Iowa gets big plays in big moments from Jordan Bohannon to spur win

IOWA CITY — Poise can't really be taught. Everyone handles pressure situations differently, and when it comes to college basketball, the guys who can handle it rise to the top.

Peter Jok has never shied away from it, and didn't again Sunday at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. But in an 86-83 overtime win against Michigan, Iowa saw another guy step up and step into the pressure-filled limelight.

Freshman Jordan Bohannon hit a pair of 3-pointers, had a layup, and forced a turnover at the end of regulation — all plays that were vital to a bounce-back win for the Hawkeyes.

Some guys have that in them; others don't.

'He's a special player,' Coach Fran McCaffery said. 'He plays at his pace, he's really intelligent, he thinks the game, he processes the game plan, the information we give him, and then he's able to make adjustments as the game goes on. But there's no panic in him.'

Fear has never really been a thing for Bohannon, either.

From the first shot he took as a Hawkeye through all 17 of his points Sunday, Bohannon has fired away like every single shot is going in. He had to carry the load as a Linn-Mar Lion, so when the moments came against the Wolverines, it felt familiar in a way.

Add to that being in Big Ten arenas in the past and having a few guys to learn from, Bohannon's beyond-his-age maturity in clutch situations has seeds that were sown long ago.

McCaffery put it bluntly in postgame media availability, saying 'if I didn't think he could do it, I wouldn't have offered him a scholarship.' Michigan Coach John Beilein heaped heavy praise on Bohannon, adding, 'that kid is playing as good as any freshman point guard in the country.'

Bohannon seemed nonchalant about it after the game. It's what he expects of himself — which is why fear has never been a factor.

'I've been around this atmosphere most of my life,' Bohannon said. 'Obviously it's different being on the court, but I've been around this. It's just another game.

'Those big shots all come from shooting with my brothers; all those shots we put up together. I try not to (hesitate). That's the mentality you have to have when you're a shooter.'

Bohannon finished the game with those 17 points and added six assists and four rebounds — but most importantly had zero turnovers.

When asked his favorite part of that line, Bohannon responded with that zero number. The 19-year-old said he had to grow into being a ballhandler and a point guard through high school, so assist-to-turnover ratio has been a prominent item on his agenda.

McCaffery, in expanding on his 'if I didn't think he could do it,' message, highlighted Bohannon's 'intellect' and how vital that's been to his early development. He's had some rough stretches and some bad turnovers this season, but has never taken long to bounce back from those.

'I feel like I'm getting a lot more comfortable with the ball,' Bohannon said. 'That's what I want every time is no turnovers and more assists.'

Being able to impact the game in multiple ways provides a lot to the Hawkeyes, and Bohannon's performance did that Sunday. Jok, who had 25 points and five rebounds, got his usual amount of attention, but when Bohannon is making the shots he made against Michigan, defenses have to respect that and adjust.

McCaffery credited Bohannon, among others, with taking pressure off Jok with those big plays. It was a factor in Jok being open for a dagger 3-pointer in overtime.

Jok smiled wide when asked about Bohannon. The pair have that ice-cold mentality when it comes to what they believe in themselves.

Some guys have that; others don't. Jok knows Bohannon does.

'He was big time tonight. It's one thing to take them, but it's another to make those shots in those moments. He's not scared of those moments, and it showed tonight,' Jok said. 'It's not a big decision for me to trust him. Whatever it takes to win.'

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