Peter Jok shouldering blame for Iowa's loss 'because I'm the leader'

IOWA CITY — Part of being a leader is carrying the weight of a team when it's down and shouldering blame, even when it's not yours to take.

For the Iowa men's basketball team, it's been Peter Jok's year to be that leader, and he's responded in kind. After losses to Seton Hall, Notre Dame, Omaha and the first Purdue game, Jok put the setbacks on him, saying he needed to be better.

After Sunday's rout to Northwestern, Jok did so again, saying, 'I didn't have any energy tonight and (Northwestern) fed off that I didn't have any energy. … I don't think I was a good leader tonight,' after he had just four points on 2 of 9 shooting.

While the Northwestern loss represented his worst statistical performance of the season, the Hawkeyes' loss — as pointed out by their coach and every player — had much more to do with the collective than just Jok.

So why take all the blame?

'Because I'm the leader of this team and I feel like they follow me,' Jok said. 'When I come out strong, they follow me. When I'm doing good, they're doing good. I'm a leader and they expect a lot out of me. When I don't produce, I feel like I'm to blame. (It's) not really (too much of a burden). It motivates me and prepares me for the next level.'

Jok having success certainly hasn't hurt his teammates, that's for sure.

The senior from West Des Moines demands attention from at least two and at times three defenders whenever he touches the basketball, so when he's on, it opens things up for others.

LISTEN: BTN's Jess Settles joins the On Iowa Podcast to discuss Iowa men's basketball

His teammates know this is Jok's team and they follow his lead. Point guard Jordan Bohannon acknowledged Tuesday what Jok said about his success oftentimes leading to team success. He also said it's up to Jok if he wants to shoulder all the blame, but that there's not any reason to do so.

'When he's going, we're going. But we've got to know that not everyone's going to be going on a certain night. We've got to step up,' Bohannon said. 'He's trying to take the blame if we have a letdown in a game, but obviously we all know it's a team effort. We win as a team, we lose as a team. That's the kind of person Pete is. He wants to win and if something doesn't go right, he's going to take blame on himself.

'He's been through enough, knowing what he can and can't say; what he can and can't do. If he wants to take the blame, it's on him, but we know it's a team effort.'

Jok averages 21.9 points per game — leading the Big Ten — and 6.2 rebounds — leading his team. The expectations on him are as high as they've ever been, which means his expectations for himself are off the charts.

Having a personal attachment to the success of your team is more often than not a great asset — obviously anyone invested in the outcome will put forth maximum effort.

Coach Fran McCaffery sees that in the way Jok shoulders poor performances. The danger is in letting that attachment become a burden; for a player who feels like a team's result is all on them to let the scales tip in the wrong direction.

Whether it's fair to blame him for a loss or not, it seems as if Jok is going to do that whenever the Hawkeyes don't play well. As long as it doesn't go the wrong way, McCaffery and Co. are fine with that.

'Any time he plays poorly, he takes it personal, and that's what the great ones do. They should,' McCaffery said. 'I never want them to feel blame. I'm not going to blame them. I don't want anybody else to blame them. And at some point you don't want them to blame themselves too much because sometimes they can be the biggest problem you have is they're too tough on themselves. But to be upset about a loss and feel responsible and want to make sure it doesn't happen again, that's what you want.'

UHL, JONES STATUS UNCERTAIN

Iowa is without two of its forwards right now, and while one is close to returning from a long layoff, both Dom Uhl and Dale Jones' status for Thursday's game against Maryland is uncertain.

McCaffery said at his news conference on Tuesday that Uhl practiced last Saturday before the Northwestern game, and that's when the junior knew he wouldn't be able to play Sunday's game. McCaffery said Uhl would practice this week, but his availability would depend on how the 'deep bruise' in his injured thumb has reacted to the days off.

'He was really sore on Sunday, didn't think he could go, so we'll see if he can obviously get through practice and then see how it feels tomorrow,' McCaffery said. 'But he's got to be able to catch the ball and shoot the ball and dribble the ball. He just said he couldn't do that without incredible pain, and that's not going to make him very effective, so to his credit, he goes, I can't really help you.'

As for Jones, who broke his wrist in his first game back from knee surgery earlier this season, McCaffery said the senior is 'going to go full (Tuesday)' in practice after doing light work the 'last five weeks.'

Jones played just two minutes against Seton Hall, recording a rebound, an assist and going 0 of 1 from the field before fracturing his wrist on a play in which he and a few other players fell to the floor. Depending on how practice goes, Jones should be available against Maryland.

'If everything goes well, I don't see why not. That is the plan,' McCaffery said. 'He was close last weekend. I thought he might give it a go. I almost wish he did because I would have thrown him in there and seen what he could do. You know, the wrist is a funny thing, especially for a shooter. It's got to feel right. He's still working on that range of motion.'

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