What's Fran's ceiling at Iowa?

[HawkGold]

Amazing! Let's dive through your latest piece of "gold"

The real test will be the draft?
Markelle Fultz the projected top pick (who's a PG) led his team to a mighty 9 win season. Boy if they didn't have him they might have only won 5. The NBA draft doesn't mean squat in terms of college success. Many of the top college juniors and seniors will never be great prospects, but have been great college players.

You can tell by the B1G overall guard play?
Walton, Trimble, Koenig, Mason, and McIntosh. B1G guard play was solid this year. Walton was an absolute stud down the stretch.

While we're on the topic I'm reminded of when Iowa beat Michigan and in your effort to discredit the win you tried saying Walton was an average guard and Michigan wasn't that good, which I called you on. How'd that turn out?

The Big12 is better because Kansas would compete year in and year out for Big10 titles? That's your argument? A conference is about more than one team. Plus Kansas wins the Big 12 every year anyways so that's a terrible point.

The B1G has no teams that could have made the final four this year?? I think Michigan and UW could have easily made it.

I literally can't stop laughing at your last paragraph. In classic Gold fashion you start rambling on providing no facts to back up your assertion. Your tangent leads you to Iowa can't create breaks. Talking to a rock?... Pot meet kettle.

You and Dean Twins? Michigan had the best tools to make a run in the Big.

The Big is lacking on guards. Not sure why. Not a down year thing either. I can think of 3 coaches in 12 that would be more sought after than any Big after Izzo though I do think Beilein is really good. Coaching is prbably the big reason. Im not a Big 12 fan at all. ACC has a number. Pac probably none but have good guard play overall.

 

[HawkGold]

Agree with this, and talking to Gold is usually just a exercise in frustration. He thinks he is the smartest guy on the planet, and really doesn't like anyone challenging him at all.

The Big12 might have been better this year, but they certainly aren't year in and year out at all better than the B1G. Kansas would have never ever been able to go on a decade long conference title streak if they were in the B1G.

The B1G wasn't great this year, big deal, it goes in cycles. It certainly isn't like the Big12 is winning National titles and going to final 4's all the time. Heck they might have the least amount of Elite 8 appearances in the last 5-10 years of any P6 conference.

Luv it. Dean's Stepford Forum.

 

[Knight78]

Funniest thing is the first few responses on twitter about this are from Hawk fans mad that ISU is in the list.

So graduating four starters (Morris, Thomas, Burton, Mitrou-Long) that played 62% of the minutes, scored 85% of the points, got 56% of the rebounds, dished out 78% of the assists with arguably one of the best point guards in the country is going to get a #10 seed next year? Oh, besides the four starters, there are 3 other seniors (Bowie, Holden, Nezlek) on the team. That means they have six players returning and none of them have significant stats of any kind.

I can understand why Hawkeye fans are mad with ISU being on that bracket.

 

[thedukeofearl]

The Championship game certainly proved that Defense wins.....

Both teams shot abysmally poor. Gonzaga hit 33% and North Carolina 35%, similar to their % against the Ducks.....

Other than the zebras destroying the pace and flow of the basketball game, the Tarheels defense stifled the Zags almost completely. Nothing was easy for them, and the uncharacteristic shooting from the 300 pound dude doomed the Zags, who almost made it despite all.....

The athletic ability of the Tarheels was apparent, even though Zags had very good players, North Carolina had supreme athletes who were very difficult to guard. Superior athletes plus, difficult as this is to say, excellent coaching carried the day. Not to put a damper on Mark Few, who is certainly one of the best coaches in the game, one who made a gourmet meal out of table scraps, early in his Gonzaga career, leading to this years Championship game. This was good to see despite the bitter loss.....

Fran, now is recruiting very good basketball players who have the talent and ability, plus attitude and coachability to take us to the next level, a step at a time. First step just might be learning how to play capable Defense the entire game without any pause.....

 

[thedukeofearl]

Tweeter certainly has another hit thread on his hands.....

 

[thedukeofearl]

So graduating four starters (Morris, Thomas, Burton, Mitrou-Long) that played 62% of the minutes, scored 85% of the points, got 56% of the rebounds, dished out 78% of the assists with arguably one of the best point guards in the country is going to get a #10 seed next year? Oh, besides the four starters, there are 3 other seniors (Bowie, Holden, Nezlek) on the team. That means they have six players returning and none of them have significant stats of any kind.

I can understand why Hawkeye fans are mad with ISU being on that bracket.

Certainly would be an achievement to make the Dance next season for the clones. Don't imagine they will emerge victorious in the big12 tournament either.....

I imagine clone nation will reflect this in bitter fashion.....

 

[thedukeofearl]

Damn, TK.....

Now there is nothing to look forward to.....!

 

[1977Hawkeye]

Funniest thing is the first few responses on twitter about this are from Hawk fans mad that ISU is in the list.

Well, look at what each team is losing and what is coming back next year.. For a "way to early" list, having ISU there but not Iowa is a bit of a head scratcher IMO. Iowa loses Jok, sure, but not much else, and they were close this year. Being an NCAA team next season is not a stretch. In fact, it'll be considered a disappointing season without a doubt if they don't make it.

Not sure on ISU.. They lose a ton of talent. Recency bias I guess.

Oh well, this is meaningless. Every team will have a chance to do it on the court regardless of what Lunardi is predicting today.

 

[BryceC]

I agree with you. I don't think ISU will be in the tourney unless they get some of their top targets this spring. I'm guessing they have just earned the benefit of the doubt with some people.

I thought Iowa had a good chance at the tourney this year and I was right. I think they'll be in next year.

 

[deanvogs]

Da Clowns will need Da Mayor back in town if they wanna reach the NCAA next year. They will need 3 awesome starters via the grad transfer market to make the NCAA tournament. Wigginton is a 4* PG, but as I documented this year, not all 4* kids come in and dominate, really only about 3-5 of them did that. Then after that they suck ass pretty much. Jackson is another PG, and will be the off guard? Babb sucks really bad. Young if horrible, and he is their only big guy. It could be really, really bad over in Ames if they don't his the transfer jackpot.