle.

As for 1A beating 4A, 1 win in 10 in generous. Try 1 in 20 or 30. The overall talent difference is bigger than 1 in 10.

[BCPanther]

To take a below 4A kid in Iowa they have to be absolutely dominant. Brooks McKowen, Grant Stout, Jordan Eglseder fit that description. They were simply head and shoulders above everybody else at their level.

[UNIGrainer]

This is the worst we have been in 15 years, no doubt. But I’ve seen Jake turn it around enough times that I have faith he will do it again. Probably not this year....but I dint think this will continue for years. Four guys will graduate, four new guys will (hopefully) come in, and next year’s team will have an entirely different personality. Jake has been our competitive advantage for years. Let’s see what happens this offseason. Don’t give up yet.

[UNIChippewa]

This is the worst we have been in 15 years, no doubt. But I’ve seen Jake turn it around enough times that I have faith he will do it again. Probably not this year....but I dint think this will continue for years. Four guys will graduate, four new guys will (hopefully) come in, and next year’s team will have an entirely different personality. Jake has been our competitive advantage for years. Let’s see what happens this offseason. Don’t give up yet.

I agree with you for the most part, but one big thing I am concerned about is the stark regression in-season from looking like a pretty good team, borderline NCAA tournament or at least NIT team in the non-conference to a team that has been completely inept and at time overmatched in the MVC.

Most teams, including our team last season, get better and gel together as the season goes on. Not this one, and it's unexplainable. No injuries to speak of, besides Haldeman possibly being limited with a bad back. Other than chemistry issues, which can be real and extremely detrimental to a team, there is absolutely no reason for us to be as bad as we are.

[DWadle1983]

First, we need new blood on staff. It's pretty incestuous right now. Everyone is from the Jake/Pre-Revolution Mac tree and there is no thought about moving outside of that. The game is constantly changing and we need somebody that has seen the outside in the last 10 years...

Look at the vast majority of the game last night. Our lineup was Canton, Il (Pop 14k), North Liberty, IA (60k with Iowa City), Peosta, IA (1300), Waverly, iA (9500) and Ashwaubenon, WI (16k, total metro of Green Bay is smaller than Waterloo/Cedar Falls). We've GOT to get into larger areas with bigger talent pools.

Not to be picky but no Waterloo/Cedar Falls isn't bigger than Brown County. I live in Brown County where Adam Koch is advertising for new dental patients at his dad's practice. Quoting Wikipedia: Brown County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2010 census, the population was 248,007,^[1]making it the fourth-most populous county in Wisconsin. The county seat is Green Bay.^[2] Brown County is part of the Green Bay, WI Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Juwan McCloud is from suburban Milwaukee and he struggles to makes shots. UNI has always had a lot of small town kids and won. That's not the issue here, not with all the AAU ball these kids play.

I don't understand how a team that played so well in the non-conference against a strong schedule can't win in the MVC but having a PG that can't shoot sure doesn't help matters.

[Panther AC]

Alexa just told me the population of Black Hawk County, Iowa is about 131,000, so it's about half the population of Brown County, WI.

[SteinPizza]

Most teams, including our team last season, get better and gel together as the season goes on. Not this one, and it's unexplainable. No injuries to speak of, besides Haldeman possibly being limited with a bad back. Other than chemistry issues, which can be real and extremely detrimental to a team, there is absolutely no reason for us to be as bad as we are.

Like many UNI teams, this years’ squad is a collection of role players, without a real go to guy or guys. It takes far more effort and luck for a group of role players to be really good. It can happen, since Jake’s had some success with some similar rosters in the past, but you’re “rowing upstream” comparatively with that kind of roster. Jake’s staff tends to recruit this way, so nothing’s going to change unless one or two of the younger guys develops above and beyond being just a piece of the puzzle. There are a couple of the younger players who may have that potential.

[panther1]

Looking at the current roster is not providing a lot of hope. If AJ turns out to be a star at the college level, we might be decent in the 19-20 season with him, Brown, Pickford, Phyfe and hopefully a couple of transfers in. Our current roster is filled with good character individuals that are not DI basketball players.

[UNIChippewa]

Like many UNI teams, this years’ squad is a collection of role players, without a real go to guy or guys. It takes far more effort and luck for a group of role players to be really good. It can happen, since Jake’s had some success with some similar rosters in the past, but you’re “rowing upstream” comparatively with that kind of roster. Jake’s staff tends to recruit this way, so nothing’s going to change unless one or two of the younger guys develops above and beyond being just a piece of the puzzle. There are a couple of the younger players who may have that potential.

I don't disagree with your assessment of the team and its limitations, but that still doesn't answer the question of how this same team, with the same staff and players, has gone from a very solid, competitive squad that beat NCSU and SMU and were even with Top 5 teams like Villanova and Xavier for good parts of those games to one of the worst teams in the MVC.

If we finish with another losing record, which appears to be more likely than not right now, Jake needs to be asked some hard questions in the off-season.