ESPN Preview a bit curious

Cyclonetrombone

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This seems like it was written by the University of Iowa Athletic Department. I actually have a sneaking suspicion that this is composed by an AP writer in Cedar Rapids. About 80% is about how awesome Iowa is. The Iowa bench gets more conversation then our starters? C'mon ESPN, its one of a few games between two ranked teams... you can write that article yourself.

Since it is not a paid article and just incase they decide to change it I'll post it here as well.
Iowa Hawkeyes vs. Iowa State Cyclones - Preview - December 13, 2013 - ESPN

ADDED RANDOM PARAGRAPHS -keep

(AP) -- Iowa coach Fran McCaffery's solution to having 10 guys who can play has been to play them all.

It has made the 23rd-ranked Hawkeyes one of the deepest and most dangerous teams in the country.Iowa's rotation is the envy of opponents everywhere. The Hawkeyes have 10 players averaging at least 15 minutes per game, and they're getting nearly half of their Big Ten-best scoring average from their backups.Iowa's experienced and athletic reserves have allowed the Hawkeyes to push the tempo whenever they want.They rank fourth nationally with a scoring margin of plus-24.6 a game heading into Friday night's showdown at No. 17 Iowa State (7-0), with the teams meeting for only the second time in history as ranked squads."The thing that they're great at is transition offense. They really get out and run," Iowa State coach Fred Hoiberg said of the Hawkeyes. "They're great on the glass as well. Those are going to be two huge keys for us, is getting back in transition and trying to slow them down and limit them to one shot, which is easier said than done.

"
Iowa's exceptional bench numbers have been boosted by its six wins of at least 30 points, which has allowed its reserves to play extensive minutes.If the bench has a star, it's forward Jarrod Uthoff.Uthoff has come off the bench in every game in part because of the performance of seniorMelsahn Basabe. But Uthoff is the team's leading rebounder, and his presence at the end of tight games is a testament to how much McCaffery trusts him.Basabe and Uthoff both racked up double-doubles in Monday's 92-59 blowout of Fairleigh Dickinson.Basabe and Uthoff were joined by junior center Gabe Olaseni, whose 14 points and 10 boards gave Iowa three players with regulation double-doubles for the first time since 1993.

Though Olaseni has yet to earn a starting nod over 7-foot-1 sophomore
Adam Woodburydespite superior statistics, it hasn't mattered.The two of them have combined the give the Hawkeyes all-conference type production.The pair have 12.4 points, 9.4 rebounds and 2.4 blocks in just over 32 minutes a game. Though McCaffery has toyed with pairing them together -- and did so briefly on Monday night -- the Hawkeyes seem content with bringing Olaseni off the bench.Olaseni has consistently given Iowa a boost of energy with his athleticism and shot-blocking ability, and his offense is quickly coming along. He's up to 7.1 points a game after a career-high 14 against Fairleigh Dickinson.

"You can see how much more comfortable he is," McCaffery said. "I love his aggressiveness and the confidence he has in himself right now."
Peter Jok, the only freshman in Iowa's rotation, has taken advantage of all those blowouts to show his promise as a potential scorer in years to come.Senior forward Zach McCabe, once a starter, is playing the best basketball of his career through 11 games. He's shooting 48.5 percent from 3-point range."He is playing exactly like I thought he would, based on how he prepared this summer," McCaffery said. "His game has really matured. He's not afraid of a challenge. I'm really happy for him. He's at the peak of his game, no question."But where Iowa's depth could soon become much more valuable is on defense.

The Hawkeyes didn't necessarily need all their depth to get by the likes of UNC-Wilmington and Maryland-Eastern Shore in November. But with Big Ten play approaching, Iowa will try to use its superior numbers to wear opponents out.
That could be an issue for Iowa State, whose rotation isn't much deeper than seven players."They run a very good press (defense) to slow you down and they mix up their defenses exceptionally well," Hoiberg said.Though Hoiberg's team lacks the Hawkeyes' depth, the Cyclones should provide a major test for that defense. Iowa State ranks second in the country with 91.7 points per game, led by Melvin Ejim (18.0), DeAndre Kane (15.4), Georges Niang (13.1) and Dustin Hogue(12.7).

Seven Cyclones are averaging more than seven points, and the squad has averaged 97.5 in the last four games.
Iowa is seventh in the nation at 89.5 points per game.This game also pits two of the top rebounding teams in the country, with Iowa State fourth at 46.3 per game and Iowa fifth at 46.0.Ejim scored 20 of his 22 points in the second half and OT as the Cyclones rallied from 18 down to beat Northern Iowa 91-82 on Saturday for their best start in 10 years. They were also 7-0 in 2003-04."Great teams find a way to win games like this," Hoiberg said.

Iowa ended a three-game losing streak in the series with an 80-71 home victory last Dec. 7. Iowa State, though, has won the last five meetings at Ames.
The Hawkeyes were ranked seventh and the Cyclones 20th when they met Dec. 19, 1987, with Iowa State winning 102-100 in overtime at home. Roy Marble, the father of current Iowa starting guard Roy Devyn Marble, scored 13 points for the Hawkeyes.
 
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alarson

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You'd think iowa is both ranked higher and favored to win by this preview. That's a pretty awful 'preview'
 

cyclone101

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Something, something, depth, something, something, high scoring, something, Fred Hoiberg, something, something, something. The end.
 

ribsnwhiskey

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I don't know why anyone here would need to read the collective national media's take on this game.
 

Skidoosh

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Sounds to me like the hoks are jacks of all trades, master of none with the whole bench thing. I'd take 5 dominant guys over 10 mediocare dudes anyday.
 

acgclone

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Sounds like they have 5 Lebron caliber starters and 5 Kobe's on the bench.

Should be next to impossible to beat the best team in the history of college basketball.
 
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Cyclones01

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As long as it ends with a beating of UI, I agree.

Well yea.

The week leading up to in-state rivalry games always seem to take forever. A guy I work with has been talking about how Iowa is going to win for weeks now. I figure I'll do my talking after the game, so I'm looking forward to shutting him up.
 

SoapyCy

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Well yea.

The week leading up to in-state rivalry games always seem to take forever. A guy I work with has been talking about how Iowa is going to win for weeks now. I figure I'll do my talking after the game, so I'm looking forward to shutting him up.

you better pray *if* they beat us they go on to win the tourney because if they lose to anyone he's just gonna come back and say "see how much ISU sucks, even ABC Tech could beat us". Ugh.
 

alarson

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you better pray *if* they beat us they go on to win the tourney because if they lose to anyone he's just gonna come back and say "see how much ISU sucks, even ABC Tech could beat us". Ugh.

If they beat us i hope they miss the tourney again. If we lose, the next best thing is enjoying a tourney bid of our own while they sit at home, like last year. It settles the 'who really was the better team' argument.

Its moot though, because we're winning tomorrow.