No one should be surprised. Iowa averages less than 20 wins per season under Fran and we are at 20 now. We will lose at Illinois and will probably lose in the first round of the BTT. Why? Because this is how Iowa Basketball under Fran has gone. A couple of times there has been exciting deviation from this but generally 20-22 wins, first round exits in the BTT, eek out a win in the first round of the NCAAT then get smoked in the 2nd round is about the best we can hope for until recruiting takes another step up. 10 years in, I think this program is what it is. Just stating an inconvenient truth.
Really, Hawks?
- Thread starter HawksMN
- Start date
You don't think we're going to have a really good team next year?
I'd put money on Rutgers running them off the court.
Maybe. If we lose ONLY Kreiner and Evelyn and bring back Bohannon for his last season then yes it has the potential to be something special. POTENTIAL. I thought Dev Marble's senior season when Fran had his best team to that point was going to be special. We ended it having to play an opening round game in Dayton in which we got smoked by Tennessee. Next years team would be more talented, by a lot. But I can't sit here now and tell you next year will be great. 10 years of Fran's program tells me it will be another 20 win season with a first round exit in the BTT and IF we get in the dance, it will be a first round exit there too. By the way, I'm not complaining when I state this stuff. It is what it is. I'll take this over the unwatchable years of Lickball.
First round exit in the NCAA tournament? You know what Fran McCaffery and Tom Davis have in common? Neither one has ever lost in the round of 64 at Iowa.
InGoodCo
Well-Known Member
I think even if Iowa loses Garza they will be pretty decent next year. Obviously not as good, but still probably projected to make the field. That's the price of success and having good players, you lose some and sometimes that prohibits big things. Just ask the football team. Objectively - if you can't realize that 4 under class men being drafted in the top 4 rounds before the season last year impacted and put a cap on and limited what Iowa could have done this past season, you aren't being truthful. You can rave all you want about Fry being a better coach, but I can tell you this with certainty, he didn't lose his top 3 or 4 players every season a year early to the pros. Ferentz is winning despite that and objectively that's impressive to me.
SteveGarvey1
Well-Known Member
By technicality only since he lost in the round of 68 to Tennessee. But you do get a Mr. Davis success or non-success rate feeling nowadays with Iowa basketball.
Hey man, stats are stats.
kicker22
Well-Known Member
Sorry but I just have to ask. After the way they handled us at their place, what lead some of us to believe that that we were the better team going into our game with them at Carver? I'm not saying they should have finished the year in front of us or that they are head and shoulders better then us, but I simply don't see how we gave one away at home. I'm just not convinced that we should be outraged losing to a team flat out owned us over the course of 2 games this season. We probably trailed in double digits for 70 of those 80 but it's only an effort issue? At what point does Purdue get some of the credit. I guess if we happen to run into them in the BigTen Tourney I should be prepared for more outrage in the event they somehow manage to beat us.
To be totally honest after the way they handled us at their place I figured we were going in Senior Night as the team playing with something to prove. Obviously Purdue didn't get the memo, because they straight up kicked our ass a second time this season. But I'm sure things will be different if we play them a 3rd time.
To be totally honest after the way they handled us at their place I figured we were going in Senior Night as the team playing with something to prove. Obviously Purdue didn't get the memo, because they straight up kicked our ass a second time this season. But I'm sure things will be different if we play them a 3rd time.
SteveGarvey1
Well-Known Member
You know, Joe Frazier was a great fighter. He only lost to two guys and beat Ali once. But when he went up against George Foreman, he had no chance. We're Joe Frazier, I guess, and Purdue is Foreman?
SpiderRico
Well-Known Member
Under Fran, we will always struggle against teams that clog the cutting lanes, play physical with our cutters, and run our shooters off the 3 point line. It's just the way it is and I don't see that changing. That's why we struggle with the likes of MSU, Purdue, and Wisky. But against others that don't play quite as physical....Illinois, Michigan, Ohio State, etc...... we tend to do pretty well against.
Robowe
Well-Known Member
I don't consider at overtime game vs Tennessee in 2014 getting smoked. Yes, overtime didn't go well (Iowa was outscored 14-1), but the game was good through regulation.
This was also the game that Iowa played after Fran learned of Patrick's cancer diagnosis.
https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=400546941
It was a tough ending to a long and stressful day for Iowa coach Fran McCaffery. He started the day in Iowa with his teenage son, Patrick, who had surgery to remove a thyroid tumor. His assistant coaches led the Hawkeyes through a meeting and their final practice, and McCaffery was back by game time.
Martin and the Volunteers hugged him after the game and wished him well.
"Their players hugged me and told me they were thinking of me," McCaffery said. "I was really impressed with their guys and the program Cuonzo has built there."
kicker22
Well-Known Member
As a fan I think we're capable of beating anyone (and losing to anyone) we'll see in the conference tournament. That said there is no way in hell I want to play Purdue again and would take my chances with the field. I've seen nothing in 80 minutes of play that makes me think we're the better team.
SpiderRico
Well-Known Member
Add Indiana to that list as well. I want no part of either of the "home" teams in the BTT....
InGoodCo
Well-Known Member
I don't want to play Rutgers, I don't want to play Minnesota (even tho we swept them) - I don't want to play Indiana, I don't want to play Purdue, I don't want to play Michigan, I don't want to play Wisconsin. It's just a fact of life this year, unless it's NW or NE, we're going to have an extremely tough match up in the B1G tournament. I for one won't be disappointed with a loss in the BTT. I just won't be. It will hurt seeding and I realize that, but IMO, rest for this team that is basically playing 4 guys for full games and then rotating the 5th spot is AS important as anything. We've been tested enough. They don't need tests IMO, they need rest and new opponents that don't have them scouted to the gills. In my mind - ideally Iowa would win Sunday, win on Friday and then lose and get 5 or 6 full days of rest before the NCAA. Likely not how it will shake out tho, just ideal for me personally in my mind for making the sweet 16. If that were to happen they are no higher then a 6. If they lose out, I think they are 7.
SpiderRico
Well-Known Member
I'll play pretty much any team except the two Indiana teams....there's just something about Purdue and Indiana in Indianapolis. No want!
Funny you mention not wanting to play Indiana. There is a high probability they will be Iowa’s Thursday opponent unless the get upset by Nebraska on Wednesday
Ain't that the truth. The 11th best team of the top 12 is probably a 55/45 game for us and the best team is probably a 45/55 game against us. There just isnt much difference at all in those 12 teams.
The thing about Purdue is their best is probably at least as good as our best and their worst is probably just as good as our worst. They have just been less consistent because they don't have Luka Garza. They aren't a worse them. Just a less consistent one.
Northside Hawk
Well-Known Member
Theres one that Davis should have lost. The George Washington game. Down seventeen with eight minutes to go, they staged a furious comeback that was better than Illinois 1987 and was topped only by Michigan State 1993.
