Iowa's Fran McCaffery: Point guard play 'wasn't horrible' but needs to improve

IOWA CITY - Fran McCaffery issued a challenge to his ballhandlers just minutes after a 23-point shellacking at Purdue on Sunday.

“Our point guard play has got to be a little more solid,” McCaffery said. “It wasn't horrible, but it wasn't where it needs to be. If you look at our turnovers and ... that's all a reflection of some inexperience there. We've got to get that corrected.”

Iowa committed 16 turnovers on Sunday - leading to 22 Purdue points - and never could find a flow offensively against the Boilermakers, now ranked No. 8 nationally. Point guard Bryce Cartwright hit just 2-of-10 shots and committed four turnovers in 29 minutes. Devyn Marble replaced Cartwright at the point, but sank 3-of-10 shots.

The point didn't generate much offense for anyone else, either. Purdue smothered Iowa junior Matt Gatens along the perimeter, but Gatens still fought for 10 shots and 13 points.

“We didn't seem to have that sense of urgency moving the ball,” Gatens said. “Now our guys know what to expect and how to prepare and what to look forward to as we move forward in this season because we'll face more teams with pressure and we'll see them against down the road.

“I think it's a learning experience, which we have to look at it as but at the same time not be satisfied, be disappointed, be mad that this happened, work harder and not let this happen again.”

Tonight, Iowa hosts Northwestern, a team the Hawkeyes have beaten five straight at Carver-Hawkeye Arena and 12 of the last 13 at home. But the Wildcats are more potent this year than in the past with tall, rangy John Shurna leading the way. Shurna, who stands 6-foot-8, averages 20.4 points a game - second in the Big Ten. He's dangerous from all spots on the floor and has hit 40 3-pointers, nearly half of his field-goal total.

Northwestern also boasts guard Michael Thompson, who averages nearly 15 points and 37 minutes a game. Like Shurna, Thompson is just as successful from 3-point range as he is inside the arc. Of Thompson's 76 baskets, 34 are 3-pointers.

“All of their post guys can pass and catch and most of them can shoot it outside so they spread the floor,” McCaffery said. “It's all kinds of things that really test - not only your ability to play defense - but your ability to sustain defensive effort and concentration and focus the entire shot clock. It's a mindset as much as anything else when you play a team like Northwestern.”

That's why McCaffery is concerned after Sunday against Purdue. Whether it was sloppy play at point guard or lack of defensive execution, Iowa didn't put forth the effort McCaffery expected. He said the team was “out-competed” and called their effort a “disappointment.”

“I think the players on this team are good kids and have character,” McCaffery said. “They're as disappointed as I am in their performance (Sunday). I'm convinced they'll reverse that side of it. It doesn't always translate into victories; it may or it may not. But for us to win in this league this year, we have to fight harder than we fought (Sunday) again that's just running back on defense. It's the concentration side in terms of execution.

“I think our team will respond. If we get beat on Wednesday, it will be because we got beat by a really good team that outplayed us. I think we'll play harder.”