Iowa suffered another two-loss week--not a surprise considering the long odds stacked against them in both games. Iowa lost to two probable NCAA Tournament teams--Wisconsin and Purdue--while playing with less than their best.
A tender hammy, the result of slipping on the Kohl Center floor, kept Jeff Peterson from playing Saturday against no. 23 Purdue. To pile on, Cyrus Tate still couldn’t go, Jake Kelly missed a key late possession against Purdue because of a cut on his forehead, and Anthony Tucker continues to sit out due to academic ineligibility.
Peterson, Tate and Tucker were all starters when Iowa opened the season Nov. 14. You could make the argument that no Big Ten team has been more affected by injuries/academic troubles than Iowa. Tate was a crucial loss for a team with few low post options and Tucker looked to be a great fit as a 3-point shooter in Todd Lickliter’s offense. Throw in the carryover effect from the ACL injury that Cole suffered last year and it makes Iowa’s struggles all the more understandable.
Even with its full compliment of players, Iowa still wouldn’t be competing for an NCAA Tournament bid, but they may have two, perhaps even three more wins. Iowa simply doesn’t have the depth to effectively replace its key players.
It’s a wonder that Iowa took the Boilermakers all the way to the wire on Saturday. Kelly and Jarryd Cole were the main reasons why the Hawks nearly pulled off the stunner. Cole chipped in 13 points and grabbed five rebounds. He gave Iowa a consistent threat down low. Kelly stepped up to score 19 points, carving up the opposing defense when Iowa’s picking offense went stagnant. Had Matt Gatens shot better than his 2-of-13 from the field, Iowa may have celebrated with a heck of win. Instead, Purdue won a 49-45 snail-paced victory.
Wednesday’s loss at Wisconsin gave little hope that Iowa would be able to play close with Purdue. The Hawks competed for much of the first half until the final minute when Gatens’ technical foul highlighted a 9-0 run for the Badgers. That was pretty much the ballgame as Wisconsin took a 36-24 lead to the break on the way to a 69-52 blowout win.
Reasons For Optimism:
-Well, Kelly did score 36 points in the week on 15-for-26 shooting. He displayed the scoring ability that Hawkeye fans have seen in flashes. Lickliter is looking for more consistency from his sophomore guard. He’s had trouble stringing several good performances in a row.
-Jarryd Cole is Jarryd Cole again. He seems to be all the way back from last season’s ACL tear. He contributed a solid 18 points and 13 rebounds during the week.
-Almost beating Purdue is a positive for a team that limped into the game. I had predicted Purdue to win by four a week ago, but that was with the assumption that Peterson would be healthy and Robbie Hummel would remain sidelined. Iowa’s performance was never pretty, but it was gutsy.
Up Next: Feb. 22 vs. Michigan
Michigan likely will come into this game in desperate need of a win to enhance its NCAA Tournament profile. A loss to Iowa could pop Michigan’s bubble. The Wolverines have been awful on the road though, and winning in Carver won’t be easy for them. Michigan will have the two best players on the floor in Manny Harris and DeShawn Sims, but Iowa will put together a better team effort to win the game. A whole week off could give Peterson and Tate time to heal for this one.
Prediction:
Iowa 53, Michigan 49
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Jacob, how many years do you think the current regime gets to show it can turn things around? Three? Four? Five?
ReplyDeleteI think it would be extremely disappointing if Iowa isn't in the NCAA Tournament by year four. By that time Jake Kelly, Jeff Peterson and Jarryd Cole will be seniors, and Matt Gatens will be a junior.
ReplyDeleteSo, I'd say this regime gets at least four years. No one will expect them to make much noise next season, but they should compete for an NIT berth.
Lickliter and his staff do not recruit well enough to completely turn around a program immediately. But with time, I think he'll have Iowa back to respectability. The more I've seen of Iowa's core this year, I've actually been encouraged. The four guys I mentioned will have a ridiculous amount of experience in a couple years.
If Iowa doesn't at least get close to a Tourney bid in 2010-11, then this staff probably should be replaced.