Ever the optimist.....

[JHHawk]

It could happen against Wisconsin. I dont think it will, but it is possible. No way Minnesota shells us at home. They are extremely thin in the backcourt and Hoffarber admitted that he is getting worn down. If we can control the boards and get out and run I really like our chances against the Gophers.

The Gophers play vs Illini on Thursday nite...so they have one less day of rest and travel to Iowa....I think the Hawks can get this one if they play well.

The Badgers are a whole different rodent....too big,too veteran,too good....it will take a real off nite shooting wise for the Badgers to drop this one. It could get ugly.

 

[RADMAN]

We can play with anyone including Wisky and Minny. Iowa has been a poor shooting team and if they would have just shot 50% from the field on the year they would have been 16-7 at this point. Two of the losses were when teams were unconcious from the field, one being Ill when they shot 68% from the field the other being Michigan when they shot 59% from the field. Ifs and buts are just that but had this team fired up a little better while learning Frans system, they would have been 11-1 going into the Illinois game. Who knows what would have happened then. If their confidence level is where I think it might be they can give Wisc a game. Gatens was invisible in the last game. If they can control the turnovers, 10 TO's, and pound the boards and again, shoot 50% from the field, 75% from the line, and 38% from three, it will be close. Once Fran gets a couple reliable shooters this team can rock.

 

[Rawkhawk73]

1) Who is going to score off the dribble for this team other than Cartwright?
2) Who has the athleticism to defend / score down low outside of Basabe?
3) Who can McCabe guard in the big ten?
4) Who can knock down enough jumpers to keep teams honest defensively outside of Gatens?

I get your time, experience, maturity take and agree to an extent, but we have 3 guys on this team that would not make another big ten roster. The fact that our two best players are also our two newest players, kind of shoots a hole in your premise that guys need to acclimate. Where would we be without Basabe and Cartwright?? More of these players, fewer projects.

Huh? Projects?

Gatens was a top level recruit coming out of high school. May is the most athletic player in the entire league. McCabe and Marble are freshman.....other than the top tier programs (Ohio State, Duke, etc), what other programs have freshman that make a major contribution right away? Brommer and Archie are projects, yes. But so were a lot of guys under Mr. Davis and by the time they were seniors, they were making major contributions.

All I did was quote stats. If our talent was as horrible as you are claiming, then how can we have guys doing as well as they are?

 

[hawkIhoops]

Huh? Projects?

Gatens was a top level recruit coming out of high school. May is the most athletic player in the entire league. McCabe and Marble are freshman.....other than the top tier programs (Ohio State, Duke, etc), what other programs have freshman that make a major contribution right away? Brommer and Archie are projects, yes. But so were a lot of guys under Mr. Davis and by the time they were seniors, they were making major contributions.

All I did was quote stats. If our talent was as horrible as you are claiming, then how can we have guys doing as well as they are?

You can quote stats all day, I will take wins. My rebuttal is look at our record-the only stat that matters IMO. Don't get me wrong, I am 100% behind McCaffrey and do believe we are beginning to turn the corner, but we aren't going to be better "just because" we return a lot of guys. We lose Cole and what that guy contributes doesn't show up in your beloved stats.

May the most athletic player in the league? Yikes, put the kool-aid down. May is a great athlete, not a great basketball player. He can dunk and defend, that's about it. I think there are 5 guys at Ohio State (just to name one team) that are better athletes.

 

[Iowafarmgirl]

Iowafarmguy,

I challenge you to find a single post of yours that's even remotely positive as it relates to the Hawkeye basketball team.

By the way, I'll go on record here as challenging your assertion that they will get "shelled".

Ok, challenge away. Most of my predictions are way off anyways, but I think we lose to both teams by 8+. Sorry, but beating a depleated IU team by one doesn't make me believe we are ready to compete with top 25 programs.

I was as excited as anyone at the win Saturday, and even more amazed that people around me were acctually talking Iowa BB for the first time since I moved back here. But I have to view the win in a vacuum. It was one win against a BAD team. I think we will play better in the future, but the teams we are playing are just too good.

 

[EddyP]

Ok, challenge away. Most of my predictions are way off anyways, but I think we lose to both teams by 8+. Sorry, but beating a depleated IU team by one doesn't make me believe we are ready to compete with top 25 programs.

I was as excited as anyone at the win Saturday, and even more amazed that people around me were acctually talking Iowa BB for the first time since I moved back here. But I have to view the win in a vacuum. It was one win against a BAD team. I think we will play better in the future, but the teams we are playing are just too good.

BAD is relative. This bad Indiana team just beat Illinois and Minnesota back to back at home. We've competed against OSU, Illinois, and Minnesota this year and blew out MSU. The only bad conference loss we had at home this year was to NW I believe.

 

[MJSCK]

Iowafarmguy,

I challenge you to find a single post of yours that's even remotely positive as it relates to the Hawkeye basketball team.

By the way, I'll go on record here as challenging your assertion that they will get "shelled".

I stand by Rawkhawk!!!!

 

[hawkIhoops]

Wisconsin and Minnesota are both going to SHELL Iowa. Both games will be ugly.

I agree with you to an extent (that we haven't fared well against the top half of the conference), but I don't see WI or MN blowing us out. At WI, maybe, but not at CHA. The game will probably be an ulgy-fest with both teams in 40's, but if we can get some productivity out of Cartwright, Gatens and Basabe, we should stay close. I think we can beat MN at home, as Nolen really hurt us up there. They have lots of bigs, but Hoffharber is not a true PG and their offense is suffering with him out of position.

 

[blkngldFRO]

If they can pull a win tonight and sunday that would be big in the recruiting battles that Fran is facing. I for one will be pulling for the hawks to get some really significant wins.

 

[Iowafarmgirl]

I think we're all pulling for the Hawks to gte some wins!

 

[RADMAN]

I think we're all pulling for the Hawks to gte some wins!

Well they didn't get shelled in the first half, what do you think?

 

[Rawkhawk73]

Wisconsin and Minnesota are both going to SHELL Iowa. Both games will be ugly.

Once again, you couldn't be more wrong. Now do us all a favor and stay away....your negativity isn't wanted around here. We're turning the corner and there's no room on the bandwagon for persistent doubters like you.

 

[Iowafarmgirl]

Once again, you couldn't be more wrong. Now do us all a favor and stay away....your negativity isn't wanted around here. We're turning the corner and there's no room on the bandwagon for persistent doubters like you.

I made a prediction, I wasn't hoping the team would lose. As much as I hate to rob this "I told you so" moment away, my prediction was off by a measly 5 points. I wasn't a doubter or being negative, or hoping the team would lose so I could come back and shove it in your face, I was skeptical. Some of my doubts were addressed, some of them remain, but I am much more optimistic than I was 24 hours ago. Get over it.

 

[Section136]

I made a prediction, I wasn't hoping the team would lose. As much as I hate to rob this "I told you so" moment away, my prediction was off by a measly 5 points. I wasn't a doubter or being negative, or hoping the team would lose so I could come back and shove it in your face, I was skeptical. Some of my doubts were addressed, some of them remain, but I am much more optimistic than I was 24 hours ago. Get over it.

Getting shelled and losing by 8 points is not the same thing. You predicted both. Getting shelled is what happened last year at Kohl Center and Williams Arena.