I'm coming to terms with this years team

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Ian Pike Hammer

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Our record is prolly a little better than it should be with a cpl of last-second shots/wins. We had stolen a few and given a few away. I guess I can't bitch at our W/L and 6th place standing, considering our talent level. It ain't that bad, and getting better, it's just that the B1G is one of the most talented conferences in the nation. I don't expect, but wouldn't be surprised if we lose to Rutgers Sat. I'm back to a first round loss, or at best, a 1 and done for both the BTT and the NCAA. I'd be ok with that. We just don't have the talent to compete year in and year out with the other teams. So, maybe next year. Go Hawks!
 
Significant improvement from last year. That said, Iowa is rounding out to be just another good, but not great, NCAA qualifier. If they catch a break or get a decent draw (LOL, that never happens, always looking for Duke/Kansas/esq in 2nd round) they could make it to the sweet sixteen.

However, unless Iowa is hitting God like shots from the perimeter, they don't have a guard that can consistently take it to the rim and they don't have a HUGE big guy to bang on both ends of the court. Garza has disappeared and when Cook is not dunking the ball, he has hands of stone and the handles of old Micheal J Fox trying to dribble a ball (ok not that bad).

Fran is a hot head and his team still can't play solid defense. That does not bode well for post season play.
 
I've come to terms that this years team is pretty darn good and has exceeded my expectations. Before the season I was just hoping they could get an NIT bid, instead Iowa sits 6th in a very strong conference and is locked into a NCAA bid.

Wieskamp has been the real deal, he is only going to get better. Kriener took a huge step forward this year as did Garza (when he stays out of foul trouble), and Bohannan has been clutch. This team HAS talent, this is the first time since the 05/06 season that it's had 3 top 100 recruits (that team had 4) playing at the same time.

The loss to Ohio State sucked but I've had more fun watching this years team since I can remember.
 
The reality and terms of this season is it's likely the best team Iowa has put on a court in 14 years. You can call it whatever you'd like. Call it not great, middle of the row, probably doesn't have a high ceiling... but the reality is Iowa hasn't had a record like this while the conference has been this far up in over a decade. That says more about Iowa hoops then anything but it's the reality.
 
InGoodCo said:
The reality and terms of this season is it's likely the best team Iowa has put on a court in 14 years. You can call it whatever you'd like. Call it not great, middle of the row, probably doesn't have a high ceiling... but the reality is Iowa hasn't had a record like this while the conference has been this far up in over a decade. That says more about Iowa hoops then anything but it's the reality.
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Iowa played 3 of the top 4 teams in the league once. So records can be skewed a bit with uneven schedules, not to mention a fairly modest (by most accounts) non conference slate.

Aaron White’s senior year Iowa finished 23 in the KenPom and won a game in the tournament. Uthoff’s senior year Iowa finished 23 in the KenPom and won a game in the tournament. Iowa currently sits at 32 in the KenPom. While the KP isn’t the end all be all, it’s just a reference point.

While I’m very happy with how this season has gone, crowning this the best iowa team might be a little soon. If they falter a bit down the stretch and are unable to win a game in the tournament, I think you’d have to lean to either Uthoff or White’s team. I think it’s safe to say this is the best offensive Iowa team in many years, but unfortunately their defense continues to hold them back.
 
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I said this earlier in the year, but I felt (and still do) that this is a Round of 32 team, but no more (barring an upset and/or really favorable tournament draw).

I had hoped that this team would go on a late run and jump into the top 4-5 seed range, but after losing 2 of 3, I have a gut feeling we're destined for that dreaded 7-10 seed range yet again, and a 2nd round shellacking against a more elite opponent. At least if Joe Lunardi knows what he's talking about. Jerry Palm had us seeded higher.

Yes, a vast improvement from a year ago, and I'm glad about that. I just feel I'm being realistic, and don't honestly think this team's ceiling is a whole lot higher than where it is now.
 
NikeHawk21 said:
Iowa played 3 of the top 4 teams in the league once. So records can be skewed a bit with uneven schedules, not to mention a fairly modest (by most accounts) non conference slate.

Aaron White’s senior year Iowa finished 23 in the KenPom and won a game in the tournament. Uthoff’s senior year Iowa finished 23 in the KenPom and won a game in the tournament. Iowa currently sits at 32 in the KenPom. While the KP isn’t the end all be all, it’s just a reference point.

While I’m very happy with how this season has gone, crowning this the best iowa team might be a little soon. If they falter a bit down the stretch and are unable to win a game in the tournament, I think you’d have to lean to either Uthoff or White’s team. I think it’s safe to say this is the best offensive Iowa team in many years, but unfortunately their defense continues to hold them back.
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right, but I'd counter to that the B1G wasn't as strong that season top to bottom either. That team faced more cup cakes as well and there were some automatics against teams with horrible RPI's that season. I am positive someone with a Ken Pom subscription can verify that. So, while that team may have finished higher, you have to look at the entire field to judge accomplishment. It's skewed in ways that probably tip to this team as well.
 
InGoodCo said:
right, but I'd counter to that the B1G wasn't as strong that season top to bottom either. That team faced more cup cakes as well and there were some automatics against teams with horrible RPI's that season. I am positive someone with a Ken Pom subscription can verify that. So, while that team may have finished higher, you have to look at the entire field to judge accomplishment. It's skewed in ways that probably tip to this team as well.
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But...the Kenpom, Sagarin, etc. ratings take into account SOS and difficulty of opponents. They aren't perfect, but they are very comprehensive, and objective. I think a difference of 10-15 spots across the different rating systems is enough to say the White/Uthoff teams are "better." It still remains to be seen where this current team finishes in the ratings (NOT the polls, those are BS).

I tend to think that this is one of if not the best offensive teams in that era, but that the unbelievably poor defensive play (which is supported by stats) offsets it enough to slide down the list.

I guess to me a team's record isn't enough if we're strictly comparing two different teams. This team has needed two buzzer beaters against low-tier teams and a third game that barely squeaked by. If those are losses by chance, all of the sudden this season is in the crapper. If the record is enough in someone's mind to consider this team the best one, that's totally fine. I just think it's not based on anything other than gut hunch.

And since I know this will get you screaming mad, I feel the need for a disclaimer:

I don't hate the Hawkeyes

I love it when they win

I don't hate any Hawkeye players

The NW and Rutgers games were the most fun I've had watching a Hawkeye basketball game in years

I don't get happy when they lose and secretly wish for it so I can come to HN and rant

Signed while swearing on my dead mother's honor,

Fryowa.
 
InGoodCo said:
right, but I'd counter to that the B1G wasn't as strong that season top to bottom either. That team faced more cup cakes as well and there were some automatics against teams with horrible RPI's that season. I am positive someone with a Ken Pom subscription can verify that. So, while that team may have finished higher, you have to look at the entire field to judge accomplishment. It's skewed in ways that probably tip to this team as well.
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I think you’re getting into some pretty dicey waters trying to compare how good the conference is now vs what it was 4 and 5 years ago.

The B1G we know is up this year compared to last year and on a national stage appears to be doing pretty well, but again that’s all perception based on a handful of non conference games. I’ve also mentioned several times it’s possible that college basketball as a whole is down this year, I’d argue it is by a lot. Anyways what happens if all the B1G teams flame out of the tournament early, does that perception change?

A quick look at 2015 shows the B1G was a 7 bid league and had two teams in the Final Four.

Also let’s point out that those two Iowa teams were 12-6 in league play, this years team probably at best gets to 12-8.

Again I’m not necessarily going to make an argument strongly either way but just merely pointing out that basing an argument solely on record + perception of the conference isn’t always accurate. Again with uneven schedules you’d really need to dive deeper but that’s a wormhole nobody needs to go down because it’s pointless. I’d take the 2009 Iowa football team (11-2) over the 2015 outfit (12-2) everyday of the week and twice on Sundays.

So while you can have your opinion about this years team being the best, I don’t think that’s reality, not yet anyway. That doesn’t mean I’m not enjoying it or I’m not happy with the season either.
 
I've been rethinking this team too, and it hasn't been necessarily all positive:
1) They currently sit a strong 6th place in the BTen. Prior to the start of the season, BTen media picked them to finish 10th, so in some ways they're doing better than expected.
2) On the other hand, at least 1 BTen coach came out during the middle of the season and said they think Iowa has the 3rd most talent of any team in the league, so in some ways they are underperforming.
3) Iowa's BTen record is 10-7. They easily could have lost the Indiana, NW, & Rutgers games without last second miracles. That would put their record at 7-10. It's likely they will lose 2 of their last 3 games, and could lose all 3. If they lose 2 of 3, their final BTen record could easily have ended up 8-12. Which is an improvement over last year's 4-14, but not dramatically. And with the way the team is playing the last few weeks, they really do feel more like a 8-12 BTen team than a 12-8 team.
4) Like every other college team, their fortune depend on how well they are hitting 3pt shots. I can't remember the last time I saw a college team shoot a worse 3 pt % than their opponent and win the game. Iowa almost pulled it off vs Maryland, I think, due to 18 offensive rebounds. 3 pt shooting % has become the single most important stat in college bball, IMO.
 
Ian Pike Hammer said:
Where have you been? EVERYTHING is racist today.
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Yup. But whether anyone wants to admit it or not, a "more white" team is going to be, on the whole, slower and less athletic. It's just a fact. That doesn't mean they can't be good basketball players, though. But if we're talking about raw athleticism, it's absolutely the truth.

So yeah: If you wanna be more athletic, you've gotta change the, eh, particular "Demographic" you are recruiting from. Don't think anyone can deny this.
 
ssckelley said:
I've come to terms that this years team is pretty darn good and has exceeded my expectations. Before the season I was just hoping they could get an NIT bid, instead Iowa sits 6th in a very strong conference and is locked into a NCAA bid.

Wieskamp has been the real deal, he is only going to get better. Kriener took a huge step forward this year as did Garza (when he stays out of foul trouble), and Bohannan has been clutch. This team HAS talent, this is the first time since the 05/06 season that it's had 3 top 100 recruits (that team had 4) playing at the same time.

The loss to Ohio State sucked but I've had more fun watching this years team since I can remember.
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Pretty sure Bohannon, Moss Wieskamp, Cook, Garza and Connor were all top 100 I count 6 they were all 4 stars I believe on ESPN
 
NikeHawk21 said:
I think you’re getting into some pretty dicey waters trying to compare how good the conference is now vs what it was 4 and 5 years ago.

The B1G we know is up this year compared to last year and on a national stage appears to be doing pretty well, but again that’s all perception based on a handful of non conference games. I’ve also mentioned several times it’s possible that college basketball as a whole is down this year, I’d argue it is by a lot. Anyways what happens if all the B1G teams flame out of the tournament early, does that perception change?

A quick look at 2015 shows the B1G was a 7 bid league and had two teams in the Final Four.

Also let’s point out that those two Iowa teams were 12-6 in league play, this years team probably at best gets to 12-8.

Again I’m not necessarily going to make an argument strongly either way but just merely pointing out that basing an argument solely on record + perception of the conference isn’t always accurate. Again with uneven schedules you’d really need to dive deeper but that’s a wormhole nobody needs to go down because it’s pointless. I’d take the 2009 Iowa football team (11-2) over the 2015 outfit (12-2) everyday of the week and twice on Sundays.

So while you can have your opinion about this years team being the best, I don’t think that’s reality, not yet anyway. That doesn’t mean I’m not enjoying it or I’m not happy with the season either.
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It's not dicey at all- and it's not just the perception of the conference, it's #'s that bare out the fact. They measure conference rankings with the efficiency #'s and you can look at them from each year to decide if the league was up or down. The B1G this year is as strong as it's been in decades according the Bigger Ten and HN podcast. It's been discussed countless times by Jon and Deace. So while I hear what you're saying, what I am saying is what Iowa is doing in a league this balanced is more impressive as far as regular season goes. The year your touting is when Iowa went on a tear and won their last 6 games. Only one of those wins was over a NCAA tournament team, the other 5 were against just horrible basketball teams and their RPI's and Ken Pom #'s reflect that. They lost to a 6-12 Minnesota and a 6-12 Northwestern team. I bet if you look at the RPI of most of the teams they played to go on the tear they did down the stretch from that season, you will see exactly what I mean.
 
InGoodCo said:
It's not dicey at all- and it's not just the perception of the conference, it's #'s that bare out the fact. They measure conference rankings with the efficiency #'s and you can look at them from each year to decide if the league was up or down. The B1G this year is as strong as it's been in decades according the Bigger Ten and HN podcast. It's been discussed countless times by Jon and Deace. So while I hear what you're saying, what I am saying is what Iowa is doing in a league this balanced is more impressive as far as regular season goes. The year your touting is when Iowa went on a tear and won their last 6 games. Only one of those wins was over a NCAA tournament team, the other 5 were against just horrible basketball teams and their RPI's and Ken Pom #'s reflect that. They lost to a 6-12 Minnesota and a 6-12 Northwestern team. I bet if you look at the RPI of most of the teams they played to go on the tear they did down the stretch from that season, you will see exactly what I mean.
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But again what you aren’t addressing is an uneven schedule that leaves Iowa only playing one time three of the top four in the league this year.

What your original argument was also based on was total record, which included an easy non conference.

Again those two Iowa teams went 12-6 in the league, while the best this years club can do is 13-7, which is obviously a worse winning percentage. More likely this team goes 12-8 or 11-9.

So while you can argue the conference is up, couldn’t someone else then argue well our conference winning % is down? How much is the conference up compared to how much is our winning % down? How easy / tough was our uneven schedule in each year?

Again it’s a dicey argument at best. You can have your opinion that this is the best Iowa team in 14 years, but I don’t think it’s something you can prove and say is reality.
 
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NikeHawk21 said:
But again what you aren’t addressing is an uneven schedule that leaves Iowa only playing one time three of the top four in the league this year.

What your original argument was also based on was total record, which included an easy non conference.

Again those two Iowa teams went 12-6 in the league, while the best this years club can do is 13-7, which is obviously a worse winning percentage. More likely this team goes 12-8 or 11-9.

So while you can argue the conference is up, couldn’t someone else than argue well our conference winning % is down? How much is the conference up compared to how much is our winning % down? How easy / tough was are uneven schedule in each year?

Again it’s a dicey argument at best. You can have your opinion that this is the best Iowa team in 14 years, but I don’t think it’s something you can prove and say is reality.
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I guess I am not really relaying what I am trying to say correctly. Which isn't surprising - I am not always great at that. Sorry....and not really arguing, but reality is, this is one of the better teams to play at Iowa in the last 20 years. Hard to argue that when there's been such little success to draw comparison. IMO this team is DEFINITELY better if they go 13-7 or 12-8 against a conference schedule of teams where the lowest ranked ken pom team is currently 80th. White's Senior year Northwestern's KP was 122, Nebraska's was 121 and Rutgers was 198. That's 3 of our last 6 wins in 15. They only had 5 teams in the top 35 KP compared to 7 of them this year and ALL 14 teams are in the top 80. That's a staggering difference in terms of competition. I will give you the OOC for sure which probably helps balance things out, but Iowa also didn't lose until it got INTO this meat grinder. That team also didn't have as good of win per Ken Pom as this years team (#6 Michigan). That team also had bad loses. You can definitely make a case for this being exactly what I am saying - we'll have to see how it plays out.
 
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