I'm sorry - blow me up if you want to....

trj said:
Minnesota went to the NIT final last year.....didn't really help a whole lot. Penn. St. won it in '09, well ummm, they are still Penn. St.
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UNC was runner up in 2010 and went to the elite eight the following year. Baylor was runner up in '09 and in the elite eight the next year too. We can sit here all day and pull out examples of teams that improved or didn't the season following an NIT run. There's a ton of other variables involved here besides just their NIT finish, and looking at the Iowa program as a whole and the progress it has made the last three seasons and the talent coming back, all signs point to this being another stepping stone for us.
 
I'm loving the NIT run, the wins and all of the other positives. As the season was winding down I always said I would look forward to the NIT games if it's where we landed and I'm not at all surprised we are making a run. I think we will beat Maryland. Baylor looks very tough but they are a homer team so I don't anticipate the same level of play from them in MSG...may lose before they get to us. If they continue to play at their current level it will be a real battle...assuming we both make it.

Now the other side of the equation...I also said I would always take an NCAA bid over an NIT bid. There's no way of knowing what might have been in the NCAA. There are very few teams I've watched and said "I would not want to be playing that team." There have been several teams I've watched and said "We would beat the sh*t out of these guys." Some of the latter are still playing so Iowa could easily still be playing if an NCAA bid had come our way.

I am totally enjoying the NIT run. I would still opt for this team to be in the NCAA if given the choice...even knowing what I know now (NIT) with no guarantees on what would happen in the NCAA. I do think winning the NIT proves a team belonged in the NCAA...pretty sure we've already proven this. I also think the team is going to carry all of this over to next year...being left out of the NCAA, the tough road losses, the NIT run, etc. I suspect we will be very sharp from the opening tip of game 1 until the season ends. If I were on the outside looking in I would not want to face this Iowa team out of conference or in the Big Ten title chase.
 
hawkfan33 said:
UNC was runner up in 2010 and went to the elite eight the following year. Baylor was runner up in '09 and in the elite eight the next year too. We can sit here all day and pull out examples of teams that improved or didn't the season following an NIT run. There's a ton of other variables involved here besides just their NIT finish, and looking at the Iowa program as a whole and the progress it has made the last three seasons and the talent coming back, all signs point to this being another stepping stone for us.
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Fair enough.

Carolina doesn't count, well because it is Carolina, but point well taken, you are right.
 
kicker22 said:
Just my two cents, but what I feel we gain from the NIT more than anything is that our season is still going and they're still practicing and playing games. It's practice time and game time to help get the players ready for an NCAA tourny bid next year. Just like football, no one's thrilled to play in a meaningless bowl game but it's an extension of the season and more practice time.

We all get the fact that the NIT is not the Big Dance, and honestly no one is disputing that. The fact is its the post season and they're still playing for something. I'd be willing to bet that for the teams that made the dance and lost the first round that the start of their offseason has been less productive then those of any team that is still playing regardless of what tournament it is.

As long as it's been since we've been dancing and the way the Lick era treated us, I'm just happy to see this team at MSG for the NIT semis. The way some of the posters act you'd think they'd of been happier and more satisfied if we wouldn't have played in any post season tourny and the season would have just ended after the conference tourny.
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Great post. Unfortunately there are many who are too thickheaded to understand this.
 
BSpringsteen said:
I'm sorry blow me up if you want to but this NIT run is WAY more fun and way more meaningful than a one and done NCAA tournament would have been. Of course the way we are playing it probably wouldn't have been a one and done.

But the point is, that this has been a ton of fun, and that this is going to be a HUGE builder for this program.
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They're still playing basketball, and that is a good thing, for everyone - the players, the coaches, the UI, us fans.
 
HawkPrdatr40 said:
NIT isn't even being talk about today, so who are these fatty Pundits you speak of?
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If the hawks win the NIT it will be mentioned quite a bit next year. Heck it might even give them a few top 25 votes. Winning the NIT has more impact (when you only lose one guy) then you are wanting to admit.
 
imported_blkngldFRO said:
If the hawks win the NIT it will be mentioned quite a bit next year. Heck it might even give them a few top 25 votes. Winning the NIT has more impact (when you only lose one guy) then you are wanting to admit.
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A few votes? Iowa made the NIT quarters the 1994-95 season, had everyone back for next year, and was around Top 10 nationally in the pre-season polls for the 1995-96 season. So I'd be surprised (and kind of ticked) if Iowa is not ranked in the pre-season polls next year. Even if it's something like 24th in the polls.
 
okeefe4prez said:
Yep, until last night they had no idea that they needed to hit free throws down the stretch to win in tournament play.
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Knowing you need to do something (ie. closing out games) and doing it are often very different things. While I agree that this was something this Hawkeye team knew they needed to do, the fact is they did it versus failing to do so in the past.
 
trj said:
Fair enough.

Carolina doesn't count, well because it is Carolina, but point well taken, you are right.
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It also doesn't "count" in "context " (so many others using those words), because remember, Kentucky didn't even want o BE in the NIT...
 
1977Hawkeye said:
A few votes? Iowa made the NIT quarters the 1994-95 season, had everyone back for next year, and was around Top 10 nationally in the pre-season polls for the 1995-96 season. So I'd be surprised (and kind of ticked) if Iowa is not ranked in the pre-season polls next year. Even if it's something like 24th in the polls.
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I think one thing we forget is what strong post season play does for individuals on a national level and how that benefits a program. Right now Marble is playing as well as anyone in the nation and is being recognized for it. That recognition combined with only losing May to graduation could be huge in building preseason hype for us next year.
 
hawkfan33 said:
UNC was runner up in 2010 and went to the elite eight the following year. Baylor was runner up in '09 and in the elite eight the next year too. We can sit here all day and pull out examples of teams that improved or didn't the season following an NIT run. There's a ton of other variables involved here besides just their NIT finish, and looking at the Iowa program as a whole and the progress it has made the last three seasons and the talent coming back, all signs point to this being another stepping stone for us.
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Exactly.

I'd rather go to the NCAA every time, but for this team at this stage, this run is more helpful than a 1-and-done to what really matters: next year. Sure, you can't brag about the NIT, but that's not the point.
 
Billso said:
Exactly.

I'd rather go to the NCAA every time, but for this team at this stage, this run is more helpful than a 1-and-done to what really matters: next year. You can't brag about the NIT, but that's not the point.
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If Woodbury or Gesell sustains a serious injury going all out for a loose ball in the NIT Final Four I am going to get banned from this board, but fear not, I shall make a mockery out of you and all of your NIT supporters in the process.
 
okeefe4prez said:
If Woodbury or Gesell sustains a serious injury going all out for a loose ball in the NIT Final Four I am going to get banned from this board, but fear not, I shall make a mockery out of you and all of your NIT supporters in the process.
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Changing your argument I see, first it is beneath us to play in the NIT and now it is the risk of injury. Dang, you got a point, and it makes me mad that Fran risked Gesell & Woodbury against Howard, S Carolina State, ect ect. How dare he risk injuries to the players that are key to the future of our program. Hopefully next season Fran will just let the upper class men win those non conference games and just use Gesell & Woodbury when conference play starts, you know when the games start to count. It might not be a bad idea to cover them up in bubble wrap during the off season and gawd forbid if Fran allows them to play in the summer league, those games do not mean anything!

Hopefully if Iowa wins the NIT they will do the right thing and deposit the trophy in the trash on their way out of MSG. No banners, please, to embarrassing!
 
okeefe4prez said:
If Woodbury or Gesell sustains a serious injury going all out for a loose ball in the NIT Final Four I am going to get banned from this board, but fear not, I shall make a mockery out of you and all of your NIT supporters in the process.
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But an NCAA injury would be ok. We should also decline all non-BCS bowls for the same reason.

Anyway, you'll mock me regardless, so what else is new? :)
 
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