Turnover troubles
Iowa’s game at Minnesota left the Hawkeyes as visibly frustrated as any game this season because once again, turnovers proved to be the difference.
While the Gophers have been forcing opponents into an average of just under 20 turnovers a game with the full-court pressure Tubby Smith’s teams have always deployed, the 21 extra opportunities Iowa gave the Gophers mattered in a 13-point game. The same could be said about the 22 times the Hawkeyes coughed up the ball in a 1-point loss at Purdue on Jan. 30.
Coach Todd Lickliter, who finds it difficult to stomach a handful of turnovers, was as frustrated as his players. Passing and catching the basketball is about as basic of a fundamental as it gets. Senior Seth Gorney said the two-handed approach on both ends of the equation has been stressed more this season than at any point in his career.
“It’s something he harps on all the time, but we haven’t done a good job with,” Gorney said following Saturday’s game.
“Nobody tries to make a turnover,” guard Tony Freeman said. “It’s something we have to keep working at.”
The harping and the working to improve will likely continue this week as the Hawkeye schedule eases a bit. Iowa has just one game this week, the first of two byes the Hawkeyes have during the course of their 18-game Big Ten schedule. The extra practice time leading up to Thursday’s home game with Michigan will lead to some additional work on the fundamentals. At this point, that’s not a bad thing, providing players with a chance to focus on something other than preparation for the next opponent.
Iowa has made strides this season. With only one of its final six games against an opponent with a winning record in conference play, the team’s ability to further reduce its turnover problems will likely determine just what type of seed the Hawkeyes will find themselves one month from now when the Big Ten tourney tips off in Indianapolis.
