Iowa thoughts

[bac2therac]

As with the Indiana game, I enjoyed myself. That was nice. Yes it sucks that expectations are so low that you are happy with a competitive 14 point loss but that's where we are.

Eddie coached his best game since Wisconsin last year. He motivated his team. He ran plays for them. They executed. The players played with confidence without backing down. They didn't try to make the game a track meet. They pushed tempo but also worked the offense. It was a good blend. The biggest quality I saw from the players was battling through adversity. Down 13-2 I bet everyone was saying to themselves oh no here we go again, another 50-60 point loss but RU started fighting back and punched Iowa right back, I think stunning them for a time.This team had pretty much cracked every game when another team made a run. And while Iowa was never really threatened once they got up by double digits, RU still kept fighting and clawing and that was great to see.

Obviously having Jonathan Laurent made a difference. Eddie ran specific plays for him plus Laurent seemed to have a knack for being around the basket. I like that in him. Does he make up a 20-30 difference in games...no..there was no excuse for those blowouts but that being said with him in the offense it allows RU to be tougher to defend. I believe Iowa wasn't ready for Laurent. They probably didn't scout him and figured he wouldn't be a factor.

I loved the coaching staff was actually coaching today. Macon out on the court, players being talked. Do you think the coaching staff knows that they are on the hot seat. It certainly looked like it tonight. I liked tonight because it seemed the coaches and players just didn't accept it was okay to lose and then curl into a ball while the defecit climbs to 40-50. That was my big issue with Nebby and Purdue, you don't have to lose by that much, you have to do things with your team to put them in the best situation to keep the games competitive and show effort and tonight they did. People say oh they gave effort against Nebby and Purdue and 2nd half of Ohio St...hmm no they didn't. You can tell when they give effort and tonight they did.

Oh and how about ditching that awful strategy of not trying to rebound. I saw a pretty good effort on the boards so hopefully that stupid strategy goes away

Look Iowa came in and was cold after that 13-2 start, they were taking quick outside shots when they didn't have to. Certainly overlooked RU and brought their D game on defense and C game on offense but hey that's okay, RU brought an A game and that's all I can ask. Bring an A game against Penn State or Illinois or Minnesota and they can eek out a win or two

Meanwhile the RAC truly is a morgue where even in a close game in the first half it was bo peep and the blackout was a total epic fail

 

[T2Kplus10]

Another game, another loss. That's all that needs to be said. The game was "close" just due to Iowa playing down to the level of competition. Some of these games will be close, as better teams view playing RU as a glorified practice session.

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

Fantastic on 1 end of the court. A dud on the other end.

Laurent was a breath of fresh air. Williams needs to start.

The defensive effort/ability of 2 1/2 individuals kept us from potentialy winning the game.

Sanders had his best game in a long time.

Night and day the offense with him as the primary ball handler vs. not. Totally different, and so obvious.

I credit Jordan for the minutes he allocated.

 

[bac2therac]

I thought the defense was good in the first half besides the first 5 minutes. I thought the D started to wane about the 12 minute mark or so of the 2nd and unfortunately I think that's when they needed it most as Iowa started draining a few 3s. Still this was a better defensive effort from this team..maybe similar to Indiana game. You cant expect miracles from them, this was improvement albeit not what we want or need

put it this way, Eddie said there was no problem with their defense when they to Purdue by 50 giving up 107..thats simply a lie and burying your head in the sand, tonight was a different story I can live with even though they gave up 90

 

[jellyman]

I respectfully disagree on the impact having Laurent back makes: His return (as was his presence against Indiana) makes a MUCH bigger difference than just 1 or 2 things, or than just the points he scores ... it has a huge ripple effect on the capability of the entire team's performance.

I believe what this game actually shows is that simply having Laurent back might just make a 30-point difference in a game (not all games, but many games). How so, given that Laurent is not THAT good, is not a star? Here are some of the ways:

1) He can score, while Goode cannot - not against long or athletic teams (Laurent essentially replaces Goode in the substitution pattern). Laurent scored 14 points in 29 minutes. Goode scores 2 points in a game if RU is LUCKY - in 20+ minutes without Laurent available. Goode plays just 4 minutes in this game - much more appropriate minutes for his abilities.

2) Laurent can defend and rebound better than Goode ...and that has a ripple effect that helps RU is many ways both statistically and NON-statistically.

3) When RU was down 13-2, or maybe 13-4, Laurent entered the game (RU came into the game at about the 14 minute mark - earlier than when the announcers noticed him - the announcers only noticed at about the 10 minute mark) ... and the entire energy of the RU team changed, and enabled RU's run to get RU back in the game.

Item # 1 accounts for a 14-point swing. Items #2 and #3 could easily account for an additional 10 to even 20 points difference, at least in this game.

Now, imagine if RU also had Freeman (who has apparently been announced as out for the season, according to the announcers and a graphic on this broadcast, though I have not seen it announced elsewhere). At the time of his injury, Freeman was RU's leading scorer, and easily RU's best interior scorer, and RU's best rebounder.

 

[RickB113]

There isn't a team in the country that doesn't have defensive lapses. Scoring is up across all of college hoops. We lose game in and game out because we can't score and can't hit the three consistently. And of course our lack of bigs to rebound is why we don't just lose but often get killed.

 

[B1GNJHoops]

Eddie Jordan confirmed that Freeman's out for the season.

 

[shields]

Agree with Jelly. Look at Nebraska game. Shields was guarded by Williams and Goode a few times. Wish Laurent had been able to guard him that game.

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

On the ride home started to think about roles for next year. I want 2 guys on the floor with Sanders with the potential to know down shots from the perimeter. Do we see a lot of Freeman and Laurent with 3 guards? I don't know if i like a sanders williams/johnson laurent foreman freeman. OR sanders williams/johnson foreman freeman diallo.

bottom line is Laurent a "3"...playing with 2 bigs? I say no.

i envision laurent playing a 4 against most teams.

i see
laurent freeman foreman diallo and doorson fighting for about 90 minutes.

We really need a Jok like player. havent had a 6'5'' to 6'7'' wing player forever.

 

[goru7]

Another game, another loss. That's all that needs to be said. The game was "close" just due to Iowa playing down to the level of competition. Some of these games will be close, as better teams view playing RU as a glorified practice session.

That is an idiotic post since you never saw the game. If you did an said what you said you are even more of an idiot

 

[T2Kplus10]

That is an idiotic post since you never saw the game. If you did an said what you said you are even more of an idiot

Boo Hoo. The facts hurt, I know.

 

[RU-Choppin-Ohio]

Another one added to ignore...thanks OP.

there should be a board specific ignore option....but, I assume if someone makes an idiotic statement on the BB board, they also make idiotic statements on the FB board. The OP adds nothing of value for people who want to seriously discuss basketball.

 

[MCKnight2004]

Yes it was a respectable effort vs Iowa. But some of EJ post game quotes this year are head scratchers...tonight a reporter asked about rebounding and referenced their improvement tonight by mentioning the poor rebounding in the Purdue game..and his response...

" we got out rebounded by 40??!!... I don't look at the stat sheet, I look at heart, and guts.."

And then, when asked if he is happy with tonight's result, he said he's not happy, but he is happy to be a coach, "and still be here, talking to you guys. " perhaps some foreshadowing

 

[Section114]

That is an idiotic post since you never saw the game. If you did an said what you said you are even more of an idiot

Please stop insulting people when you disagree with their opinions. Feel free to defend your position, but everyone has a right to their opinion whether you agree or not! Insulting people is so annoying. Sheesh!

 

[goru7]

Please stop insulting people when you disagree with their opinions. Feel free to defend your position, but everyone has a right to their opinion whether you agree or not! Insulting people is so annoying. Sheesh!

You are right. I should not have used that word, I should have said uninformed or unintelligent. I will definitely try to clean up the language.

 

[bac2therac]

Yes it was a respectable effort vs Iowa. But some of EJ post game quotes this year are head scratchers...tonight a reporter asked about rebounding and referenced their improvement tonight by mentioning the poor rebounding in the Purdue game..and his response...

" we got out rebounded by 40??!!... I don't look at the stat sheet, I look at heart, and guts.."

And then, when asked if he is happy with tonight's result, he said he's not happy, but he is happy to be a coach, "and still be here, talking to you guys. " perhaps some foreshadowing

that quote and the very animated assistants that night indicate to me that the temperature on the seat has been raised and finally the coaches realize it

 

[RickB113]

Eddie will be back next year.

 

[Section114]

Eddie will be back next year.

I agree. There are many reasons.

1. The injuries this year were unreal and really tough to gauge how good/bad team is.
2. The $$ to buyout and pay another coach just are not there.
3. By this time next year, the facility situation will be very clear helping to hire the right coach and start recruiting top players.

The question is with EJ contract, to show support they would need to extend him and that would be crazy.

Interesting to see how it all plays out.

 

[shields]

Just got a commit.

 

[shields]

And by the way Bac's team Northwestern lost by 32 today.

 

[seels2662]

By the way, the announcers during the Iowa game said that Williams and Sanders were sick for the Purdue game, and that Williams shouldn't have played he was so sick. Add to the fact that Foreman is dinged up and we were playing with 4 healthy scholarship players for the Purdue game.

 

[Greene Rice FIG]

Williams wasn't in warmups for that Purdue game. So him take meds 10 minutes before tip

 

[jellyman]

By the way, the announcers during the Iowa game said that Williams and Sanders were sick for the Purdue game, and that Williams shouldn't have played he was so sick. Add to the fact that Foreman is dinged up and we were playing with 4 healthy scholarship players for the Purdue game.

I did not hear that on the broadcast, or know that. That would certainly have made things worse for that game.

if true, every RU fan, regardless of how awful it can be watching the team lose like it has, should be giving a standing ovation to the players for persevering. For Lewis for playing on one knee. For Foreman playing with a bum ankle for several games. For Williams for playing when he should not have been simply because RU needed a body on the floor.

 

[bac2therac]

I agree. There are many reasons.

1. The injuries this year were unreal and really tough to gauge how good/bad team is.
2. The $$ to buyout and pay another coach just are not there.
3. By this time next year, the facility situation will be very clear helping to hire the right coach and start recruiting top players.

The question is with EJ contract, to show support they would need to extend him and that would be crazy.

Interesting to see how it all plays out.

another $3 million on the hook for RU to extend him and you have to do one or the other, a coach without an extension is toxic on the recruiting trail

 

[bac2therac]

And by the way Bac's team Northwestern lost by 32 today.

that's okay, Id like to be 15-6 or 15-7 or whatever they are. Maybe the NCAA isn't in the cards for them this year but they have some easier games later in the year but Collins has done a great job and they will be in the NIT. They got waxed by red hot Indiana who has really turned things up since its scare at the RAC

 

[shields]

Just busting your chops but they are playing Iowa and another good team and could easily in two weeks be 16-9. And Indiana has won last two games by 34 and 32. Illinois is not good and we do play them at RAC right?

 

[wngarbarini]

I enjoyed myself very much at the Iowa game as effort and performance was there. When you shoot around 49% that is ok with me!