Iowa Basketball: Thoughts Heading Into Selection Sunday

Two years ago, the Iowa Basketball team backed their way into the NCAA Tournament. The same is happening this year. Although, their early season success will keep them in the 6-8 seed range as opposed to an 11, like 2014.

The Iowa Hawkeyes have lost six of their last eight games. If you have a pulse and you pay attention to college basketball, you know that. Despite the losing over the past month, the Hawkeyes are still a team that can make a run in March. They have two players in Jarrod Uthoff and Peter Jok that can go out and get you 20+ just about every night.

The problem has been getting other players to help out. In Iowa’s most recent loss, Uthoff and Jok combined for 50 of the teams 66 points in a 68-66 second round loss to the Illinois Fighting Illini in the Big Ten Tournament. It was the third straight year Iowa had been bounced from the conference tournament on Thursday against a double digit seed.

In 2014, the Hawkeyes lost seven of their last eight games. They lost to the Northwestern Wildcats on the Thursday of the BTT, which led to being part of the “play-in” game as an 11 seed against Tennessee. The Volunteers and Hawkeyes went into overtime, but Iowa would score just one point in the OT period, leading to a 13 point loss.

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Last year, Iowa had a lot of success heading into the Big Dance. They won the last six regular season games before falling to Penn State on the Thursday of the BTT. Iowa wound up being a seven seed and blasting the 10 seed Davidson by 30 points. Iowa would go on to face Gonzaga, but fell to them 87-68 in a game that Kyle Wiltjer couldn’t miss.

So, what are some thoughts I have as we head into the Selection Show later today?

Help

Somebody has to help out. It is no big secret that the Hawkeyes can be just a two man show at points. As exciting as that show can be, it isn’t translating into wins. The other three Iowa starters, Adam Woodbury, Mike Gesell, and Anthony Clemmons must help out in the scoring department.

The bench seems to be hit and miss with the scoring production, so it’s going to have to be the other three senior starters. Woodbury brought it two years ago against the Volunteers in a game he had 16 points and eight rebounds. Jok also chipped in 10 points in that contest.

When the teams are announced later on today, Iowa will be dancing for the third straight year. With every starter experiencing two NCAA Tourneys prior to this year, they’re going to have some expectations heading into their third.

Stop With the Zone

I’m thinking here and I can’t remember a game this year in which the zone has been effective. Iowa should not play any sort of zone defense. They have two guards that are above average on-ball defenders and they have the best shot blocker in the conference. Match-up man-to-man and use your length and athleticism to disrupt the opposition.

Next: Early Exits from BTT Getting Old

Show Some Urgency

For the four senior starters, this is it. If you lose, there is no tomorrow. We’ve seen Iowa be great. Heck, they were receiving first place votes not too long ago. It’s still the same team, if I’m not mistaken. They know they can compete with the best teams in the country. Beating Michigan State twice, and Purdue twice proved that.

If they lose, there won’t be any “oh, they’ll figure it out” it’ll just be done, and their careers will be over at Iowa. They’ve got to show some urgency and play smart. It starts with the guards, Gesell and Clemmons. Uthoff and Jok are the best players and scorers that Iowa has, but if the guard play isn’t there, Iowa isn’t going to win.

They were both pretty bad on Thursday against Illinois, but we’ve seen flashes of excellence from both of them. This team has the ability to make a Sweet 16 run and possibly further, but it has to be a team effort. They can’t have another game like they did against Illinois, or they’ll be bounced in the first round.

The Hawkeyes find out their fate later today. The Selection Show begins at 4:30 p.m. CT and will be aired on CBS. We’ll have full coverage, along with reaction pieces when we do indeed find out where Iowa is headed.

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