Hawkeyes have lost three of four heading into Thursday game at #21 Wisconsin
KCJJ Staff
03/05/19
The Iowa men’s basketball team is hoping it second game without head coach Fran McCaffery goes better than the first, but the conditions will be more difficult. First, it’s on the road. Second, it’s against the 21st-ranked team in the country.
The Hawkeyes, whose head coach will serve the second of a two-game suspension on Thursday, have lost three of four heading into their match-up with Wisconsin. But McCaffery says the team’s shooting simply has to be better than it’s been recently.
“I think we’re taking good shots and I think the right people are shooting them,” McCaffery said. “You know, we were shooting better for awhile and then we haven’t been. You just get your shots up in practice and keep moving the ball. Just make sure you’re shooting open shots and not contested shots. If you’re shooting contested threes you’re not going to make them.
“But I thought our looks were pretty good. And I just keep encouraging the guys to continue to shoot them because I think we have the right guys shooting them.”
Iowa’s defense the last two games also has started to look like last year’s, giving up a combined 176 points in the two losses. While limiting the Badgers’ offense may not be a problem – they average less than 70 points per game – but scoring could be, as Wisconsin allows only 61.6 points per game, good for 11th in the country.
“You sort of feed off the energy level offensively,” McCaffery said of his team’s recent offensive struggles affecting its defense. “When you’re cooking on offense, it just carries over to everything else that you do. Whether it be cuts and movement on offense or sprinting in transition on offense or sprinting back and being up toward the ball, being over toward the ball, pressuring the ball on defense. Your energy level’s just better when your offense is clicking.”
Despite their recent woes, the Hawkeyes have avoided major slides this year, having yet to lose three consecutive games.
Thursday’s game tips off at 6 p.m. and is being shown on ESPN.