Big Ten opponents for '16-'17 season announced

[libertyhawkeye]

http://www.press-citizen.com/story/...-ten-conference-basketball-schedule/86134384/

The Hawkeyes will play Illinois, Nebraska and Rutgers twice each, according to the schedule announced on Monday by the Big Ten. Those teams were in the bottom four of the standings in the 14-team league last year.

Iowa also faces Maryland and Purdue at home and on the road this winter. The Hawkeyes tied with those two teams for the third place in the league last year with 12-6 records.

Iowa will host Indiana, Michigan, Ohio State and Penn State at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The Hawkeyes will travel to Michigan State, Minnesota, Northwestern and Wisconsin.

 

[SteveGarvey1]

Me likey.

 

[Hawk5656]

Like this schedule a lot, much more favorable than the past couple of years.

 

[PCHawk]

With the difference in strength of schedule and last year's inability to win close games, this year's team could be quite a bit worse and manage close to the same record.

 

[WindsorHawk]

Best guesss...

Illinois/Nebraska/Rutgers 5-1
Maryland/Purdue 1-3
Indiana/Penn State 2-0
Michigan/Ohio State 1-1
@ MSU/Wisconsin 0-2
@ Minnesota/Northwestern 2-0

I think we go 11-7 but our RPI won't be good and I doubt Pomeroy will like us all that much either.

 

[DJL]

Best guesss...

Illinois/Nebraska/Rutgers 5-1
Maryland/Purdue 1-3
Indiana/Penn State 2-0
Michigan/Ohio State 1-1
@ MSU/Wisconsin 0-2
@ Minnesota/Northwestern 2-0

I think we go 11-7 but our RPI won't be good and I doubt Pomeroy will like us all that much either.

#bubble

 

[PCHawk]

#bubble

Probably the right side of the bubble as long as they do decent in the noncon.

 

[NikeHawk21]

I like the draw we got. I hope we can be defend Carver. Something like 7-2 @ Home in conference and 4-5 on the road would put us at that 11-7 mark.

 

[trj]

NIT for sure......NCAA tournament definitely bubble. 11-7/10-8 record in the B1G. ACC/B1G challenge Iowa gets Duke? ISU game feels like a loss, UNI game feels like a win, but not a given. Probably lose a game or 2 in that Emerald pre-season tourney. Imo, Iowa will be squarely on the bubble come NCAA tournament.

 

[NikeHawk21]

NIT for sure......NCAA tournament definitely bubble. 11-7/10-8 record in the B1G. ACC/B1G challenge Iowa gets Duke? ISU game feels like a loss, UNI game feels like a win, but not a given. Probably lose a game or 2 in that Emerald pre-season tourney. Imo, Iowa will be squarely on the bubble come NCAA tournament.

We play at ND in the challenge so that will be tough. If we go 11-7 in the BIG, while I don't think we will have a great seed, I think that is firmly an NCAA bid.

 

[hawkjunkie]

This is a great schedule. NOW, if we can start with the easier side of the schedule first, vice versa from last season, then we will really be looking good.

This team should improve quite a bit from start to finish. If we can have some of our lesser opponents thru mid-January, I will be a happy camper.

 

[NikeHawk21]

This is a great schedule. NOW, if we can start with the easier side of the schedule first, vice versa from last season, then we will really be looking good.

This team should improve quite a bit from start to finish. If we can have some of our lesser opponents thru mid-January, I will be a happy camper.

Yes, but as last year showed, predicting the "easy" part of the schedule can be kind of a crapshoot. That's why I mentioned earlier that it will be really important to defend the home court, regardless of how the schedule lays out. With a younger team, we may take some lumps on the road.