As the B10 bracket looks now...

[NikeHawk21]

Other than winning and getting the double bye, it couldn't be a better bracket for us. We're a combined 7-2 against all the teams on our side of the bracket. So I'm pretty happy with where we ended up.

I just don’t like a potential Minnesota matchup. I think it’s very hard to beat a team three times, maybe that’s superstition but that’s just my thought in it. Illinois shot under 30% from 3 yesterday and we shot nearly 50% and still lost. They are an athletic team that can give Iowa some fits at times (see scoring droughts).

 

[InGoodCo]

Illinois scored 9 points in the first 4 minutes of the game which would put them on pace for 90. Iowa’s defense was atrocious early and for most of the 1st half. We lit it up on offense to build the lead.

Luka had two blocks at the rim to start the game that resulted in empty trips for IL. That disappeared but Iowa came into the game playing pretty good D. They didn't score 90 that's for sure.

 

[kicker22]

When we go through long droughts on the offensive end like we recently have we can't allow the other teams to get second and third chances on their offensive end. The defensive rebounding has to improve.

 

[NikeHawk21]

Lighting it up on offense is how we win. I hope we light it up for another 10 games this season.

I sure hope we do too but any basketball mind worth a snuff will tell you at some point you have to be able to get stops. Iowa is an offensive minded team, but as I mentioned it would be nice if it seemed like they continued to get better on defense. Tons of really bad stuff on defense yesterday.

 

[InGoodCo]

Iowa ranks 98th in adjusted defensive efficiency this year, they ranked 111th last year, and 242 two years ago. At what point are we going to be allowed to judge our defense?

Judge all you want dude you're a grown man. I just know we're not playing a full deck this season so I am going to try and view things for what they are. I am fairly surprised we've moved up 13 spots this year that's pretty cool.

 

[hawkation]

Iowa hasn't reached the semifinals of this tournament since winning it all in 2006. I still booked my hotel through Saturday night.

We've never had a Luka Garza before.

Rob, I was watched the IL game live, so I may have missed some obvious things. It seems like Iowa went away from Luka for long stretches on the interior, especially early 2nd half. He looks to be wide open at times but our guards aren't getting the ball inside. I know you have to credit IL defense but any other thoughts on this? It seems obvious to me to keep feeding the beast.

 

[Ree4]

It really is alarming the amount of low IQ that comes on this board. Astonishing sometimes. I don't know dick and I freely admit it but I do know how to use Google.

FIFY

 

[SpiderRico]

I just don’t like a potential Minnesota matchup. I think it’s very hard to beat a team three times, maybe that’s superstition but that’s just my thought in it. Illinois shot under 30% from 3 yesterday and we shot nearly 50% and still lost. They are an athletic team that can give Iowa some fits at times (see scoring droughts).

Totally see your point, but I'd rather play Minnesota than Purdue or Indiana, seeing as how the BTT is in Indianapolis. And heck, the way NW played against PSU, we may end up playing them. I'd also rather play Illinois than either Maryland or MSU at this point, so I think that still works out better. Then of course, getting to play Wisky, if we make it to the semis is certainly preferable to MSU or Maryland. That's where I was coming from.

 

[hoxrock]

You might have set a new record on the amount of wrong in one post.

Well I don't think I set a record. You fixated on my first sentence in which I admittedly short-changed Franny. He is 4-9 in the BTT, still hardly impressive. Iowa has been an 11,7,7, and 10 seed in the dance. That averages out to an 8 or 9. I was pretty accurate on that one. If the season ended today Fran would average 19 wins a season. If he wins 1 or 2 more which is probably all the more that is coming, he would average closer to 20 wins. Either way, I was pretty accurate on that one too. Now, you can always have outliers and exceptions to the rule but in 10 years Iowa has developed a remarkably consistent average to good program, one that still hasn't taken that next step and likely won't. They aren't going to all of a sudden contend for Big Ten or tournament titles. So overall I'd say my comments were pretty fair even if not totally 100% dead on accurate.

I did decide to take one posters advice and google some data. If we ended the season every year on January 31st Iowa would be a legit big ten title contender most years. Fran is 135-77 through the month of January in 10 seasons, a 64% winning percentage. But when the calendar flips to February and March and everything gets ratcheted up a notch with pushes for post season tournaments it is fair to say Iowa doesn't show very well. Iowa's combined record in the regular season, conference tournament, and NCAA tournament in Feb and March is 53-59 the last 10 years. That is a paltry 47% winning percentage. That's called the Fran Fade. And it is the reason why there is no reason to expect Iowa to do anything spectacular this postseason, despite the presence of an All-American on the roster.

Sorry I'm not perfect in my bullet points, but my overall premise (not expecting Iowa to make a postseason run) does still stand and the data backs it up.

 

[SpiderRico]

Well I don't think I set a record. You fixated on my first sentence in which I admittedly short-changed Franny. He is 4-9 in the BTT, still hardly impressive. Iowa has been an 11,7,7, and 10 seed in the dance. That averages out to an 8 or 9. I was pretty accurate on that one. If the season ended today Fran would average 19 wins a season. If he wins 1 or 2 more which is probably all the more that is coming, he would average closer to 20 wins. Either way, I was pretty accurate on that one too. Now, you can always have outliers and exceptions to the rule but in 10 years Iowa has developed a remarkably consistent average to good program, one that still hasn't taken that next step and likely won't. They aren't going to all of a sudden contend for Big Ten or tournament titles. So overall I'd say my comments were pretty fair even if not totally 100% dead on accurate.

I did decide to take one posters advice and google some data. If we ended the season every year on January 31st Iowa would be a legit big ten title contender most years. Fran is 135-77 through the month of January in 10 seasons, a 64% winning percentage. But when the calendar flips to February and March and everything gets ratcheted up a notch with pushes for post season tournaments it is fair to say Iowa doesn't show very well. Iowa's combined record in the regular season, conference tournament, and NCAA tournament in Feb and March is 53-59 the last 10 years. That is a paltry 47% winning percentage. That's called the Fran Fade. And it is the reason why there is no reason to expect Iowa to do anything spectacular this postseason, despite the presence of an All-American on the roster.

Sorry I'm not perfect in my bullet points, but my overall premise (not expecting Iowa to make a postseason run) does still stand and the data backs it up.

Remove Fran's 1st 2 years when he had to remove us from the Lick crater and remove Mr. Davis's 1st 2 years with Raveling's recruits, and they're essentially the same coach, with the same record, having the same issues and with the same strengths. At this point, I'll consider that a positive given where we've been in the past.

 

[PCHawk]

Well I don't think I set a record. You fixated on my first sentence in which I admittedly short-changed Franny. He is 4-9 in the BTT, still hardly impressive. Iowa has been an 11,7,7, and 10 seed in the dance. That averages out to an 8 or 9. I was pretty accurate on that one. If the season ended today Fran would average 19 wins a season. If he wins 1 or 2 more which is probably all the more that is coming, he would average closer to 20 wins. Either way, I was pretty accurate on that one too. Now, you can always have outliers and exceptions to the rule but in 10 years Iowa has developed a remarkably consistent average to good program, one that still hasn't taken that next step and likely won't. They aren't going to all of a sudden contend for Big Ten or tournament titles. So overall I'd say my comments were pretty fair even if not totally 100% dead on accurate.

I did decide to take one posters advice and google some data. If we ended the season every year on January 31st Iowa would be a legit big ten title contender most years. Fran is 135-77 through the month of January in 10 seasons, a 64% winning percentage. But when the calendar flips to February and March and everything gets ratcheted up a notch with pushes for post season tournaments it is fair to say Iowa doesn't show very well. Iowa's combined record in the regular season, conference tournament, and NCAA tournament in Feb and March is 53-59 the last 10 years. That is a paltry 47% winning percentage. That's called the Fran Fade. And it is the reason why there is no reason to expect Iowa to do anything spectacular this postseason, despite the presence of an All-American on the roster.

Sorry I'm not perfect in my bullet points, but my overall premise (not expecting Iowa to make a postseason run) does still stand and the data backs it up.

I agree your overall premise was fine. It was just funny reading through it seeing the inaccurate numbers, then finishing with "nebraska couldn't take advantage of it" when they actually did take advantage of it.

 

[hoxrock]

I agree your overall premise was fine. It was just funny reading through it seeing the inaccurate numbers, then finishing with "nebraska couldn't take advantage of it" when they actually did take advantage of it.

I was actually referring to the game at Carver last month when Iowa had a dry spell the last 10 min of the first half. I forgot about the Lincoln disaster.

 

[WindsorHawk]

I sure hope we do too but any basketball mind worth a snuff will tell you at some point you have to be able to get stops. Iowa is an offensive minded team, but as I mentioned it would be nice if it seemed like they continued to get better on defense. Tons of really bad stuff on defense yesterday.

I don’t think Fran is ever going to coach his guys to grab, hold and shove. That’s how our opponents “get stops” much of the time. Some coaches in our conference coach their guys to play that way. Fran isn’t one of them.

 

[DDThompson]

I don’t think Fran is ever going to coach his guys to grab, hold and shove. That’s how our opponents “get stops” much of the time. Some coaches in our conference coach their guys to play that way. Fran isn’t one of them.

This is true. They just dare refs to call it every single time and they won’t—especially at home.


When in Rome ....

 

[dirtwrap]

I don’t think Fran is ever going to coach his guys to grab, hold and shove. That’s how our opponents “get stops” much of the time. Some coaches in our conference coach their guys to play that way. Fran isn’t one of them.

And this is and has been the problem with the big ten for a long time. At the beginning of the conference season games are definitely called tighter, however, by the end the games are much more physical and that is because it is allowed to be that way. Of course you can adjust to it in big ten play, but this digression of rules enforcement does big ten teams no favors in the NCAA tournament. No wonder a big ten team hasn't won a title in a long time.

 

[NikeHawk21]

I don’t think Fran is ever going to coach his guys to grab, hold and shove. That’s how our opponents “get stops” much of the time. Some coaches in our conference coach their guys to play that way. Fran isn’t one of them.

Very high and mighty of him. At least we can share in the pride of not being one of those teams.

That’s not the only reason why we struggle on defense, not even close. But we as iowa fans are excellent at excuses.

 

[SpiderRico]

We were Top 30 in defensive efficiency every year we had Woodbury and Gesell. We've been anywhere from below average to absolutely atrocious since. Make of that what you will.

 

[NikeHawk21]

We were Top 30 in defensive efficiency every year we had Woodbury and Gesell. We've been anywhere from below average to absolutely atrocious since. Make of that what you will.

Crazy we were able to do that without the grabbing, clutching, and holding defense that all the other teams use.