JonDMiller
Publisher/Founder
(If you want to read this item with links to the data, you can do so at this link: Hawkeyes: Iowa Hoops AP Poll History LessonHawkeye Nation)
The Hawkeyes are set to take on Maryland in the NIT Final Four tonight and basketball is on our minds. An AP Poll discussion topic came up on twitter and sent me to the AP archives to see how many times Iowa has been ranked during the program’s history.
Here are a few of my findings:
The AP Poll dates back to 1949. Since its inception, Iowa ranks 21st all time in AP Poll history related to most appearances, at 314. So if you want to use rankings as a barometer, Iowa is close to being a Top 20 program over the span of the last 64 years.
What about 1949 through the end of the Tom Davis era, which ended in 1999? Iowa ranked 13th all time in most AP Poll Appearances during that 50 year stretch. That’s real impressive and a little bit surprising. Iowa was also in the Top 25 in attendance average every year from 1978 through every one of the Tom Davis years and even most of the Alford years, save the very end.
What about 2000-2013, the start of the Alford era through today? Iowa is 48th.
What about the Alford era, 2000-2007? Iowa was 31st, but only went to three NCAA tournaments out of eight years, well below the three of every four years average Iowa had in the 21 years prior to Alford’s arrival.
What about 2007-2013, or basically since Northwestern State beat Iowa on a three-point shot in the NCAA tournament? Well, there have been 98 teams ranked for at least one week of the season since then in the AP Polls that have taken place. Iowa is not one of those 98 teams. That is a seven year drought of being ranked in the AP Poll for Iowa. Iowa and Penn State are the only two teams from the Big Ten to not have been ranked at least once during the past seven years. Drake (nine times) and Northern Iowa (fuor times) have been ranked during that time, as has Iowa State (once).
This isn’t to dig on any one coach or era, although the Todd Lickliter era will forever be the nuclear winter of Iowa basketball or at least we should hope it will be. This is to point out to some of you in your 20′s and younger 30′s reading this that, once upon a time, Iowa had a basketball program that was more than just respectable and entertaining; it was quite relevant nationally. I am not talking about a juggernaut, but it was a program that was a part of March Madness more often than not.
Between 1979 and 1999, Iowa had the 12th most AP Poll appearances in the sport and only Indiana and Michigan had more, with Michigan having just one more than Iowa. During the 1980′s, the peak of the college game as it relates to quality of players and play (that’s according to most coaches who were around then and are still alive today, including Coach K), Iowa ranked 5th in the sport in AP Poll appearances and tops in the Big Ten. Do I sound like the old guy waxing poetic about ‘his day’? Probably.
That said, I believe Fran McCaffery has a chance to bring Iowa back to some of those times. Do I think Iowa can get to the NCAA tournament three of four years? I do not. Wisconsin is a player now and they were not back in the day. Northwestern is better than they ever were. Michigan State is much stronger now than they were in the 80′s. Michigan has rebuilt their brand. Ohio State is a much stronger force now than they were in the past as it relates to consistency of greatness. Indiana is rising again. Maryland will be joining the league and they have a rich basketball tradition. So the days of three of four years with trips to the NCAA tournament are probably gone. Five out of ten? Yeah, I think that is a fair expectation and I think Iowa can get there. Fran McCaffery is proving to be the right man for this job and the program is poised to have that break out year next year.
However, this year is not done. These Hawkeyes can still put two more wins on the board to add to their 24-12 record. Iowa loses just one player for next year’s team and they add a few more weapons.
While Iowa would much rather be in the NCAA tournament, they are making the best out of the NIT appearance. If you’re in it, you might as well win it.
The Hawkeyes are set to take on Maryland in the NIT Final Four tonight and basketball is on our minds. An AP Poll discussion topic came up on twitter and sent me to the AP archives to see how many times Iowa has been ranked during the program’s history.
Here are a few of my findings:
The AP Poll dates back to 1949. Since its inception, Iowa ranks 21st all time in AP Poll history related to most appearances, at 314. So if you want to use rankings as a barometer, Iowa is close to being a Top 20 program over the span of the last 64 years.
What about 1949 through the end of the Tom Davis era, which ended in 1999? Iowa ranked 13th all time in most AP Poll Appearances during that 50 year stretch. That’s real impressive and a little bit surprising. Iowa was also in the Top 25 in attendance average every year from 1978 through every one of the Tom Davis years and even most of the Alford years, save the very end.
What about 2000-2013, the start of the Alford era through today? Iowa is 48th.
What about the Alford era, 2000-2007? Iowa was 31st, but only went to three NCAA tournaments out of eight years, well below the three of every four years average Iowa had in the 21 years prior to Alford’s arrival.
What about 2007-2013, or basically since Northwestern State beat Iowa on a three-point shot in the NCAA tournament? Well, there have been 98 teams ranked for at least one week of the season since then in the AP Polls that have taken place. Iowa is not one of those 98 teams. That is a seven year drought of being ranked in the AP Poll for Iowa. Iowa and Penn State are the only two teams from the Big Ten to not have been ranked at least once during the past seven years. Drake (nine times) and Northern Iowa (fuor times) have been ranked during that time, as has Iowa State (once).
This isn’t to dig on any one coach or era, although the Todd Lickliter era will forever be the nuclear winter of Iowa basketball or at least we should hope it will be. This is to point out to some of you in your 20′s and younger 30′s reading this that, once upon a time, Iowa had a basketball program that was more than just respectable and entertaining; it was quite relevant nationally. I am not talking about a juggernaut, but it was a program that was a part of March Madness more often than not.
Between 1979 and 1999, Iowa had the 12th most AP Poll appearances in the sport and only Indiana and Michigan had more, with Michigan having just one more than Iowa. During the 1980′s, the peak of the college game as it relates to quality of players and play (that’s according to most coaches who were around then and are still alive today, including Coach K), Iowa ranked 5th in the sport in AP Poll appearances and tops in the Big Ten. Do I sound like the old guy waxing poetic about ‘his day’? Probably.
That said, I believe Fran McCaffery has a chance to bring Iowa back to some of those times. Do I think Iowa can get to the NCAA tournament three of four years? I do not. Wisconsin is a player now and they were not back in the day. Northwestern is better than they ever were. Michigan State is much stronger now than they were in the 80′s. Michigan has rebuilt their brand. Ohio State is a much stronger force now than they were in the past as it relates to consistency of greatness. Indiana is rising again. Maryland will be joining the league and they have a rich basketball tradition. So the days of three of four years with trips to the NCAA tournament are probably gone. Five out of ten? Yeah, I think that is a fair expectation and I think Iowa can get there. Fran McCaffery is proving to be the right man for this job and the program is poised to have that break out year next year.
However, this year is not done. These Hawkeyes can still put two more wins on the board to add to their 24-12 record. Iowa loses just one player for next year’s team and they add a few more weapons.
While Iowa would much rather be in the NCAA tournament, they are making the best out of the NIT appearance. If you’re in it, you might as well win it.
