NikeHawk21
Well-Known Member
Obi Toppin had 12 points / 5 REB / 1 Ast / 4 TOs last night on 5/11 shooting.
If you had to pick
- Thread starter NorthKCHawk
- Start date
NikeHawk21
Well-Known Member
I could be wrong but I don’t think Jalen Smith is really a guy on the radar for any of Luka’s awards. There is a decent chance Jalen Smith will actually end up on 2nd team All B1G behind Oturu and Garza who both have better numbers. I’d take Smith over Oturu personally.
At this point if Garza didn’t win the BTPOY it would be a travesty. The Wooden will be interesting though.
hawkeyebob62
Well-Known Member
Funny thing about that year, I heard a number of folks picking UAB over Iowa in the first round. Nancy Donellan (aka "Fabulous Sports Babe") actually said, "Can UAB beat Iowa? The only question is, by how much?"
Beating Arkansas seemed to shock everyone but the team itself.
NorthKCHawk
Well-Known Member
To be clear, the hypothetical was never what would Luka want. I get that any player always should put team first and I have no doubt he does.
While I would love to get to the second weekend of the tournament, I just do not find a Sweet 16 to be so compelling to pass up on such a huge feather in the program's cap. Having a Wooden winner is something you put banners up, and posters, and tell recruits about for as long as Fran is running the program. I mean, you wouldn't say, "Hey 2030 recruit, we went to the Sweet 16 ten years ago." But you would say to that same kid, "you could be the next Luka Garza if you come to Iowa."
Maybe its just a question of where to draw the line. If the hypo was missing the tourney altogether, but Luka wins Wooden; or lose in the first round as an 11 seed and he does not win it, I hope that would change things for many.
And obviously we are all rooting for both of these things to happen!
While I would love to get to the second weekend of the tournament, I just do not find a Sweet 16 to be so compelling to pass up on such a huge feather in the program's cap. Having a Wooden winner is something you put banners up, and posters, and tell recruits about for as long as Fran is running the program. I mean, you wouldn't say, "Hey 2030 recruit, we went to the Sweet 16 ten years ago." But you would say to that same kid, "you could be the next Luka Garza if you come to Iowa."
Maybe its just a question of where to draw the line. If the hypo was missing the tourney altogether, but Luka wins Wooden; or lose in the first round as an 11 seed and he does not win it, I hope that would change things for many.
And obviously we are all rooting for both of these things to happen!
Ree4
Well-Known Member
Nope, already have to hold back as is
Fryowa
Administrator
Neither one is going to happen so the point is just academic.
The Wooden is like any other award, it’s a dumb popularity contest not based on stats, and there’s zero chance national media gives an Iowa player a shot. It’s going to go to either a blue blood or an east coast team member.
And as far as the sweet 16, this is a really, really good Iowa team but they’ve got zero depth (even before Fredrick’s ankle). A functional bench is an absolute requirement to make a run at the end of the year. Proportionally this has to be one of, if not the least productive benches in Iowa basketball history.
The Wooden is like any other award, it’s a dumb popularity contest not based on stats, and there’s zero chance national media gives an Iowa player a shot. It’s going to go to either a blue blood or an east coast team member.
And as far as the sweet 16, this is a really, really good Iowa team but they’ve got zero depth (even before Fredrick’s ankle). A functional bench is an absolute requirement to make a run at the end of the year. Proportionally this has to be one of, if not the least productive benches in Iowa basketball history.
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SpiderRico
Well-Known Member
Honestly, it will really depend on our draw in the 1st round. If we can get a team that we just blow up, like we did Davidson a few years back, then the depth doesn't really become a factor in the 2nd round game because we'll be able to rest our starters. But if we end up facing a team like Cinci where it takes all we have, and then some, to dispatch them, then yeah, depth will absolutely come into play.
Dadman
Well-Known Member
I really don't want to agree, but unfortunately, I do. The BTT will be telling, playing around with the bracket generator, its getting harder to project Iowa as one of the top 4, and 3 games in 3 days is hard enough with no bench. And, an early out, 1-1 record, would mess w/ NCAA seeding. So.....deck stacked against us here.............
Having said that, if we do have CJ back, I would take our starting 5 against anyone in the first, and maybe 2nd round. depending on how things fall out.
NikeHawk21
Well-Known Member
I just don’t think that’s as big of a recruiting pitch for kids these days. Because the one and done is so prevalent some of the best kids to come through college never get the award.
If Garza doesn’t have an NBA career kids really won’t care that he won the Wooden award. Recruits want to play in the NBA.
NikeHawk21
Well-Known Member
Going 1-1 in the BTT would have very little if any effect on our seeding.
I think there are a lot of recruits in the world and they all think differently. It would be no big deal to a lot of recruits, but might be a big deal to others. If it gets the next Luka Garza to pick Iowa when they're on the fence, then it did it's job.
I also think it's pretty extreme how much Iowa fans care about the sweet 16. I get it because we are probably the best program in the nation who hasn't been there for so long. I just feel like to most other fans, it's just another round. For us it's become some unreachable goal that's really not all that unreachable. We've just had a lot of bad luck like Northwestern State, Licklighter, and late season fades. I think we get one really soon anyway.
Man I hope your wrong this time. But that's how it usually goes and until it don't that's gotta be considered a possibility. Duncan not getting the Groza still burns my ass...
SpiderRico
Well-Known Member
Probably depends on who we play. Say we're the #4 seed and get the double bye and end up playing Illinois in the quarters and beating them. That gives us another Quad 1 win and puts us in the semis against Maryland.
But if we're the #5 seed and we beat up on the #12 seed and then get beat against, say, #4 MSU in the quarters...then yeah, that ain't gonna matter at all.
Fryowa
Administrator
The awards are all a total joke just like the polls.
Josey didn't even make the top 5 for the Butkus award despite being statistically better that some who did.
Keith Duncan like you mentioned...
Iowa players aren't "good enough" most of the time. Which is why I don't pay any attention to the awards. You might as well had pass notes in junior high asking which girl is most popular. It'd be more accurate.
KenPom, Sagarin, and heads-up statistical comparisons are the only valid way to measure any of this shit. Polls and awards are for media chumps until they're based on actual performance.
I would have lost $ on Duncan not getting it. Hell they even had Kaeding handing out the award I figured it was all a done deal. Instead it was an Fn troll job. That GA kid not only hadn't made as many and had a worse % but he'd missed a couple clutch ones at the end of games that cost them. He wasn't even clutch. If that kid had an ounce of self awareness/worth he shoulda turned around and handed it to Duncan.
Fryowa
Administrator
He would have been the entire world's hero.
Dadman
Well-Known Member
Not so sure about that.........seems like we jump between 5 and 7 in mock brackets on a 1-1 week. Its all BS and speculation though, we have 5 reg season games remaining, and whatever comes of the BTT tourney.
Truth is, and I have said it before, given where many projected us in the conference (8-9 based on a quick review), and with our injuries, we are well above the curve already.
Given where these forums are usually at at this time of the year, all I can say is the kool-aid is still flowing!
