247 sports thinks Hawks a darkhorse contender for......

[homes]

To this day Jermaine Wallace has never seen the basket he heaved that desperation shot at. Between the shooting angle and Haluska's hand in his face he might as well been wearing a blindfold.

And the sumbitch went right in the basket.

Why is it always harder to let go of the brutal losses than it is to savor the great wins?

 

[PCHawk]

To this day Jermaine Wallace has never seen the basket he heaved that desperation shot at. Between the shooting angle and Haluska's hand in his face he might as well been wearing a blindfold.

And the sumbitch went right in the basket.

Haluska also bricked a game winner off the back of the iron after that shot. Would have been the craziest buzzer beater in NCAA Tournament history.

 

[Northside Hawk]

Haluska also bricked a game winner off the back of the iron after that shot. Would have been the craziest buzzer beater in NCAA Tournament history.

Yes Northwestern State was so pumped up, and probably as shocked as anyone else, that they forgot there was .5 second left and they forgot to get back on defense.

It's too bad Haluska couldn't have been stationed at the rim and simply laid it in. Yes would have been the craziest end to an NCAA game ever.

I remember an Indiana vs Illinois game in 1989 when Jay Edwards hit a shot similar to the one the NW State dude hit, but two seconds was more than enough time for Nick Anderson to get of a 35 footer that was nothing but cotton.

Wisconsin did the same thing to Iowa in 1991 I believe. Brian Good won it at the buzzer after Kevin Smith appeared to give Iowa the win with about three seconds left.

Then there was Christian Laettner vs UConn in 1990 then Kentucky two years later, both regional finals.

 

[BigD]

It’s amazing what you can do when you don’t try to play twelve players every game. I hope Fran learns from this.

 

[tksirius]

It’s amazing what you can do when you don’t try to play twelve players every game. I hope Fran learns from this.

I agree that this is a large factor right now.

 

[PCHawk]

It’s amazing what you can do when you don’t try to play twelve players every game. I hope Fran learns from this.

I think it might be a small factor. But remember he's had other years as good as this or better up to this point where he's played a larger rotation. The success of this season is mostly because of Luka Garza.

 

[BigD]

I think it might be a small factor. But remember he's had other years as good as this or better up to this point where he's played a larger rotation. The success of this season is mostly because of Luka Garza.

Agree about the Luka comment but don’t be jinxing us with the “up to this point” stuff.

It should be noted that we lost the game where Luka set his record scoring night so it is a team effort and each player is learning their particular role. So many times we have seen Fran change out a complete set of players when we are really getting it going and then we lose our momentum and struggle to get it back.

Lute was one of if not thee most successful basketball coaches at Iowa and he pretty much stuck to a nine or ten player rotation. He also expected his players to play sound defense and if they didn’t they sat on the bench. Didn’t matter how good of an offensive player you were. You play defense or you sit.

 

[BigD]

Agree about the Luka comment but don’t be jinxing us with the “up to this point” stuff.

It should be noted that we lost the game where Luka set his record scoring night so it is a team effort and each player is learning their particular role. So many times we have seen Fran change out a complete set of players when we are really getting it going and then we lose our momentum and struggle to get it back.

Lute was one of if not thee most successful basketball coaches at Iowa and he pretty much stuck to a nine or ten player rotation. He also expected his players to play sound defense and if they didn’t they sat on the bench. Didn’t matter how good of an offensive player you were. You play defense or you sit.

I know f there are some old timers on here they might challenge Lute being the best coach going back to the down town Freddy Brown era but that was just a little before my time. I want to say the coach then was Ralph Miller.

 

[HaydenHawk56]

My point is, since he's been here for 9 years (10th one doesn't count yet) that's enough to bitch about by itself. Adding that he hasn't made the sweet 16 at shit schools like Lehigh and Siena doesn't really add to the arguement. "He won't make the sweet 16 this year because he couldn't even make it at the shitty schools he was at before iowa" doesn't make sense. Now if he came to Iowa from a school like Ohio State or Oregon or some school like that, it would make sense to mention as a reason he might not make it this year. It would be a bigger deal. Him not making it at those 3 schools doesn't mean a thing.

I can buy that....a tiny bit. But 9 years (and yes this is technically year 10) is where is my biggest concern. Yes he had to dig out of a big hole left by Alford/Lick. But, with all of his years combined and nothing real big to show for, I also think that is something to consider.

 

[HaydenHawk56]

How many Sweet 16s had Lute been to before making the Final Four?

None, but it was also harder to get into the NCAA tourney back in the day for smaller schools. And he did well at Long Beach State so he probably could have been in there (not saying Final four level). It only took Lute 6 years at Iowa to get to the Final Four. Five years to make the NCAAs.

Far more successful early on than Fran.

 

[PCHawk]

I can buy that....a tiny bit. But 9 years (and yes this is technically year 10) is where is my biggest concern. Yes he had to dig out of a big hole left by Alford/Lick. But, with all of his years combined and nothing real big to show for, I also think that is something to consider.

But making the tournament and the round of 32 at those small schools is something to show for it. It was a great coaching job for those schools to get them that far. It's not a great coaching job to only do what he's done at Iowa so far. But it's a pretty good one. And he has done a great job of setting the team up for a great run next year.

 

[dahlhawk]

To this day Jermaine Wallace has never seen the basket he heaved that desperation shot at. Between the shooting angle and Haluska's hand in his face he might as well been wearing a blindfold.

And the sumbitch went right in the basket.

but in all fairness the game shouldn't have been close, let a team hang around like we did and that shit happens.

 

[dahlhawk]

Man talking about national titles, stop. I just enjoying the season and not setting myself up with unrealistic goals, talk about a way to take the fun out of a season. Relax and enjoy!

 

[HaydenHawk56]

But making the tournament and the round of 32 at those small schools is something to show for it. It was a great coaching job for those schools to get them that far. It's not a great coaching job to only do what he's done at Iowa so far. But it's a pretty good one. And he has done a great job of setting the team up for a great run next year.

For sure, he can put to rest the skepticism with a tangible run. He could still yet do it this season. We shall see.

 

[Northside Hawk]

but in all fairness the game shouldn't have been close, let a team hang around like we did and that shit happens.

Brunner had a crucial free throw miss that didn't help either. We were up seventeen with about eight minutes to go and pissed it away. A guy named Clifton Lee got hot from behind the arc.

 

[PCHawk]

Brunner had a crucial free throw miss that didn't help either. We were up seventeen with about eight minutes to go and pissed it away. A guy named Clifton Lee got hot from behind the arc.

One of the players told a story where Alford started resting the starters for the next game way too early.

 

[PCHawk]

For sure, he can put to rest the skepticism with a tangible run. He could still yet do it this season. We shall see.

The problem is there's no such thing as a tangible run baring something miraculous. You think fans are going to give a rip about a sweet 16 if we make it? Sweet 16 don't mean shit to anyone other than Iowa fans who think they are something special because of the drought we've gone through. The second that drought is over, a sweet 16 won't mean shit to Iowa fans either. The bar will just move one rung higher and fans will talk how Fran has peaked and he can't get anything tangible like an elite 8.

 

[PCHawk]

Man talking about national titles, stop. I just enjoying the season and not setting myself up with unrealistic goals, talk about a way to take the fun out of a season. Relax and enjoy!

Well to each his own then because dreaming big is half the fun for me. If I didn't let my self get excited for something cool, the season wouldn't be near as enjoyable.

 

[Ian Pike Hammer]

that was like 14 years ago, everyone on this current team had barely started walking yet.

yeah, but I was old enough to cry that day!

 

[Northside Hawk]

One of the players told a story where Alford started resting the starters for the next game way too early.

Kind of like Lou Pinella pulling Carlos Zambrano from a 1-1 playoff game in the sixth inning because he wanted to save him for a game five which never materialized.