Jimmy Chitwood
Hall of Famer
this thread is past due, since it’s now Saturday.
at any rate, here’s a quick update.
Iowa, a team whose top 8 players are White has been absolutely DECIMATED with injuries this season, but still they play their butts off and put a pretty good product on the floor. last night, despite being clearly overmatched they kept things interesting against #4 Michigan, before falling 91-103. the Hawkeyes were led by an All-American type performance from center Luka Garza. Garza finished with a career-high 44 points in the shootout loss.
on the flip side, it was a night to forget for talented wing Joe Weiskamp and sharpshooter Jordan Bohannon. both laid an egg. point guard Connor McCaffrey still doesn’t look for his own shot enough when teams leave him open to suit me, but he’s a terrific passer and defender. last night, he was the only Hawkeye besides Garza with double figures scoring (12). Fredrick played, but he was still obviously hampered by his quadriceps injury.
that being said, Iowa is still very much a team to pull for and enjoy watching. they simply have no quit in them. the Hawkeyes are now 6-3 on the year, and their only losses are to still-undefeated DePaul, still-undefeated San Diego State, and now-#4 Michigan. these injury-depleted “overachieving” “gym rats” are still my team this year.
and for those who haven’t seen Michigan play, first-year head coach Juwan Howard (of Fab Five and NBA fame) has them playing a very impressive brand of basketball. they are big, skilled, deep, and unselfish. for example, against Iowa every starter had between 13-18 points, and they had 26 points off the bench. all in all, they are fun to watch and could go VERY deep in the Tourney as things currently stand.
they start two White athletes: 7-footer Jon Teske and highflying, freshman, German wing Franz Wagner (call him the Red Baron perhaps? or the Luftwaffe?), the brother of current NBA player Moritz. they also bring two White bigs off the bench, including talented youngster Castleton.
Teske is an excellent low post defender and shot blocker and a versatile offensive threat, capable of spotting up out to 3-point range, passing from the high post, or scoring with his back to the basket. he has improved mightily over his time with the Wolverines.
for Wagner, the sky is (quite literally) the limit. he is a HIGH flyer, but he’s still trying to figure out his role on a consistent basis. he can slash, spot up, dunk on people, post up a little bit, and defend multiple positions. he’s a future pro.
at any rate, here’s a quick update.
Iowa, a team whose top 8 players are White has been absolutely DECIMATED with injuries this season, but still they play their butts off and put a pretty good product on the floor. last night, despite being clearly overmatched they kept things interesting against #4 Michigan, before falling 91-103. the Hawkeyes were led by an All-American type performance from center Luka Garza. Garza finished with a career-high 44 points in the shootout loss.
on the flip side, it was a night to forget for talented wing Joe Weiskamp and sharpshooter Jordan Bohannon. both laid an egg. point guard Connor McCaffrey still doesn’t look for his own shot enough when teams leave him open to suit me, but he’s a terrific passer and defender. last night, he was the only Hawkeye besides Garza with double figures scoring (12). Fredrick played, but he was still obviously hampered by his quadriceps injury.
that being said, Iowa is still very much a team to pull for and enjoy watching. they simply have no quit in them. the Hawkeyes are now 6-3 on the year, and their only losses are to still-undefeated DePaul, still-undefeated San Diego State, and now-#4 Michigan. these injury-depleted “overachieving” “gym rats” are still my team this year.
and for those who haven’t seen Michigan play, first-year head coach Juwan Howard (of Fab Five and NBA fame) has them playing a very impressive brand of basketball. they are big, skilled, deep, and unselfish. for example, against Iowa every starter had between 13-18 points, and they had 26 points off the bench. all in all, they are fun to watch and could go VERY deep in the Tourney as things currently stand.
they start two White athletes: 7-footer Jon Teske and highflying, freshman, German wing Franz Wagner (call him the Red Baron perhaps? or the Luftwaffe?), the brother of current NBA player Moritz. they also bring two White bigs off the bench, including talented youngster Castleton.
Teske is an excellent low post defender and shot blocker and a versatile offensive threat, capable of spotting up out to 3-point range, passing from the high post, or scoring with his back to the basket. he has improved mightily over his time with the Wolverines.
for Wagner, the sky is (quite literally) the limit. he is a HIGH flyer, but he’s still trying to figure out his role on a consistent basis. he can slash, spot up, dunk on people, post up a little bit, and defend multiple positions. he’s a future pro.
