HN's Full Rundown of Fran's Presser Today

[koralakers]

With BIG being ONLY conf to play TWENTY games, and being the BEST overall conference. I have no problem with a few tune up games thrown in, to test some of the second team/younger guys-to see ‘what they have’, before playing the Wisconsin’s and MSUs

 

[tmess1989]

With BIG being ONLY conf to play TWENTY games, and being the BEST overall conference. I have no problem with a few tune up games thrown in, to test some of the second team/younger guys-to see ‘what they have’, before playing the Wisconsin’s and MSUs

This past year there were only 5 or 6 teams on the schedule that I felt going into the season were tune up games. I'd prefer to have at least 1 more P5 team on next years schedule but playing 20 league games will boost their SOS. Being a preseason top 10 team will mean that almost any game that Iowa schedules against a P5 team will get a spot on ESPN.

 

[Hawknigh]

If they have the best post scorer in the nation surrounded by the 3 of the best 3 point shooters in the nation, I'm pretty sure plenty of people will show up to watch that.

I would think Garza alone should pack in the crowds, but I have my doubts. Overall, it seems that fans are on a downward trend of attendance. I doubt the current crisis will help, especially if fans get their "come back fix" from football.

 

[dirtwrap]

I don't know why everyone is so upset about a weaker non conference. In most seasons, we are a bubblish type team and strength of schedule matters in the end when you have a 20-12 type season. But this year, we will be a preseason top 5 with probably one showcase game in the ACC challenge. We win that, I don't care what our non conference looks like, we will be knocking on the door of a #1 team in the nation. If I am Fran, I don't want these guys trying to prove they belong at the top, I want them to believe it and see it and watch them develop as a favorite. So I am all about banking wins, as many as I can, because that exposure of being at the top all year long will be worth way more than a strength of schedule ranking in the end.

 

[revkev73]

I like the weak schedule, gives Luka a chance to run up some big double-doubles before the serious season starts.

 

[RobHowe]

 

[ModebaSan]

I don’t care who we play. We should have the mentality of to take on all comers, whether they are top P5 or anyone else. Anytime, anywhere. I would love to see an undefeated non-conf record of 11-0 going into conference play. We will get everyone’s best shot this year so I hope the Hawks get jacked up no matter who we play.

 

[SpiderRico]

With the 20 game conference schedule, plus Gavitt game, plus ACC/B1G Challenge game, plus Iowa State....I don't really care who we play after that as long as we avoid the 300+ NET teams.

 

[Northside Hawk]

I don't know why everyone is so upset about a weaker non conference. In most seasons, we are a bubblish type team and strength of schedule matters in the end when you have a 20-12 type season. But this year, we will be a preseason top 5 with probably one showcase game in the ACC challenge. We win that, I don't care what our non conference looks like, we will be knocking on the door of a #1 team in the nation. If I am Fran, I don't want these guys trying to prove they belong at the top, I want them to believe it and see it and watch them develop as a favorite. So I am all about banking wins, as many as I can, because that exposure of being at the top all year long will be worth way more than a strength of schedule ranking in the end.

We were on track to be a five or six seed, perhaps higher with a good representation in the conference tournament, and our non con had a lot to do with that.

We won several conference games, especially from January through the game @ Minnesota, by being the tougher, more poised team down the stretch. Our November/December helped set us up for that, as it has for countless other conference teams. Our abysmal record in close games under Fran from 2010-2018 can be greatly attributed to not being tested enough pre conference. I would take a non con like the past year any day of the week.

 

[Thawki]

I don't understand. Fran likely has his best team ever and will come into the season with a ton of hype....and instead of going to some destination tournament he wants to host Savannah state, Mercer and the citadel?

I won’t say this was in his thought process, but there is a chance that going outside of the US to play a basketball tournament in this calendar year might not be possible.

With the amount of games now in the B10 hoops regular season schedule, the non-con schedule doesn’t need to have as many quality games. We are in the toughest conference in the country top to bottom. We play 20 conference games. The schedule is not complete and could contain a couple more quality foes.

Please refrain from being that person who criticizes when the entire schedule is not in yet. And if you are being critical, I would be curious to know your age.

 

[Northside Hawk]

Too many sub 300's in the non con + 10-10 B1G record + early exit in conference tournament = dreaded 7-10 seed in the NCAA'S, if not NIT. History has proven that at Iowa since the 1990's.

And people wonder why we have one sweet sixteen appearance in 32 years.

 

[dirtwrap]

Too many sub 300's in the non con + 10-10 B1G record + early exit in conference tournament = dreaded 7-10 seed in the NCAA'S, if not NIT. History has proven that at Iowa since the 1990's.

And people wonder why we have one sweet sixteen appearance in 32 years.

The problem is not the non con, it's the conference record. 10-10 conference record plus 10-2 non con record results in 20-12, smack dab on the 8-9 line. 10-10 conference record with a 7-5 non con even against tough competition results in 17-15 and bubble at best or NIT. Any way you look at it, 10-10 conference record result in playing a 1 or 2 seed in second round of NCAA, teams stacked with NBA guys that we just haven't had.

Conversely, we go 16-4 in conference this year with a 12-0 or 11-1 cupcake non con in a year that pre season will have us hyped, then the result is 28-4 or 27-5 and probably on the 1 line.

SOS does matter when comparing teams for seeding purposes or bubble consideration because of their lack of wins. At the end of the day, wins matter the most, and this year I hope we pile them on.

 

[PCHawk]

The problem is not the non con, it's the conference record. 10-10 conference record plus 10-2 non con record results in 20-12, smack dab on the 8-9 line. 10-10 conference record with a 7-5 non con even against tough competition results in 17-15 and bubble at best or NIT. Any way you look at it, 10-10 conference record result in playing a 1 or 2 seed in second round of NCAA, teams stacked with NBA guys that we just haven't had.

Conversely, we go 16-4 in conference this year with a 12-0 or 11-1 cupcake non con in a year that pre season will have us hyped, then the result is 28-4 or 27-5 and probably on the 1 line.

SOS does matter when comparing teams for seeding purposes or bubble consideration because of their lack of wins. At the end of the day, wins matter the most, and this year I hope we pile them on.

I agree with this. I tough non conference schedule is just as likely to bite you in the ass as it is to toughen you up. That's not to say I wouldn't rather have one. It just means it isn't some big reason for not making sweet 16s.

 

[PCHawk]

Hell, this year we had a really tough non conference strength of schedule and we didn't even get in the tournament....

 

[NikeHawk21]

The thing is because of our preseason projection coming into this year we should get really good draws in the ACC/B1G challenge and the Gavvitt games. My guess would be Creighton and then potentially (Duke, NC, Louisville, Virginia).

Again I’ve also speculated that with a lot of guys looking for minutes this year a few cupcakes might be the way to see what we have in some of these freshman. Obviously we should redshirt at least two, but you are still going to have a few others that don’t take redshirts and it would be nice to get them some experience.

 

[Northside Hawk]

I agree with this. I tough non conference schedule is just as likely to bite you in the ass as it is to toughen you up. That's not to say I wouldn't rather have one. It just means it isn't some big reason for not making sweet 16s.

Drawing Villanova, Kentucky or Duke in the second round is the single biggest reason we have made exactly one sweet sixteen in 32 years. I would bet we have drawn the eventual national champion at least five times. You need to have a high RPI, or BPI, or whatever it is these days, to help improve your seeding.

Teams with higher metrics ratings can easily jump teams in their conference who have better conference records. In 1998 Iowa had a better conference record than Indiana and swept them in head to head that year. It didn't stop the NCAA committee from extending a bid to Indiana and sending Iowa to the NIT.

 

[NikeHawk21]

Drawing Villanova, Kentucky or Duke in the second round is the single biggest reason we have made exactly one sweet sixteen in 32 years. I would bet we have drawn the eventual national champion at least five times. You need to have a high RPI, or BPI, or whatever it is these days, to help improve your seeding.

Teams with higher metrics ratings can easily jump teams in their conference who have better conference records. In 1998 Iowa had a better conference record than Indiana and swept them in head to head that year. It didn't stop the NCAA committee from extending a bid to Indiana and sending Iowa to the NIT.

This team on paper looks like one of the best teams we have had though. If we play to what we are capable of in the B1G we will be a 6 seed or better and won’t have any concern about playing those schools in the second round.

Honestly this team returns a ton of experience. Bohannon, Garza, Wieskamp, and Connor McCaffery have all been through the wars. Fredrick and Toussaint got plenty of experience last year. With a 20 game conference schedule looming I don’t mind a lighter non conference schedule this year, given the experience we have. Let’s make a run at a B1G title.

 

[RobHowe]

The non-conference schedule is unpredictable.

Iowa left the Big Four for a neutral court matchup with Cincinnati last year. The Bearcats ended up 51 in the NET. UNI, who Iowa would have played in the Big Four, was 48.

Iowa State on the road, normally a strong win, ended up being against a Cyclone team that finished 96 in the NET. The Hawkeyes won at Syracuse, which ended up 61 in NET.

The home loss to DePaul was bad. It ended up 86 in NET and under .500. The loss at Nebraska also was bad. Huskers were 199 in NET.

I'm of the belief that this team will be fine with the schedule it plays next season. Eliminating the bad losses will be a key.

 

[RobHowe]

Also, ICYMI, the NCAA has adjusted the NET Rankings:

LINK

 

[Northside Hawk]

This team on paper looks like one of the best teams we have had though. If we play to what we are capable of in the B1G we will be a 6 seed or better and won’t have any concern about playing those schools in the second round.

Honestly this team returns a ton of experience. Bohannon, Garza, Wieskamp, and Connor McCaffery have all been through the wars. Fredrick and Toussaint got plenty of experience last year. With a 20 game conference schedule looming I don’t mind a lighter non conference schedule this year, given the experience we have. Let’s make a run at a B1G title.

I can agree with that. When you are going into hostile B1G arenas with the sometimes difficult travel logistics and everything else, it helps to have an experienced core of players who have been through the wars a couple of times.