IOWA CITY -- Iowa took care of business against low-major Rider on Tuesday night, defeating the Broncs, 83-58. Behind a stellar defensive performance, missing one of their top players and the continued shine of two transfer stars, the Hawkeyes moved to 5-0 in non-conference.
Here are three takeaways from the victory.
Transition D, Zero Three-Pointers
Iowa held Rider to just three fast-break points and one three-pointer for the entire game.
"Our defense was really good tonight," Fran McCaffery said postgame. "This team has a lot of drivers and a lot of shooters. They typically score the ball really well."
McCaffery noted the Broncs' travel schedule, citing a victory over San Diego on the West Coast followed by two victories at Navy and Coppin State, both of Maryland. Rider is located in Lawrenceville, New Jersey.
"They're the only team in America with three true road wins," he said. "This team had our full attention. You could see that defensively. ... I thought we were really locked in defensively."
Sophomore forward Seydou Traore said the players' emphasis was to maintain their energy level from Friday night's emotional win in the Quad Cities.
"We were trying to not play casual," Traore said. "The main focus was trying to keep the same intensity we had during the Washington State game -- bringing that to this game and making it our identity."
Drew Thelwell pointed to the team mentality as well on the defensive end.
"I think it was just a collective effort," he said. "Our scout was perfect tonight, and we wanted to get stops."
The lack of fastbreak points came thanks to how Iowa operated offensively, too.
"I think it's just about us taking good shots," Thelwell added. "If we take good shots, it's hard for them to push in transition."
An Indication of Depth
The defense held strong — all while one of the Hawkeyes' best defenders was in street clothes. After sustaining a wrist injury in the first half against Washington State, Josh Dix missed his first game of the season.
"It was definitely a big killer for us not have Josh today," Traore said. "But, it's next man up. We've got to bring the same effort that we do in practice, then it'll translate to the game. I feel like missing JD was big for us, but it's next man up every time."
With Dix out, the next man up in the starting lineup Tuesday was Pryce Sandfort, earning the second start of his career. The younger Sandfort brother finished with 11 points and five rebounds, just short of Dix's 12.3 scoring average, but well in front of Dix's average rebounding effort of 2.3 per contest.
"Pryce has been really good at the defensive end," McCaffery said. "I was happy to see him come back and hit a few [shots] in the second half, because he missed some in the first half he never misses. But he impacted the game in every area. That's what you're looking for."
Changing the Defensive Identity
While most of the focus on transfers Traore and Thelwell coming into their nascent Hawkeye careers was how each could fit in McCaffery's motion offense, both have made their biggest early impact in Iowa's defensive identity shift. Not coincidentally, the pair head up Iowa's three-quarter-court press.
"They're really athletic, but they've also got great instincts," McCaffery said. "Obviously Seydou has incredible length, but he's got a knack for getting deflections. Same with Drew, and Drew will strip you. They can cover a lot of ground. The activity level was really good."
Thelwell, who finished with seven assists and five steals, put it a little more simply.
"I think we just want to get steals," he said with a smile. "I just don't think we want them to score. We're just imposing our will on the other team."
Traore, who was speaking of playing defense in general, went a more philosophical route to the same conclusion.
"I just take it personal," he said. "If you take it personal, nobody should score on you. You have to have that grit, and play with that toughness."
Thanks to that press, the Iowa defense has forced ten-second backcourt violations in back to back games. They did twice against Rider.
"We've had some success with our press so far," McCaffery said. "The activity, and there's a lot of people making plays, being involved and changing the game from a defensive standpoint."
With Traore and Thelwell leading the way -- along with the return of Dix and continued defensive improvement of Sandfort -- it sure appears that the Iowa press will continue to throw opposing offenses for a loop.
"I feel like me and Drew put a lot of pressure on the ball," Traore said. "But it's everybody trying to get after it. But it's a team effort.
UP NEXT: Iowa will travel to Kansas City and face off with Utah State (4-0) as part of the NABC Hall of Fame Classic on Friday Night in the T-Mobile Center.
