Marble helps Hawks win 1st Big 10 game

IOWA CITY - Roy Marble knew. His son did, too.

Even if they didn't tell each other they knew.

“I have to say I've felt like it was just a matter of time,” Marble said after Iowa picked up its first Big Ten win of the season Sunday afternoon, 91-77, over Indiana at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. “You've got to be patient. But I felt like today would be a good day.”

He's not talking about his alma mater. More the emergence of his boy, Devyn, whose career-high 18 points off the bench was huge in a game the Hawkeyes (8-11, 1-6) led from start to finish.

It was Roy Marble from the 1980s all over again when you watched Devyn get out in transition, confidently drive the ball to the basket in the half court or pull up for short jumpers. He seemed to go from a freshman to a sophomore in a matter of minutes - 20 of them, since that's what he played.

“To tell you the truth, before coming into this game, I thought ‘I'm going to have a good game today,'” said the 6-foot-5 guard from Michigan. “Going into the shootaround, I felt like I was about to have a good game.”

Did he and dad talk about their similar feelings?

“Naw. I talked to him about getting my suits dry cleaned,” Devyn said, with a big smile. “That's about it.”

Marble's development has been hindered by having to fill in as the number two point guard. With Cully Payne out with a sports hernia, someone has to spell Bryce Cartwright, and Marble has been that guy by default.

It's tough to concentrate on scoring when you're worried about having to handle the ball and get your team's offense set. But Iowa Coach Fran McCaffery played Marble more at the two guard Sunday, and it paid off.

“He was aggressive from the start, and that's what we've been trying to get him to do. Be aggressive,” said McCaffery. “I played him a lot more at the two than I have been. Part of his struggles are my fault and the fault of our situation. He's got to play the point. To his credit, he's done a really good job and hasn't complained about it. But being able to get him on the side (of the court) from the wing out in transition, now you see the scorer he can be.”

“It has been frustrating, but you've got to do what you've got to do to help the team,” Marble said. “I'm not selfish ... I just want to do whatever helps the team. Cully being out, I knew right away I was going to have to step in (at point guard). But it's all good, I'll be all right.”

And maybe the Hawks will, too. They shot 57.7 percent from the field, 65.2 in the second half. Four guys scored in double figures, led by Melsahn Basabe's 20 points and Matt Gatens' 19.

They were the more aggressive team throughout, determined to end the toughest start to a conference season in school history and to get McCaffery his first Big Ten win. Terrific sophomore forward Christian Watford had a game-high 30 points for Indiana (10-10, 1-6), which played without starting guard and second-leading scorer Verdell Jones, who has a knee injury.

“Huge for Coach, huge for the young guys to get their first Big Ten victory,” Gatens said. “Hopefully we can get some more confidence rolling as we move forward.”

“I thought from a consistency standpoint today, (that's) the best we've been,” McCaffery said. “You look at how many guys scored, how many guys scored in double figures ... A lot of good things.”

Finally.

Here is video from McCaffery's postgame press conference, as well as a video interview with Devyn Marble:

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