Here's How the Players Feel When They Lose...

All I know is the Indiana game now scares the crap out of me. They haven’t won much recently but they’ll be playing with nothing to lose. Also the NW game showed regardless of home or away it’s hard to beat a team twice.
Indiana is coming off a “late” game loss to their in-State rival. All their eggs were in this basket to right their conference season. Eggs broke. Humpty-dumpty.

Now .... I’m not sure I would want to play them in the BTT. Langford and the Whoosiers might decide to show for that.

But Iowa is everyone else’s slump buster.
Mary and Turgeon thank us.
 
Indiana is coming off a “late” game loss to their in-State rival. All their eggs were in this basket to right their conference season. Eggs broke. Humpty-dumpty.

Now .... I’m not sure I would want to play them in the BTT. Langford and the Whoosiers might decide to show for that.

But Iowa is everyone else’s slump buster.
Mary and Turgeon thank us.

Good point about the Purdue game. Playing them 3 days later is about as good of timing as it gets for us.
 
I knew the Maryland game was gonna be a tough game. Bruno Fernando is a beast under the basket. Without him, Maryland would be a middle of the pack team. He is not a scoring machine, but he can get double figures. It’s his rebounding and shotblocking ability that can alter a game. This is the kinda player I wish we had on our team. Iowa lacks that shotblocker and dominate rebounder. If I can add just one player to our team and not lose any other players, I’d take Fernando and we’d be a Final Four team. I dont like to see us lose, but there are times that there are players on other teams I’d like to see on our team. I know some would take a point gaurd, but there’s a lot to like about a team that can dominate the frontline. Especially if you gotta go up against the likes of Duke and Kentucky down the road.
 
Maryland is one of only 8 teams in the country to have an offensive AND defensive efficiency ranking in the Top 25. The other 7 are as follows:

Duke
Virginia
Gonzaga
Michigan St
Kentucky
North Carolina
Louisville

That's it. And they have those efficiency rankings against the 18th toughest schedule in the country.

So as bad as we played, we still had a chance to win this one against a team that I think is going to make some serious noise in March.

Just have to put it behind us and come out and bury Indiana on Friday.
 
Maryland is one of only 8 teams in the country to have an offensive AND defensive efficiency ranking in the Top 25. The other 7 are as follows:

Duke
Virginia
Gonzaga
Michigan St
Kentucky
North Carolina
Louisville

That's it.

So as bad as we played, we still had a chance to win this one against a team that I think is going to make some serious noise in March.

Just have to put it behind us and come out and bury Indiana on Friday.

Since 2002, every national champ but 1 has finished in the top 20 nationally in both O and D efficiency - Maryland is right there. It was a missed opportunity but that's it. We lost to a good team, I can accept that. We have no business losing to Indiana at home Friday tho and if Iowa does, they are going to be looking at a 7 or 8 seed.
 
Maryland is going to be a sleeper pick come March Madness. They do pretty much everything really well....defend, rebound, good outside shooting, good post play....the only thing they don't do is turn teams over. Except for us, of course! :)
 
Garza is from that area and Maryland is one of the good Div 1 teams out there, so, I'm sure he wanted to have a good showing and for the team. No wonder he's disappointed.

That disappointment is a good sign as far as the teams goes. It would be bad if there was no noticeable reaction, that would mean apathy set in. So, as much as it hurts it is a good sign seeing that reaction. That means they are still hungry.
 
It's a loss, not the end of the world. They didn't play well enough to win....but still were in position to win at the end. That's gonna happen in a 31 game season. The fact that they don't wilt is very encouraging to me and speaks volumes to the chemistry of this team. I love this team. Are they all time great @ Iowa? I don't know. I personally think it's Fran's best team. But that's just my opinion. They have already performed so far over my expectations that everything from here on out is gravy. Of course I want more, but of course when you play a quality opponent and spot light is on, you don't play as well. That's every team in the country when they are playing quality opponents. Let's not act like this team didn't hand Michigan its 2nd loss of the season under the spotlight less than 20 days ago. Good teams lose, ask @BryceC


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The fact that they don't have Wilt is not very encouraging to me and speaks volumes to the chemistry of the team.

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Even if we had him for one only play

:cool:
 
An inconsistent team at this point of the season. Without 2 miracle wins we are nothing more than a bubble team.
Is it me or did that last drawn up play look like one we see failed by Mike Gesell for 4 consecutive years....might want to look around ...on the film you see 2 guys were wide open for dunks on that forced 25 foot shot.Common sense does not fit into this teams chemistry.
 
I knew the Maryland game was gonna be a tough game. Bruno Fernando is a beast under the basket. Without him, Maryland would be a middle of the pack team. He is not a scoring machine, but he can get double figures. It’s his rebounding and shotblocking ability that can alter a game. This is the kinda player I wish we had on our team. Iowa lacks that shotblocker and dominate rebounder. If I can add just one player to our team and not lose any other players, I’d take Fernando and we’d be a Final Four team. I dont like to see us lose, but there are times that there are players on other teams I’d like to see on our team. I know some would take a point gaurd, but there’s a lot to like about a team that can dominate the frontline. Especially if you gotta go up against the likes of Duke and Kentucky down the road.

I think Nunge gives us this next year. It will be sad to see Cook go especially because we don't have any other stud athletes on the roster, but if Moss stays with Nunge, Pemsl, Pat, Toussaint, and CJ all joining the fold, I think we'll be in great shape. Just have to figure out how to trim the rotations down.
 
Since 2002, every national champ but 1 has finished in the top 20 nationally in both O and D efficiency - Maryland is right there. It was a missed opportunity but that's it. We lost to a good team, I can accept that. We have no business losing to Indiana at home Friday tho and if Iowa does, they are going to be looking at a 7 or 8 seed.
Before the game I was hopeful but also thinking okay if we lose not the end of the world in the grand scheme of things.

To me it was just the playing poorly thing that is gettting slightly alarming. The turnover bug is back and our offense doesn’t look very fluid. Defense looked okay at times but also yielded a ton of wide open 3s.

Either way it really puts the pressure on for the Indiana game and that one has me very nervous. It’s kind of one of those no win situations against a team that has some talent. They will have some motivation after we beat them on their home floor as well.
 
I think Nunge gives us this next year. It will be sad to see Cook go especially because we don't have any other stud athletes on the roster, but if Moss stays with Nunge, Pemsl, Pat, Toussaint, and CJ all joining the fold, I think we'll be in great shape. Just have to figure out how to trim the rotations down.
I thought to myself after the game we really could have used Nunge last night. Garza’s defensive shortcoming have really been on display the last few weeks. Kriener gives a good effort but he’s only 6’9 and still pretty slow of foot. Cook has the athleticism but gets caught standing way too often.

Nunge at 6’11 moves very well. If he’s put on some strength I think he can provide a lot of the defensive end in the coming years.
 
An inconsistent team at this point of the season. Without 2 miracle wins we are nothing more than a bubble team.
Is it me or did that last drawn up play look like one we see failed by Mike Gesell for 4 consecutive years....might want to look around ...on the film you see 2 guys were wide open for dunks on that forced 25 foot shot.Common sense does not fit into this teams chemistry.

Well if we had 2 wide open guys for dunks, I'd say the play was drawn up pretty darn well. Bohannon deciding to shoot no matter what is on him and him alone. He did his job tho. Got fouled with a chance to go 2 for 3 from the line to take the lead. He did the only thing he could control. It's not his fault the foul didn't get called.
 
Before the game I was hopeful but also thinking okay if we lose not the end of the world in the grand scheme of things.

To me it was just the playing poorly thing that is gettting slightly alarming. The turnover bug is back and our offense doesn’t look very fluid. Defense looked okay at times but also yielded a ton of wide open 3s.

Either way it really puts the pressure on for the Indiana game and that one has me very nervous. It’s kind of one of those no win situations against a team that has some talent. They will have some motivation after we beat them on their home floor as well.

Indiana game is important to keep us in the 6 seed or higher talk, but I don't agree that the team has been playing poorly lately. They shot poorly last night, had some sloppy TO's but IMO - the effort and D was there. Sometimes, the ball doesn't go in. IMO that's gonna happen when you play upper tier teams, or at least, it happens to MOST teams when they play upper tier teams.

Iowa is 9-3 in their last 12 after starting conference play 0-3 - think about that. Is 9-3 in what people are saying is either the #1 or #2 conference in the country "poor play" as of late? IMO, and I think most would say that they are playing as well as any team in the country over the last month and a half. That said, I know what you mean - the last second shots could have went either way - but those are common end of game scenario's for good teams. You steal a few that you don't normally. I too am concerned about the turnovers, but most of them don't bother me unless it's MD or Kriener - because to me, they seem to turn the ball over at a higher rate then most considering their minutes.
 
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I thought to myself after the game we really could have used Nunge last night. Garza’s defensive shortcoming have really been on display the last few weeks. Kriener gives a good effort but he’s only 6’9 and still pretty slow of foot. Cook has the athleticism but gets caught standing way too often.

Nunge at 6’11 moves very well. If he’s put on some strength I think he can provide a lot of the defensive end in the coming years.

I am excited for Nunge back. Pemsl would have made a difference in that one as well.
 
An inconsistent team at this point of the season. Without 2 miracle wins we are nothing more than a bubble team.
Is it me or did that last drawn up play look like one we see failed by Mike Gesell for 4 consecutive years....might want to look around ...on the film you see 2 guys were wide open for dunks on that forced 25 foot shot.Common sense does not fit into this teams chemistry.

Win those games, we're inconsistent. Lose those games, we're inconsistent. That's a tougher grading curve. Iowa is 9-3 over their last 12 since starting the conference 0-3. How do people lose track of stuff like that? Iowa has been very consistent all season actually, one of the most in the sport.
 
I don't know about "outplayed". Both seemed to take their turns. Maryland made the key play, at the right time on a night where the Hawks couldn't break out of their 4-game funk.

I was a little disparaging of the Hawks, last night - the whole, when the lights are on and the quality of opponent goes up, the ugly is revealed. It's true but not in a, "Iowa is a bad team" sort of way.

Are they a top 20 team? No. Are they a top 30-35 team? Definitely and certainly an NCAA caliber team. Same goes for Maryland (who gets their fair share of love).

Hawks played poorly and couldn't make shots most of the game. They lost focus at a crucial time and couldn't seize their opportunity at the end. They can get away with that against lesser, NIT caliber teams but not against other NCAA caliber teams.

Time to shake it off, refocus and start playing to their abilities. They're good enough to be a 2nd weekend tourney team or, as last night (last 2 weeks) have shown, they can be "we made the NCAA" team.

With the play in games isn’t there like 68 to 70 teams that can say they got to play in the NCAA? That’s like bragging about playing is the frozen bowl in New York City. In other word s it’s nice to get to the tourney but one and done is nothing to crow about. When it becomes your pride and joy just to get to the tourney for a university laced with the money, facilities, and fan base Iowa has THEN there is a serious problem with your program.
 
In the scheme of the season, the loss doesn't mean much. Iowa isn't going to win the bigten, focus is on getting into the tournament, being rested and hitting on all cylinders.

Losing bothers winners, losers get used to it.
 
I for one, was kind of encouraged by several things last night. Iowa didn't win and that's ultimately what matters but here are things I saw.

Besides maybe Moss, not one starter had a good game. That's happened very rarely. Part of that was Maryland, part of that is shots aren't falling. But the bench had 26 points and Iowa had a chance to win. They got 2 great looks in the final play of the game. It didn't fall. You accept that and move on.

The D was as good as it's been all year. The 2-3 Zone is really working and Iowa is changing up D's and causing other teams issues. Fernando didn't really get going, Iowa for the most part bottled him up. Maryland had multiple shot clock violations. At least 3 maybe more? And some shots that went in that were contested. If Iowa shots a little better, the D would have been even better with time to set up after more makes.

It sucked to lose - but I am not going to turn this into an over reaction. If they lose to Indiana (and they could) - I will probably change my tune considerably.
 
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