McCaffery has Iowa poised for a jump

I agree with the fact we will be improved, I disagree with the vastness of it. I don't think the talent upgrade is "major". You are confusing having a lot more players to toss on the court with a bunch of great players to toss on the court. We are not there yet. We have some good pieces, but they're still young and inexperienced, and half the teams in the BoneG are bringing in as much talent as we did.

Even with a freshman I do believe we will see a Vast improvement in PG play. Solid PG play can make an immediate overall impact. Yes I am basing that off of what coach says, and what we have seen. The young man could struggle his freshman year, and that's to be expected, but I still think it will be a vast improvement.
 




LOL, when's the last time a team won 10 games in the B10 and missed the NCAA tournament? Saying we have to win 13-14 is just ridiculous.

Perhaps I did get a bit ahead of myself. In fact, I said something insanely stupid. Thanks for calling me on it.
 


One thing people don't take into account when they figure the record and the bubble is that if we are that good then hopefully we win at least two B10 Tournament games. That would go a long ways to helping us into the NCAA Tourney as well.

Ghost is correct, though, the non-conf needs to have GOOD to better than good ISU and UNI teams in it or it will not help us at all. However, if we are at least 10-8, I don't see us not getting in, especially if we will at least one BTT game. But it is no lock that we are 10-8 in the B10. I think we will be, though, at least.

The question for you though, Ghost, is how many conference wins does it take for you to deem us vastly improved?
 


I think one thing that could help, is the media attention that Fran draws. Fran doesn't keep it local, he takes it national. This would bode well if we are a team on the bubble.
 


I think one thing that could help, is the media attention that Fran draws. Fran doesn't keep it local, he takes it national. This would bode well if we are a team on the bubble.

He keeps his contacts with the east coast which will help with recruiting. Fran embraces the media and welcomes the intierviews. For the first time ever I tuned into a coaches show last year.
 


Clearly Iowa bb will be vastly improved. The question is, will it show in our record? The B1G will be an absolute meatgrinder this year. Time will tell.

The Big Ten is going to be good and probably the best basketball conference in the country, but the good thing for the Hawks is of the likely top 4 teams (Indiana, OSU, MSU, and Michigan) Iowa only plays Indiana twice and the other 3 teams just once.
 


When the fans come back to Carver, the Hawks will contend. IMO the AD needs to put more younger people in the seats. They do not measure wins and losses by donations.
 


The question for you though, Ghost, is how many conference wins does it take for you to deem us vastly improved?

I don't think improvement will be measured in wins and losses, necessarily. I think it will be shown in how we play against teams we should beat. People keep hammering Kurt for losing to cupcakes, but Francis has lost his share of games he should have won. We had no business losing to Campbell...ever. We should not be losing to Nebraska at home.

Any more than 3 losses in the Non-con, and this team is in serious trouble.
 


I agree with pretty much everything Ghost has said in this thread (excepting the needing 14 wins in conference, where he admitted he made a mistake and had sex with the dog). The team could improve, but not improve the conference record at all. I think expecting over .500 in league is getting your hopes up too much. Sure, Iowa has one of its better classes in years. It isn't even close to the most talented in the league though. Then you have programs like MSU and OSU whose benches are being warmed by McD all-americans every year. Iowa will also not be overlooked by the big dogs this year. Beating someone like Wisconsin twice is not likely to happen, yet alone blow them out like last year. In short, Iowa is getting better, but so is the rest of the conference. You can't expect a miracle.
 


We have an awful non-con. A good non-con isn't going to do jack for us. If UNI and ISU are bad this season, we'll have to win 13-14 games in the BoneG to make the tournament.


Somebody needs a good sedative before they jump on the message boards... At least put down the caffeine. Please.
 




i'm just excited to watch an improved team play a style of b-ball that i love. i'll hold off on the expectations till next year.
 


We have an awful non-con. A good non-con isn't going to do jack for us. If UNI and ISU are bad this season, we'll have to win 13-14 games in the BoneG to make the tournament.

13 or 14 in conference? Really? What are you smoking? You are diminishing my Falcon pride with those ridiculous comments.
 


i'm just excited to watch an improved team play a style of b-ball that i love. i'll hold off on the expectations till next year.

You and me both. I'm excited about the improving talent level; however, inexperienced talent almost always means ups and downs and I expect we'll see both. I don't look for an improvement on the win total this season. But I think we're poised to take a big step the next.
 


The only team Iowa can lose to in the non-conferecne and it not be a black eye is ISU. That said, if that is the only game they lose in the non-conference, then when they win the games they are supposed to and split with Wisconsin and Minnesota again then they will be NCAA bound.
 


Perhaps I did get a bit ahead of myself. In fact, I said something insanely stupid. Thanks for calling me on it.

13 or 14 in conference? Really? What are you smoking? You are diminishing my Falcon pride with those ridiculous comments.

Why did everyone hear me say the stupid thing, but no one seemed to hear me apologize for it? I never, EVER want to be in a situation where I damage someone's Falcon pride, especially when the football team is finally winning.
 


Why did everyone hear me say the stupid thing, but no one seemed to hear me apologize for it? I never, EVER want to be in a situation where I damage someone's Falcon pride, especially when the football team is finally winning.

Jeremy is going to get that thing turned around. Mo' is a winner.
 








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