Plenty of offense, trash talk in store as Iowa hosts Iowa State

IOWA CITY — Fran McCaffery is from Philadelphia. He's no stranger to trash talk.

In fact, to Iowa's head coach, it's not something that really registers anymore because of how commonplace it is on the court.

But there's no denying it's a little different when Iowa and No. 25 Iowa State face off — at Hilton Coliseum or Carver-Hawkeye Arena. There are the flexes, the screams, the stares and, most famously, a blown kiss to the student section.

Coaches certainly don't ever want trash talk to be the main or only motivator for their players on the court, but they also don't coach against it because of its impact on the game. When the Hawkeyes and Cyclones hit the floor Thursday, it'll be there — just maybe not in the same way fans go at each other on Twitter.

'Whatever works for you. Some guys don't like it, some guys love it. Some guys respond to it because they don't feel like hearing it anymore,' McCaffery said. 'Everybody's different in that sense. So I don't pay attention to it. When you've played the game where I grew up, it's just an expectation.

'You have to be careful when you do it, how you do it. But it still happens in every game. You talk about guys who are from the same state, they seemingly end up in pickup games in the offseason, so there's maybe a little more discussion and dialogue there because of the location.'

Iowa State might not have any native Iowans who will contribute in Thursday's game — Iowa has five in Jordan Bohannon, Peter Jok, Ryan Kriener, Cordell Pemsl and Nicholas Baer — but the players know each other very well away from the court.

Jok, Naz Mitrou-Long and Monte Morris traded compliments through interviews on Tuesday, with both Cyclones players acknowledging the massive scoring threat the West Des Moines product presents. Jok said he works out with them in Ames sometimes when he's home, and Morris said Tuesday, 'Peter is my guy. We talk and show love all the time.'

As anyone who's ever competed against a good friend knows, the emotion attached only is increased.

'If you're not hyped for this game, stay home,' Jok said. 'It's going to be a huge game. It's a big rivalry game. I think most of the guys are from Iowa, so they've been to games and they're looking forward to it.'

The trash talk will only go both ways, though, if the Hawkeyes figure out a way to carry over what looked better against Stetson.

The Cyclones, though, present a touch tougher test to a defense that has allowed 1.031 points per possession this season (176th in the nation, per KenPom), 51.5 percent effective field goal percentage (217th in the nation) and 13.4 offensive rebounds per game. Iowa State isn't the same offensive team it's been in the last few seasons, but even if it's dipped only slightly on the stat sheet, McCaffery isn't taking that for granted.

With Morris, Mitrou-Long, Matt Thomas and an emerging Deonte Burton still around, it makes sense why. Bohannon will have the task of guarding Morris — a tough ask of a true freshman going against probably the best in the nation in terms of taking care of the ball. Morris has led the Cyclones to a turnover rate of 13.8 percent, which is eighth best in the nation.

'It's a different team. I don't look back and I don't think Steve (Prohm) looks back,' McCaffery said. 'The thing that has impressed me the most about his team is while he has multiple scorers and a lot of guys that are really good — and obviously want to have great success individually — they share the ball. I think any team that's going to be good shares the ball. That's what they do and that's what's impressed me.'

Iowa also will get a test to its so-far prolific offense — something that definitely couldn't be said under Fred Hoiberg, nor last season in Prohm's first year.

But based on what McCaffery said about how Iowa State plays defense, it's actually a bit of a blueprint for where Iowa wants to be. McCaffery has said repeatedly the Hawkeyes' communication hasn't been great on that end. That's precisely what he lauded Iowa State for doing en route to allowing 0.923 points per possession so far (22nd in the nation), a 41.3 effective field goal percentage (11th) and 22.2 percent turnover rate (44th).

This year initially could've been pegged as a track meet waiting to happen, but that's not necessarily a guarantee.

The nuts and bolts of what happens during those 40 minutes at Carver-Hawkeye Arena will depend very much on if the aforementioned communication for both defenses either stays the way it has (Iowa State) or quickly improves (Iowa).

The importance of what happens during those 40 minutes is evident in the trash talk on and off the court.

'They can play different combinations, and they play together. Now, they play together on offense, but they also play together on defense. And that's what you have to do to be a good defensive team,' McCaffery said. 'I think (our defensive improvement against Stetson) has to carry into Thursday's game, and it has to carry every game after that because it was probably the best we've been together, and that's how we have to play. We have to be five working as one, whether that be in transition or in ball-screen defense or if we're in our zone.

'This is a rivalry game that's played once a year that means a lot to a lot of people. It means a lot for both teams for RPI, for national rankings, for NCAA Tournament potential. It has a lot of importance.'

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