My Two Cents

[Northside Hawk]

Iowa's final week schedule, while difficult on paper, may have some built in advantages that could work in their favor.

Michigan has clinched the conference title, lost their point guard, and has to be peeking ahead at least a little bit to the Michigan State game to close their regular season. Iowa could be a trap game for them. The concern, and of course there is plenty, is that they may be even bigger than Illinois or Purdue and that's what wore northwestern down when the cats gave Michigan their best shot a couple weeks ago.

We may catch an even bigger break at Nebraska. Already a team we've matched up well with in the Hoiberg era, we face them immediately coming off a west coast swing. We will see if they have enough time to adjust.

You can call me delusional but I say we split this week's games. Just don't see an 0-2 week.

 

[Grady]

Iowa matches up well with Nebraska, no doubt. The Huskers are basically a 1 post/4 out team, and their post player is not dominant. I'm sure they beat most teams with their quickness, movement, and 3 pt shooting, but as the Hawks showed in their first meeting if you contain Sandfort, you have a chance because it's not likely Sam Hoiberg is gonna beat you.

Iowa as a team moves their feet well on D, and the Huskers don't have a lot of players who can break you down 1-on-1, which is Iowa's greatest weakness. Some teams ya just match up well against, and Nebraska is that team for the Hawks.

When it comes to motivation, however, edge to the Huskers. They were embarrassed in Iowa City, and Coach Hoiberg called them out after the game for being soft. They're gonna bring it this time around defensively...at least at the beginning. Hawks just have to weather the storm, stick around, and hope Stirtz has a career game.

 

[BigD]

All that matters is getting to the big dance and then finally making some noise for the first time since Tom Davis was head coach.

Good God man how many years ago was that? No fan base should ever tolerate that shit.

Heads should have been chopped off at every level at the University of Iowa. U of I Presidents, Board of Regents, AD’s, etc.

I will be patient with the current group. Ben knows how to make adjustments during the game and is a very good coach. The next two or three year’s recruiting classes will give us an idea of what kind of recruiting he can bring in. That will be key.

We have more money and better facilities than our redheaded step sister in Ames and yet they are exceeding us every March regardless of who their head coach is and that’s just garbage and unacceptable to any one with a credible sports knowledge.

 

[longtimer]

Totally agree. Ned to get in the tournament to make it a positive year. We have almost 0 chance in next 2. So do we need to win first game in Big Ten Tournament to get in

 

[trj]

I dunno. I could easily see Iowa losing both. LJ Cason was splitting time with Cadaeu at the point…now Cadaeu is just the full-time point.

Senior night on the road in Lincoln, when Fred has to officially say goodbye to his kid. Sam Hoiberg is the heartbeat of the team…that is a lot of emotion to overcome. Also, asking Stirtz to lockdown Pryce a second time…don’t think it is going to happen.

I’m looking at 0-2, hoping for the split.

 

[Northside Hawk]

I dunno. I could easily see Iowa losing both. LJ Cason was splitting time with Cadaeu at the point…now Cadaeu is just the full-time point.

Senior night on the road in Lincoln, when Fred has to officially say goodbye to his kid. Sam Hoiberg is the heartbeat of the team…that is a lot of emotion to overcome. Also, asking Stirtz to lockdown Pryce a second time…don’t think it is going to happen.

I’m looking at 0-2, hoping for the split.

All the emotion of Connor's last home game didn't prevent us from losing on his senior night (and to Nebraska if I recall correctly). Senior night was never Fran's thing anyway and I'll bet Iowa lost more of them then they won in Fran's tenure.

I think the west coast thing is real. It put Iowa in a funk that some think were still recovering from (and we were playing our best ball of the year from the Indiana through Oregon and Washington games) Will Nebraska have enough time to recover.. Will Michigan have one eye on Sparty? We will soon find out.

 

[Northside Hawk]

Totally agree. Ned to get in the tournament to make it a positive year. We have almost 0 chance in next 2. So do we need to win first game in Big Ten Tournament to get in

R U nuts? Were IN the dance. Might not be the seed you're hoping for but we're in.
Losing to Michigan and Nebraska this week would not hurt our metrics and look at what's going on around us. Indiana just about sealed their fate with another home loss today (to Michigan State) USC has probably played themselves out of contention. Then there's Seton Hall, Auburn, our old buddy Alford and Nevada. All hanging onto the bubble for dear life. There's probably a dozen teams around the country who's bubble will burst before we wou,d have to worry about ours.

 

[HuckFinn]

We have been in the Dance for weeks.

 

[Hawkfnntn]

I agree on matching up well with Neb to me that's why we beat them. Michigan we don't matchup with at all. I don't have a great feeling about either of these games this week though. Neb is gonna be hell bent on beating us at home and they'll have a raucous crowd for their senior day and all that. If Iowa beats them again that'll be really impressive to me. I'm just not gonna expect it

 

[SwirlinLingerie]

What's the path for avoiding 8/9? Win at least one of these next two? Or lose the next 3 and hope to slip to the 10? Or even better, the 11?

 

[Hawkfnntn]

What's the path for avoiding 8/9? Win at least one of these next two? Or lose the next 3 and hope to slip to the 10? Or even better, the 11?

I think that's most likely anyway... If we split and beat Neb and then lose in BIG tourny in the first game I don't think that moves us up off the 8/9 line to a 7. Lose out and yeah we could slip down which as far as I'm concerned is better anyway. The 8/9 is brutal. Really tough first game and then a 1 seed.

Now losing out isn't exactly the type of momentum going into the NCAAs one wants to have by any means either so I don't exactly have a lot of positive vibes atm for this group

 

[Fryowa]

We have to remember that this is a Drake roster and first year coach.

We also have to remember that Stirtz is gone and next year could be worse unless three things happen...1) Thompson ends up a stud, 2) Jirak grows and doesn't look like a baby giraffe next year, and 3) McCollum can find a unicorn PG in the portal which depends on how much money he has to work with.

Literally all of the cards are stacked against the Hawks now and next year, making the tournament was and is the goal of this season and that's accomplished. This season is a success either way in my book.

 

[Westernhawk]

We have to remember that this is a Drake roster and first year coach.

We also have to remember that Stirtz is gone and next year could be worse unless three things happen...1) Thompson ends up a stud, 2) Jirak grows and doesn't look like a baby giraffe next year, and 3) McCollum can find a unicorn PG in the portal which depends on how much money he has to work with.

Literally all of the cards are stacked against the Hawks now and next year, making the tournament was and is the goal of this season and that's accomplished. This season is a success either way in my book.

I'm personally hoping for a unicorn Point Guard from the Mystic Portal.

 

[SwirlinLingerie]

We can call it a Drake roster, but it is currently in the top half of an 18 team Big Ten, right with UCLA and Ohio State, and ahead of a bunch of teams with better combinations of history and resources like Indiana, USC, Oregon, Maryland...

This roster is right where Iowa has been on average - if not a tad higher - over the past 35 years.

 

[NorthKCHawk]

We can call it a Drake roster, but it is currently in the top half of an 18 team Big Ten, right with UCLA and Ohio State, and ahead of a bunch of teams with better combinations of history and resources like Indiana, USC, Oregon, Maryland...

This roster is right where Iowa has been on average - if not a tad higher - over the past 35 years.

Some how Cignetti made the playoffs last year with a James Madison roster.

I mean, if you take a group of kids that won the Missouri Valley last year and damn near made the Sweet 16, and you bring them over to a Big 10 school as a unit for the most part, I don't know that finishing 8th in the conference is all that lofty an expectation.

Like Cig, McCollum is just a winner and a great coach. I don't care the level. He followed the same rules and restrictions as everyone else in Division II and won multiple natties. In one year at Drake, he followed the same rules and restrictions as everyone else in the MVC, and bested them all. It may take him a couple years to get the roster he wants, but BM teams will overachieve and win.

 

[Grady]

At the beginning of the season Iowa was picked to finish 9th in the BTen by the media, ahead of Indiana (10th) and Maryland. And it appears that's just about where the Hawks will end up.

I can't help but think back to when both Iowa and Indiana and Minnesota were all coach searching at the same time. Indiana had the resources & history, and basically had 1st pick...DeVries. Iowa had 2nd pick and went with McCollum. Minnesota had 3rd choice and went with Medved. I suspect most Iowans and Minnesotans are satisfied with their choice. According to my friend in Indiana, the Hoosiers not so much.

 

[InGoodCo]

I'm not that concerned about PG next year with Combs as I think he'll be solid and is likely your day 1 starter unless they get some 3 or 4 star portal guy. Though they need another one, I'm just not sure you're going to find a portal PG that can just come in and play the way Ben wants in one off season. That position seems more like a "homegrown" slot for Ben. Iowa needs scorers, shooters and size. If Ben could change something this season, I bet it would be to play Trey Thompson. Iowa just needs scorers, could you imagine what a tandem Josh Dix and Bennet Stirtz would be? Iowa would be in the top 10

 

[thedukeofearl]

I'm personally hoping for a unicorn Point Guard from the Mystic Portal.

Perhaps this Lad will suffice if the Unicorns are already taken

 

[thedukeofearl]

I'm not that concerned about PG next year with Combs as I think he'll be solid and is likely your day 1 starter unless they get some 3 or 4 star portal guy. Though they need another one, I'm just not sure you're going to find a portal PG that can just come in and play the way Ben wants in one off season. That position seems more like a "homegrown" slot for Ben. Iowa needs scorers, shooters and size. If Ben could change something this season, I bet it would be to play Trey Thompson. Iowa just needs scorers, could you imagine what a tandem Josh Dix and Bennet Stirtz would be? Iowa would be in the top 10

I Only Pryce Sandfort had stayed also, we would probably be a top ten team and a contender, Perhaps
that is...

 

[Hawkfnntn]

We have to remember that this is a Drake roster and first year coach.

We also have to remember that Stirtz is gone and next year could be worse unless three things happen...1) Thompson ends up a stud, 2) Jirak grows and doesn't look like a baby giraffe next year, and 3) McCollum can find a unicorn PG in the portal which depends on how much money he has to work with.

Literally all of the cards are stacked against the Hawks now and next year, making the tournament was and is the goal of this season and that's accomplished. This season is a success either way in my book.

I think this is the #1 question for next yr. We don't have any post presence. Or other wing players that can dribble drive and create. We have 6'7 to 6-9 guys that can catch and shoot outside when someone else sets em up sometimes. But that requires a guard that can do it and we won't have one next yr till Ben goes shopping in the portal.

If Thompson and next yrs freshman Harris both end up being as advertised that'll be icing on the cake. But without an above avg pg running the type of show Ben wants I think they'll be stuck in the mud and might not be as good next yr as they have been this yr.

And if I'm wrong about this I'd be happy about it. Cause that means some of the current guys have really taken leaps.