Iowa's next 6 games

I will be the bad guy in this thread. I thought the season was over at the beginning of the 2nd half.
Not so fast. I was pretty harsh with my futility and criticism, too.
And just to top it off ...
Kudos to Hawks - especially Peyton and Josh - to lead a gritty comeback W. I'd like to believe they'll use this to get back on reliable, smart scoring track and maybe even realize improved defense can win games (but I'll leave that optimism to InGoodCo.;))
Will believe when I see but even then, see a NIT team at best, due to terrible rebounding, no size, 1 post player who has foul issues and poor D. They gotta score 80+ to win and only have 7 guys who can score against conference competition. That means can't have ANY slumps by Sandforts, Josh or Freeman, not likely against a tough 16 games.
 
30 minutes in. I was disgusted. Specially with Payton Sandfort. This was about to be our 5th loss (in which 3 games, he stunk up the joint in). Like my projections for this team was Payton Sandfort having the magical Senior season that Fran’s guys have.

That said, he scored 27 points in like 10 minutes time. That’s unconscious.

I’m willing to give flyers when you’re down 2 player, but this was still a game Iowa couldn’t lose. They didn’t, so we’re good.

Dix is amazing. Maybe the best 2 in the B1G.
Little Sandfort continues to grow but shrinks sometimes. He’s going to be good.
Harding has upside but also doesn’t have all the answers. He’s better in doses at this point. He needs another PG, thank goodness for JD
Notice Dimbele hardly played down the stretch. Fran doesn’t trust him
Notice Traore didn’t play down the stretch. Fran doesn’t trust him.

Iowa needs Thelwell, and they need Cooper Koch. Badly.

Gutty win.
 
For sure, and every time you thought they were out last year, they kind of played themselves back onto the bubble until the very end. I just meant, there's a real good shot at Iowa going 5-1 and being 6-3 in a couple of weeks and they really could use that. The back half of their scheduling is not nearly as manageable, and it'd be nice to get some hay in the barn now vs. needing to win out.
Well tonight was a good beginning.
 
30 minutes in. I was disgusted. Specially with Payton Sandfort. This was about to be our 5th loss (in which 3 games, he stunk up the joint in). Like my projections for this team was Payton Sandfort having the magical Senior season that Fran’s guys have.

That said, he scored 27 points in like 10 minutes time. That’s unconscious.

I’m willing to give flyers when you’re down 2 player, but this was still a game Iowa couldn’t lose. They didn’t, so we’re good.

Dix is amazing. Maybe the best 2 in the B1G.
Little Sandfort continues to grow but shrinks sometimes. He’s going to be good.
Harding has upside but also doesn’t have all the answers. He’s better in doses at this point. He needs another PG, thank goodness for JD
Notice Dimbele hardly played down the stretch. Fran doesn’t trust him
Notice Traore didn’t play down the stretch. Fran doesn’t trust him.

Iowa needs Thelwell, and they need Cooper Koch. Badly.

Gutty win.
I'd like to be hopeful that this game will get Sandfort going. But at this point I don't think he has it in him. What's with Freeman not even being noticeable on the court for so long and then out of nowhere he starts playing with a ton of energy? If we could get Thelwell, Koch, and Traore healthy and playing well again, and then play with this intensity with 8 or 9 guys who can contribute, they could make the dance for sure. Problem is, it's probably more likely we will see our star players disappear too often down the stretch.
 
The Lads showed what they are capable of this game

I had to watch the first 35 minutes thru highlights and was shocked
when they took the lead

Peyton was insane totally insane, shooting threes from tomorrowland

Then a thunder dunk to keep the lead

They were under Intense pressure to get the ball inbounds but they did very well in OT

They didn't stop fighting and the huskers had to foul them to get the ball, but the Hawks
made almost 10 threes in OT

They do have the ability and toughness and especially teamwork to win games

The goal is to make the Big Tournament than see what happens

If they go to the NIT, that will be alright

Like the Hawk women they are really fun to watch and they have HEART

Go Hawks
 
I'd like to be hopeful that this game will get Sandfort going. But at this point I don't think he has it in him. What's with Freeman not even being noticeable on the court for so long and then out of nowhere he starts playing with a ton of energy? If we could get Thelwell, Koch, and Traore healthy and playing well again, and then play with this intensity with 8 or 9 guys who can contribute, they could make the dance for sure. Problem is, it's probably more likely we will see our star players disappear too often down the stretch.
I can’t disagree. I feel like they’re either going through something we don’t know about injury wise or I have no clue. I can’t remember a season where so many players were available, then not available, then available, then out. I didn’t expect them to go deep, but they need to go at least 8 and if 2 guys are always out, ya never know what the bench is going to be, or who 6,7,8 will be. It’s frustrating. What is up with Koch? Will we ever know? He looks ready to play at Iowa.
 
The most baffling -- and troubling -- aspect of this team in BTen play has been Freeman's role. He's the reigning BTen Freshman of the Year. Tonight he caught the ball more times outside the 3pt line than he did inside the paint. And when he did catch the ball inside the FT line, wide open, he hesitated as if no clue what to do with the ball. He's not aggressive gaining position in the paint, he wanders around the 3pt line...I just don't get it. And Iowa is not going to win many more BTen games if that's Fran's plan for him this year.
 
30 minutes in. I was disgusted. Specially with Payton Sandfort. This was about to be our 5th loss (in which 3 games, he stunk up the joint in). Like my projections for this team was Payton Sandfort having the magical Senior season that Fran’s guys have.

That said, he scored 27 points in like 10 minutes time. That’s unconscious.

I’m willing to give flyers when you’re down 2 player, but this was still a game Iowa couldn’t lose. They didn’t, so we’re good.

Dix is amazing. Maybe the best 2 in the B1G.
Little Sandfort continues to grow but shrinks sometimes. He’s going to be good.
Harding has upside but also doesn’t have all the answers. He’s better in doses at this point. He needs another PG, thank goodness for JD
Notice Dimbele hardly played down the stretch. Fran doesn’t trust him
Notice Traore didn’t play down the stretch. Fran doesn’t trust him.

Iowa needs Thelwell, and they need Cooper Koch. Badly.

Gutty win.
Dimbele was playing early, but was not hustling, was out of position on both defense and offense...he was out of sorts. Fran noticed and took him out and left him out -- a good decision. Not sure why Traore didn't play more tonight-- he's played well this year when given the chance.
Totally agree on Thelwell and Koch -- I mean, wow, what a drop-off from Thelwell to Kingsbury!
I have to give credit to the conditioning level of Iowa's players -- at the end of regulation and during OT, Iowa players definitely had more gas in the tank than the Huskers, even tho most of them played the last 8 min of the game AND OT, with almost no substitution.
 
Just being a bit realistic

The Big is very tough this year

We played at Michigan and lost by 2

Michigan is rolling At UCLA and have led by 10 points most of the game

Michigan has the GoldenWolf Combo, two solid 7 footers

Gonna be tough on the road this season as usual

We play very well despite being undersized in the middle every game
 
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