Big Ten loaded next season

HawkeyeRyno

HawkeyeRyno

Banned
With announcement that Zeller and Watford returning for Indiana plus stellar recruiting class and Burke returning to Michigan plus stellar recruiting class those two teams are top 5 in country and 1-2 in Big Ten. Add MSU, OSU, Minnesota having best team in years and Purdue and Wisconsin always solid going to make it tough for Iowa next season.

I am still excited for Iowa hoops but have lowered expectations given where other teams are improving as well. Iowa will be better next season and it will show non-con but come Big Ten play I'm not sure they improve much. Iowa is still short on top talent compared to the 6-7 teams above them. That proves to be the biggest factor in CBB. Look at Michigan and Indiana, both were dead last at some point in the past 5 years and now both are going to be national title contenders. Iowa can win 20 games because of the easy non-con but Big Ten games will expose the inexperience and talent gap still at Iowa.
 


I never base my excitement or expectations for Iowa basketball based on what other schools have.
 


burky247 said:
I never base my excitement or expectations for Iowa basketball based on what other schools have.
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A month ago I thought Iowa could be 4th-6th next season but looking at other teams, Iowa will battle for 7th/8th. Which is where they were this season but almost everyone expects better than that next season but it will be just as difficult or more difficult to do that again. Was thinking Wisconsin, Purdue and Minnesota would take a dip but after seeing who Minnesota has returning and getting Mbakwe back, Wisconsin loses Taylor but just plugs in another PG and have a good one that RS plus add top 20 recruit Sam Dekker (he's the real deal) and while Purdue loses Hummel they have 3 top 100 recruits and solid players coming back, expectations have changed.

Don't get me wrong, I'm stoked for next season but don't think NCAA is in play until 2013-2014 season. Excited to see how team improves and gels and progresses for '13-'14 season when Iowa returns the entire team again while others most likely lose key players early. Assuming Iowa doesn't have any significant transfers.
 


HawkeyeRyno said:
With announcement that Zeller and Watford returning for Indiana plus stellar recruiting class and Burke returning to Michigan plus stellar recruiting class those two teams are top 5 in country and 1-2 in Big Ten. Add MSU, OSU, Minnesota having best team in years and Purdue and Wisconsin always solid going to make it tough for Iowa next season.

I am still excited for Iowa hoops but have lowered expectations given where other teams are improving as well. Iowa will be better next season and it will show non-con but come Big Ten play I'm not sure they improve much. Iowa is still short on top talent compared to the 6-7 teams above them. That proves to be the biggest factor in CBB. Look at Michigan and Indiana, both were dead last at some point in the past 5 years and now both are going to be national title contenders. Iowa can win 20 games because of the easy non-con but Big Ten games will expose the inexperience and talent gap still at Iowa.
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We beat Michigan and Indiana by double digits, swept Minnesota and Wisconsin and had double digit leads in both games against Purdue before pi$$ing them away. All with less talent and less experience than we'll have next year. Those teams absolutely do not scare me.

It gets old seeing fans curl up into the fetal position and cower in fear of other teams. I, for one, am glad that those teams aren't losing their best players. Now it will make it all the more sweeter when we finish in the upper half of the Big 10 with that kind of competition.
 


Indiana, scUM, OSU and MSU were always going to be the top 4 teams in the B10. Iowa is among 4-5 other schools who will compete for spots 5-8. Nothing you posted above changes that in the least.
 


DuffMan said:
Indiana, scUM, OSU and MSU were always going to be the top 4 teams in the B10. Iowa is among 4-5 other schools who will compete for spots 5-8. Nothing you posted above changes that in the least.
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Even if it did change things, the fact that people are concerned about teams that we handled during the season shows just how much Lick's tenure affected fans' intestinal fortitude.

Then again, Ryno always has been this board's "Chicken Little".....
 


DuffMan said:
Indiana, scUM, OSU and MSU were always going to be the top 4 teams in the B10. Iowa is among 4-5 other schools who will compete for spots 5-8. Nothing you posted above changes that in the least.
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Probably.... and I think Iowa still ends up in the 5 or 6 range, has a winning record in the Big Ten and dances.
 


ohhh also think scum is most likely to drop back to the middle of the pack. I could see Iowa competing with them for fourth
 


Purdue has taken a major hit,losing 5 of their top 6 scorers. Only Byrd is returning among their top 6 scorers. They have Terone Johnson back,and he is a dynamic driver of the ball,but a bad shooter. Anthony Johnson is ok,but only a spot player. Carroll is only ok inside. Then they have frosh...Johnson's brother is another driver who cannot shoot, Simpson has faded as a prospect...grew up in Champaign but Illini do not recruit? Hammonds is a bit of a project. Sorry,but Purdue will be below Iowa,who returns 5 of their top 6 scorers next year.

My top 5 remain the same as always:
IU,MSU,Mich,OSU,Wis.

The next group in order:
Minny,Iowa, Ill,NW,PU
This group will fight for the 6-10 slots,with 6-8 having a real shot at a NCAA bid.

And in the rear:
PSU,NEB.
Stuggling again.

The league will be tough again,but with Iowa's favorable schedule, they can win 10 games this year if things break right ,and that would land them a bid to the Dance.
 


JHHawk said:
Purdue has taken a major hit,losing 5 of their top 6 scorers. Only Byrd is returning among their top 6 scorers. They have Terone Johnson back,and he is a dynamic driver of the ball,but a bad shooter. Anthony Johnson is ok,but only a spot player. Carroll is only ok inside. Then they have frosh...Johnson's brother is another driver who cannot shoot, Simpson has faded as a prospect...grew up in Champaign but Illini do not recruit? Hammonds is a bit of a project. Sorry,but Purdue will be below Iowa,who returns 5 of their top 6 scorers next year.

My top 5 remain the same as always:
IU,MSU,Mich,OSU,Wis.

The next group in order:
Minny,Iowa, Ill,NW,PU
This group will fight for the 6-10 slots,with 6-8 having a real shot at a NCAA bid.

And in the rear:
PSU,NEB.
Stuggling again.

The league will be tough again,but with Iowa's favorable schedule, they can win 10 games this year if things break right ,and that would land them a bid to the Dance.
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Is it it just me or are all of us crazy and yet very informed and educated men's college BB fans think... we keep under estimating... Iowa BB?

except for the really crazy... that predict a Final Four?
 


burky247 said:
I never base my excitement or expectations for Iowa basketball based on what other schools have.
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All information is relevant - and to omit certain factors from your prognostications seems shortsighted to me.

Think about '98. We had Ricky Davis, JR Koch, McCausland, Ryan Bowen, Dean Oliver. Preseason top-25. But Michigan State had the Flintstones. Michigan had Robert Traylor, Maceo Baston and Louis Bullock. Purdue had Brad Miller and Brian Cardinal. Illinois had Kevin Turner and Jerry Hester. Indiana had A.J. Guyton. We did o.k.; 20-11 and 9-7, but those high expectations essentially sealed Mr. Davis's fate.

Sometimes other teams just have more talent. It happens, and sometimes it's predictable. There's nothing wrong with that.
 




JHHawk said:
Purdue has taken a major hit,losing 5 of their top 6 scorers. Only Byrd is returning among their top 6 scorers. They have Terone Johnson back,and he is a dynamic driver of the ball,but a bad shooter. Anthony Johnson is ok,but only a spot player. Carroll is only ok inside. Then they have frosh...Johnson's brother is another driver who cannot shoot, Simpson has faded as a prospect...grew up in Champaign but Illini do not recruit? Hammonds is a bit of a project. Sorry,but Purdue will be below Iowa,who returns 5 of their top 6 scorers next year.

My top 5 remain the same as always:
IU,MSU,Mich,OSU,Wis.

The next group in order:
Minny,Iowa, Ill,NW,PU
This group will fight for the 6-10 slots,with 6-8 having a real shot at a NCAA bid.

And in the rear:
PSU,NEB.
Stuggling again.

The league will be tough again,but with Iowa's favorable schedule, they can win 10 games this year if things break right ,and that would land them a bid to the Dance.
Click to expand...

I tend to agree with these grouping. I would guess this order IU, OSU, MSU, Mich, Wisc might be my prediction for top 5. Probably be a tie for reg season title again too.

Minny could make a huge jump and take 3rd-5th, although I haven't seen their sched. so let's say 6th based on Tubby's failure to ever meet expectations in MN.

I think Iowa has a great chance to finish ahead of PU, IL and NW and IMO should. So I predict a 6-7 finished tied with underachieving MN team.

PSU and NEB will be cellar dwellers.
 


wundergrape said:
All information is relevant - and to omit certain factors from your prognostications seems shortsighted to me.
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With all due respect, I don't think there was anything shortsighted about my post. I can remember arguing with everyone last year over a similar topic. Multiple posters were crying...
"Who are we going to pass in the B10? Minnesota returns Player XYZ, Illinois is too talented to surpass, Nebraska has more athletes, Wisconsin owns us, Indiana has twice as much talent"....and on and on. I still see the same prediction for Iowa next season that I saw before Zeller and Co. decided to return....which is 20 win season and a bubble NCAA team.

Now if you are arguing that winning the Big Ten or even finishing in the top 3 is going to be next to impossible because of specific players coming back, then I will agree with you(even though I don't know why you would be expecting that at this point). But I don't see why people are going chicken little just because a few players chose to stay in school.

The Big Ten has some high quality coaches. I don't think you are going to see many down years for the conference for a while just because of the way the top schools recruit. So those who are waiting for a down conference year so that Iowa has a chance to move up are in for a disappointment. Iowa basketball will need to rise above other teams, not wait for them to fall below us.
 


burky247 said:
So those who are waiting for a down conference year so that Iowa has a chance to move up are in for a disappointment. Iowa basketball will need to rise above other teams, not wait for them to fall below us.
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Let's hope both happen simultaneously the next couple season! :)
 


burky247 said:
With all due respect, I don't think there was anything shortsighted about my post. I can remember arguing with everyone last year over a similar topic. Multiple posters were crying...
"Who are we going to pass in the B10? Minnesota returns Player XYZ, Illinois is too talented to surpass, Nebraska has more athletes, Wisconsin owns us, Indiana has twice as much talent"....and on and on. I still see the same prediction for Iowa next season that I saw before Zeller and Co. decided to return....which is 20 win season and a bubble NCAA team.

Now if you are arguing that winning the Big Ten or even finishing in the top 3 is going to be next to impossible because of specific players coming back, then I will agree with you(even though I don't know why you would be expecting that at this point). But I don't see why people are going chicken little just because a few players chose to stay in school.

The Big Ten has some high quality coaches. I don't think you are going to see many down years for the conference for a while just because of the way the top schools recruit. So those who are waiting for a down conference year so that Iowa has a chance to move up are in for a disappointment. Iowa basketball will need to rise above other teams, not wait for them to fall below us.
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To be fair to Minnesota, I don't think we beat them even once if Mbakwe hadn't gotten hurt.
 


SpiderRico said:
We beat Michigan and Indiana by double digits, swept Minnesota and Wisconsin and had double digit leads in both games against Purdue before pi$$ing them away. All with less talent and less experience than we'll have next year. Those teams absolutely do not scare me.

It gets old seeing fans curl up into the fetal position and cower in fear of other teams. I, for one, am glad that those teams aren't losing their best players. Now it will make it all the more sweeter when we finish in the upper half of the Big 10 with that kind of competition.
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You can't go around thumping your chest about all of the teams we beat when we also let the bottom feeders slap us around, and the most talented teams completely annihilated us.
 


GhostofBTT said:
You can't go around thumping your chest about all of the teams we beat when we also let the bottom feeders slap us around, and the most talented teams completely annihilated us.
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Stop ruining my soap box posts with statements of fact! No one wants to hear that! :D
 




burky247 said:
With all due respect, I don't think there was anything shortsighted about my post. I can remember arguing with everyone last year over a similar topic. Multiple posters were crying...
"Who are we going to pass in the B10? Minnesota returns Player XYZ, Illinois is too talented to surpass, Nebraska has more athletes, Wisconsin owns us, Indiana has twice as much talent"....and on and on. I still see the same prediction for Iowa next season that I saw before Zeller and Co. decided to return....which is 20 win season and a bubble NCAA team.

Now if you are arguing that winning the Big Ten or even finishing in the top 3 is going to be next to impossible because of specific players coming back, then I will agree with you(even though I don't know why you would be expecting that at this point). But I don't see why people are going chicken little just because a few players chose to stay in school.

The Big Ten has some high quality coaches. I don't think you are going to see many down years for the conference for a while just because of the way the top schools recruit. So those who are waiting for a down conference year so that Iowa has a chance to move up are in for a disappointment. Iowa basketball will need to rise above other teams, not wait for them to fall below us.
Click to expand...

I'm not saying that low expectations are in order - far from it. But your initial post, which stated that you don't take into account other conference teams in your evaluation of our future success - is inherently myopic. That's as close to a fact as an opinion gets. Our competition is an enormous variable, whether you wish to pay attention to it or not.
 


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