Completely Hypothetical: Would you rather....

MelroseHawkins

MelroseHawkins

Well-Known Member
I know Stormin likes these kinds of threads. :p

.... have Iowa somehow miraculously make it into the NCAA & get pounded in a first or second round loss or have Iowa make a nice run in the NIT such as to a semifinal game or championship game?

Which would be better for the program at this point in the development of Iowa basketball under Fran McCaffery?

Debate please.
 
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The NIT is basically the basketball version of a bowl game. They are exhibition games. Some teams go in to win the game, others don't really care.

Last year's team hadn't experienced a post season game and barely broke .500 so the NIT was acceptable. This year's team played head up with everyone in the B10 save @Michigan.

The NIT is no good for this year's team. I'd rather watch them get smashed in the NCAA than win a meaningless exhibition.
 
Similar to....would you rather watch a mediocre MLB team or a very good AAA baseball team?

Agree with Xerxes. NIT, while nice, is nothing more than a runners-up tournament....something of a reward for an "almost" year....like 90% of the bowl games.
 
NIT features what, the 66th best team in the country and lower? No one remembers who played in the NIT, much less won it. Fans are more likely to recall who made the NCAA and how they did. Give me the Dance every day and twice on Sunday.
 
LawVHawk said:
NIT features what, the 66th best team in the country and lower? No one remembers who played in the NIT, much less won it. Fans are more likely to recall who made the NCAA and how they did. Give me the Dance every day and twice on Sunday.
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True. but should Iowa fail to dance. would it be well for them lose in the first round, or should they win the NIT. Would it matter to you?
 
No contest .. BIG DANCE BABY!! Even if we lose in the first round. It would show potential recruits that Iowa is on the right track.

GO HAWKS!!!
 
Let's Dance!

NCAA Tournament for me. First round losses happen to lots of teams, even higher seeds. That said, I don't think Iowa would get "pounded" in the first round. I think Iowa has shown its good enough to play with most any team in the country. It's closing out the games that has been the problem.

Not to mention, I think an NCAA appearance looks better when trying to recruit, as opposed to telling recruits you've been to the NIT two years in a row.
 
LESHawk said:
True. but should Iowa fail to dance. would it be well for them lose in the first round, or should they win the NIT. Would it matter to you?
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Well, I guess winning the NIT would be more fun for the fans than a one and done in the NCAA's. But being in the NCAA Tournament IMO is always going to be better for the program in general than the NIT would be, regardless of the outcomes.
 
I think NIT would be better for the team. Most of you are thinking only of yourselves and I guess there's nothing wrong with that. But I'd much rather see this team make a deep NIT run, which I believe they will, than get destroyed in the first round of the NCAA.

They'll gain valuable extra practice time, and get experience playing on the road and at MSG. Next year is NCAA year. Should be a fun one.

The point is moot anyway, they're NIT bound. Which, as JDM loves to point out, is exactly as I predicted them to be at the beginning of the season.
 
I would prefer an NCAA bid.

Iowa would not get destroyed at a neutral site in the NCAAs. They've demonstrated they can play with anyone not named @Michigan. The Hawks can make up for their weaknesses by playing good defense. They can also play with anyone name @Nebraska.
 
1hawkeye1 said:
I think NIT would be better for the team. Most of you are thinking only of yourselves and I guess there's nothing wrong with that.
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If they were thinking about themselves, they would want NIT so they can go to more home games. I would think that an NCAA appearance would be better for recruiting and earning respect. As LawVHawk said, no one remembers the NIT. After Iowa lost last year, I tuned it all out and I never knew Minnesota made the semi-finals. I still don't know who won.
 
At first I thought I would say the NIT run, but I then thought about how much I anticipate the first 2 days of the tournament and how awesome it would be to actually plan around an Iowa game.
NCAA all the way, but not the play in game. If that is all they got and lost, I would rather have the NIT run.
 
Would you rather watch Iowa play Central Michigan and win the Bluebonett bowl by 14, or, watch Iowa lose to Oklahoma by 7 in the Orange Bowl?
 
1977Hawkeye said:
Let's Dance!

NCAA Tournament for me. First round losses happen to lots of teams, even higher seeds. That said, I don't think Iowa would get "pounded" in the first round. I think Iowa has shown its good enough to play with most any team in the country. It's closing out the games that has been the problem.

Not to mention, I think an NCAA appearance looks better when trying to recruit, as opposed to telling recruits you've been to the NIT two years in a row.
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But but but....we have improved from a #7 seed to a #4 seed! Progress!
 
LawVHawk said:
NIT features what, the 66th best team in the country and lower? No one remembers who played in the NIT, much less won it. Fans are more likely to recall who made the NCAA and how they did. Give me the Dance every day and twice on Sunday.
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Um...no. Unless you think that Iowa (or any other team in the NIT) is worse than whatever team comes out of the MEAC, or MAAC, or CAA, or any of the 16 seeds. Come on.
 
1977Hawkeye said:
Let's Dance!

NCAA Tournament for me. First round losses happen to lots of teams, even higher seeds. That said, I don't think Iowa would get "pounded" in the first round. I think Iowa has shown its good enough to play with most any team in the country. It's closing out the games that has been the problem.

Not to mention, I think an NCAA appearance looks better when trying to recruit, as opposed to telling recruits you've been to the NIT two years in a row.
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Iowa got a top 25 class last year without having been in the dance since the 05/6 season.
 
Seth53 said:
Would you rather watch Iowa play Central Michigan and win the Bluebonett bowl by 14, or, watch Iowa lose to Oklahoma by 7 in the Orange Bowl?
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I will take a BCS Bowl any time, that means Iowa had a pretty good season.

For basketball, let's dance! I could care less if they got blown out in the first round.
 
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