Harty: Iowa needs clutch shooters more than third scoring option
IOWA CITY, Iowa – Of all the theories for why the Iowa men’s basketball team is struggling, the absence of a third scoring option gets mentioned a lot.
The belief is that senior forward Jarrod Uthoff and junior guard Peter Jok are having to handle too much of the scoring burden, and that’s why Iowa has lost three of its last four games heading into Sunday’s matchup against Ohio State in Columbus, Ohio.
There is some truth to that, but it’s not as simple as saying Iowa needs a reliable third scoring option, considering Iowa has had at least three players score in double figures in 12 of 15 Big Ten games this season.
“I don’t think you look at a number three scorer,” Iowa coach Fran McCaffery said Friday on a teleconference. “You’ve got to get scoring from everybody.
“Obviously, you identify the fact that we do have two primary scorers. I think if you look at the stats, that’s pretty evident. And that’s okay. But the rest of our scoring has to come from everybody. I don’t think we can pick one guy.”
Either Uthoff or Jok has led Iowa in scoring in all but one conference game this season. The only exception was the Big Ten opener against Michigan State when senior point guard Mike Gesell scored 25 points during an 83-70 victory on Dec. 28 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
Only once have Uthoff and Jok failed to score in double figures in conference play and that came against different opponents. Uthoff was held to nine points in a Jan. 28 loss at Maryland, while Jok scored eight points in a victory over Nebraska on Jan. 5 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
Somewhat lost in Iowa’s recent skid is that senior guard Anthony Clemmons has scored in double figures in eight of the last 10 games. That’s close to being a third scoring option, and yet Iowa has lost four of the games.
“I love it when he’s playing that way,” McCaffery said. “But it’s not like I say to him; I need you to do this. I need him to be Anthony Clemmons and I need him to trust his judgment in terms of when to shoot, when to drive, when to pass and when to move it one.
“So maybe he gets 18 (points) in one game and maybe he gets six in the other game. That’s going to be up to him regarding when he wants to shoot and how often he shoots and whether he is open or not.”
More than finding a third scorer, Iowa needs players who are capable of making big shots. That’s what has been missing more than anything lately.
Iowa has made less than 50 percent of its field-goal attempts in the last eight games.
It’s hard to think of an Iowa player besides Uthoff and Jok who has made a pivotal shot in a recent game. Redshirt freshman forward Nicholas Baer had a chance to make a huge 3-point basket against Wisconsin on Wednesday, which would’ve expanded Iowa’s lead to nine points in the second half, but his shot fell short.
Gesell has made just 5-of-25 field-goal attempts in the last three games. He has excelled in other areas, but hasn’t made a clutch shot in a while.
"His shot hasn’t been going in, but his game has been solid,’ McCaffery said. "He’s like everyone else. He’s going to give you every ounce of effort and be solid. And if his shots go in, he’s then he’s going to an all-league player.
"But he can still be the guy that even if his shots aren’t falling that is one of the main reasons we win."
Wisconsin showed how to make clutch shots in Wednesday’s game, with five of its final seven baskets coming from 3-point range.
“They hit timely threes and we didn’t is really what it comes down to,” McCaffery said of the Wisconsin loss.
Even with his team’s recent shooting woes, McCaffery remains optimistic that Iowa can get back on track.
“I’m looking for what I would consider major, major breakdowns and what I would consider major, major problems and I haven’t seen that,” McCaffery said. “Our execution in the last minute (against Wisconsin) was not good, but you can get that corrected.
"We got a little obsessed with the three ball when we should have just driven and scored because it was a three possession game. But sometimes that happens.”
Iowa, with records of 20-7 overall and 11-4 in the Big Ten, still controls its own destiny, even after losing three of its last four games.
But that’ll change if the players don’t start making clutch shots.
The Iowa men’s basketball team has had at least three players score in double figures in 12 of 15 Big Ten games this season. The most for any game was when all five of Iowa’s starters scored in double figures in a loss at Indiana. The least amount was two in three games against Purdue, Northwestern and Penn State. Iowa won two of the three games.
Here is breakdown of Iowa’s double-figure scorers in each conference game:
Iowa 83, Michigan State 70
When: Dec. 29
Where: Carver-Hawkeye Arena
Double-figure scorers: (3) Mike Gesell, 25, Peter Jok 19, Jarrod Uthoff 10
Iowa 70, Purdue 63
When: Jan. 2
Where: West Lafayette, Ind.
Double-figure scorers: (2) Jarrod Uthoff 25, Peter Jok 11
Iowa 77, Nebraska 66
When: Jan. 5
Where: Carver-Hawkeye Arena
Double-figure scorers: (3) Jarrod Uthoff 25, Mike Gesell 22, Dom Uhl 10
Iowa 76, Michigan State 59
When: Jan. 14
Where: East Lansing, Mich.
Double-figure scorers: (4) Peter Jok, 23, Jarrod Uthoff 15, Anthony Clemmons 13, Dom Uhl 10
Iowa 82, Michigan 71
When: Jan. 17
Where: Carver-Hawkeye Arena
Double-figure scorers: (4) Jarrod Uthoff 23, Peter Jok 16, Adam Woodbury 12, Dom Uhl 10
Iowa 90, Rutgers 76
When: Jan. 21
Where: Piscataway, N.J.
Double-figure scorers: (4) Peter Jok 29, Jarrod Uthoff 20, Anthony Clemmons 20, Adam Woodbury 12
Iowa 83, Purdue 71
When: Jan. 24
Where: Carver-Hawkeye Arena
Double-figure scorers: (4) Jarrod Uthoff 22, Adam Woodbury 13, Peter Jok 13, AnthonyClemmons 10
Maryland 74, Iowa
When: Jan. 28.
Where: College Park, Md.
Double-figure scorers: (4) Peter Jok 14, Mike Gesell 12, Anthony Clemmons 11, Adam Woodbury 11
Iowa 85, Northwestern 71
When: Jan. 31
Where: Carver-Hawkeye Arena
Double-figure scorers: (2) Peter Jok 26, Jarrod Uthoff 23
Iowa 73, Penn State 49
When: Feb. 3
Where: Carver-Hawkeye Arena
Double-figure scorers: (3) Jarrod Uthoff 14, Anthony Clemmons 12m Peter Jok 12
Iowa 77, Illinois 65
When: Feb. 7
Where: Champaign, Ill.
Double-figure scorers: (4) Peter Jok 23, Jarrod Uthoff 18, Anthony Clemmons 10, Adam Woodbury 10
Indiana 85, Iowa 78
When: Feb. 11
Where: Bloomington, Ind.
Double-figure scorers: (5) Jarrod Uthoff 24, Mike Gesell 17, Adam Woodbury 13, Anthony Clemmons 12, Peter Jok 12
Iowa 75, Minnesota 71
When: Feb. 14
Where: Carver-Hawkeye Arena
Double-figure scorers: (3) Peter Jok 27, Jarrod Uthof 24, Anthony Clemmons 12
Penn State 79, Iowa 75
When: Feb. 17
Where: State College, Pa.
Double-figure scorers: (2) Peter Jok 28, Jarrod Uthoff 19
Wisconsin 67, Iowa 59
When: Feb. 24
Where: Carver-Hawkeye Arena
Double-figure scorers: (3) Peter Jok 21, Anthony Clemmons 13, Jarrod Uthoff 11