HN's Full Rundown of Fran's Presser Today

Northside Hawk said:
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.
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Agree. So along those lines I can see the logic behind having a lighter non conference schedule this year.

You have a core of guys that many believe can make a run at a conference title and already know what it takes to win in the B1G. You want them to be fresh and ready for a 20 game conference slate. In addition you are bringing in a 5 man class of freshman and you likely want to get some of those guys some run in the non conference to see what you have.

I certainly wouldn’t have been disappointed to get into a good non conference tourney, but I can see the logic. It’s also possible that for whatever reason it just didn’t logistically work out or Fran turned down a lower level tournament because it simply wasn’t worth it.
 
Northside Hawk said:
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.
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If we would have scheduled better non conference teams those years and lost, we might not have even made the tournament.
 
NikeHawk21 said:
Agree. So along those lines I can see the logic behind having a lighter non conference schedule this year.

You have a core of guys that many believe can make a run at a conference title and already know what it takes to win in the B1G. You want them to be fresh and ready for a 20 game conference slate. In addition you are bringing in a 5 man class of freshman and you likely want to get some of those guys some run in the non conference to see what you have.

I certainly wouldn’t have been disappointed to get into a good non conference tourney, but I can see the logic. It’s also possible that for whatever reason it just didn’t logistically work out or Fran turned down a lower level tournament because it simply wasn’t worth it.
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PCHawk said:
If we would have scheduled better non conference teams those years and lost, we might not have even made the tournament.
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I still think a tough non com helps prepare you for those tough conference road games.

Winning on the road in the B1G separates the wheat from the chaff and has for the four decades I've observed.
 
I checked and it was indeed five since Duke in 1991

1991, 92 Duke
1997 Kentucky
1999 UConn
2016 Villanova.

Teams who won titles that we played in the regular season (excluding conference teams) include Kansas, North Carolina, UNLV, and probably others.
 
Thawki said:
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.
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I almost never criticize schedules. With the team he has next year I just dont get why Fran wouldnt be beating down doors to get into an early season showcase tournament. Thats all

I went down to the Battle 4 Atlantis when Iowa was there. It was one of my top all-time sports experiences. It was just a ton of fun and Iowa nearly won the whole thing. Now Fran is going to have a top 10 team and they're going to stay home and play some cupcakes instead. Its disappointing
 
mopkins said:
I almost never criticize schedules. With the team he has next year I just dont get why Fran wouldnt be beating down doors to get into an early season showcase tournament. Thats all

I went down to the Battle 4 Atlantis when Iowa was there. It was one of my top all-time sports experiences. It was just a ton of fun and Iowa nearly won the whole thing. Now Fran is going to have a top 10 team and they're going to stay home and play some cupcakes instead. Its disappointing
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Not sure if you’ve been following what’s going on in the world, there’s a thread on it somewhere
 
mopkins said:
Yeah well...it seems like every single other big ten team had zero issues signing up for a preseason exempt tournament.
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right right, but just cause they are schedule don't mean much. I mean, I've had tickets to see Sturgill Simpson that has been reschedule 4 times now...I'm not counting on it any time soon. I just don't really blame schools for saying "hey we're fine with staying home this year" in the worlds current climate. Lots of money has been lost already, budgets are going to look very different in the coming months. This schedule looks like a school fairly aware of the worlds circumstance. I wanna see them play a bunch of tough teams too, I just kind of get it right now. Last season showed me it's not that Iowa is scared to play a tough schedule.
 
InGoodCo said:
right right, but just cause they are schedule don't mean much. I mean, I've had tickets to see Sturgill Simpson that has been reschedule 4 times now...I'm not counting on it any time soon. I just don't really blame schools for saying "hey we're fine with staying home this year" in the worlds current climate. Lots of money has been lost already, budgets are going to look very different in the coming months. This schedule looks like a school fairly aware of the worlds circumstance. I wanna see them play a bunch of tough teams too, I just kind of get it right now. Last season showed me it's not that Iowa is scared to play a tough schedule.
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oh yeah let me be clear I'm not mad or outraged or anything, I just think its stupid they have probably their best team of the Fran era and they didnt get into an exempt tournament.
 
mopkins said:
Yeah well...it seems like every single other big ten team had zero issues signing up for a preseason exempt tournament.
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This came out from Nebraska's AD today. I honestly think this is why Iowa is not playing in one of those exempt tournaments. They are going to have to make dramatic cuts to their budgets this fall. Uncertainty with travel and budget is going to mean that a lot of these teams are gonna decide to stay home if they can or still are capable and can do so without being in breach of contract.


 
InGoodCo said:
right right, but just cause they are schedule don't mean much. I mean, I've had tickets to see Sturgill Simpson that has been reschedule 4 times now...I'm not counting on it any time soon. I just don't really blame schools for saying "hey we're fine with staying home this year" in the worlds current climate. Lots of money has been lost already, budgets are going to look very different in the coming months. This schedule looks like a school fairly aware of the worlds circumstance. I wanna see them play a bunch of tough teams too, I just kind of get it right now. Last season showed me it's not that Iowa is scared to play a tough schedule.
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The schedule was set will before the Rona outbreak, but the schedule makes sense now.
 
A lot of assumptions here. The big assumption is Garza coming back. If you think Iowa is competing for a title without him someone has spiked the cool aid and a lot of people are drinking it.

If he returns then yes we will be one of the favorites. If he doesn’t come back then it just another mid level Franny pack.
 
ForeverHawk said:
The schedule was set will before the Rona outbreak, but the schedule makes sense now.
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No it wasn't. They just finalized the TOSU game in SD recently. They aren't even completely done with THIS years schedule NOW...like today, so it wasn't set "will" before the Rona outbreak, it's not even set now.
 
InGoodCo said:
right right, but just cause they are schedule don't mean much. I mean, I've had tickets to see Sturgill Simpson that has been reschedule 4 times now...I'm not counting on it any time soon. I just don't really blame schools for saying "hey we're fine with staying home this year" in the worlds current climate. Lots of money has been lost already, budgets are going to look very different in the coming months. This schedule looks like a school fairly aware of the worlds circumstance. I wanna see them play a bunch of tough teams too, I just kind of get it right now. Last season showed me it's not that Iowa is scared to play a tough schedule.
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The Sturgill Simpson concert in Madison was originally to be April 10, was rescheduled for May 12, was put on hold again and tentatively rescheduled for the fall, then cancelled altogether. I got a refund notice about six weeks ago and the actual refund some time after that.

It's a bummer but no problem. Have you heard of a band named Pony Creek? I'll have to check them out sometime! I've heard somewhere that the guitar player is a huge Hawk fan.
 
Northside Hawk said:
The Sturgill Simpson concert in Madison was originally to be April 10, was rescheduled for May 12, was put on hold again and tentatively rescheduled for the fall, then cancelled altogether. I got a refund notice about six weeks ago and the actual refund some time after that.

It's a bummer but no problem. Have you heard of a band named Pony Creek? I'll have to check them out sometime! I've heard somewhere that the guitar player is a huge Hawk fan.
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Total bummer, but he'll be back. I was just really hoping to see that tour. I really liked the experimental album. I mean, I like the country stuff more, but I enjoyed the change up.

Pony Creek on the other hand has our first gig in 4 months at The Waiting Room here in Omaha Friday night. Pretty pumped.

here's another live track we released for your viewing pleasure. Sang but the much better half of Pony Creek.

 
InGoodCo said:
Total bummer, but he'll be back. I was just really hoping to see that tour. I really liked the experimental album. I mean, I like the country stuff more, but I enjoyed the change up.
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Did you see his bluegrass set at the Ryman a couple weeks ago? I'm a huge bluegrass fan and it was killer.

I've read a couple recent interviews with him lately and he says that bluegrass could possibly be his new permanent thing and I wouldn't be mad at all. I think he's gotten a lot of the anger and Woody Guthrie vibes exorcised and he's definitely mellowed himself out. He dropped a bunch of weight and said he's chilled out on the drugs and booze.

I'd check out the Ryman set, it's worth it.
 
Fryowa said:
Did you see his bluegrass set at the Ryman a couple weeks ago? I'm a huge bluegrass fan and it was killer.

I've read a couple recent interviews with him lately and he says that bluegrass could possibly be his new permanent thing and I wouldn't be mad at all. I think he's gotten a lot of the anger and Woody Guthrie vibes exorcised and he's definitely mellowed himself out. He dropped a bunch of weight and said he's chilled out on the drugs and booze.

I'd check out the Ryman set, it's worth it.
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Oh yeah, I watched that live. "BUY A T-SHIRT" ... his mandolin player stole the show.
 
InGoodCo said:
This came out from Nebraska's AD today. I honestly think this is why Iowa is not playing in one of those exempt tournaments. They are going to have to make dramatic cuts to their budgets this fall. Uncertainty with travel and budget is going to mean that a lot of these teams are gonna decide to stay home if they can or still are capable and can do so without being in breach of contract.


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I can just see their fan base using this as an excuse for missing more bowl games. Much easier to blame finances then acknowledging your program sucks. Might help if Scott Frost actually earned his contract, but I didn't see that listed with their other mitigation tactics.
 
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