During Fran McCaffery’s 15 years at Iowa, the Hawkeyes have gained a well-deserved reputation as an elite offensive team that occasionally struggles to stop its opponents.
However, as the Hawkeyes get ready to host Rider on Tuesday night in Iowa City, results from the first four games suggest Iowa is unbeaten in part because of defense. Take the Hawkeyes’ 76-66 win over Washington State in Moline, Ill., on Friday, for example.
Iowa clamped down on defense in the second half, holding the Cougars to 11-of-32 shooting from the field in the second half and using full-court pressure to force a pair of critical 10-second violations.
“We held them to 34 percent in the second half,” McCaffery said. “That’s a really good team to hold to 34 percent. You have to be a connected group. That’s what we talked about at halftime, we have to be more connected defensively.”
While four games is a small sample size, Iowa is rated 77th in kenpom.com in adjusted defensive efficiency, 80 spots better than it finished last season. The Hawkeyes also boast turnover and block rates in the top 60 nationally.
Meanwhile, the Broncs (3-1) enter on a three-game winning streak after losing their season opener at UCLA. Rider last played on Nov. 12, connecting on better 52.9 percent of its shots to earn a 90-79 victory at Navy.
Jay Alvarez scored a season-high 19 points, going 5 of 7 from 3-point range, and T.J. Weeks Jr. contributed 18 points to go along with seven rebounds. The Broncs earned a 37-26 rebounding advantage but had only five fastbreak points, a testament to how they will executed their halfcourt sets.
“When you win, it just becomes infectious and everybody wants to be a part of it,” Rider coach Kevin Baggett said. “We’ve just got to get better at practicing the right way every day. Once everybody gets locked in and understanding all the nuances of what we’re asking them to do defensively, the sky’s the limit for us.”
The Hawkeyes earned a 104-71 home win on Dec. 22, 1987, in their only previous matchup with the Broncs.
–Field Level Media
