IOWA CITY -- Iowa held off Texas A&M Commerce (TAMC) for a 89-67 victory to start the season 1-0 in non-conference play. The Hawkeyes came out flat, and took until part way through the second half to handle the 360th-ranked team out of 364 squads in DI basketball, according to KenPom.
Let's break down three key takeaways from the uninspiring win over the Lions.
Playing with Your Food
Texas A&M Commerce is not a good basketball team. For the first 27 minutes of the game, the Hawkeyes let them compete with sloppy, careless basketball.
Senior forward Payton Sandfort, who nearly left this offseason for the NBA, said he could feel the nerves heading into the game, and it may have affected the slow start for Iowa.
"I'm not someone that gets all that nervous," he said. "Before the game, for some reason I was just so excited to be back in Carver. I wasn't sure I'd ever be back. The nerves got to me. I think it happened to a lot of guys."
Fran McCaffery diagnosed the first half a bit differently.
"We turned it over too much in the first half," he said. "We were quick shooting the ball. We got some good looks early, but they didn't go. ... You've got to take care of the ball. Give credit to them, they played really hard, they're very physical, they switch everything. That took a little bit to get used to."
At the break, Iowa held a slim 42-35 lead over the Lions.
The team defense turned things around in the second half with a press that threw TAMC off their game.
"The press was incredibly effective," McCaffery said. "It allowed us to get into our transition game a little bit more. ... They were really good, active and connected. If you're going to extend your defense, you have to be connected, otherwise you'll give up layups and open threes. Those guys were really good at it."
The defense did indeed open things up for the Hawkeyes, who extended their lead from five to 20 points from 14:47 to 9:33 left in the second half.
The younger of the Sandfort brothers isn't worried about the early struggles.
"I didn't feel like we had much energy, but we picked it up in the second half," Pryce Sandfort said. "It'll be there in the future. I'm not worried about our slow starts."
The older Sandfort, who led the way for Iowa with 20 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists, was happy with the second half, too.
"Guys really stepped up when we had to," Payton said. "Now, we can hold everybody accountable to that. I need other leaders out there with me. I'm going to keep my voice going and keep everybody positive."
Drew Thelwell and Pryce Sandfort Earning Minutes
Drew Thelwell's impact in the press was palpable.
"That was really the difference in the game," McCaffery said. "He's been playing like that lately."
The Morehead State transfer ended the game with ten points on 4-of-6 shooting and added two assists and two steals, along with finishing +25 in 17 minutes. A steal and subsequent dunk at the 12:25 mark extended Iowa's lead to 16, and the Hawkeyes never looked back.
A fellow senior, Payton Sandfort showered Thelwell with high fives at the end of the game, and showered him in praise after the game, too.
"He's a winner," Sandfort said. "That's what his DNA is. We needed a spark, you could say it was a little tense in there. He just came in and did what he does. He made plays, he really sparked the game. From there, we just took over."
McCaffery could feel a difference tonight in the senior transfer.
"I think he's getting more comfortable, and I think he's having fun," McCaffery said. "He can impact the game on both ends. I'm really proud of him."
A source indicated to Hawkeye Beacon this offseason that Pryce Sandfort had made the biggest jump out of any of the returning players from last season. He looked like it tonight with 13 points and three rebounds in 19 minutes.
"He's way stronger than he was," McCaffery said postgame. "Nobody is pushing him around now. He was always a guy that could play both ends -- a very underrated defensive player. He's a guy that could guard basically five positions. He did that tonight, he blocked a few shots. He's a terrific shooter and shooting with great confidence."
The sophomore sniper feels completely different than he did last season, too.
"It's a world's difference, pretty much," he said. "I've prepared for this all offseason, and I'm ready to go."
His older brother was happy to rave about his performance, too.
"I love it when he's aggressive," Payton said. "In practice, the whole summer and fall, he was just great. He really didn't shoot it that well tonight. I know he's going to be upset about it. He played really good defense, he was everywhere in that press. ... I'm happy to see him out there contributing, and he's going to have a huge year."
Missing Seydou Traore
Possibly the biggest question mark personnel-wise going into this season was how Iowa would manage the four spot between Ladji Demebele, Cooper Koch and Seydou Traore. Traore missed Tuesday's night game with a lower leg injury that kept him in a boot on the sideline for the game.
Dembele got the start, and his defense was lackluster at best. The same could be said about Koch. Whether it was just the nervousness of a first game or something to be concerned about in the long term remains unclear -- either way, both Dembele and Koch will need to be better in the future.
On the night, Dembele finished 2-of-5 from the field for four points and three rebounds. He got in foul trouble early, only playing six first-half minutes thanks to two quick fouls. A big, athletic body, his presence needs to be felt more on both sides of the floor.
The play of the freshman Koch wasn't as much of a concern, as he's still learning what it means to be a college basketball player. The physicality of the game appeared to take a bit of a toll on the former four-star hooper, as he finished with just six points, an assist and a steal in his official college basketball debut.
No matter what is to blame for the difficulty at the power forward position, Traore could have helped in that department, had he been available. Luckily for the Hawkeyes, Traore may be back for Thursday night's 7 pm matchup with Southern in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
McCaffery described the injury as a "bum wheel," but the team is optimistic he'll be available again soon.
"He's someone that just goes out there and plays ball," Payton said. "He's a really good defender, he's physical and protects the rim. He does a lot of good things. We're looking forward to getting him back, and he's going to be a huge difference-maker for us this year."
