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Iowa aims to stop slow starts

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By Steve Batterson | Thursday, February 28, 2008 |

IOWA CITY – Todd Lickliter preaches patience, but he wouldn’t mind seeing the Iowa basketball team get off to a slightly quicker start in tonight’s game at Penn State.

It has taken the Hawkeyes more than eight minutes to put their first field goal in the books in each of their last two games.

A week ago against Northwestern, it took 8:45 before Jake Kelly scored on a lay-in and Saturday at Michigan State, Seth Gorney’s jumper 10:22 after the Spartans took the opening tip allowed Iowa to cut into a 20-1 lead.

The Hawkeyes will attempt to improve on that in a 6 p.m. game at the Bryce Jordan Center, where the Nittany Lions (12-14, 4-10 Big Ten) have earned all but two of their victories this season.

“We need to get things going inside and out,’’ Iowa forward Cyrus Tate said. “If defenses are closing in around us inside, that should open some things on the perimeter. We all need to recognize that and come out stronger than we have.’’

Lickliter agrees with that, but said the Hawkeyes (12-16, 5-10) must continue to work to find the highest-percentage shot available.

“Instead of taking shots we think we could make, we need to take shots we know we can make,’’ Lickliter said. “There is a difference and we struggle with that. We have a tendency to shoot quick, anxious shots and all that does is compound the situation.’’

Iowa’s objective is not to work the shot clock. It is to use the clock efficiently to find a quality shot.

“I don’t want us to pass up good shots. If the opponent will give us a lay-in five seconds into the clock, we’ll take it,’’ Lickliter said. “If we have to work 30 seconds to get a high-percentage shot, I want us to be patient enough to wait that long.’’

Lickliter said he does not have a target for how many points he wants his team to score.

“We have won in the 50s and we have had teams win in the 70s,’’ he said. “I’m more concerned about the quality of shots as opposed to the quantity of them.’’

Against Michigan State, Lickliter felt his team had some “good looks’’ during the opening minutes of the game. But when they didn’t drop, he watched the Hawkeyes become anxious.

“They haven’t come up with an eight-point goal yet,’’ Lickliter said. “Patience has to remain the objective.’’

Steve Batterson can be contacted at (563) 383-2290 or sbatterson@qctimes.com.