I
ILHawk
Guest
Dec 23, 2012
Kill Date Dec 23, 2012
Iowa Fans at Odds! or Iowa Fans Just Plain Odd?
Iowa enters the B1G portion of the schedule with fans at odds about how good the Hawkeyes really are. Long gone are the days when a disappointing season was not advancing to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA post season tourney. Now, fans anxiously anticipate the day when they are invited to the “Big Danceâ€.
The 2011-2012 season was a perplexing one for the Hawk fans. The east Iowa round ballers struggled against what was one of the easiest non-conference schedules for a D1 school in a major conference, losing to several very lowly ranked teams in the RPI, yet soundly beating others. Fans, growing used to expecting the worst, endured when the Hawks took a few drubbings on the road in the B1G and yet beat perennial power Wisconsin, both home and away, adding excitement and hope of making the big dance. Also embedded in the schedule were a couple of drubbings at the hand of Michigan State and frustrating loses to Northwestern (2 times), and Nebraska. The Hawks surprised Minnesota also twice and a pretty good Indiana team on their way to posting a near even Big Ten record.
Losing their team leader to graduation, the Hawks entered the 2012-13 season with higher, yet unsure expectations. They golden raptors progressed through the pre-B1G season with only 2 losses and double digit wins. Questions remain as the Hawks moved through the 2[SUP]nd[/SUP] weakest schedule of B1G teams, with no real road wins and losses to Wichita State and Virginia Tech. VT is currently ranked 178 in the RPI and WSU is 21[SUP]st[/SUP], despite no wins against really strong competition. VT has wins against teams similar to those on WSU’s schedule, but has a really bad loss against a Georgia Southern team with wins against only 2 D-1 opponents.
Adding to the fervor and argumentation amongst fans is Iowa’s 67[SUP]th[/SUP] ranking in RPI, a number much higher than has been achieved in recent years, showing major improvement. A well-known TV analyst has joined in the conversation by saying he thinks Iowa is pretty good.
However, a quick glance at the power rankings show the Hawks trailing such teams as hated 5[SUP]th[/SUP] ranked New Mexico. Unknowns Murray State and Belmont at 15[SUP]th[/SUP] and 19[SUP]th[/SUP] respectively, LaSalle, Canisius, and Stephen F. Austin, all in the mid-20’s, and perennial low caliber IL Chicago at number 30. Football power Alabama checked in at 29[SUP]th[/SUP]. Also out-gunning Iowa in the RPI are McNeese State, UCSB, and Northwestern State with 7 D-1 wins combined. Perhaps the most frustrating ranking for Hawk fans are being less highly thought of by the ranking statistics than the despised and vanquished by the Hawks, the Iowa State Cyclones.
With the B1G Hawk schedule off to a brutal start by facing so many highly ranked teams at the beginning of January, Hawk fans will begin to get a feel for where Iowa really stands among basketball powers. Or perhaps maybe they won’t get that feel as the unfair beginning schedule and just down right awful and Hawk hating officials begin to take their toll on this group of young Hawks.
So, unless Iowa vanquishes half of the early opponents and nearly runs the table with the rest of the schedule, expect Iowa fans to continue to argue about how good the Hawks really are and how the officials cheated the birds of prey from the beautiful prairie state out of the wins needed to make the Big Dance.
By, the Troll
Kill Date Dec 23, 2012
Iowa Fans at Odds! or Iowa Fans Just Plain Odd?
Iowa enters the B1G portion of the schedule with fans at odds about how good the Hawkeyes really are. Long gone are the days when a disappointing season was not advancing to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA post season tourney. Now, fans anxiously anticipate the day when they are invited to the “Big Danceâ€.
The 2011-2012 season was a perplexing one for the Hawk fans. The east Iowa round ballers struggled against what was one of the easiest non-conference schedules for a D1 school in a major conference, losing to several very lowly ranked teams in the RPI, yet soundly beating others. Fans, growing used to expecting the worst, endured when the Hawks took a few drubbings on the road in the B1G and yet beat perennial power Wisconsin, both home and away, adding excitement and hope of making the big dance. Also embedded in the schedule were a couple of drubbings at the hand of Michigan State and frustrating loses to Northwestern (2 times), and Nebraska. The Hawks surprised Minnesota also twice and a pretty good Indiana team on their way to posting a near even Big Ten record.
Losing their team leader to graduation, the Hawks entered the 2012-13 season with higher, yet unsure expectations. They golden raptors progressed through the pre-B1G season with only 2 losses and double digit wins. Questions remain as the Hawks moved through the 2[SUP]nd[/SUP] weakest schedule of B1G teams, with no real road wins and losses to Wichita State and Virginia Tech. VT is currently ranked 178 in the RPI and WSU is 21[SUP]st[/SUP], despite no wins against really strong competition. VT has wins against teams similar to those on WSU’s schedule, but has a really bad loss against a Georgia Southern team with wins against only 2 D-1 opponents.
Adding to the fervor and argumentation amongst fans is Iowa’s 67[SUP]th[/SUP] ranking in RPI, a number much higher than has been achieved in recent years, showing major improvement. A well-known TV analyst has joined in the conversation by saying he thinks Iowa is pretty good.
However, a quick glance at the power rankings show the Hawks trailing such teams as hated 5[SUP]th[/SUP] ranked New Mexico. Unknowns Murray State and Belmont at 15[SUP]th[/SUP] and 19[SUP]th[/SUP] respectively, LaSalle, Canisius, and Stephen F. Austin, all in the mid-20’s, and perennial low caliber IL Chicago at number 30. Football power Alabama checked in at 29[SUP]th[/SUP]. Also out-gunning Iowa in the RPI are McNeese State, UCSB, and Northwestern State with 7 D-1 wins combined. Perhaps the most frustrating ranking for Hawk fans are being less highly thought of by the ranking statistics than the despised and vanquished by the Hawks, the Iowa State Cyclones.
With the B1G Hawk schedule off to a brutal start by facing so many highly ranked teams at the beginning of January, Hawk fans will begin to get a feel for where Iowa really stands among basketball powers. Or perhaps maybe they won’t get that feel as the unfair beginning schedule and just down right awful and Hawk hating officials begin to take their toll on this group of young Hawks.
So, unless Iowa vanquishes half of the early opponents and nearly runs the table with the rest of the schedule, expect Iowa fans to continue to argue about how good the Hawks really are and how the officials cheated the birds of prey from the beautiful prairie state out of the wins needed to make the Big Dance.
