Elbow injury fails to deter Gesell, Iowa

IOWA CITY - Mike Gesell hyperextended his elbow two weeks ago in practice. It was his shooting elbow, and the Iowa junior point guard quietly was iffy for the Jan. 31 game at Wisconsin.

Gesell wore a sleeve over his right arm and his shooting range was limited. So Gesell honed in on the skills that made him special - his quickness, burst of speed, midrange jump shot and on-court leadership.

Whether it's by coincidence or - more likely - just organic improvement, Iowa's offense has run more with more fluidity since Gesell's elbow injury. In five of Iowa's last six halves, the Hawkeyes (15-8, 6-4 Big Ten) have shot better than 50 percent from the floor.

Gesell, one of the nation's top basketball-playing academics, scoffs at the notion that his injury has somehow led to Iowa's offensive growth. He instead focuses on his positive attributes and how they've helped Iowa improve.

'I'm just trying to be extremely aggressive out there,” Gesell said. 'I feel like when I'm being aggressive at the point guard position, it opens up so much for the other guys, especially guys like Jarrod (Uthoff) and Whitey (Aaron White) who are great in transition. When I'm pushing in transition, it seems like they're are always open because guys are keying in on me.”

Gesell, who averages 7.7 points and 3.7 assists, took a step forward in Iowa's game at Purdue on Jan. 24. White left the game early in the first half with a neck stinger. With five minutes left, the Hawkeyes switched to a four-guard lineup, which spread the floor. Gesell attacked the post repeatedly and scored on five consecutive possessions. He brought Iowa from a seven-point deficit to a one-point lead with 1:18 to go before Purdue rallied for a four-point win. Gesell scored 18 points, including 12 in the final seven minutes.

Even with an injured right arm, Gesell directed Iowa to one of its most impressive offensive halves against Wisconsin in a losing effort. In the last two games, the Hawkeyes have built off that offensive performance and shown their most offensive growth.

Against Michigan last Thursday, Gesell directed the offense with a 62.7 percent. In the second half of an 18-point victory, Iowa shot 72 percent. Gesell scored 14 points on 7-of-10 shooting and dished three assists.

In Sunday's 16-point win against No. 17 Maryland, Gesell set a career high with nine assists. He also scored eight points on an efficient 4-of-5 shooting.

'I think we were just moving the ball a lot better,” Gesell said. 'Against Wisconsin we shot the 60s in the first half and it's because we're getting better shots. We're moving the ball, we're cutting, not staying stagnant and that's something we improved upon in our motion game.”

Much of Iowa's improvement has stemmed from assistant coach Kirk Speraw's video breakdown. Speraw emphasized the team shoots around 20 percent when it passes only once or twice a half-court possession. When the team reverses ball movement and gets in six or seven passes, scoring goes up 65-70 percent.

'We've done a great job of swinging the ball, not being unselfish, not trying to take guys one-on-one as much, and it's really showing,” Gesell said.

Gesell has elevated his midrange game, which he calls his 'bread and butter.” Iowa Coach Fran McCaffery said Gesell's confidence has grown, which has allowed his offense to flourish.

'He is really shooting the ball well and finishing at the rim,” McCaffery said. 'He is doing the kinds of things that he has always been capable of doing, but he is doing them more consistently. He has always really defended. By virtue of his play being so good right now, I think his leadership ability has come out and our team is following his lead. They trust him and we are a better team when he is on the floor. It has been fun to watch.”

'I've been looking for that (midrange) shot a lot more, and I think it's allowed me to play to my strengths more,” Gesell said.

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