greghammel
Well-Known Member
Don't forget the Wake Forest game... we were blowing them out and gave it away too.
Iowa is 2 games over .500 going into Big Ten play
- Thread starter storminspank
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ibahawkeye
Well-Known Member
Yes.... that's the one I was thinking of.... and we had a 9 point lead at half against ISU if I remember right.
Now if we would have won all three that would have been GREAT.... I would even take 2 wins of those three games.
sportstalent
Well-Known Member
There are four games we should not have lost: SDSU/LBSU/WF/ISU
That is what I had us, surpassing our win total from last season; if Gatens was healthy at the start of the season we win all four games, just watch how good he will be four games from now. Oh well, I like this team and what the Staff is doing, it will just continue to get better even if we struggle in the Big Ten, great learning year for the "kids" and we will go somewhere for the Postseason next year.
Is any part of our schedule released for next season? If it is similar we will have 11 wins heading into the BT and maybe more.
That is what I had us, surpassing our win total from last season; if Gatens was healthy at the start of the season we win all four games, just watch how good he will be four games from now. Oh well, I like this team and what the Staff is doing, it will just continue to get better even if we struggle in the Big Ten, great learning year for the "kids" and we will go somewhere for the Postseason next year.
Is any part of our schedule released for next season? If it is similar we will have 11 wins heading into the BT and maybe more.
DesMoinesHawki
Well-Known Member
While true we don't have any signature wins, I still like where the program is headed. I think this year especially, we had about the right mix of teams to help get the confidence level up.
DesMoinesHawki
Well-Known Member
Not sure how you can say the corner is not being turned. The players look like they are having fun. Players are improving. We are passing the ball better. It is baby steps but we are improving and we are turning the corner. Especially when you look at where the program has been.
Iowafarmgirl
Banned
Then we're turning the corner on a tricycle. This team is still 2 years away from even competeing for the top third of the big ten. So rather than getting into a semantic slap fight over what "The corner" is, I will admit they are improving, but I will not admit they will be competitive in the Big 10, because they have trouble competeing with Big West teams.
oifdeserthawk
Well-Known Member
Want to wager money on that? I guarantee Iowa will be competitive in the Big 10. They aren't going to wow anyone, but they aren't terrible. They'll win a few they shouldn't. Lose a few they shouldn't. And everything in between that. What is it with you? Do you ever talk about or say anything positive?
jparmley3
Well-Known Member
Oh yes, that always tough Summit League. Glad you are hanging your hat on its performance.
I am sure that conference will boost many a Pomeroy ranking for years to come!
TheNebraskaHawk
Well-Known Member
In my opinion, this team is not turning the corner, they have turned the corner and are now going up the hill of success. Like anytime you climb a steep hill you will slip or even fall backwards a few feet, but the difference in a Lick lead team and a Fran lead team is this team will continue moving onward and upward. I can see it in the teams demeanor in games. Each game has brought more confidence, that is confidence that was not there in the last few years.
Some of you sound like you expect this team to be competing for a Big Ten title this year or even next, if you are, then please pass the pipe as I want some of what you are smoking. Will I take competing at that level this year or next, yes, absolutely! But I do not expect it and I am very happy with the strides made thus far. Look at how low this team was after last year, we were not at the bottom of the hill, we were in the well a the bottom of that hill. No one was sure if any of our players were returning, we had lost more games than any of us could ever remember losing. Players had given up on themselves. Fans had given up and others were laughing at us (They are not laughing anymore).
As Sportstalent above states, "Always wondering who was going to get arrested, kicked off, found passed out or declared academically ineligible.With this staff, I just don't worry about that and the only thing I am focused on is how they are doing on the floor and who they can add in recruiting...it isn't "what now?" anymore."
So again, we are not turning a corner, we have turned it!
Some of you sound like you expect this team to be competing for a Big Ten title this year or even next, if you are, then please pass the pipe as I want some of what you are smoking. Will I take competing at that level this year or next, yes, absolutely! But I do not expect it and I am very happy with the strides made thus far. Look at how low this team was after last year, we were not at the bottom of the hill, we were in the well a the bottom of that hill. No one was sure if any of our players were returning, we had lost more games than any of us could ever remember losing. Players had given up on themselves. Fans had given up and others were laughing at us (They are not laughing anymore).
As Sportstalent above states, "Always wondering who was going to get arrested, kicked off, found passed out or declared academically ineligible.With this staff, I just don't worry about that and the only thing I am focused on is how they are doing on the floor and who they can add in recruiting...it isn't "what now?" anymore."
So again, we are not turning a corner, we have turned it!
the big 10 isn't near as good as the homers want it to be. dont let the big ten network fool you. Iowa WILL win their fair share of conference games.
13-15 wins at the end of the year isn't necessarily out of the question. obviously this isn't a tournament birth, but it is night and day from the lickliter debacle
13-15 wins at the end of the year isn't necessarily out of the question. obviously this isn't a tournament birth, but it is night and day from the lickliter debacle
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hawkforlife9
Well-Known Member
I agree. With our schedule our record isn't saying much. Other than we still suck at round ball.
sportstalent
Well-Known Member
Our record is what it is, we can talk about games we should have won, but in the end we didn't. Hindsight is 20/20, but to say we "suck at round ball" is troubling. In the past couple of seasons we lost to more teams that didn't have Division 1A football teams that we beat that had Division 1A football teams. That is the trend that has began to change this season and will continue to trend in our favor moving forward. Like it or not, this is turning the corner, maybe not the biggest corner some fans are looking for, but lets face it, we have to start somewhere. There is a good chance that we win less than 10 games, but there is a better chance that we win more than 10 games. The Big Ten top to bottom is clearly better than it was last year, except PSU and Indiana are still just not good. Iowa is better than they were last year and the newcomers are contributing more than most newcomers in the conference, Gatens is getting healthy and is scoring efficiently and at the pace I expected him this season and this team, with the new staff, has a confidence by making adjustments throughout the game, this will always give new chances to score and steal a game here or there. This team has a lot of good parts, but we still lack depth and with that, consistency. Give this team some more depth and people who will provide a spark from the bench and this team will really have people excited. This year is about setting the tone for the future and so far, I love what Fran has done.
Iowafarmgirl
Banned
I don't really think I'm being negative, but I'm being realistic. They will not be competitive in the Big 10. We may have improved a bit, but most of the teams in the Big 10 have improved much more.
Here's your bet, if Iowa wins more 6 games in the Big 10, I'll leave forever, and take my "negativity" with me.
Benddontbreak
Well-Known Member
So if we win 6 games in the B10, is that not being competitive?
sportstalent
Well-Known Member
I don't think anyone has improved "much more" than Iowa. The only team being Michigan at this point. All the top teams, save OSU because Sullinger was not there last season. Iowa/Michigan/OSU newcomers have improved thier respective teams more than all the other teams based on production.
Your realism is just a little bit more pessimistic than optimistic like a lot of people at this point. It is year one for Coach Fran and he is different and the fanbase is responding in a such a positive manner right now and anything some feel is negative will be jumped on. I like this staff and I like where this team is headed and if Iowa wins 6 in the BT then they will be further along than my expectations.
Iowafarmgirl
Banned
That would be a 33% winning percentage. What exactly would a team losing 2/3rds of their games be competeing for? The only thing Iowa is competeing for is 7th place.
People seem to mistake liking the team with the team being talented. Yeah, the coach has a pulse, and the players don't look like their parents died anymore, but God bless 'em, they just are not as good as the other teams.
Benddontbreak
Well-Known Member
Your definition of being competitive must be different than most people's including Fran, who has said over and over that we will compete in the B10. I would consider a team to be competitive if they go 6-12 and lose a lot of close games being a very young team playing in the best conf in America. I think you're assuming everyone here is talking about competing for a B10 title, which is not the case.
To me, competing is being is just about every game, and winning more than they're losing.Losing two-thirds of our games does not fit the definition.
