Time to make some lineup changes!

[UNI Fan]

The staff needs to get a little creative with this team and make some changes in personnel. The lineup and players we have been using has not been working for the last three weeks. Every coach & fan in the league is scared to death of our front court, mainly Stout & Coleman. But, we continue to go away from our strength and do what everyone in the conference wants us to do. That is, shoot from outside and make only 4 of 22 three pointers. It has happened in numerous other games this year as well. When we are bad from shooting from the outside we are really bad. Why not do something that no other team in the conference can do??? Like play a big lineup...Stout, Coleman & Egleseder with two guards. Make the opposition play to our strengths. We may have to play some zone to cover our defensive problems buit at least we would have to pound it inside and make them play to our strengths. Think of Georgetown in the NCAA tourney last year. No one had answer for their front court. It is time to start playing to our strengths...and that is our front court! Play Egleseder (everyone in the conference had problems with Broadley's 7 footer O'Bryant last year) and our guard court is not the strength of our team but is for most other teams in the Mo Valley!

[CR Panther]

I'm not a fan of change this late in the season, but you make some interesting points. The teams that have played us well as of late have all used the same philosophy. And, they shoot lights out against us it seems. Although it may reek of desperation, it may be time.

Unfortunately, Big E is coming off of surgery and is still perfecting the defensive craft. It may be too much to bite off.

[jman2004]

Throw Koch in then to start, and let Stout and Coleman STAY DOWN LOW. It drives me nuts. Stout especially. He spends more time beyond the arc and past the free throw line than he does down low.

We're really going down in flames. We look like a football team lobbing up hail marys.

[UNIhoops]

Reasons for a zone
1) Get more minutes out of Jordan/Kock
2) Better guard rotation = more rest (Josten can play even harder D)
3) More rebounds (I love Travis but at small forward 6'8 has a better chance)
4) Takes away set plays against man after every timeout.
5) Teams have to prepare for more then one defense. (Can still use man)
6) Could rotate 7'1, 6'8, 6'6, looks pretty good
7) No more Colemen guarding 3 point shooters (Korver) = More rebounds
and always have a big man guarding the hoop.
8) Veit doesn't get matched up 1 on 1 on defense, which means he can play more.
9) The other team will have to go big instead of going small (less talented players)
10) Something new to give team hope
11) On offense Stout has proven he can hit outside!
12) Either Koch or Colemen will be in so we can still run the court
- I know in the begining of the year Jake said he might play three bigs and they have worked on some zone. Maybe its going to be a surprise attack come MVC tourney time?

The problem is can the two guards handle a press, and hard nosed defense?

[ceaser150]

Now that Jordan is back, I would like to see Koch get some time at the 3. Travis has just been too inconsistent. I think a lineup that has Stout, Koch, and Coleman in all at the same time would be tough to defend.

[PantherHawk]

I would personally like to see Coleman, Stout, and Koch in there with Brooks and Viet. I know it sounds weird, but you got brooks who can run the point. Viet is a good spot shooter. Then you got coleman and stout down low workign hard. KOCH is the kicker, he can rebound but also play d. They need to switch it up, Brown has not played very well this year and he always seems to be the one shooting the 3 ball. We need to get guys in there that can drive and dish off. We also need guys who can feed the ball down low on a consistant basis. I am for a change, just something to light a fire under these guys @sses!

[bendbutdontbreak]

you would almost have to play zone if you went three big because koch can not gaurd the three position, he jsut isnt quick enough

[panther2317]

I would like to see us stick with the same starting lineup. It's won UNI 16 games out of 24. I always cringe when I watch a game on tv and the announcer says something like, "This is Iowa's 15th different statrting lineup this season." It means you're searching for answers and this starting lineup just won a game Saturday night and they started out 10-0 last night.

I don't think playing more zone is the answer. I think (from an X and O standpoint) that we need to front the post or provide more ball pressure on the ball handlers so they don't have such a free look to dump it into the post.

[BCPanther]

I think that the team has really played well when they have had to scramble and press a little. I would like to see that look every once in a while with our depth... IMO...

[jman2004]

I'm sorry, but we're a .500 ball club in a good conference, with most of our confernce losses to teams we should've beaten. I think we do need to "search for answers" a little bit.

I agree with what someone said about Koch being too slow to defend the three position, but that is the least of my concerns right now. Yes teams are shooting lights out against us, but we look like absolute CRAP on offense. Overall, I'm not terribly disappointed in our defense.

But at times I really wonder if Coach Jake does in fact have 80 some plays he can call or if we just say that. Because more often than not, it looks like players stand around. Koch could provide more depth on the offensive end of the court and that's where we need help right now.

Playing a zone on defense, with the way we've been defending the three lately, really scares me.

[panther2317]

But we have the answers...we have to play like we played at MSU, WSU, at home vs. SIU. That's the answer....there's no searching to be done.

[jman2004]

Your right, and after seeing those games, we know they are capable of playing that way.

What scares me is the fact that those are JUST three games. I could name more times this year we've looked like crap than times this year we've looked NCAA worthy.

You're right, their capable, but I don't know.

[Panthers to the Bone]

Regarding Koch playing the 3. A couple things. Koch is 1 for 20 from 3 this year. Defenses are sagging off of him on the perimeter. The '3' needs to be able to hit the 3, and right now Adam isn't shooting the 3 at all, even though I know he can hit it. I think you will see him pick it up big time next year from 3 point land. Also, Jake has addressed why they aren't playing Koch at the 3 a couple times. They said that at the beginning of the season they tried to do it, but it didn't work out. There was some other rationale that I can't remember, but they have looked at doing it before.

[joecooll6]

Stout spends so much time beyond the arc because right now he is our best 3 point shooter.