Are the Hawks a tourny team or not?

Will Iowa make the Big Dance?

  • Total voters
    83
I think ceiling is NIT, for variety of reasons many have stated.

1) Schedule
Interesting QCTimes articles on the B14 schedule boiling down to who you play twice
http://qctimes.com/sports/basketbal...cle_24a7f9df-1500-5a62-9d43-3a4f9d356ff0.html

and their assessment that Iowa has 2nd (behind NwU) toughest B14 schedule.
http://qctimes.com/sports/basketbal...cle_606c9664-2ce3-51af-ac54-56e62be0cdfd.html

The B14 is down a bit (as evidenced by several teams' unexpected / bad losses in preseason) but Iowa is also down.

2) 1-dimensional
Inside game / front court is their strength but unless you've got a dominant beast (which they don't), it's usually the easiest facet to defend. Couple this with a crew of guards who either ignore that strength and / or struggle to execute decent entry passes and it makes it even less of a threat. Finally, this strength will, more often than not, be even easier to defend because ...

3) Terrible shooting
Iowa is a bad shooting team. Bad shooters do not usually become good shooters -- they may flash for a few minutes or even a game, here and there but will generally revert to being inconsistent to bad. This has been demonstrated, game to game, season to season for every current perimeter player on the team.

4) Less Athletic
Last year's calling card was transition. Without Dev, they simply don't have the athletes, let alone, the handles to be a torrid transition team. Against good competition, every break is a hold your breath and see situation.

5) Gritty
The main positive I've seen, so far, is a tougher approach to D (save the 2nd half vs ISU) and a team mentality. This will pay dividends in some games against "peer" competition but, against good teams (which Iowa will play plenty of) it's going to take the other team having a rough night (ala UNC) for Iowa to beat them.

This all adds up to a team with the potential to be extremely competitive and the unreliability to be very average.

I don't think Iowa beats UNI and finds themselves in a bit of a funk, struggling to beat N.FLa, to finish 9-4 non-con. I think their ceiling in B14 is 9-10 wins but the floor is 5-6. Much depends on the mentality after facing a potential 0-9 or 2-7 start, in conference (@OSU, Nebby, MSU, @Minny, OSU, @Wisky, @PU, Wisky, @Mich).

Optimist says 18-13 and #1 seed NIT. Realist says 16-15 and on NIT bubble, needing first round win in BTT.
 
STILLBUSTER said:
I think ceiling is NIT, for variety of reasons many have stated.

1) Schedule
Interesting QCTimes articles on the B14 schedule boiling down to who you play twice
http://qctimes.com/sports/basketbal...cle_24a7f9df-1500-5a62-9d43-3a4f9d356ff0.html

and their assessment that Iowa has 2nd (behind NwU) toughest B14 schedule.
http://qctimes.com/sports/basketbal...cle_606c9664-2ce3-51af-ac54-56e62be0cdfd.html

The B14 is down a bit (as evidenced by several teams' unexpected / bad losses in preseason) but Iowa is also down.

2) 1-dimensional
Inside game / front court is their strength but unless you've got a dominant beast (which they don't), it's usually the easiest facet to defend. Couple this with a crew of guards who either ignore that strength and / or struggle to execute decent entry passes and it makes it even less of a threat. Finally, this strength will, more often than not, be even easier to defend because ...

3) Terrible shooting
Iowa is a bad shooting team. Bad shooters do not usually become good shooters -- they may flash for a few minutes or even a game, here and there but will generally revert to being inconsistent to bad. This has been demonstrated, game to game, season to season for every current perimeter player on the team.

4) Less Athletic
Last year's calling card was transition. Without Dev, they simply don't have the athletes, let alone, the handles to be a torrid transition team. Against good competition, every break is a hold your breath and see situation.

5) Gritty
The main positive I've seen, so far, is a tougher approach to D (save the 2nd half vs ISU) and a team mentality. This will pay dividends in some games against "peer" competition but, against good teams (which Iowa will play plenty of) it's going to take the other team having a rough night (ala UNC) for Iowa to beat them.

This all adds up to a team with the potential to be extremely competitive and the unreliability to be very average.

I don't think Iowa beats UNI and finds themselves in a bit of a funk, struggling to beat N.FLa, to finish 9-4 non-con. I think their ceiling in B14 is 9-10 wins but the floor is 5-6. Much depends on the mentality after facing a potential 0-9 or 2-7 start, in conference (@OSU, Nebby, MSU, @Minny, OSU, @Wisky, @PU, Wisky, @Mich).

Optimist says 18-13 and #1 seed NIT. Realist says 16-15 and on NIT bubble, needing first round win in BTT.
Click to expand...

QFT
 
The law of averages would seem to dictate that our guards would start killing it from 3-point range here pretty soon. They have all demonstrated that they are better shooters than they've shown so far this season.
 
It depends. Will team leaders emerge during the season or will the Hawks continue to wilt under pressure? Right now I wouldn't bet the farm on an NCAA bid.
 
Hopefully the the ISU loss with be the slap and kiss to the face that the Hawks needed. Need to get to the ft line and the shooters will get their chance.
 
OUTofTOWNHAWK said:
Hopefully the the ISU loss with be the slap and kiss to the face that the Hawks needed. Need to get to the ft line and the shooters will get their chance.
Click to expand...

If they picked the brackets today it would be interesting to see if they would make it. They did beat North Carolina at North Carolina. There is a reason they don't pick the brackets until after the regular season. If they picked today I think they might be in, and after the season I hope they will be in.
 
I voted no. Same reasons as most of the previous posters: Lack of shooting and overall guard play. I think they'll surprise a team or two but I just don't seem them scoring enough to win many games.

Plus Iowa has played two good offensive teams and gotten butchered by both. This team has done nothing to prove they can even slow down a good offensive team for 40 minutes.
 
OUTofTOWNHAWK said:
I think Iowa will make the dance. I think the guards will start to compete and the team will come alive.
Click to expand...

I sure hope so... But when will that happen? We have played a lot of games already and we have yet to put a complete game together by our guard play. It is starting to scare the S___ out of me. If we fall into the gutter, like we did at the end of last year, this soon....
 
I voted no based what they have done so far. If they don't improve they won't make it.

They still have time to put it together, I think they have the parts to at least be decent...just have to wait and see if they can.
 
If Fran can instill some confidence in the them and let them play without his bazaar behaviors and emotional outbursts or rages, although he kept his shite together during the Iowa State game, seemed to be trying the Fred Hoiberg approach. Doesn't work for Fran. (We'll see how long that approach lasts.) Not sure our guard play can carry us in the Big 10, consistent inside production and overall talent. Last year we started out on fire and then the so called "locker room" melt down tailspin and Fran lost control of the team. I guess that's my main issue in the bigger picture, not so much the talent but Fran's inability to connect emotional with his players. It's going to be difficult at best to get athletic kids to come to Iowa and play for Fran and compete in the Big 10. Sorry to say. IMO Fran has the worst demeanor and rapport of a coach I've seen in a long time. This spills right onto the floor and the personality of the team.
 
This team is a disgrace and will be lucky to win more than 3 games in the Big Ten. Will that get them to ANY tournament?? Also, perhaps Woodbury should consider a transfer to somewhere more suitable to his skill level. St. Ambrose maybe.
 
Can this thread finally be put to sleep? Did you watch the last 2 games? NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
We're fine, BIG sucks so bad. BIG basketball way worse than BIG West football. Think about it, our football team in a January bowl.
 
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