To say that I didn’t see something like this coming would be untrue…given the way Iowa has gutted out its last five ballgames, the thought of going on the road against a Michigan team that is one of the worst match ups during the Lickliter era was not something I thought was going to result in another valiant effort and/or win.
However, I felt Iowa would be able to make more than one field goal during the first half of play.
Well, to be totally accurate, Iowa hit its first field goal with 10:34 remaining in the first half. I believe they had six or seven turnovers at that point. They shot 6 of 28 from the floor for the first half to go along with eight turnovers and trailed 29-17.
That might have been the most shocking stat of the game; it could have been much worse. However, Michigan was in a giving mood, as they had nine first half turnovers.
When it was all said and done, Michigan won the game 60-46. Iowa committed just two turnovers in the second half, but it had a tough time hitting buckets; The Hawks were just 17 of 55. A lot of credit goes to the half court brand of defense than Michigan was playing. They extended out beyond the three point line and Iowa took mostly poor shots, shots that came off of a dribble that started 20+ feet away from the hoop and typically saw people shooting shots they shouldn’t be taking. Iowa had just five assists for the entire game, which underscores the tough shot selection.
Freshman point guard Cully Payne was frustrated with having to work so hard for his shots, and he hoisted a 24 footer from dead on that was an ‘open look’, five or six minutes into the second half. However, this came early in the possession and Todd Lickliter let into Payne during a timeout. Payne didn’t play much the rest of the way, just 13 minutes in the second half. That was the same number of minutes played by walk on point guard John Lickliter, who hoisted a few ugly shots of his own, yet he didn’t have the same quick hook that landed Payne a seat on the bench.
To circle back to where I started, this game had the markings of a rough go before Iowa even got off the bus. As encouraged as I have been with how this team had played its previous five games, we all knew poor outings were not beyond this club the rest of the way, especially not when Aaron Fuller picks up his third foul at the 8:06 mark of the first half.
Some game just aren’t in the cards.
Situations like the one shaping up in the Iowa backcourt are just another reminder of how Anthony Tucker left his teammates in the lurch when he chose to drink again back in December and was arrested for the second time as an underage student athlete at Iowa. We probably wouldn’t be having some discussions if that didn’t happen.
Yet, it did, and we are.
What we don’t know is what can be going on behind the scenes. Perhaps Payne has not taken to teaching the way Lickliter expects. Perhaps he disobeyed instructions in this game prior to that ill advised 24 foot jump shot attempt. Perhaps Lickliter doesn’t like how much Payne dribbles…Perhaps less is expected from one and more is expected from the other, given their levels of talent.
I know this; Cully Payne is Iowa’s only true point guard, and as of now, he is the only true point guard Iowa will have on next year’s team, too. He needs to improve in the decision making department, but you can say that about most true freshmen point guards in a league like the Big Ten. That’s just the way it is.
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