Peter Jok healthy until further notice
By Tyler Devine
IOWA CITY, Iowa – Peter Jok is healthy enough to play. The question is whether Jok is healthy enough to be Iowa's go-to offensive player.
Iowa head coach Fran McCaffery knows his young squad is much better when Jok is leading the offensive charge. But Jok has struggled with a stiff back in the last three games, combining for just 28 points in three consecutive losses.
McCaffery told reporters on Friday that he would consider resting Jok, but plans to use his senior sharpshooter until told by the Iowa medical staff to do otherwise.
The Hawkeyes (11-10, 3-5 Big Ten) will look to end their three-game losing streak on Saturday against Ohio State at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
"To me it’s real simple,” McCaffery said. “What does the player say and what do the trainers and doctors say? I don’t get to make that decision. If they’re declared fit for duty and he wants to play we’re going to play him. If he feels uncomfortable about that at any time and the trainer says we’ve got to shut him down then we’re going to shut him down. There’s not going to be any further discussion like wait a minute now. No. None of that stuff. Whatever they tell me.
"Even if he comes out and he’s banged up and he’s sitting to the side and they’re tending to him and Brad will come and say he’s good to go. The only time I didn’t put him back in when I was told he was good to go was the second half at Northwestern. To me, it was like that doesn’t make sense right now even though he’s okay. I would go with whatever they tell me with zero resistance. Even though we’re obviously better with him on the floor and I think everybody knows that.”
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Jok did not appear healthy in Wednesday's 76-64 loss at Illinois, and yet he still played 32 minutes and stayed in the game even with Iowa down by as many as 16 points near the end
The decision to keep playing Jok drew a comparison to the Iowa football's team decision to keep playing quarterback C.J. Beathard in the Outback Bowl despite the score being lopsided and despite Beathard barely able to run.
McCaffery said Friday that resting Jok is an option.
“I think it’s a legitimate consideration," McCaffery said. "I look at it like this. It can’t hurt. If he is sore in certain areas, rest can only help you. Is it one of those things where the first time he gets banged it’s going to feel the same regardless of whether it takes two days or 10 days, I can’t tell you that. Only he can tell you that and only our doctors and medical personnel can tell you that. But he’s obviously been struggling physically. I think we can all agree to that. I don’t really want to see a guy struggle physically.
"Our job is to help, like I say, whether it’s Xs and Os or it’s how can we get you to feel better and we always encourage them like that. If you’re banged up you’ve got to live in the training room. You can’t show up five minutes before practice and say ‘Hey, I need treatment’. It doesn’t work that way. You’ve got to get in in the morning and then you’ve got to come back in an hour and a half or two hours before practice. Then you’ve got to get in the cold tub and get other treatment. Then you’ve got to eat right and sleep right on top of that. It’s a long season and I think we’ve got pretty smart, mature guys, so we’ve got that component."
With or without Jok, Iowa faces an Ohio State team on Saturday that is desperate for a win.
Ohio State enters the game with records of 3-5 in the Big Ten and 13-8 overall and has lost three of its four Big Ten road games.
A sense of urgency also exists for Iowa, which has lost three straight games, including two on the road. Iowa is currently tied with Ohio State, Penn State, Nebraska, Illinois and Minnesota for fourth place in the Big Ten. The all-time series between Iowa and Ohio State is also tied at 78-78.
When looking at Ohio State, McCaffery sees a team that can make life difficult in many ways for a defense.
"I think when you look at that team they’ve got a lot of talent,” McCaffery said. “They kind of play at their own pace. They play like a confident group. (Jaquan) Lyle has really impressed me. (Trevor) Thompson has really stepped his game up. (Jae’Sean) Tate has always been a terrific player. But I think Kam Williams is a guy that I looked at as more of a catch-and-shoot guy and he’s doing stuff off the dribble now and he’s a really hard guard.
"So all of their guys essentially go off the dribble. They can all make threes, Tate not so much but he’s capable and he’s so powerful. It’s a team that will really tax your defense in a lot of ways. They get good play off their bench from (Micah) Potter and (C.J.) Jackson so it’s a good team.”
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