Hawks better off in NIT this year

[STILLBUSTER]

And with that, bob just won the thread.

Not so fast, Ken. He referenced the "better off" portion of the thread title but omitted the even more important part, "THIS YEAR"

Ohhhhhh, score! Stillbuster edges the NIT argument back in the lead.
(Although, 1/2-point deduction for 3rd person reference. Dammitt!)

NEXT YEAR it's all-in, NCAA or bust.

 

[Seth53]

This year's NIT run = 2001 Alamo bowl.

A harbinger for greater things to come.

"Down" program on the rise...needs this type of experience to right itself again.

No shame in being in the NIT this year....none at all. Just the opposite.

If you think so, you're just not thinking.

 

[okeefe4prez]

No shame in being in the NIT this year....none at all. Just the opposite.

Readers - remember earlier when I compared the NIT to a fat girlfriend and riding a moped? Seff has had some fat girls and he rode a moped so take his point there with a grain of salt. There is shame in some third party telling your team they aren't as good as Boise Freaking State.

 

[LG210]

Are we better off in the NIT this year? Doesn't matter. It is a moot point. We didn't make the tourney.

All the players and coaches can do at this point is make the best of their NIT opportunity. They appear resolved to do so.

Tough luck for OK4P that his friends send him graphics in emails that make him sad. Hang in their, buddy.

Iowa fans can either watch the NIT games and enjoy them, watch the NIT games and sulk about not making the tourney, or not watch the NIT games. Every fan has his/her choice. I have watched the NIT games and enjoyed them.

It is nice to see the team playing well and improving. It is nice to see the team dedicated to winning. The win at UVA was a really nice win. I'm excited about the future of the program.

 

[okeefe4prez]

Are we better off in the NIT this year? Doesn't matter. It is a moot point. We didn't make the tourney.

All the players and coaches can do at this point is make the best of their NIT opportunity. They appear resolved to do so.

Tough luck for OK4P that his friends send him graphics in emails that make him sad. Hang in their, buddy.

Iowa fans can either watch the NIT games and enjoy them, watch the NIT games and sulk about not making the tourney, or not watch the NIT games. Every fan has his/her choice. I have watched the NIT games and enjoyed them.

It is nice to see the team playing well and improving. It is nice to see the team dedicated to winning. The win at UVA was a really nice win. I'm excited about the future of the program.

Dude, it's cool, I just caught on, I hadn't realized I have been trolled all day. You guys got me. Ever bince the whole durty 30 got banned I haven't been on my toes. Nice job.

 

[homes]

This. What the team has learned and developed, IMO, would have been unlikely to be accomplished had they reached the NCAA tourney. For one thing, receiving that bid would have required them to have already learned that lesson (and thus gotten a couple of those wins against the top teams). But they also wouldn't have had as good of a chance to win 3 games in the NCAA's.

You have to crawl (last year's NIT berth) before you can walk (what they've taken from this year's berth). And you have to walk before you can run (advance in the NCAA's).

So, in essence, the difference between running and walking this year was a lucky bounce 3-pointer by Wisconsin, and 2 long distance 3-pointers by Minnesota and Nebraska. I guess I'm not buying that those 3 plays somehow make Iowa better off this year by being in the NIT. In other words, if those 3 plays had gone the other way, would Iowa still be better off in the NIT?

 

[ssckelley]

Readers - remember earlier when I compared the NIT to a fat girlfriend and riding a moped? Seff has had some fat girls and he rode a moped so take his point there with a grain of salt. There is shame in some third party telling your team they aren't as good as Boise Freaking State.

Is this Seff?

 

[LG210]

Dude, it's cool, I just caught on, I hadn't realized I have been trolled all day. You guys got me. Ever bince the whole durty 30 got banned I haven't been on my toes. Nice job.

Let us know if you get any more emails that make you sad. We are here for you, brah.

 

[ibahawkeye]

I'm starting to think the difference is that Marble may just now be getting back to 100% both physically and obviously playing with a lot of confidence now too.
Turf toe and ankles can be nagging injuries but as of late he seems to have stepped his game up and he put his team on his back at times last night and carried them to a victory.

 

[blubberhawk]

tm - I forwarded that to Teddy Greenstein so if he ever retires as the resident "NIT is great" mouthpiece of the Chicago Tribune you can take his place.

Here's where your analysis is wrong. You are correct that Iowa better roll Stony Brook and Indiana State - nothing really gained there. But you claim the team "learned how to win." Hogwash. When you shoot 8-17 from three point land 100% on FTs, you simply had a good shooting night. You don't just "learn" a good shooting night, sometimes it happens, sometimes it doesn't. We basically beat what would have been a 12 or 13 seed team. I'd still have rather been that 12 or 13 seed and had a good shooting night against the likes of a UNLV or K State where we could have won an actual tournament game for the first time bince the Creighton game in Hempstead NY back in 2001.

I hope it springboards into something big next year, but I ain't counting on a lot of near 50% 3 pt and 100% FT shooting nights down the road.

Wow. You are tough to please..

A win on the road against Virginia is actually a better win than beating either of the teams you mentioned on a neutral court..
Iowa proved to themselves that they can beat a good team (24 wins) on their own court.
Duke couldn't do it.
North Carolina couldn't do it.
N.C. State couldn't do it.

 

[Seth53]

Readers - remember earlier when I compared the NIT to a fat girlfriend and riding a moped? Seff has had some fat girls and he rode a moped so take his point there with a grain of salt. There is shame in some third party telling your team they aren't as good as Boise Freaking State.

This is wide open for me to say it was your mom you saw riding with me on said moped, but being the gentleman and professional I am, I won't divulge that publicly.

 

[tm3308]

So, in essence, the difference between running and walking this year was a lucky bounce 3-pointer by Wisconsin, and 2 long distance 3-pointers by Minnesota and Nebraska. I guess I'm not buying that those 3 plays somehow make Iowa better off this year by being in the NIT. In other words, if those 3 plays had gone the other way, would Iowa still be better off in the NIT?

Those three plays aren't where the difference lies, IMO.

At Wisconsin: 9-point lead with 6:18 to play. Let it get away and allowed Jackson's shot to beat them.
At Nebraska: Up by as many as 19, ****** it away and gave Talley the opportunity to be a hero.
At Minnesota: Up by 4 with 2:12 to go. Hollins hits a three to give Minnesota the lead with 14 seconds left.

In all three of those losses, Iowa failed to hold a lead and close out the game. Even if Jackson, Talley, and Hollins all miss those pivotal shots, Iowa would have had to collapse to be in that coin flip situation. The issue wasn't the lucky bounce or what have you. It ran deeper than that.

Getting those lucky bounces would have put Iowa in the Dance but, IMO, they wouldn't have been ready for that.

 

[tm3308]

Wow. You are tough to please..

A win on the road against Virginia is actually a better win than beating either of the teams you mentioned on a neutral court..
Iowa proved to themselves that they can beat a good team (24 wins) on their own court.
Duke couldn't do it.
North Carolina couldn't do it.
N.C. State couldn't do it.

Miami and Maryland couldn't do it, either.

 

[woodyk1]

This is wide open for me to say it was your mom you saw riding with me on said moped, but being the gentleman and professional I am, I won't divulge that publicly.

 

[okeefe4prez]

This is wide open for me to say it was your mom you saw riding with me on said moped, but being the gentleman and professional I am, I won't divulge that publicly.

Um, yeah Seff, what have you prescribed yourself? My mom is nowhere near fat enough for your taste and you know it.

 

[swanssy]

FWIW, anyone who wants to rationalize how we're better off than possibly being in LaSalle's current position is kidding themselves. Playing in MSG is a nice parting gift for May, but I'm sure he would take a sweet 16 against Wichita St. any day.

 

[tm3308]

FWIW, anyone who wants to rationalize how we're better off than possibly being in LaSalle's current position is kidding themselves. Playing in MSG is a nice parting gift for May, but I'm sure he would take a sweet 16 against Wichita St. any day.

Absolutely. But I also doubt we'd be in the Sweet 16 if we'd made the tournament.

We'd more likely be in Montana's shoes.

 

[Rlesterfan]

This thread is full of some real good points on both sides. I have been leaning to choosing this NIT run over a one and done, but that is all selfish because I am having so much fun watching them play and don't want it to end.

But are they really learning anything? It's debatable.....maybe law of shooting averages are just coming back around for them.

Good stuff!

This is a real good point. Iowa was due for some breaks going there way, and they have gotten hot in the NIT. I think this team was a little better most of the year than people thought.

However, the improvement of Marble is pretty dramatic. If he plays like this next year he will have a year to remember.

 

[Rlesterfan]

Are we better off in the NIT this year? Doesn't matter. It is a moot point. We didn't make the tourney.

All the players and coaches can do at this point is make the best of their NIT opportunity. They appear resolved to do so.

Tough luck for OK4P that his friends send him graphics in emails that make him sad. Hang in their, buddy.

Iowa fans can either watch the NIT games and enjoy them, watch the NIT games and sulk about not making the tourney, or not watch the NIT games. Every fan has his/her choice. I have watched the NIT games and enjoyed them.

It is nice to see the team playing well and improving. It is nice to see the team dedicated to winning. The win at UVA was a really nice win. I'm excited about the future of the program.

I agree

Seeing this team play so well has made me think about next year. An Iowa team doesn't have a chance to win the BIG every year, but they do next year.

Every players goal should be bringing home the first championship to Iowa City since 1979. Been far too long. They will be remembered forever if they do, no matter what happens in the NCAA.

 

[swanssy]

Absolutely. But I also doubt we'd be in the Sweet 16 if we'd made the tournament.

We'd more likely be in Montana's shoes.

The only thing preventing us being in LaSalle's shoes would be Wisconsin staying there as the 5. Maybe that even played a role in us being left out? Who knows.