Games you just can't lose

[TheIowaHawkGuy]

It seems that the ceiling for Fran basketball is a 7 seed. He's gotten us there half the time he's been here, to his credit. But, unless they find a way to beat the Illini in Champagne, or do something Fran has never done in the BTT, the ceiling will be hit again.

Unless he can change the narrative of this by getting a better seed than 7 and making a run (which is easier to do when not a mediocre seed) then, surprise, this will continue to be the narrative. Not really even a narrative but fact. Becoming mundane and monotonous being placed with a mediocre seed, difficult matchups, play top 8 seed in their region, exit.

If they want to finally break the cycle and make the Sweet 16 then have to avoid the 7/8/9/10 seed line they've always been. The reason they haven't been in the Sweet 16 is because they have to face a 1 or 2 seed second round. "Getting help" by those seeds being upset in their first game is about the best chance Iowa would have to make the second weekend but that's asking a lot that is not in their control and very rarely happens. So until they get off the mediocre seed line, we know how the story ends.

 

[uihawk82]

How the hell is that even possible. Every single team has been doubling Garza on the catch for 2 months

Not like PU pushing garza out farther from the basket. Other teams seem to double once Garza gets the ball down low and it can be too late, except at msu, where garza went to the floor about 6 times

 

[NikeHawk21]

can you imagine not having Garza in this team? Our starting center would be Kreiner and his back up's would be Pemsl and Till. We'd have about 6-8 wins on the year

You mean to tell me if you took a leading Wooden Award candidate off of a team that’s already been depleted by injury and attrition that we wouldn’t be very good? Color me shocked.

 

[NikeHawk21]

Every team looks bigger and more athletic than us....that's not a new revelation.

But we can typically beat those teams because we're so damn efficient on offense. We are one of the best cutting and screening teams in the country which is why we are so efficient.

Where it bogs down, though, is against teams like Purdue, MSU, and Wisky who clutch and grab our cutters and are taught to tap the elbow of every outside shot because it's rarely called. We were 0-3 against MSU and Purdue and probably should have lost to Wisky if not for getting super hot down the stretch.

I'm looking forward to the NCAAs where we can hopefully be matched up against teams that are unfamiliar with us and hopefully get away from the terrible officiating in the B1G that allows all the clutching and grabbing.

Add to that we aren’t super efficient on offense right now with Wieskamp playing as a shell of his former self.

We are a completely different offense when he’s not a threat from the outside and he hasn’t been for a couple weeks.

 

[PCHawk]

Add to that we aren’t super efficient on offense right now with Wieskamp playing as a shell of his former self.

We are a completely different offense when he’s not a threat from the outside and he hasn’t been for a couple weeks.

More like over a month. Just a brutal slump he's going through. He did start noticeably trying hard on defense in the 2nd half last night so that's a start. It's just always something with Iowa (most fans probably think the same about their team). Uthoff slump. Patrick cancer. Roof falling. Players getting hurt. Getting matched up with the best team in the tournament in the 2nd round. If Garza does come back, he will just get hurt anyway. That or everyone around him will again.

 

[SpiderRico]

More like over a month. Just a brutal slump he's going through. He did start noticeably trying hard on defense in the 2nd half last night so that's a start. It's just always something with Iowa (most fans probably think the same about their team). Uthoff slump. Patrick cancer. Roof falling. Players getting hurt. Getting matched up with the best team in the tournament in the 2nd round. If Garza does come back, he will just get hurt anyway. That or everyone around him will again.

.....Ray Thompson ruled academically ineligible; Settles numerous back injuries; Chris Street killed; blowing a 16 point halftime lead in the Elite 8; losing Lester to a knee injury; going undefeated in B1G and losing in 1st round to Jacksonville St; etc, etc, etc.....

 

[PCHawk]

.....Ray Thompson ruled academically ineligible; Settles numerous back injuries; Chris Street killed; blowing a 16 point halftime lead in the Elite 8; losing Lester to a knee injury; going undefeated in B1G and losing in 1st round to Jacksonville St; etc, etc, etc.....

Yep. It's an iowa thing. Not a Fran thing.

 

[expos1994]

WTH is up with Joe Weiskamp? He seems to have lost something mentally. Fran should be 100% focused on getting his confidence back or Garza's monster season is wasted. Luka can't do it alone.

 

[TheIowaHawkGuy]

WTH is up with Joe Weiskamp? He seems to have lost something mentally. Fran should be 100% focused on getting his confidence back or Garza's monster season is wasted. Luka can't do it alone.

No confirmation or any source but wondering if he's pressing because he knows what he needs to work on from his NBA feedback and it's affecting his game. Reasoning is perhaps he's already decided that a professional career is in the books following this season as he and McKenzie Meyer are looking at financial support and Joe making some money through Euro ball or G-League is his best bet for them now. He won't be drafted but utilizing his feedback he can at least work on that while getting paid moving forward for himself and McKenzie. No credible source just from an optics standpoint of what may be going on knowing his long term situation.

 

[SpiderRico]

No confirmation or any source but wondering if he's pressing because he knows what he needs to work on from his NBA feedback and it's affecting his game. Reasoning is perhaps he's already decided that a professional career is in the books following this season as he and McKenzie Meyer are looking at financial support and Joe making some money through Euro ball or G-League is his best bet for them now. He won't be drafted but utilizing his feedback he can at least work on that while getting paid moving forward for himself and McKenzie. No credible source just from an optics standpoint of what may be going on knowing his long term situation.

I honestly wouldn't be opposed to that at this point. JBO at the point, CJF at the 2, Connor at the 3, Nunge at the 4 and Luka at the 5 is a formidable lineup next year and gives you 4.5 guys that are threats to hit the 3 (Connor is .5 of a threat )

 

[SteveGarvey1]

No confirmation or any source but wondering if he's pressing because he knows what he needs to work on from his NBA feedback and it's affecting his game. Reasoning is perhaps he's already decided that a professional career is in the books following this season as he and McKenzie Meyer are looking at financial support and Joe making some money through Euro ball or G-League is his best bet for them now. He won't be drafted but utilizing his feedback he can at least work on that while getting paid moving forward for himself and McKenzie. No credible source just from an optics standpoint of what may be going on knowing his long term situation.

It's obvious he isn't ready for the NBA but probably still thinks he can get there eventually. That might not be true but most guys would have that mindset in his situation. I know I would. So, he probably comes back to Hawks then.

 

[PCHawk]

I honestly wouldn't be opposed to that at this point. JBO at the point, CJF at the 2, Connor at the 3, Nunge at the 4 and Luka at the 5 is a formidable lineup next year and gives you 4.5 guys that are threats to hit the 3 (Connor is .5 of a threat )

You're probably letting his recent play cloud your vision on this one. Overall he's a really talented player. We have a lot better chance at being a great team if he's on it.

 

[HaydenHawk56]

Just my two cents but when your playing a team that curb stomped you earlier in the year to the tune of 104-68, I think it's insulting to that team to consider it a "game you just can't lose". Purdue was hands down the better team at their place and to be honest last night wasn't even close. Regardless of their record I think its fair to say that after playing them twice they're simply better than us, and its not even close. I'm not saying that over the course of the season they're a better team and our records should be flipped, but they're a team we simply cannot match up with our personnel.

If you are Iowa, at home, got your ass kicked good at their place, playing for NCAA seating, late in the year, this is a game you have to win. Period.

 

[PCHawk]

If you are Iowa, at home, got your ass kicked good at their place, playing for NCAA seating, late in the year, this is a game you have to win. Period.

I agree. There are also probably 25 other teams in the same boat that will lose this week too.25 more that lost last week. The loss cost us a seed line. Hopefully all the other teams around our seed line lose this week and hopefully we win Sunday.

 

[SpiderRico]

You're probably letting his recent play cloud your vision on this one. Overall he's a really talented player. We have a lot better chance at being a great team if he's on it.

I honestly don't know if we do or not. Everyone said we would be a better team had Cook stayed. I don't believe that. People said the same thing about Moss. i don't believe that either. Sometimes you can be a better team even if you lose a talented player, depending on how the others are able to pick up the slack, if it frees them to do things they do well, etc.

 

[PCHawk]

I honestly don't know if we do or not. Everyone said we would be a better team had Cook stayed. I don't believe that. People said the same thing about Moss. i don't believe that either. Sometimes you can be a better team even if you lose a talented player, depending on how the others are able to pick up the slack, if it frees them to do things they do well, etc.

Lately we could be a better team without him maybe. But again, that's his slump talking. Up until a month ago he was an extremely efficient scorer, a good rebounder, and an average defender. That's a plus all around player that makes a team better. If he for some reason just implodes and never gets his mojo back, the team would be just fine without him. But there's no reason to think that will be the case. Hell, last year he was quite possibly our best all around player.