Iowa struggling again with all-too-familiar problem
Defensive breakdowns big reason Iowa has lost three of last four games
By Pat Harty
IOWA CITY, Iowa – Maybe we should’ve realized that the Iowa men’s basketball team, despite all of the preseason hype, and despite having the most dominant offensive player in college basketball in 6-foot-11 senior center Luka Garza, and the most prolific 3-point shooter in program history in senior point guard Jordan Bohannon, was vulnerable in one respect.
Defense.
The hope was that Iowa’s offensive firepower, coupled with a renewed emphasis on defense, would be enough to avoid what happened during Thursday’s 89-85 loss to seventh-ranked Ohio State at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
Hope has now turned to concern, however.
Iowa led 61-50, but then unraveled on defense down the stretch as Ohio State shredded Iowa’s perimeter defense.
Both teams made 14 3-point baskets, but the Buckeyes made more of them with the game on the line down the stretch.
Iowa (13-5, 7-4) has lost three of its last four games and hits the road again for a game at Indiana on Sunday.
The Hoosiers defeated Iowa 81-69 two weeks ago, and Iowa hasn’t really has been the same since then, at least on defense.
The same problems that have hurt Iowa on defense in previous seasons have resurfaced, most notably the inability to contain shooters on the perimeter.
It seemed all that Ohio State had to do was reverse the ball a few times and somebody would get an open look.
The Ohio State players certainly deserve credit for making some tough shots at pivotal times. It’s not easy making a 3-point shot, even without a defender, or with the pressure of playing on the road in the Big Ten.
But it’s easier, especially at the high Division I level, if the defense is slow to react, and maybe a step slow.
“I think at some point you’ve got to say we weren’t as active with our slides as we should have been,” Iowa coach Fran McCaffery said after the Ohio State loss. “But give them some credit as well. They made them.”
That seems to be a nicer way of saying that Iowa lacked aggressiveness and awareness on defense, and that just shouldn’t happen to a team with Iowa’s experience.
The problem is that name a starter for Iowa whose biggest strength is defense?
Some might say sophomore guard C.J. Fredrick or junior swingman Joe Wieskamp, but neither is better on defense than offense.
Fredrick is a solid defender, but he missed the Ohio State game because of a lower leg injury, and his status is day-to-day.
As great as Garza is on offense, he’s limited on defense, but not from a lack of effort.
The same with Bohannon, whose clutch shooting makes it hard for Fran McCaffery to take him out of games when Bohannon might be struggling on defense.
That seemed to be the case against Ohio State.
Bohannon has won a lot of games for Iowa during his career by making clutch 3-point shots, and he made five treys against the Buckeyes.
He also values the basketball and doesn’t make careless turnovers.
But on the flipside, Bohannon struggles to defend against bigger and quicker players. He also struggles to stop penetration and stop the ball in transition.
Iowa might lose something on offense when Fran McCaffery goes to his bench, but the defense improves significantly when backup point guard Joe Toussaint, sophomore forward Jack Nunge, freshman forward Keegan Murray and freshman shooting guard Tony Perkins are in the game together.
Iowa’s bench, largely because of its impact defensively, helped spark a first-half comeback against Michigan State, and then helped close the deal down the stretch.
Fran McCaffery stuck almost exclusively with his veterans in the second half against Ohio State, and while it led to Iowa scoring 85 points, the lack of defense led to Ohio State scoring 89 points.
“In retrospect, I probably should have gone to those guys a few minutes and given those others guys some rest,” Fran McCaffery said.
Iowa’s second unit, which also consists of 6-8 freshman forward Patrick McCaffery, who is Fran McCaffery’ son, is more athletic than the starters, but most of the starters are better offensively.
Toussiant is one of the quickest players in the Big Ten, and that helps to make him a solid defender. But he also struggles, sometimes, as a shooter.
The 6-11 Nunge has incredible length, while the 6-8 Keegan Murray can guard multiple positions, and can guard in the post and on the perimeter
Perkins also has been effective on defense in the limited time he has played. The 6-4 Indianapolis native has active hands and always seems to be in the right position.
Freshman point guard Ahron Ulis also has been steady on defense in his limited playing time.
Patrick McCaffery is known more for his offense, but his length and quickness also help on defense.
The challenge for Fran McCaffery moving forward will be to find the right mix and the right balance as he distributes playing.
Of course, losing three of four games is a concern.
But it’s not reason to panic, or overreact.
None of the starters should be benched, but the second unit has to be utilized better in order to make Iowa better defensively.
Fran McCaffery pretty much said that after the Ohio State loss.
The fact that Iowa is struggling on defense really shouldn’t be a big surprise because defense has always been a work in progress compared to Iowa’s high-octane offense.
What is a surprise, though, has been Iowa’s inability to protect leads, considering how much experience is on the roster.
Iowa led Ohio State by 11 points in the second half and Indiana by nine points, but still lost both games at home.
Iowa’s inability to get defensive stops was a key factor in both losses, especially down the stretch.
Iowa was considered a top-5 team heading into the season and one of the favorites to win the Big Ten.
There still is time to right the ship, and maybe even live up to those expectations.
But it won’t happen unless Iowa improves on defense in a hurry.
Iowa has lived up to the hype from an offensive standpoint. But scoring points is only half of the challenge in winning a basketball game.