Northern Iowa - 12/31/2022 - 2:00 PM - Marquee

[DoubleDeuce]

Turnovers turnovers turnovers

 

[Bird Friend]

We play hard, but we play dumb. Frankly, there's nobody on this team willing to be THE leader on the floor. We have nobody on this team that can take over a game. We have nobody on this team we can count on to be the defensive stopper. We throw soft passes, dribble high, and run soft screens . . . and nobody knows how to use a screen to get open.

 

[Redbird222]

Our offense kinda need an overhaul at this point in the season. It’s kinda bad to be honest. Call me bias if you want but. Mal playing pg is probably the best option but then again the best 3 pt shooter on the team isn’t have plays ran for him and it’s hurting the team

We are doing a disservice to hom playing at PG ... just my opinion. Getting him moving off the ball and not with the ball

 

[redbirds2000]

Based on what I’ve seen this game and so far this season I think the Birds are going to get a really good draft choice when the season is over.

There should be plenty of openings. The entire team should be drafting their "I have decided to enter transfer portal..." Tweet.

 

[jwa123]

only you and I remember Lloyd Phillips

No that’s not true. I remember Lloyd. He wore an arm sleeve for no apparent reason.

 

[Redbird222]

It's late enough in the season that we should know the 8 primary players. It's hard for a team to have an identity and get in rhythms when you are rotating so many players through. The line-ups/rotations looks haphazard at times.

I have not researched it but I am sure this team is averaging more turnovers than teams of the past. Muller's teams were plagued with TOs when they didn't have a PG and so is this team.

 

[Popsto4]

We are doing a disservice to hom playing at PG ... just my opinion. Getting him moving off the ball and not with the ball

I completely agree. He’s 15/29 in the last seven games from three. It’s difficult to take him off the ball because he have less turnovers than the others while running the point. I think Mal had 4 or 5 assists to 1 turnover tonight. Look around the league. Their shooters are putting up mad shots from 3. The point is very few are creating that shot. They’re running sets and moving the ball within the offense to get open looks. Needing a true pg is a is greatly desired for this team. Mal should be taking at minimum 6/8 threes per game.

 

[CaliRdBrd]

There should be plenty of openings. The entire team should be drafting their "I have decided to enter transfer portal..." Tweet.

Yeah, ok. Exactly what player(s) are other teams clamoring to go after?

 

[Bdub777]

We may not have a Paris Lee, but Burford and Poindexter, and even Sandage have shown that they have the ability to penetrate into seams to create opportunities…they just don’t do it enough. Instead we either run a weave at the top of the key or pass it around the horn, both mostly to seemingly find open threes. I really feel these guys are playing well below their ability. Like everyone else, I don’t understand the 11-12 deep rotation at this point….

 

[redbirds2000]

Yeah, ok. Exactly what player(s) are other teams clamoring to go after?

I'm not saying anyone is "clamoring". You don't have to be wanted by other programs to enter the portal. They should be guided in that direction. This group is not getting ISU to the NCAA. Not this year, not next year. Time to move on.

 

[Aggie]

Real question is who is clamoring to come here???

 

[Manchester Matt]

Real question is who is clamoring to come here???

Three pretty fine recruits so far. And I know of at least a few players on the roster who, despite the inconsistency with a first year coach (man, how did we not expect that?) are pretty damn happy playing for Pedon.

 

[Popsto4]

We may not have a Paris Lee, but Burford and Poindexter, and even Sandage have shown that they have the ability to penetrate into seams to create opportunities…they just don’t do it enough. Instead we either run a weave at the top of the key or pass it around the horn, both mostly to seemingly find open threes. I really feel these guys are playing well below their ability. Like everyone else, I don’t understand the 11-12 deep rotation at this point….

Burford, Sandage and Mal our three best guards are all caught up in the offensive system the team is running. All I can say is styles makes fights. I don’t like this offense at all. Going in I thought the defense would be the killer, as the season churn along it’s the offense.

 

[Redbirdfan06]

Burford, Sandage and Mal our three best guards are all caught up in the offensive system the team is running. All I can say is styles makes fights. I don’t like this offense at all. Going in I thought the defense would be the killer, as the season churn along it’s the offense.

Maybe the offense isn’t working but I don’t think it’s because we have these great guards that are limited by the system. All of our guards are limited in ability and can be shut down if their plus skill set is taken away. Poindexter had some good looks at 3 and never pulled the trigger. We love passing up an open look and pump faking into trouble.

 

[Hamdonger]

Maybe the offense isn’t working but I don’t think it’s because we have these great guards that are limited by the system. All of our guards are limited in ability and can be shut down if their plus skill set is taken away.

Excellent insight and this is our overall downfall. JMO. And none of our guards are floor leaders...meaning that one particular guard who consistently makes everything go. I like them personally, but it is what it is. When will we find a lineup?? I'll deal with a tough January...for a good February...for tourney's sake. I felt at the beginning of year that it could be early February before we start playing good basketball. But man, in the thick of it...this STINKS and Feb is a long way off.

 

[Hamdonger]

Popsto4 said:
Our kids do not see the open man floor well enough at all

FTFY

Agree wholeheartedly with both of you. Our kids do not see the floor well. We're just not that kind of team, which is not promising. A second late on so much that happens...which doesn't allow an offense to get into rhythm and players to co-exist efficiently with each other. Will something finally click and we find that rhythm?? We'd better. We do enough to stay in most games. We don't do enough to consistently win them, though.

And last I checked, Herm Edwards was right.

 

[DWRedbird]

Excellent insight and this is our overall downfall. JMO. And none of our guards are floor leaders...meaning that one particular guard who consistently makes everything go. I like them personally, but it is what it is. When will we find a lineup?? I'll deal with a tough January...for a good February...for tourney's sake. I felt at the beginning of year that it could be early February before we start playing good basketball. But man, in the thick of it...this STINKS and Feb is a long way off.

I would agree with the sentiment that none of them are floor leaders. I think Mal is used to playing off the ball, and looks more effective when coming off screens rather than dribbling around trying to create his own shot out of nothing. Burford looks more comfortable in an up tempo offense, which is definitely not Pedon's style, and Sandy is more of a scorer than he is a floor general. None of that would be bad if we were running a good offense, but we really aren't. We have no flow to the offense, and right now the only style we have is slow, which half of the team doesn't seem to want to play.

I, personally think Pedon is trying to figure out what kind of offense and defense he wants to run, now that he is the guy in charge. Personally, I anticipated this which is why I didn't really want another first time HC, but cest la vie. That said, I really hope that Pedon decides what he wants to do and does it, or we are going to look a lot like we have in years past regardless of the talent we bring in.

My other thoughts on the game are sparse. We turned the ball over far too often, but part of that is a product of the mish-mash offense we run right now, with no central plan by behind it. We also again got to the line 13 times, I'd like to see us averaging 20 FTs a game. FT shooting is a strength for us, and we need to play into it more.

 

[LeonardFuestal]

I agree with the assessments posted . This team has some talent , just not much leadership. They do get along with each other . They just do not seem to hold each other accountable. I am somewhat disappointed thus far . There is time to turn it around this season . It just seems unlikely. I think Lewis needs to be this teams leader and he is not. Coach Pedon is figuring out his team and how he wants them to play, they just do not know how to go all in and beat somebody and then do it again the next game. The offense is poor. They do not take what they want on offense because it doesn’t seem like they know what they want. As a team they should be getting 20 to 25 points a game from the foul line because they have the proven ability to do that. Sossoko is the only player I really want to watch. He should be a focal point of the offense but isn’t. I’m just a fan who used to be a member of this team . Many years ago. This is my first post here but I am hopeful this team and coach can give me reasons to feel better about this program.

 

[Dmills]

There was some discussion on here earlier this season about the point guard situation for next year. To me, it has become increasingly obvious we need a true point guard with experience to run our offense. Malachi is the best we have for that role and he's been serviceable, but I think we would be better with him spending more time at the 2 if it were possible. I like the guards we have and think we have good talent and experience, just are lacking a point guard.

 

[Dmills]

I know he was hurt for a game (or maybe a couple), but I was hoping we would see more out of Petrakis. He has really struggled to have any impact whatsoever outside of the first two games.