WSU versus Iowa, predictions and pregame discussion

[Ricardo del Rio]

Frankly, I don't quite understand my own calmness with this team. We may win tonight, we may lose, but I know we're going to get better and be more prepared for what awaits down the road for this team.

I love where this program is right now, the people leading it and the direction it's going. I am comfortable that big things are on the horizon, and that we'll get there.

And I am not worried at all.

I might need to switch to your brand of relaxant. Does yours come in a bottle or a little plastic bag?

I worry.

When the team 3 ball percentage rises to 33%, I will quit worrying.

[Downtown Shocker Brown]

I might need to switch to your brand of relaxant. Does yours come in a bottle or a little plastic bag?

I worry.

When the team 3 ball percentage rises to 33%, I will quit worrying.

Ricardo del Rio - I care less about 3 pt percentage than a Creighton fans cares about washing their overalls. I care strictly about one stat: Win Percentage.

[KC Shox]

Iowa wins this one. Yes, we appear to be more athletic, but Iowa is not a small team and I think they'll be able to hang enough to disrupt the minor advantage we have in athleticism. Keys to the game, they'll figure out to zone us, we still won't be able to hit the perimeter shot and one guy on their team is going to shoot lights out and end up scoring in the upper 20's.

Final score Iowa 74, Wichita State 67.

[dwreusche]

A lot of you guys clearly know absolutely nothing about this Iowa team (and I'm not going to pretend I know much about WSU besides what I saw last night). But WSU is NOT a more physical team than Iowa, and Iowa actually prefers an uptempo game. We'll go ten deep with a ton of size/length (6 guys ranging from 6'6" to 7'1" will play). Both teams are off to similar starts offensively (1.06 PPP for Iowa, 1.05 for WSU), but Iowa has multiple shooters that are off to poor starts. You may think you are more athletic than Iowa, but our length will eliminate any perceived advantage you think you have. Iowa hits the offensive glass hard (43rd in the country at 14.8 per game) and blocks too many shots (15th in the country) to be an inferior athletic team like you expect.


All that being said, Iowa has one of the youngest teams in the entire NCAA this year, and they haven't played a team of WSU's caliber yet. It wouldn't surprise me to see them struggle against the Shockers, but I do not expect them to. Anyone who thinks this game gets decided by double digits is drinking waaay too much kool-aid, regardless of which team they are choosing.

[GoShockers89]

A lot of you guys clearly know absolutely nothing about this Iowa team (and I'm not going to pretend I know much about WSU besides what I saw last night). But WSU is NOT a more physical team than Iowa, and Iowa actually prefers an uptempo game. We'll go ten deep with a ton of size/length (6 guys ranging from 6'6" to 7'1" will play). Both teams are off to similar starts offensively (1.06 PPP for Iowa, 1.05 for WSU), but Iowa has multiple shooters that are off to poor starts. You may think you are more athletic than Iowa, but our length will eliminate any perceived advantage you think you have. Iowa hits the offensive glass hard (43rd in the country at 14.8 per game) and blocks too many shots (15th in the country) to be an inferior athletic team like you expect.


All that being said, Iowa has one of the youngest teams in the entire NCAA this year, and they haven't played a team of WSU's caliber yet. It wouldn't surprise me to see them struggle against the Shockers, but I do not expect them to. Anyone who thinks this game gets decided by double digits is drinking waaay too much kool-aid, regardless of which team they are choosing.

Eh, I think we're gonna bring the pain against you guys tonight. Our team is beyond due for a solid performance, and I think Iowa is going to unluckily be on the tracks when the train comes through.

[DoubleJayAlum]

I browsed the Iowa forums and the usual BCS turds are predicting an Iowa win while the guys with their heads screwed on straight are telling them not so fast. Should be a good game

Remind them that a member of that little mid-major conference beat them by close to 30 in Des Moines last year. That should shut up any BCS bias.

[Ta town]

(6 guys ranging from 6'6" to 7'1" will play)

Orukpe 7'0, Lufile 6'9, Hall 6'8, Early 6'8, White 6'8, Wiggins 6'6 (all will play)

What's your point exactly?

[shockmonster]

I will say that when someone tries to judge the athletic abilities of teams based on a game on television, they make mistakes. However, one can make comparisons tonight between both teams and probably be more accurate. For example, Iowa's 7 footer is pretty athletic (maybe not quite as much as EO but enough that he will hold his own under the basket) and more skillsful although as a Frosh, he will improve greatly later. EO will give him a much bigger tussle than the WKU Center did.
Tonight will be a tough contest.

[The Mad Hatter]

A. Someone needs to buy a dictionary to find the difference between the words "athletic" and "tall".

B. Stats mean little to this point in the season because the sample size is too small and competition too varied.

[seseroy]

Very astute observation '72. That will be the goal against us tonight, if and when Iowa presses us. They can only hope to turn us over. The Hawkeyes aren't anywhere close to being as good a defensive team as VCU and they are light years away from the athletes that VCU and frankly DePaul throws at you. If their press turns us over, it's 100% on us.

Now, a nuisance press can and probably will have some effectiveness against us. We've struggled in the half court and having less time to set up our offense will probably accentuate that.

The problem Iowa (and most team on our schedule) will have is they aren't as good a defensive team as WSU. Fran is a good coach, but Marshall is better. We have better athletes. I believe we have better basketball players and we're more physical. We will have to play poorly for Iowa to beat us tonight. Our best effort beats their best effort.

Here is hoping for a good game. I am a Hawkeye fan, though I live in Kansas now. Hate KU, love KState, and don't really have feelings either way for WSU, though I am sure I would root for them against just about any other than my Hawks.

I love that you guys are very confident, will make it more fun if we can beat ya. I know there are some Ia fans spouting some nonsense. We will not win easily as some think. On the other hand, most of the posts referring to the Hawks talent, size, phsicality, athleticism being no where near the Shockers has me kind of chuckling a bit. Your fans do not know much about us , obviously, nor do our fans about your team.

I see you are already setting up the "we played terrible, wasn't Iowa, it was us" card. At least wait until the game is played to claim that kind of superiority. Anyway, not my board, but just couldn't help but to chime in. I am excited to play a good team and see where we stand. Hope we can hang with your "better defense, better athletes, better basketball players and more physical presence".

[HawkeyeGold]

Remind them that a member of that little mid-major conference beat them by close to 30 in Des Moines last year. That should shut up any BCS bias.

Last years team was all over the place. In the interest of full disclosure, we also got blown out by Campbell, in Iowa City no less. We had a legendary thread on our forums about how we probably wouldn't win another game. But then they turned around and went into Wisconsin and won, beat Michigan, beat current #1 Indiana and finished a season sweep of Wisconsin, beating the Badgers again in the rematch in Iowa City.

And all of that was last year.

This Iowa team is bigger, faster, stronger and deeper than that team but also less experienced. Plays better defense, but is struggling a bit from outside right now.

I think what we have here tonight is two NCAA tournament caliber teams who are going to go at it and I expect both teams to leave it all out on the court.

[1972Shocker]

I think the teams match-up fairly well size-wise and length-wise. Probably not enough difference in athleticism to make a lot of difference. However, I will make a standing bet that can carryover to about any game the Shockers play this year. That is D-Will will be the fastest guy on the court.

There will some interesting matchups that may materialize in tonight's game:

Shocker PG's (Armstead - Sr., Williams - Sr., VanVleet - Fr) vs Iowa PG's(Mike Gesell - Fr and whoever backs him up. Not sure but that coudl be Anthony Clemmons - Fr). Maybe one of our Hawkeye friends can clarify who backs up Gesell at the point.

7-1/235 Fr C Adam Woodberry vs 7-0/250 Sr C Ehimen Orupke. It would be nice if we could say EO's experience counts for a lot here but unfortnately it doesn't. EO will have about 15 lbs on the Freshman. A little stornger maybe. A litte more ahtletic maybe. I don't see either team will have an big advantage here.

6-8/218 So F Aaron White vs 6-8/215 Jr Cleanthony Early.

6-7/235 Jr F Anthony McCabe vs 6-8/238 Sr Carl Hall.

6-6/194 Jr FG/F Roy Marble vs 6-5/201 So G Evan Wessell. Hopefully, he can stay out of foul trouble tonight. Might see 6-3/218 RFr G Ron Baker and 6-2/202 So G Tekele Cotton rotaiting in on Marble as well. This may be the toughest match-up for the Shocks. Fortunately, Evan, Ron and Tekele are pretty tough themselves.

6-7/221 Jr F Melson Basabe vs 6-8/232 So F Jake White. This might be one where Iowa may have an a little advantage athletically. However, they won't out-tough Jake.

Two other guards that will probably see time for Iowa are 6-5/219 Sr Zack McCabe and 6-5/202 So Josh Oglesby. If they aren't on Marble I see Ron and Tekele assigned to these players. 6-7/187 Jr G Nick Wiggins could also see some action here.

6-10/229 So C Gabriel Olaseni might see a handful of minutes on the court. If need be we can insert 6-9/251 Jr C C.J. Lufile to bang with him as needed.

Just some thoughts. I'm sure at least a couple of these matchups will materialize.

[1972Shocker]

I think what we have here tonight is two NCAA tournament caliber teams who are going to go at it and I expect both teams to leave it all out on the court.

Let's hope so and without any injuries as well.

[jocoshock]

Sounds like two teams in similar situations. Last night Kennedy said WSU leads the series all-time 5-4. Also heard that Marshall is something like 12-8 against BCS teams at WSU. I expect a close game. Won't predict the winner. Win or lose, it will be a good test and should get us better prepared for the MVC run, which is what is important.

GO SHOX!!!

[HawkeyeGold]

One more point of note, most Iowa fans in the know are fully versed on Armstead. Fran recruited him hard out of HS and we were quite disappointed not to get him. Not saying it was luck that brought him to Wichita but whatever path led him there was very fortuitous for you guys. He is going to cause problems for us tonight I'm sure of it - that despite the fact I like our backcourt just fine.