I believe this year's team will be better than last year's team

homes

homes

Well-Known Member
I've read some articles that don't have Iowa getting to the tournament, or being a bubble team, at best. I just don't see that. I think this team will easily get into the tournament. I like this team better than last year's team. White will be in a more comfortable position for him. Jok, if allowed to get minutes and assuming his defense got better, can be a huge asset for Iowa. Uthoff will be much better, too. He was very rusty last year after, and played tentatively all year. I see him making a big step forward this year. Woodbury will be more of a force on offense. I like the idea of he and Olesani playing at the same time, that will cause real problems for teams. The PG play is will be key, as it usually does dictate the success of a team. The trio of guards in Gesell, Dickerson and a re-motivated Clemmons, will give Fran some options to play the hot hand during a game. I'm very optimistic. I will be surprised if they don't get into the tournament.
 
I hope you are right. Someone or several players are going to have to step forward and surprise. If that happens Iowa could be very good. If we see a repeat of last year without someone stepping it up it could be a long season. I will hope for the best.
 
So now a post that expresses optimism fr the coming season is worthy of a thumbs
down? There are some seriously pathetic people around here masquerading as Hawk fans.

I agree with the OP 100%... the Hawks will do better than the preseason polls
and will easily make the Dance.
 
We'll most likely have a starting lineup of Gesell, Oglesby, Uthoff, White, and Woodbury. 4 of those guys are now upperclassman top 150 recruits and the one that's not is a two time All Big Ten 3rd teamer. We'll have a JUCO All American off the bench, a bouncy 7 footer, Jok, Clemmons, and hopefully some contributions from the freshmen. I don't see a reason why we wouldn't make the dance.
 
Shivetts said:
If they are worse it means they miss the dance altogether. That would not be good .
Click to expand...
I think the schedule is pretty tough again this year. These guys are another year older, and I think there is certainly enough talent on the team to make the dance this year. With that said, there has to be a leader out on the floor. I hope someone reaches out and grabs that role this year.
 
For me it comes down to woody and jok and whether ******* Fran will play woody and gabe together. If woody can take the next step, am if Jok can be an offensive threat, and if ******* Fran can think outside the box am play the two big men together, we can be as good a team as last year (before the collapse). Reasonable "ifs" but I'm skeptimical.
 
I also think this team will be better. For as much as Marble was our offensive go to guy, he was also an excuse for the offense to die. I think he will do well on the next level, whether that is the NBA or the NBADL, because that style fits his game very well. But I think the "team" will be better and more prepared this year.
 
DJL said:
I think the schedule is pretty tough again this year. These guys are another year older, and I think there is certainly enough talent on the team to make the dance this year. With that said, there has to be a leader out on the floor. I hope someone reaches out and grabs that role this year.
Click to expand...

We start out conference play @OSU vNeb vMSU @Minn vOsu @Wisc

If we can go 3-3 to open up, I think we're in good shape for the rest of the season. There's no reason that we should have at least 23 wins going into the conference tournament. I really like the versatility that we have this year being able to go big or small at any time. Should be a fun year!
 
I'm skeptical like most, but the ingredients are all there for this team. People keep talking about the tough schedule, and I hear that, but it's also more chances to win high profile games. If we have 12 possible games against the top 25 - win 5 or 6 of those and beat most everyone else we should, and we're in. Sports rarely go how everyone else sees them on paper or in the preseason. If you're an Iowa fan, I think it's ok to skeptical but there are more than a few reasons to be very optimistic for this team.
 
Last edited:
On paper, I agree with the OP and think we COULD be better. But (obviously) the players really need to step up. I think the skill set is there; it's a matter of can we notch enough wins to get to the Big Dance. Our strength of schedule is better and we need to atleast protect home court. While I think the Big 10 may be down a bit this year compared to the past few years, it's still going to be a competitive league and winning on the road is going to be a bear.


Minny, NW, Purdue, Illinois, Nebby ... all SHOULD be better ... I still think that come selection time we will be hovering around 20 or 21 wins and our strength of schedule helps get us in ... Or, I hope I am completely wrong and we go the Final 4 ... :)
 
I am cautiously optimistic that this team can make the Dance with maybe the 7th slot in the Big Ten. If they are better than last years team, I will be happy, but I just do not see it. As Fran said yesterday, Marble was the bail-out guy who could post up, play pg, shoot it, and drive it. We have no one like that right now. I think Dev's absence will not be felt until we play UNC, Texas, Cuse, and ISU....serious ballers on those teams, and we will struggle to match up. I believe that Iowa fans are greatly underrating the loss of an All Conference performer...and counting on an unproven sophomore, Jok, to make up for an NBA player.
 
I agree. I think a lot of people are only comparing the perceived talent level of this team to last year's. Then, looking at how we finished last year, they assume that a lesser talented group of players will achieve a lesser result. I prefer to see it like this....(rating on a scale of 1-10)....

Last Year's Team
Potential = 8
Actual Result = 4

This year's Team
Potential = 7
Anticipated Result = 6

All we have to do is not **** ourselves like we did last year........
 
Do we have anyone that can create their own shot when teams d us up in one posession games? Woody maybe if he takes that next step. Jok maybe if he has a breakout year. We will likely have many one possession games and this will
decide many of them and be the difference in a good team or one that doesn't make it. We shall see
 
Peter Jok is going to make us forget about Devon Marble by the time he's done. The only reminder is that they will continue to show Roy Marble every 3 minutes on Iowa telecasts. Then we will think of Devon. Otherwise we will have forgotten all about him.

We will be better simply because "I believe". You would have had to see "The Book of Mormon" on broadway to get that. See how cultured I am.
 
HawkeyeMHA said:
Do we have anyone that can create their own shot when teams d us up in one posession games? Woody maybe if he takes that next step. Jok maybe if he has a breakout year. We will likely have many one possession games and this will
decide many of them and be the difference in a good team or one that doesn't make it. We shall see
Click to expand...

My rebuttal to this post is this. Last year we won exactly zero games that played out in that scenario. The guy talking the shots this year probably won't be as good a player as Dev, but you can't do worse than 0%.

That said, you can definitely argue that we won't be in as good of position late in games as often as we were last year.
 
InGoodCo said:
I'm skeptical like most, but the ingredients are all there for this team. People keep talking about the tough schedule, and I hear that, but it's also more chances to win high profile games. If we have 12 possible games against the top 25 - win 5 or 6 of those and beat most everyone else we should, and we're in. Sports rarely go how everyone else sees them on paper or in the preseason. If you're an Iowa fan, I think it's ok to skeptical but there are more than a few reasons to be very optimistic for this team.
Click to expand...

Exactly. The tough schedule will be taken into account by the committee.. Just as long as Iowa can win at least a few of these games, and beat the teams they are supposed to handle, they will be in. The committee drools over teams that play a tough non-conference.

People have said in the past that Iowa won't make the NCAA Tournament because their schedule is too soft (low RPI), now they are saying they won't get in because they're schedule is too hard. Let's make up our minds. :p

As for this year's team, there's a nice core of players there. It just depends on how well it all comes together, who improves, etc. But the potential is certainly there IMO.
 
I've thought this very thing since the end of last season. I've loved Oleseni's athleticism from day 1 and I think he absolutely kills it (to use a fran term) this season.

I'm very eager to see Trigga' Trey Dickerson and just how explosive he really is. If he's all that's advertised, then Iowa will be better than last year. They may miss the tournament though.

The benefits of the Europe trip will be seen this season.
 
HawkeyeMHA said:
Do we have anyone that can create their own shot when teams d us up in one posession games? Woody maybe if he takes that next step. Jok maybe if he has a breakout year. We will likely have many one possession games and this will
decide many of them and be the difference in a good team or one that doesn't make it. We shall see
Click to expand...

It isn't all about one guy creating a shot. You also need to be able to set others up as well, and get them open for shots. We can't possibly be worse finishing than we were last year, these things tend to even out. We were 2-9 in 2 possession or OT games last year. TD, MG, Jok, Uthoff can all create their own shot, or free a shooter up for an open look with a drive and dish. I'm a big stats guy, and it is almost impossible to be that bad 2 years in a row.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Share this page

Top