Iowa Still Has A Shot at At Large Bid



I've been saying all along Iowa just needs to get to 20 wins to have a shot. But it will take another unbelievable performance to beat Wisconsin on the road. Although I will say if Wisconsin loses at MSU today they will be limping into next Thursday's game having lost 4 of their last 5 games.
 


It all boils down to: W, W, W, W & W. I think it takes five wins because the conference is considered weaker than normal.
 


So if we make the Championship game, we should get in. The good thing about playing Wisconsin is they have no chance at a conference championship more than likely and no chance at a really high seed.m, but they are a lock for the tournament. We will be playing for everything and they won't have much to play for.
 


I would think anything less than winning through to the B1GTCG leaves us little to no chance. Losing in CG (assuming we win out reg. season) would still leave us a shot, but my guess is that we'd still be watching the NIT Selection Show to see if we got a top 4 seed.
 


hawkeyebob62 said:
I would think anything less than winning through to the B1GTCG leaves us little to no chance. Losing in CG (assuming we win out reg. season) would still leave us a shot, but my guess is that we'd still be watching the NIT Selection Show to see if we got a top 4 seed.
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If we would have a 68 rpi losing to Wisconsin, we would probably be in the high 50s with that win. I feel like the committee would see a really young team that is way better than their resume because the understandable slow start and a couple injuries. Not to mention we have the leading scorer in the conference. I think if it's 50/50, we get in over another 50/50 team because of those things.
 


Not holding my breath. But the fact that just a couple weeks ago this seemed like an absolute pipe dream makes it pretty nice. I highly doubt they'll make it which may be too bad now that we have a good idea of what their potential entails. Think about it we have about 4 or 5 losses that Iowa should have won? Flip the MN, Memphis, Omaha, Michigan and Nebraska games... That's all it would have taken. Win the close ones and ones that went to OT and ones you shouldn't have lost period. If if if that'd have happened they'd be dancing in what is going to be about as weak of a 64 team field there's ever been...
 




Hawkfnntn said:
Not holding my breath. But the fact that just a couple weeks ago this seemed like an absolute pipe dream makes it pretty nice. I highly doubt they'll make it which may be too bad now that we have a good idea of what their potential entails. Think about it we have about 4 or 5 losses that Iowa should have won? Flip the MN, Memphis, Omaha, Michigan and Nebraska games... That's all it would have taken. Win the close ones and ones that went to OT and ones you shouldn't have lost period. If if if that'd have happened they'd be dancing in what is going to be about as weak of a 64 team field there's ever been...
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I fail to see how flipping the Michigan game to a loss would help. :)
 


I know I may be in the minority, but I would rather see a deep run in the NIT (make it to MSG), than a one-and-done in the NCAA Tournament, given the youth of our team.
That Virginia team, we played in the 2013 NIT, was a perfect 9-0, at home, in ACC play, until we won at Charlottesville. Shows you how deep the NCAA bracket was that year.

Of course, one NCAA Tournament win (outside of the First Four) is better than a NIT Championship.

I think to make the NCAA, Iowa would have to win its last 2 conference games, and make it to the B1G Championship Game, to get in.
 


UNO and Minny. Just those 2 would have made a huge difference. Especially with minny playing so well now.

This team can be crazy fun to watch, you'd have to think the selection committee would like that and the youth if we could win about 4 more and maybe get to the bubble. Of course that still takes help.

So dang close. Heck, keep UNO as and loss and flip the stolen minny game and the stinker at Illinois and I think we'd be very close to bubble

Ugh.
 


Scooby said:
I know I may be in the minority, but I would rather see a deep run in the NIT (make it to MSG), than a one-and-done in the NCAA Tournament, given the youth of our team.
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Never, getting into the tournament would be terrific experience for this young team even if it is a 1 and done.
 


Iowa' resume is suddenly looking half-way decent, actually:
http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/rpi/_/teamId/2294

Four Top 50 wins now that Michigan has been on a run, and the win @MD yesterday. Those losses to Memphis & Omaha still hurt, though. Not sure what the criteria is these days.. I hear they are looking less at RPI (as rumor has it). Do they still look at "body of work" or does Last-10, etc. figure more into it? If so, then those early losses may not sting as much?

I tend to agree with the sentiments above - really need to win the last two games. A win @UW added to the resume would be big. May still need to run through to the BTT title game, though. Or win at minimum, two games and get to the semis.. Depends on who we beat of course.

I'm still considering this a pipe dream, but win @UW and it becomes a bit more realistic IMO. Tall order, though. I can hardly remember a time when beating Wisconsin anywhere, much less in Madison, was anything less than a royal PITA.
 


HawkeyeWalker said:
UNO and Minny. Just those 2 would have made a huge difference. Especially with minny playing so well now.

This team can be crazy fun to watch, you'd have to think the selection committee would like that and the youth if we could win about 4 more and maybe get to the bubble. Of course that still takes help.

So dang close. Heck, keep UNO as and loss and flip the stolen minny game and the stinker at Illinois and I think we'd be very close to bubble

Ugh.
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I know it. That Minnesota game kills me. That would be a great win on the resume, and it felt like that one was ours until the refs swallowed their whistles.
 


Find a way at wisc, and things will get very interesting. Probably need the big upset to keep any realistic shot (barring a tourney championship, which is a tough ask).

Continue to shoot like Saturday, anything possible (another tough ask)

Play loose, keep hopes alive Hawks!
 


If we win at Wisconsin we can talk. I put our chances at about 20%. Until then we are still fighting for the NIT.

Realistically our tourney hopes were crushed by the screw jobs at Minny and Neb. I think we've played like a tourney team for the last few months, but unfortunately won't make it.
 




If we play ourselves onto the bubble but come up short... boy that Minnesota loss stings that much more.
 


1977Hawkeye said:
I know it. That Minnesota game kills me. That would be a great win on the resume, and it felt like that one was ours until the refs swallowed their whistles.
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That Minnesota loss is the toughest, because the refs absolutely stole it from the Hawkeyes. I see it more as them closing their ears and their eyes. So they miss Ellingson screaming for a timeout, but then they also the miss the Minnesota player stepping out of bounds, the same Minnesota player they saw tie up the ball? Brutal, and may mean the difference in the Hawks not getting to the tournament. Beat Wiscy this week, and they have a pulse, but beat Wiscy this week with the Minnesota win and they have a full heartbeat. That would put them at 10-7 and 17-12, with recent quality road wins on the resume. Still, they have some life, which is beyond where I thought they'd be after the UNO game.
 


While there is a slight chance to get an at large bid, I'm not gonna hold my breath. The Hawks need to win the last two regular season games and then get to the championship game of the B1G tourney. If they do that, I don't see how the committee can leave out a team that has 21 wins, a 10-8 B1G conference record and then got to the tourney championship game.

That's a lot to ask a team this young.

Just my $.02 .. ..
GO HAWKS!!!.
 


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