Iowa 'put it together' again in blowout of UNI

DES MOINES — Iowa put it all together for the first time this season against Iowa State. It was the most complete game the Hawkeyes had played to date.

After wondering who would get the better of whom in the Peter Jok vs. Jeremy Morgan matchup, how well Iowa would be able to carry its performance over to a Hy-Vee Classic game against Northern Iowa was the top question surrounding the Hawkeyes this week.

Asked and answered.

Iowa's 69-46 win against UNI was the most thorough defeat of any win this season. It showed a level of play of which the Hawkeyes had talked about being capable, but to which they're finally living up.

'The critical thing is the Iowa State game was the first time we really put it together. And that's great. But that's one game,' Coach Fran McCaffery said. 'Can you put it together again? That's the challenge; that's the journey.

'We've shown what we're capable of. Now can we do that on a consistent basis?'

If Iowa (6-5) plays defense like it did against Northern Iowa, it shouldn't be a problem to find consistency.

Running it down: the Panthers (5-5) were held to 0.705 points per possession — a season-low for the Hawkeyes. They were held to 26.8 percent shooting overall and just 19.4 percent in the first half. Iowa out-rebounded UNI 43-29.

The steps the Hawkeyes have taken forward on defense look more like leaps looking back to what Iowa looked like against Nebraska Omaha. McCaffery, Jok, Nicholas Baer, Cordell Pemsl and Jordan Bohannon all reiterated what those paying attention saw: far better defensive rotations, better on-ball pressure, better closeouts and — to ask the players — most importantly, communication.

'It was phenomenal because we've done it against two really good teams,' McCaffery said. '(UNI) didn't play well today, but they didn't play well because we defended the way we did today. If we had defended them the way we had earlier in the year, it would've been a completely different game.

'It's just a matter of what your potential is. It would be different if we were incapable of playing good defense. I felt like we were.'

As for the Jok vs. Morgan matchup, cede this one to the senior from West Des Moines.

Morgan got off to a hot start with the Panthers' first five points, but faced the kind of pressure from Iowa that Jok has faced every night out so far most of the rest of the way. He adjusted his approach when certain things didn't work, but Iowa seemed to have an answer for both. It didn't help than when he found open shooters — a staple of what UNI does offensively — they weren't hitting.

UNI Coach Ben Jacobson said after the game, 'it's tough. When he did drive it tonight and got in the lane and got to some spots, there was a second guy waiting for him — and in some cases a third guy waiting for him.' Morgan's 14 points, nine rebounds and four assists were earned the hard way.

Jok knows the feeling. He dealt with it again against the Panthers. Jacobson thought UNI played solid defense for most of the night, especially early on Jok, but his head-shake-inducing outside shot worked him out of it.

Iowa's lone active senior finished with 21 points and eight rebounds on 9 of 15 shooting. Two offensive plays served as a microcosm of his night: a 3-pointer from nearly 30 feet, with Morgan's hand right in his face and a crossover that put Morgan - a gifted defender - on the floor and had the Iowa bench falling over in their seats.

McCaffery lauded Jok's ability to improve greatly in being able to become more efficient with his play. He's expending energy just differently enough on offense that he's got more in the tank for defense, which affects everyone else positively. Patience is a big thing, and McCaffery said, 'he's limited his unnecessary ball-handling and trusts we'll get it back to him.'

'I thought they did a great job defending me in the first 10 minutes. I couldn't get a shot off,' Jok said. 'Every time I came off a screen they doubled me, or when I posted up they doubled me. I just let the game come to me. I saw openings in that stretch and took the opportunities.'

With Jok continuing to cruise and Pemsl (10 points, five rebounds), Baer (11 points, 11 rebounds), Moss (seven points), Bohannon (six points, six assists, four rebounds) and Wagner (six points, four rebounds) all producing, it's easy to see Iowa is playing its best basketball.

Two games, though, do not guarantee a thing, and the Hawkeyes know that. What Saturday at Wells Fargo Arena did was more firmly stamp the blueprint for what Iowa has to do to sustain what it's discovered.

Just a pair of games are left before Big Ten play starts, so building confidence now is vital. Big wins against a pair of in-state rivals back-to-back will give a team plenty.

'I think anytime you can get two wins against two quality teams like that, it's going to do something for your confidence,' Baer said. 'I think it's a testament to us proving to ourselves what we're capable of and knowing we still have tough competition coming up.

'These two games have been great ways for us to lay the foundation for what we want to do going forward.'

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