Hawkeye turnovers setting table for opponents' game plans

The turnover fest against Minnesota had been finished for about 30 minutes when Iowa's Cully Payne was asked about moving on to the next opponent.

“We have to put it behind us,” said Payne, who was all too aware the Hawkeyes had committed 25 turnovers Saturday in an 86-74 loss to the Gophers at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

A cynic would point out Payne that has it all wrong. The problem for the freshman point guard and his teammates has been keeping the ball in front of them and controlling it in their half of the court. The Hawkeyes have been pressured by two Big Ten Conference opponents into 41 turnovers.

As Iowa embarks on its first road conference game tonight at Illinois (game details, 4B), you can bet a basket of Florida oranges that the Illini and every opponent from here on out will be using a similar game plan against the Hawkeyes.

And, in case you're wondering if Illinois is up to pressing and trapping, consider that it forced 21 turnovers resulting in 33 points in Sunday's 85-83 overtime loss to 18th-ranked Gonzaga.

“I anticipate that people will extend their defense against us and we'll have to be able to adjust and handle it,” Iowa Coach Todd Lickliter said during Monday's Big Ten teleconference.

Lickliter also touched on the double-teams after Saturday's game.

“When you have two (players) guarding one, that means you have three guarding four, and that should open up something to attack,” Lickliter said. “That just didn't happen (against Minnesota). We caught the ball in traffic. When that happens, you get anxious, a little bit discouraged and your mindset goes.”

Sophomore guard Matt Gatens, who had a team-high 14 points and nine rebounds against the Gophers, said it will take a team effort to turn things around.

“We have to come back to the ball and stay poised,” Gatens said. “There are a lot of big games ahead of us and we have to learn from our mistakes.”

The learning curve will be tough tonight at Assembly Hall, where Iowa has dropped eight straight and 19 of the last 20.

When asked about his team's 0-2 start in conference play, Lickliter noted that Purdue and Minnesota are highly regarded and the Hawkeyes are the youngest team in the Big Ten.

“I think how you get better is you get challenged,” he said. “You might have to take a few lumps while that's happening.”

Iowa (5-9, 0-2 Big Ten) vs. Illinois (9-5, 1-0)