IOWA CITY — One of the toughest guards to defend in the Big Ten is coming to Carver-Hawkeye Arena to play a team that has a hard time with defense.
Minnesota’s Nate Mason is one of the best at scoring from anywhere, and he’ll face an Iowa team that is allowing opponents to score from anywhere.
Today’s 8:07 p.m. game between the Gophers and the Hawkeyes is likely going to come down to how much Iowa can limit Mason, a junior who averages 15.8 points per game and is among the Big Ten leaders in assists.
“He's explosive,” Iowa coach Fran McCaffery said. “Not a lot of guys can come at you 100 miles an hour and shoot a pull-up (3-pointer) and then go either way. Some guys are right-handed drivers. Some guys only go left. He goes equally well both ways. He's got a pull-up game. He's a veteran. He's been around — playing as well as anybody in our league right now.”
“Obviously he’s really quick with the ball, really herky-jerky,” said Iowa guard Jordan Bohannon. “He can get wherever he wants with the ball. It’s a struggle keeping him in front of you.”
That’s been a problem for Iowa (11-12 overall, 2-8 Big Ten) all season. The Hawkeyes continue to rank at the bottom or near the bottom of the Big Ten in just about every statistical category.
“I think it comes down to execution, more than anything,” forward Nicholas Baer said. “It’s not a lack of effort — we’re trying hard, playing hard.”
The Hawkeyes are coming off a 98-84 loss at Nebraska on Saturday. It was the most points scored by the Huskers in a Big Ten game.
That’s been a theme that the Hawkeyes have seen way too much, which is why they have a losing record.
“Obviously it’s just being more consistent,” Bohannon said. “Against Nebraska, we were getting some stops. They had three runs, Nebraska did against us. We responded to two of those pretty well. We have to limit them to one or two. I think we do a decent job of responding to the first couple. But any time a team makes three, four runs a game, it’s hard to try to come back.
“We’re pretty responsive to the first couple of runs. Runs happen in basketball. We just have to try to limit their runs, that’s what it comes down to.”
“Our recognition has not been good this year,” McCaffery said. “It's not. Our execution of defending certain action, I mean, they're close. They're this close. But if you don't get there and they make a three, OK, it doesn't matter that you're really working and you're trying to get it. You didn't get there, and they made a (3-pointer). We gave (Nebraska) 11 threes the other night, and you can't do that. So when you've got guys that are really trying, they're really concentrating, they're watching film and they're trying to get better.”
Mason can’t be the only focus on the offense of Minnesota (14-9, 3-7). Forward Jordan Murphy averages 17.6 points and 11.7 rebounds, guard Amir Coffey averages 14 points and guard Dupree McBrayer averages 10.3.
“Well, they've got a number of different weapons,” McCaffery said. “McBrayer is playing really well. Used to be he was just a driver, and now he's making threes. So that gives them three scorers there. And then Coffey is really good. When he was out, that was harder for them. But he's a versatile 6-7, 6-8 driver, shooter, so that gives them four weapons, and then there's a variety of other guys.”
“We just have to be locked in,” Bohannon said.
For the Hawkeyes, that’s been easier said than done.