sportstalent
Well-Known Member
I look forward to watching Iowa basketball each and every game. There are multiple reasons for my feelings on this team. In the past few years, other than the last time Iowa went to the NCAA Tournament, I have had no fun watching Iowa play. The past few offseasons and regular seasons have just not been at all. From players not qualifying academically, then to players exiting the program due to the coach not being able to connect to the players.
For the first time since Iowa won the Big Ten tournament, each player on the roster actually has contributed, the scholarship players, the walk-ons have been valuable as Iowa can scrimmage again. Jordan Stoemer may have hit the biggest shot of the season if Iowa would have beaten Wisconsin, he fueled the bench players with hitting the three. The past two seasons a lot of us were wondering why Brommer was on scholarship and wanted him to leave, after this season, I hope most have changed their mind. Iowa has had multiple starters and All-Big Ten potential players walk away without a second thought. The play has been boring to watch and if the opponent got a lead of double digits, who normally watched to the end? Unfortunately, I tortured myself and watched to the end because that is what I do, fight through the pain and move to the next frustration (I also root for San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Mariners, don't judge me
). I admit, the Minnesota and Wisconsin games were too much last season and I couldn't watch, it was just too embarassing. When the Big Ten Network came to life, I was excited, but it turns out there hasn't been a lot to watch since its inception.
This season, I expected Iowa to be better for a few reasons, but first and foremost after reading all I did about Coach Fran, I was convinced. Change doesn't happen overnight, but it can happen before it is fully realized. The game against SDSU was a setback, but not the end of the world, did I see Iowa losing, no, but I liked what I saw. The team just looked different, there was a confidence, something that was missing the last few years. We saw that the freshman were going to contribute, although, I couldn't have predicted this much.
It was obvious that this team was well prepared, but was not comfortable with everything they were doing. Cully Payne did not look right and now we all know why, Gatens was not playing and Basabe looked completely uncomfortable on the floor.
The rest of the non-conference, Iowa would look great for four or five minutes and then look like they never played the game for the next ten. Iowa built big leads against teams like Wake Forest and Iowa State, only to have that mental lapse coming out of the locker room after half and spot the opponent 14 points or so. At one point, my thought to get around the lapse was for the Iowa staff to ask the officals to knock off four minutes from the second half clock and just give the other team 14 points and "go" from there.
When the Big Ten season began, Iowa's season looked like it was going to be ugly starting off with ranked teams Illinois and Ohio State, but a funny thing happened, they played well and did not get humiliated. Iowa's three wins have came against Inidiana twice and a blowout of Michigan State. All three wins were significant, Iowa beat Indiana when they were playing as well as they had been in the last two seasons. The win against Michigan State was huge, Iowa jumped on them early and was able to not let them comeback, something they had not been able to do all season.
All in all, it doesn't matter what Iowa does to end this season, they are clearly a better team, if not the most improved team in the Big Ten, from the first game to the end. I don't know how many others have thought like this, but going into any game since the Big Ten opener, I have felt Iowa has had a chance and have actually come to expect Iowa to win. Now, they have lost some close games of late and my emotions after, have led me to believe that Iowa is not that far away. Do I think it is going to happen next season, a winning record? Yes. Do I think that Iowa will be in a postseason tournament? Yes. Iowa will have more wins in the non-conference next season then they do at this point this year, or at worst equal to it.
Coach Fran has brought enthusiasm and more importantly, hope back to the Iowa program.
The future of the program looks bright, with the amount of open scholarships that the staff has to work with, four this year and four next year allows them to bring in eight players over the next two years to go along with the four players in the 2010 class and the roster is turned over much sooner than later.
Fran and staff are the right people for this job and looking at where Iowa is in recruiting there is significant progress. Players like Carter/Katenda wouldn't have sniffed Iowa two years ago. A kid like Kyle Meyer would never set foot in Carver. This is year one and if year two is anything like year one, improvement wise, all Iowa fans have a lot to look forward to. At one time I posted that Iowa could win 14 games or less than last year, but in the end would still be a better team. Today they sit on the same win total as last year and I don't think anyone can disagree that this years team is clearly better than last year. Improvement in Free throws, turnover margin and at times 3-pt defense lead me to believe with more depth and scoring options from the bench there will be significant strides next season.
For the first time since Iowa won the Big Ten tournament, each player on the roster actually has contributed, the scholarship players, the walk-ons have been valuable as Iowa can scrimmage again. Jordan Stoemer may have hit the biggest shot of the season if Iowa would have beaten Wisconsin, he fueled the bench players with hitting the three. The past two seasons a lot of us were wondering why Brommer was on scholarship and wanted him to leave, after this season, I hope most have changed their mind. Iowa has had multiple starters and All-Big Ten potential players walk away without a second thought. The play has been boring to watch and if the opponent got a lead of double digits, who normally watched to the end? Unfortunately, I tortured myself and watched to the end because that is what I do, fight through the pain and move to the next frustration (I also root for San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Mariners, don't judge me
). I admit, the Minnesota and Wisconsin games were too much last season and I couldn't watch, it was just too embarassing. When the Big Ten Network came to life, I was excited, but it turns out there hasn't been a lot to watch since its inception.This season, I expected Iowa to be better for a few reasons, but first and foremost after reading all I did about Coach Fran, I was convinced. Change doesn't happen overnight, but it can happen before it is fully realized. The game against SDSU was a setback, but not the end of the world, did I see Iowa losing, no, but I liked what I saw. The team just looked different, there was a confidence, something that was missing the last few years. We saw that the freshman were going to contribute, although, I couldn't have predicted this much.
It was obvious that this team was well prepared, but was not comfortable with everything they were doing. Cully Payne did not look right and now we all know why, Gatens was not playing and Basabe looked completely uncomfortable on the floor.
The rest of the non-conference, Iowa would look great for four or five minutes and then look like they never played the game for the next ten. Iowa built big leads against teams like Wake Forest and Iowa State, only to have that mental lapse coming out of the locker room after half and spot the opponent 14 points or so. At one point, my thought to get around the lapse was for the Iowa staff to ask the officals to knock off four minutes from the second half clock and just give the other team 14 points and "go" from there.
When the Big Ten season began, Iowa's season looked like it was going to be ugly starting off with ranked teams Illinois and Ohio State, but a funny thing happened, they played well and did not get humiliated. Iowa's three wins have came against Inidiana twice and a blowout of Michigan State. All three wins were significant, Iowa beat Indiana when they were playing as well as they had been in the last two seasons. The win against Michigan State was huge, Iowa jumped on them early and was able to not let them comeback, something they had not been able to do all season.
All in all, it doesn't matter what Iowa does to end this season, they are clearly a better team, if not the most improved team in the Big Ten, from the first game to the end. I don't know how many others have thought like this, but going into any game since the Big Ten opener, I have felt Iowa has had a chance and have actually come to expect Iowa to win. Now, they have lost some close games of late and my emotions after, have led me to believe that Iowa is not that far away. Do I think it is going to happen next season, a winning record? Yes. Do I think that Iowa will be in a postseason tournament? Yes. Iowa will have more wins in the non-conference next season then they do at this point this year, or at worst equal to it.
Coach Fran has brought enthusiasm and more importantly, hope back to the Iowa program.
The future of the program looks bright, with the amount of open scholarships that the staff has to work with, four this year and four next year allows them to bring in eight players over the next two years to go along with the four players in the 2010 class and the roster is turned over much sooner than later.
Fran and staff are the right people for this job and looking at where Iowa is in recruiting there is significant progress. Players like Carter/Katenda wouldn't have sniffed Iowa two years ago. A kid like Kyle Meyer would never set foot in Carver. This is year one and if year two is anything like year one, improvement wise, all Iowa fans have a lot to look forward to. At one time I posted that Iowa could win 14 games or less than last year, but in the end would still be a better team. Today they sit on the same win total as last year and I don't think anyone can disagree that this years team is clearly better than last year. Improvement in Free throws, turnover margin and at times 3-pt defense lead me to believe with more depth and scoring options from the bench there will be significant strides next season.
