Erratic play plagues Hawkeye men

IOWA CITY - Iowa sophomore guard Eric May was active and assertive last Sunday at Minnesota with 16 points in 34 minutes.

Wednesday, May missed both shot attempts and had one turnover in 18 minutes against Ohio State.

Junior forward Andrew Brommer produced a breakout performance Wednesday at Ohio State with 12 points, six rebounds and three blocked shots in 30 minutes. One game earlier, he played five minutes and didn't attempt a shot.

Senior post Jarryd Cole has combined for one basket on three shots the last three games after scoring 10 and 14 points against Illinois and Ohio State to open the Big Ten season.

As much as Iowa is plagued by youth and inexperience in a 7-11 start, inconsistency might rank as the top problem for first-year coach Fran McCaffery.

“We are getting production from a lot of different people. That's a good thing,” McCaffery said. “Obviously, the problem then becomes, it doesn't seem to be on the same nights. How do you explain Eric May's performance on Sunday versus Wednesday, and the same for Andrew Brommer? But Andrew doesn't make a basket on Sunday, and he plays (Ohio State freshman Jared) Sullinger toe-to-toe.

“Eric May looks like a first-team, all-league player at Minnesota, doesn't get a basket Wednesday night. So, obviously, the hope is that we can get all of these guys playing as well as they can at the same time.”

Junior guard Matt Gatens was up-and-down offensively early in the season. He struggled to regain his shooting touch after surgery in October for a torn tendon in his non-shooting hand. McCaffery said he ran specific sets and put Gatens in positions so he could make some shots and regain his confidence. Gatens has scored in double figures all but once in Big Ten play.

Junior point guard Bryce Cartwright had his own bout with inconsistency this month. McCaffery publicly chided Cartwright's performance against Purdue when he missed eight of 10 shots and had four turnovers to three assists. Cartwright took the criticism in stride but applied the lessons the next game against Northwestern when he scored 25 points and had five assists.

Inconsistency also applies to team performance. Against Northwestern and Illinois, the Hawkeyes were torched by 3-point shooting with the teams combining for 27 3-pointers. The Hawkeyes were buried in the paint at Purdue (24 to 10), suffered 12 blocked shots at Minnesota and saw Ohio State freshman point guard Aaron Craft snag seven steals.

McCaffery said he won't alter the starting lineup based on players' ineffectiveness. He wants them to play through their slumps despite their yo-yo performances.

“They have to keep believing in me that I believe in them, and that I can help them get better,” McCaffery said. “That's how I've had success in the past with guys who are struggling. You know, somehow, some way, I have to get the good players out of the funk, if they are in a funk, and if they are playing well, then say and do the necessary things to make sure they continue to play well.”