SamsonHawk515
Well-Known Member
You are right, he should have stayed at LSU at least they made the NIT.
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Iowa picked 9th next season
- Thread starter HawkeyeRyno
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You are right, he should have stayed at LSU at least they made the NIT.
simplysuper
Member
It will be interesting to see what happens. We will be starting at least two freshman and that alone is enough to give you doubts. We're also hoping to replace our best scorer and defender. Like always, we will have a few head scratcher losses and a few signature wins. Go Hawks!
HawkPrdatr40
Well-Known Member
All I will say is that I just don't see how we go 6-12.
WinOneThisCentury
Well-Known Member
Understood about losing Gatens and it's a good point, but the thing you have to consider is that the other four guys are going to be better than they were last year, at least if Fran has done his job. I'm betting he does. We will also have a true point guard next year that can shoot if left open from three land.
I would put the pendulum toward us being better next year. I think Marble makes another leap and White adds weight and strength. I don't know that I agree we are younger. Cartwright and Gatens are the only ones leaving. I expect Gessell will see the same minutes as White did as a freshman. The other guys just got older.
ssckelley
Well-Known Member
I may be drinking kool aid but I think Iowa will be able to compete with just about anybody next year. Iowa will have finally have true centers, a true point guard, and are playing in a league where a number of top players are leaving. I know Iowa will miss Gatens leadership but May and the Juniors should be able to step up for leadership. All Oglesby needs is confidence in his shot and I think he can make up the scoring difference. I look at the Big Ten and I do not see a team Iowa cannot compete with.
zhawk21
Well-Known Member
Ya I will go as far to say that Iowa will be up sometime in the second half of 90% of Big Ten games.
Last year Iowa never led in the second half of 7 big ten games. I can only see 1 (Ohio St.) or 2 (Indiana and OSU) next year.
RocknRollface
Well-Known Member
If Gatens were back next year he would have very stiff competition for title of best player with White and Marble. My money would be on White.
In addition, a top 25 recruiting class of 5 players all of whom fill roles that this past years team was lacking will far exceed the impact of one second/third team all conference player.
Thinking Iowa will be anything but better next year is nonsense.
In addition, a top 25 recruiting class of 5 players all of whom fill roles that this past years team was lacking will far exceed the impact of one second/third team all conference player.
Thinking Iowa will be anything but better next year is nonsense.
It is such a simple game.
1977Hawkeye
Well-Known Member
It'll be hard to break into the upper division of the conference, but I would be most disappointed if the Hawks finish 9th next year. But 7th sounds reasonable in a 12 team league. As others have said, we lose Gatens and will still have a lot of youth next year.
2013-14 is the season I'm really looking at as a potential breakout year. I expect next year will resemble this past year somewhat, with hopefully not as disastrous a OOC.
2013-14 is the season I'm really looking at as a potential breakout year. I expect next year will resemble this past year somewhat, with hopefully not as disastrous a OOC.
SpiderRico
Well-Known Member
The good news? Matt Gatens is the only significant loss we have for next year.
The bad news? Matt Gatens was the only player that played any semblence of defense at all last year.
If we don't learn to play defense, we aren't going to move up, it's as simple as that. I can hardly think of a single loss we had in the Big 10 that was the "fault" of our offense. We scored at will most times. But virtually every loss we had last year was the "fault" of our defense. Sure we had points in every game where our offense went on a prolonged scoreless streak. But during those times, we exacerbated the problem by not playing defense. That can't happen next year.
If we can lower our defensive ppg to around 68-72, then we'll be fine. If we can't, then we're going to be in the exact same position we were last year. It's as simple as that.
The bad news? Matt Gatens was the only player that played any semblence of defense at all last year.
If we don't learn to play defense, we aren't going to move up, it's as simple as that. I can hardly think of a single loss we had in the Big 10 that was the "fault" of our offense. We scored at will most times. But virtually every loss we had last year was the "fault" of our defense. Sure we had points in every game where our offense went on a prolonged scoreless streak. But during those times, we exacerbated the problem by not playing defense. That can't happen next year.
If we can lower our defensive ppg to around 68-72, then we'll be fine. If we can't, then we're going to be in the exact same position we were last year. It's as simple as that.
GhostofBTT
Banned
And nobody talk about this. All they say is "The defense will be better with Woodbury", without any qualification other than having a tall guy automatically makes the defense better.
ssckelley
Well-Known Member
Quick question, can the May/Oglesby combo make up the difference? May, when healthy, is a strong defender and I think Oglesby can get better. I think Iowa will be better defensively underneath the basket which, hopefully, will keep the outside defender from having to help out underneath which led to wide open looks when they kicked the ball back out.
This all depends on if Woodbury/Meyer can be as incredible of a defender as Brommer was. I do not remember Gatens ever playing Center.
Section136
Well-Known Member
I would call May an average defender at the B1G level when he is healthy. IMO, people get carried away with his athleticism and think that translates into him being a shutdown defender.
GhostofBTT
Banned
That's one heck of a strawman you got there. Shame if anything happened to it...
ssckelley
Well-Known Member
Aw come on no pointless, sometimes funny, pic to go with the response?
You are slipping ghost.
I do not get the projection that has Purdue and Illinois over Iowa.
Purdue lost 4 of their top 5 scorers in Hummel,Jackson,Smith,and Barlow.
They return Matt Carroll from their starting lineup, with Terone Johnson,Anthony Johnson and DJ Byrd as experienced subs. Thats it.
As for the Illini- they lose their top player,NBA lottery pick Meyers Leonard,and add very little,from a team that was 7-11 in the league last year. New coach bump? Their schedule is tougher this year,having to travel to MSU and Iowa ,two teams they only faced at home last year in victories.
I think Iowa should be properly placed at 7th,with a chance for upward mobility.
I think 8-10 in the league is very doable,with 9-9 or 10-8 very possible.
In conference stats only,Iowa does lose the 5th scorer in the league,Gatens,at 17 pts/game, and the #2 assist man in the league in Cartwright at 4.4/game.
Those are not insignificant losses,but they return 5 of their top 6 scorers and add recruits that fit their needs perfectly. I think Iowa will be underrated,which is fine,but will have a real chance to surprise the pundits if Gesell and Woody come thru.
Purdue lost 4 of their top 5 scorers in Hummel,Jackson,Smith,and Barlow.
They return Matt Carroll from their starting lineup, with Terone Johnson,Anthony Johnson and DJ Byrd as experienced subs. Thats it.
As for the Illini- they lose their top player,NBA lottery pick Meyers Leonard,and add very little,from a team that was 7-11 in the league last year. New coach bump? Their schedule is tougher this year,having to travel to MSU and Iowa ,two teams they only faced at home last year in victories.
I think Iowa should be properly placed at 7th,with a chance for upward mobility.
I think 8-10 in the league is very doable,with 9-9 or 10-8 very possible.
In conference stats only,Iowa does lose the 5th scorer in the league,Gatens,at 17 pts/game, and the #2 assist man in the league in Cartwright at 4.4/game.
Those are not insignificant losses,but they return 5 of their top 6 scorers and add recruits that fit their needs perfectly. I think Iowa will be underrated,which is fine,but will have a real chance to surprise the pundits if Gesell and Woody come thru.
If Eric May is playing at all Iowa won't be winning many more than 6 conference games.
SpiderRico
Well-Known Member
As I said before, we didn't have a problem scoring last year and we won't have a problem doing it this year. Our offense is clicking and I see no reason that it won't be even more potent next year.
The problem was defense. And it doesn't make me exude a lot of confidence when a majority of the players who made us a defensive liability are back. Fran talked about it in his post-games until he was blue in the face, but for the most part, it never got better. I have a hard time believing that we are all of a sudden going to figure out how to play defense.
I hope they prove me wrong.
The problem was defense. And it doesn't make me exude a lot of confidence when a majority of the players who made us a defensive liability are back. Fran talked about it in his post-games until he was blue in the face, but for the most part, it never got better. I have a hard time believing that we are all of a sudden going to figure out how to play defense.
I hope they prove me wrong.
