Big Ten as Usual

L

longtimer

Well-Known Member
After an interesting and for the most part exciting year it ends up kind of the same old way. Wisconsin who was struggling and then loses 2nd leading scorer to Nebraska comes on strong and wins the regular season. I can't begin to express how I hate saying it but they win it with what seems to be good not great talent. Has to be coach of the year. Then Michigan State who also seems to be "not great" comes on at year end for what looks to be like a share of the title after Sunday? Maryland on top for most of the year looks to be tanking big time. Even Purdue is playing well at the right time

All of this brings us to the question of Iowa. Really a nice year. Played well and hard most of the time with the Player of the year hands down. BUT Iowa as usual is less than productive at the end of the year. In fact kind of reminds me of what some of Lute's old Iowa teams were called "Wind suckers" I want to be optimistic and see Iowa play it's best basketball in March but I guess i still have doubts. This is the year Fran needs to get it done!
 
1977Hawkeye said:
I'm starting to think Wisconsin made a deal with the devil.
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Its unreal. If the need a big shot, they make it. If they need an opponent to miss every free throw down the stretch, they miss them. They could be 0-10 in the conference next year and I will still root against them. I've learned my lesson.
 
HawkGold said:
Well....View attachment 6407
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Yep, except Gard takes over and of course, they just grabbed a share of the conference title. They've been just as successful in football with each successive coaching change, too. Don't know how they continually turn water into wine with every single hire.

I mean, look at their tradition before Ryan. Basically zip in the modern era. They have no more business winning Big 10 titles and going deep into the dance than Iowa does. Yet somehow...
 
PCHawk said:
Its unreal. If the need a big shot, they make it. If they need an opponent to miss every free throw down the stretch, they miss them. They could be 0-10 in the conference next year and I will still root against them. I've learned my lesson.
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Same. I've really gotten sick of them. Throw them into the same hate pot as MSU (mainly because of Izzo) and Illinois.
 
longtimer said:
After an interesting and for the most part exciting year it ends up kind of the same old way. Wisconsin who was struggling and then loses 2nd leading scorer to Nebraska comes on strong and wins the regular season. I can't begin to express how I hate saying it but they win it with what seems to be good not great talent. Has to be coach of the year. Then Michigan State who also seems to be "not great" comes on at year end for what looks to be like a share of the title after Sunday? Maryland on top for most of the year looks to be tanking big time. Even Purdue is playing well at the right time

All of this brings us to the question of Iowa. Really a nice year. Played well and hard most of the time with the Player of the year hands down. BUT Iowa as usual is less than productive at the end of the year. In fact kind of reminds me of what some of Lute's old Iowa teams were called "Wind suckers" I want to be optimistic and see Iowa play it's best basketball in March but I guess i still have doubts. This is the year Fran needs to get it done!
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Iowa has no one to blame but themselves with the Nebby road loss and Purdue home loss where they had played so tough all year. Win those and tomorrow and they tie for the first title since what 1980???? or so. 40 friggin years.

At least with football we avg a championship about every 8 years since 1980. I know there were injuries and JBo was a huge loss but......
 
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uihawk82 said:
Iowa has no one to blame but themselves with the Nebby road loss and Purdue home loss where they had played so tough all year. Win those and tomorrow and they tie for the first title since what 1980???? or so. 40 friggin years.

At least with football we avg a championship about every 8 years since 1980. I know there were injuries and JBo was a huge loss but......
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Exactly... if Iowa just takes care of lowly Purdue... Big Ten Champs!
I watch much Big Ten basketball, and Purdue doesn’t play that way against other teams. What is up with that?
I would bet that Purdue fans think Iowa is terrible!
 
RobHowe said:
Steve Alford told you guys that Iowa is a football school.
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how-to-put-a-curse-on-someone.jpg


Hire Steve Alford as your coach and your program is cursed forever.
 
Step back from the ledge just a little bit guys , before season and right after the start , many on here were thinking 6 to 7 wins in the big and 10th to 12th place at best , that was before Nunge went down , that was before PMac went down , that was before JBo went down , if we can pull out a win tomoro ( hate to be a naysayer but I think this very well could be a loss ) we will have a double bye for the conference tournament . With all the hand wringing and doomsday talk prior to season and early on in the season , pretty certain all of us would've jumped at the chance to have this team in the position it is ……… and yes , I was everybit as unhappy with the Nebby loss as everyone else , Purdue , because of personnel and JW having a rough go right now , well , those games turned out much as I expected , was thinking we had at least a 55% chance against Sparty at their house ……. so absolutely , some missed opportunitys ……. and for certain , I am as sick of Wisky as everyone else is ……. but this team is in a far better position than anyone drempt we could be in , most thinking this more of a building year and that next year is the year that should have no excuses .

OK , off my soap box , just interesting to see how posted views have changed over the course of this season
 
iahawk52 said:
Step back from the ledge just a little bit guys , before season and right after the start , many on here were thinking 6 to 7 wins in the big and 10th to 12th place at best , that was before Nunge went down , that was before PMac went down , that was before JBo went down , if we can pull out a win tomoro ( hate to be a naysayer but I think this very well could be a loss ) we will have a double bye for the conference tournament . With all the hand wringing and doomsday talk prior to season and early on in the season , pretty certain all of us would've jumped at the chance to have this team in the position it is ……… and yes , I was everybit as unhappy with the Nebby loss as everyone else , Purdue , because of personnel and JW having a rough go right now , well , those games turned out much as I expected , was thinking we had at least a 55% chance against Sparty at their house ……. so absolutely , some missed opportunitys ……. and for certain , I am as sick of Wisky as everyone else is ……. but this team is in a far better position than anyone drempt we could be in , most thinking this more of a building year and that next year is the year that should have no excuses .

OK , off my soap box , just interesting to see how posted views have changed over the course of this season
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I mean, you're not wrong....but this board is gonna do what this board is gonna do. I didn't expect this either but knowing what I know now that Nebraska game still stands out.

I just wish Purdue would play everyone else as well as they played Iowa.
 
iahawk52 said:
Step back from the ledge just a little bit guys , before season and right after the start , many on here were thinking 6 to 7 wins in the big and 10th to 12th place at best , that was before Nunge went down , that was before PMac went down , that was before JBo went down , if we can pull out a win tomoro ( hate to be a naysayer but I think this very well could be a loss ) we will have a double bye for the conference tournament . With all the hand wringing and doomsday talk prior to season and early on in the season , pretty certain all of us would've jumped at the chance to have this team in the position it is ……… and yes , I was everybit as unhappy with the Nebby loss as everyone else , Purdue , because of personnel and JW having a rough go right now , well , those games turned out much as I expected , was thinking we had at least a 55% chance against Sparty at their house ……. so absolutely , some missed opportunitys ……. and for certain , I am as sick of Wisky as everyone else is ……. but this team is in a far better position than anyone drempt we could be in , most thinking this more of a building year and that next year is the year that should have no excuses .

OK , off my soap box , just interesting to see how posted views have changed over the course of this season
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I'm not down on the team. I thought they would go 9-11 and be on the bubble. That doesn't mean I overlook the Nebraska and Purdue games and think what might have been. It's what I've been molded to think as an Iowa sports fan, "what might have been if we would have just beaten a lesser team."

but it sports, i get it.

but it seems to happen more than Iowa fans' fair share.

but it's just a relief from everyday life, i get it.
 
Iowa has 3 top 25 wins since February with a shot at another today. They are still playing great basketball, this has been a good season. Enjoy it, we all know having good hoops at Iowa is not a birth right at this point.
 
It's about timing, those soul-sucking, beelzebubs up in Madison were bad at the beginning, and are now playing well. Iowa loses tonight and they've dropped 3 of the last 4. That's why I think winning tonight is crucial.
 
1977Hawkeye said:
Yep, except Gard takes over and of course, they just grabbed a share of the conference title. They've been just as successful in football with each successive coaching change, too. Don't know how they continually turn water into wine with every single hire.

I mean, look at their tradition before Ryan. Basically zip in the modern era. They have no more business winning Big 10 titles and going deep into the dance than Iowa does. Yet somehow...
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Dick Bennett took them to the final in 2000 with a team that looked dorky even by Wisconsin standards. Charlie Wills? Andy Kowske? Mike Wilkinson? Mark Vershaw? Kelley? How about Duany Duany? Jon Bryant?

Those dudes might as well been the Beta fraternity in Animal House.
 
1977Hawkeye said:
Yep, except Gard takes over and of course, they just grabbed a share of the conference title. They've been just as successful in football with each successive coaching change, too. Don't know how they continually turn water into wine with every single hire.

I mean, look at their tradition before Ryan. Basically zip in the modern era. They have no more business winning Big 10 titles and going deep into the dance than Iowa does. Yet somehow...
Click to expand...


Stu Jackson had some decent teams in the early 90’s with Micheal Finley and Rashad Griffith(Griffin?) but your point is well taken.
 
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