Week in Review

The Hawks nearly pulled off a pair of victories in what could have been one heck of a week. On Wednesday Iowa knocked off the Badgers with a stellar overtime performance, winning 73-69. Saturday Iowa dominated Penn State for the majority of the game before stumbling down the stretch and blowing a 14-point second half lead.

The Wisconsin game was another example of how even Carver is a tough place to come away with a win. Iowa played a clean game taking care of the ball (only 9 turnovers) and shooting 46.5 percent from the field. It was an impressive turnaround from mistake prone blowout losses at Michigan and at Purdue in their two prior games.

David Palmer came up big for the second consecutive game, checking in with 21 points and seven rebounds. He showed that he clearly deserved to be on the court earlier in the season, regardless of what Todd Lickliter says. (Does anyone realize Palmer played 9.7 minutes per game as a freshman for the 2005-06 Seton Hall team that appeared in the NCAA Tournament?) He’s shown the ability to score in the post and not just sit beyond the arc, ready to fire a three. Palmer’s now averaging 15.3 points and 7.7 rebounds in three games since joining the starting lineup. It’s the type of production the likes of Jarryd Cole and Andrew Brommer have failed to come anywhere near.

Iowa then went to Penn State Saturday where they played remarkably well for 35 minutes (Iowa led 54-44 at the 5:00 mark). From there it all unraveled as the Hawks turned it over numerous times and couldn’t come up with a big play down the stretch.

On a positive note, Jake Kelly played well for a second consecutive game, scoring 19 points on 7-of-10 shooting and bottling up Penn State sophomore guard Talor Battle for much of the game. Freshman Aaron Fuller played 36 minutes and put in a career-high 16 points. Ultimately, Battle and senior Jamelle Cornley took over in crunch time.

Again, a long drought plagued Lickliter’s crew. They went scoreless the final 2:40 when they desperately needed a bucket to stave off the Lions’ furious rally. The Hawks are looking for a leader to step up. Matt Gatens should be that guy even if he is only a freshman. He took just five shots the entire game, however. It’s time for the Hawks to realize that the ball needs to be in his hands when the game’s on the line.

This Week: Jan. 29 vs. Michigan State (16-3, 6-1); Feb. 1 @ Illinois (16-3, 4-2)

The Hawks play a pair of ranked teams this week in Michigan State and Illinois. If Iowa can win either game it will be cause for celebration. The Spartans and the Illini at the moment appear to be the top two teams in the conference. Playing competitively would be another step in the right direction.

Predictions:
Michigan State 68, Iowa 56
Illinois 63, Iowa 49