2018 Hy-Vee Classic Matchups

JG10Hawk

JG10Hawk

Well-Known Member
ISU vs Drake & Iowa vs UNI

Kenpom/Sagarin Composite:

upload_2018-12-10_13-13-35.png

Kenpom:

upload_2018-12-10_13-14-7.png

Computer Summary
  • The computers still like ISU better than Iowa
  • Drake has played well this year against sub par competition
  • Drake surprisingly plays at the fastest pace
  • UNI has struggled out of the gate but has a strong computer SOS due to non DI teams played
  • Iowa & ISU have been more efficient than their matchups on both ends of the floor

Iowa and ISU should both win easily. I'm looking forward to watching A.J. Green play. He's leading UNI in scoring (15.8ppg) but struggling with turning it over (1.4 apg; 2.8 topg). Brady Ellingson has done ok this year for Drake (9.0ppg; 36.8% from 3). I'm hoping he is able to put up a nice showing against the clones.
 
Iowa's non conference opponents haven't been doing them any favors. Pitt lost to Niagara and West Virginia last week. UConn lost to Florida state. Oregon beat Omaha!!!!!

Kind of like in football, our best win is Iowa State :rolleyes:
 
HaydenHawk56 said:
Still say they are blowing an opportunity here to make this into a tournament style weekend with the 4 major college teams in state.
Click to expand...

All would be fun and games until Iowa and ISU played each other. Beer and Liquor are sold at the event (at least they were the 2 years I attended) so one could imagine what might happen between the fan bases, especially after what transpired last week. :D
 
HaydenHawk56 said:
Still say they are blowing an opportunity here to make this into a tournament style weekend with the 4 major college teams in state.
Click to expand...

I completely agree. However, my guess is that Iowa/ISU need a guaranteed match-up every year because of the Cy-Hawk sponsorship deals with Iowa Corn and Hy-vee. So they'd have to play in the first round every year which would really diminish the tournament.

They also probably want that home and home series for the revenue.
 
HaydenHawk56 said:
Still say they are blowing an opportunity here to make this into a tournament style weekend with the 4 major college teams in state.
Click to expand...

Also something to consider: UNI and Drake play in the same conference. So I'd think a tournament style weekend would be impossible.
 
mopkins said:
Also something to consider: UNI and Drake play in the same conference. So I'd think a tournament style weekend would be impossible.
Click to expand...
I guess I don't see the harm in playing twice. But, if they is not the case, then I don't see why just play these games the old way of home and home.
 
HaydenHawk56 said:
I guess I don't see the harm in playing twice. But, if they is not the case, then I don't see why just play these games the old way of home and home.
Click to expand...

Iowa and ISU won't ever go back to the home and home with Drake and UNI. It just makes little sense resume and money wise. I believe both Iowa and ISU have offered to play both teams annually on their home floors but the MVC teams have stood their ground not wanting to give up the home and home money they would get via potential sell out crowds. The noise will get louder to come up with a solution with this being the last year in Des Moines. As of now, I believe no future games are scheduled against Drake and UNI.
 
HaydenHawk56 said:
Still say they are blowing an opportunity here to make this into a tournament style weekend with the 4 major college teams in state.
Click to expand...

I've said this since 2013. The only way this would ever work long term is if Iowa and Iowa State played, or at least there was the possibility of it.
 
There is tremendous upside for Drake and UNI to play these games. There is no upside for Iowa and Iowa State...even on our home floors.
 
JG10Hawk said:
Iowa and ISU won't ever go back to the home and home with Drake and UNI. It just makes little sense resume and money wise. I believe both Iowa and ISU have offered to play both teams annually on their home floors but the MVC teams have stood their ground not wanting to give up the home and home money they would get via potential sell out crowds. The noise will get louder to come up with a solution with this being the last year in Des Moines. As of now, I believe no future games are scheduled against Drake and UNI.
Click to expand...

There really aren't any good sure-fire solutions here. Clearly the home/home series between these schools has run its course, Drake and UNI will not give up home games to play in Iowa City and Ames every year, and the Big 4 event has been a flop for the most part with attendance stagnating and interest waning among fans. The only possible way forward here is to run a tournament-style event in Des Moines where the 4 major schools play with the winners of the saturday games playing the next Sunday afternoon. Pros: Generates more interest when Iowa and ISU have the possibility of playing each other, generates more money for the schools with three games rather than 2 and attendance ideally going up as well. Cons: Might require the annual cy-hawk home/home to discontinue (provided it isn't the same as football where the two schools are required by law to play every year) which would not guarantee Iowa/ISU play every year. Personally, whether or not Iowa and ISU play these MVC teams doesn't really keep me up at night. If we don't play them then that's another opportunity for a tougher non-conference opponent.
 
They should have more time between games so they can clear out the place between them. I give two shits about watching the other game and ticket prices are a joke for one game. Not to mention the arena is only 2/3 full at most for each game.
 
JG10Hawk said:
Iowa and ISU won't ever go back to the home and home with Drake and UNI. It just makes little sense resume and money wise. I believe both Iowa and ISU have offered to play both teams annually on their home floors but the MVC teams have stood their ground not wanting to give up the home and home money they would get via potential sell out crowds. The noise will get louder to come up with a solution with this being the last year in Des Moines. As of now, I believe no future games are scheduled against Drake and UNI.
Click to expand...

I can't say I blame them having experienced an Iowa game in both the Dome and in the McLeod Center. The environment is crazy (borderline insane), I've been to UNI games and it's an entirely different crowd that comes out when Iowa comes to town.

It's too bad that they discontinued the home and home but I get it, the home and home did way more for Drake and UNI than it did for Iowa.
 
Drake has an interesting team with 5 of there top 7 players being transfers this past off season. Brady along with Nick Norton (UAB) grad transferred in. Wilkins and the Murphy twins transferred in from Florida SW State College (JUCO). Only 1 of the top 7 is a returning player in Nick McGlynn. The last of the top 7 is Newton walkon Garrett Sturtz (prolific HS scorer 34.7ppg last year).

After that they have 3 foreigners with Pilipovic from Germany as well as Gray(redshirting?) and Thomas from Australia. Also off the bench is 7' frosh from Davenport, Liam Robbins. Quite the odd first year roster for Darian DeVries but he's made it work pretty well so far.
 
giphy.gif
 
Thank god this turd of a "classic" is almost over. The only teams with even a microscopic amount to gain from this are UNI and Drake. It's stupid for Iowa because if they beat UNI or Drake it's ho-hum, lose to either of those two teams and you've monumentally embarrassed the program. The ISU game when it happens isn't needed because we can always just play them on our normal schedule. We need more stuff like the B1G/ACC thing. That's actually fun to watch.

The HyVee Classic is like Prime Time League, bowl games, and the entire state of Nebraska----obsolete.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Share this page

Top