The 2018-2019 will be the year for us to make a deep run into the NCAA tourney and compete for a B1G title. Our only loss from the previous year will be Uhl, and we will get Joe Wieskamp. Baer will be a terrific senior leader for us as well. I don't think Pemsl, Bohannon,Cook, Moss, or Kriener leave in the next two years for the NBA so they will all be here. Pair that with an improved Ahmad Wagner, a sharpshooter in Brady Ellingson, Garza, Nunge, and McCaffery going into either their redshirt freshman or sophomore years. Christian Williams will be a fine backup for Bohannon for the next couple years (if he doesn't transfer). Williams also is an athletic lengthy PG, who actually is a stout on ball defender and helps with the 3/4 court press. Finally, I haven't mentioned the development of Cook who looks like he has the athleticism to be great, just needs to polish his fundamentals, then could be an All B1G big man. I am excited for 2018, but 2019 looks like the true year for us to go deep in the tourney and compete with Maryland and Michigan State as the leaders of the B1G
2019 is the year
- Thread starter dmihalke
- Start date
koralakers
Well-Known Member
= 1987 Tom Davis' team, in regards to depth.
I like your optimism. Realistically there's probably going to be some attrition. Heck if I know who or how many guys but I can't see guys like Wagner/Pemsl, Kriener all staying with the chance they'd be behind a Garza and Nunge at that point after playing as much as they will have between now and then.
So the lineup will look like this.
PG Jbo, Williams (McCaffery is a ball handler on his HS team would he be a pg for us or a SG)?
SG Moss, Ellingson Wieskamp
SF Baer, Nunge
PF Cook
C? Does Iowa go with a Garza here or Pemsl Wagner, Kriener? That doesn't seem to be so easily answered this far out. Depends how good Garza is. How much the others improve and who ends up sticking around. There's such a log jam as far as PT for the bigs goes that I would bet that after this season the coaches will want to sit down with them all and see where their heads are at. There's just not a fair way to divide PT to them all that makes any sense for either them or the team... For guys to play 18 mins one game and 8 the next and maybe hardly any another would be beyond frustrating. Players play better when they know their roles and prepare for it all season long.
So the lineup will look like this.
PG Jbo, Williams (McCaffery is a ball handler on his HS team would he be a pg for us or a SG)?
SG Moss, Ellingson Wieskamp
SF Baer, Nunge
PF Cook
C? Does Iowa go with a Garza here or Pemsl Wagner, Kriener? That doesn't seem to be so easily answered this far out. Depends how good Garza is. How much the others improve and who ends up sticking around. There's such a log jam as far as PT for the bigs goes that I would bet that after this season the coaches will want to sit down with them all and see where their heads are at. There's just not a fair way to divide PT to them all that makes any sense for either them or the team... For guys to play 18 mins one game and 8 the next and maybe hardly any another would be beyond frustrating. Players play better when they know their roles and prepare for it all season long.
WindsorHawk
Well-Known Member
I'm thinking we contend next year. Our sophomore and junior classes will be talented and experienced. And we add 2 front court players and another guard.
If we don't make the tournament next year I think Fran's seat will start getting warm
1977Hawkeye
Well-Known Member
Yes, I think getting back to the dance next year should be the expectation, even if it's not a higher seed. The 2018-19 season, though, will hopefully be a terrific season with a more realistic chance of competing for the conference title and/or a deeper tournament run. Who can say what'll happen, though. I'm not writing off next year - it all depends on how much improvement there is.
Pretty sure the 1986 Hawks were an 11 seed, and a 2 seed the next year and an eyelash from the Final Four, so big jumps can be made from one year to the next if it all comes together. (That's not a prediction, just an observation)
Especially with the BIG being down as it is. The media is just bashing the BIG big time. No teams in the top 16 of seeding as of today? Some saying 5 or less teams in tourney... I don't see the conference getting a ton stronger next year so if the BIG is down and Iowa isn't contending to get in dance with this group then that's on Fran...
I think we'll have a tougher schedule next year. That's the worst part of being bad this year is this would be a perfect opportunity to make a run at a conference title with the B1G being down
Look at how bad the Big 10 was during the Lick years. Then it gets good just in time for Fran to put a good team together. Now it's bad again just in time for a rebuilding year. Seems to work that way in football too.
That's always Iowa's problem it seems like too. In 89 Iowa had about as good of a group as they've ever had and of course the BIG was just loaded then. I bet your right our non con schedule can only get tougher then what they had this year and BIG won't be as down as this next yr...
D
DDThompson
Guest
A lot of young teams in Big10 like Iowa. Iowa does not play in a vacuum. Other young teams will improve just as it is assumed Iowa will improve.
Contending for Big10 regular title is one thing (I think it's possible)
Contending for March Madness is very doable.
Very true. Which is what makes Frans seat warm if Iowa isn't contending for either one... With the big dance being what it is it should almost be a prerequisite goal of making it every year. It should be tougher to not make it then make it. It's almost like going to a bowl game. Being borderline mediocre will still have you in the running for it. Now granted when a program like Iowa graduates 4 seniors in one class and the following year has 4 freshmen replacing them in the starting lineup that type of outlier gives them a pass for this year. But not next year.....
WindsorHawk
Well-Known Member
I agree that there's a lot of young talent in the Big 10. But I like our upside as much as anyone's...more than most. Also, MSU will probably lose their best (young) player to the NBA. Our core will be around for awhile longer I suspect.
Hawkalum2002
Well-Known Member
I don't think we make it next year although the team should improve some, but the record will be about the same just because we can't possibly draw as easy a conference schedule again. 2019 depends a lot on if Cook sticks around. But should get back in 2020 when Weiskamp and PMac are both here, and the current freshman are seniors. But however it works out, I don't think Fran's job in in jeopardy even if it takes that long to come around again.
Cook will be here for 4 years unless he drastically improves
You pretty much have to finish in the top half of the conference to make the NCAA. It is WAY easier to make a bowl game in football than to finish in the top half of the Big 10 in basketball.
Look at the other teams in the conference. There are only 4 or so who don't think they should make it every year. That's about 10 that "should" make it every year, but only 7 or so will make it. There are a few that always make it so that leaves 6 teams or so fightin for about 3 spots, give or take. That means unless we can somehow get into the class of making it every year (which is possible but not easy) on average we should make it about half the time. Same as all the other teams in our class like Illinois, Minnesota, Michigan, and Purdue.
I bet Michigan fans hate this post of yours but as the last handful of years might indicate I totally agree with you. It's not exactly the same between ftball and hoops which is why I prefaced it with the word almost. I'd like to think Iowa should be in the top 7 or 8 in the league every year. But there's going to be outlier years like this one mixed in with other teams getting hot for awhile. NW kinda scares me. Collins may have that program on the up and up and they used to be one of your bottom teams year in and year out...
1977Hawkeye
Well-Known Member
I have to agree - Top half of the league every year (out of 14 teams) and making the dance should be the minimum expectation. I know it won't always happen, but no reason why it's unrealistic to expect it most years. That's basically what we had under Tom Davis, for the most part. I feel that in both football and basketball, a program like Wisconsin might be a good model for the Hawks. Look at them the last 15-20 years, and they used to be garbage. I'm not saying it will be easy, but it's doable.
Regarding Chris Collins, I don't know him or what drives him, but I'd be willing to bet he bolts for a better job when it comes calling. A young, up & coming coach who is coaching at a place that is notoriously difficult to win, and having success.. There will be suitors. But like I said, I don't know the guy - maybe he loves it there.
I wouldn't be all that shocked to see Collins eventually coaching Duke whenever coach K decides to hang it up. K is 70 now, so not sure how much longer he wants to coach. Just a theory, anyway. There's also a saying - you don't want to follow a legend. You'd rather be the guy after the guy who follows a legend.
