Iowa basketball’s Thanksgiving week could have been better. Even though the team was in nice Caribbean weather in the Cayman Islands throughout the week, the results from the early season tournament fell short of ideal.
The Hawkeyes were upset twice in the three-game span, bringing their overall record down to 4-2.
Iowa’s only bright spot came after suffering back-to-back losses to Louisiana and South Dakota State, when it took down
UAB, 95-85.
Iowa needed a win after dropping two straight. After starting the season 3-0 and not playing down to their level of competition at all, the Hawkeyes fell off when they got to the Cayman Islands.
The win, however, should help them gain some confidence as they head into the Big Ten/ACC Challenge against Virginia Tech and Big Ten play against Penn State this upcoming week.
What went right against UAB
Jordan Bohannon and Tyler Cook were phenomenal in the game against the Blazers, both dropping career-highs in points.
Bohannon scored 30, going 6-of-8 from 3-point range, and Cook had 29 on 8-of-11 shooting from the field.
It seemed as if the Hawkeyes couldn’t miss from deep — they shot 61.5 percent from behind the arc, thanks mainly to Bohannon’s effort.
“I thought [Bohannon] was tremendous in all aspects. He really ran the offense well,” head coach Fran McCaffery said. “Anytime a guy makes 6 3s, that’s sort of what you focus on, but I thought they came after him. They rotated guys on him, they were physical with him.
What went wrong against UAB
The Blazers outrebounded Iowa, 35-29, leading the offensive rebounds category, 14-4. UAB cashed in for 20 second-chance points, while the Hawkeyes could only rack up 5 on their extra opportunities.
Iowa’s field-goal percentage was certainly superior, but the Blazers’ controlling the boards on the offensive end hurt the Hawkeyes significantly and could have led to their demise.
It’s not a good sign that the Hawkeyes gave up 85 points, but a win is a win.
The battle against South Dakota State was a much different game. After suffering its first upset of the tournament the day before, a win could have lifted Iowa to a finish better than seventh.
However, the Hawkeyes lost, 80-72, and settled for the seventh-place finish. They had been predicted to finish higher.
RELATED: Iowa picks up first tournament win over UAB
What went right against South
Dakota State
Ahmad Wagner was a pleasant pick-me-up for Iowa; the junior finished with 11 points on 5-of-6 shooting, 3 rebounds, an assist, and a steal. His scoring was 1 shy of his career high.
Iowa played well in the second half, shooting 63.6 percent from the floor, but it wasn’t enough to top the Jackrabbits.
What went wrong against South
Dakota State
Turnovers were a big problem for the Hawkeyes. They gave the ball up 15 times, with 9 coming in the first half. South Dakota State took advantage of the opportunity, scoring 25 points on turnovers.
“We’re spotty right now, great in some segments, not so great in some segments,” Wagner said in a release. “That’s something we have to fix — our consistency — if we’re going to be a great team, which we can be.”
The first game against Louisiana was a chance to set the tone for the tournament, but the opportunity slipped away from the Hawkeyes as they lost, 80-71.
What went right against Louisiana
Isaiah Moss went off against the Ragin’ Cajuns, scoring a career-high 24 points. It was needed, because only Moss and Bohannon got into double
figures.
Iowa was also better than usual at the free-throw line, hitting a solid 15-of-22.
What went wrong against Louisiana
Iowa struggled with Louisiana’s double-teaming in the post all game. No one in the frontcourt reached double digit in points. In fact, Luka Garza didn’t score at all, which was surprising after his emergence in the previous three games.
The Hawkeyes had an especially rough time in the first half, shooting only 25.9 percent from the field and scoring 17 points, making it hard to come back in the second.
