So What is your Expectation for Iowa Basketball?
- Thread starter longtimer
- Start date
blubberhawk
Well-Known Member
Expectations are ' i have none. Iowa basketball is irrelevant and has been for a long time. Seems programs are being cut all over the place. Maybe Iowa should get rid of basketball.
WindsorHawk
Well-Known Member
We finished 6th or better 8 of the last 9 years. First division finish is pretty much a given. Purdue and Michigan look like the top 2 as of now.
WindsorHawk
Well-Known Member
It’s not required viewing. I enjoy Iowa basketball. If it’s irrelevant to you stop watching.
Ben Rumson
Well-Known Member
Who's expectations? Mine were met. For a team that was hyped to compete for a big 10 championship and clearly couldn't even do that, it should be no surprise what happened today. The big was clearly over hyped with their showing. There are a shit load of teams in the tournament this year that can play with anyone or beat them and until we get some speed and athleticism I for one wouldn't expect anything more than what we got.
blubberhawk
Well-Known Member
Relevance in the sense that there is never any legitimate chance for a big ten title or a final 4. Iowa is a middle of the road program with middle of the road players and a middle of the road coach. I followed scores on my phone each and every game because I do care about how they do. I just have absolutely zero expectations for the team as far as success is concerned. I did not watch a complete game all year. I commented about six weeks ago that the top ten ranking for Iowa was a joke. (It was) The only reason Iowa was a two seed was that they started the season ranked #5. Oregon started the season ranked #20 and with a similar record and a conference championship, they ended up a seven seed.
smitharooney
Well-Known Member
we need better athletes who can actually play . He might be the worst recruiter in the conference
But Loyola can do what they do? They don't have those athletes either. We have some that could have been used more. Illinois has the horses but they got ousted. Fran is a smidge better coach than Underwood but Iowa would probably get ousted that way as well. You need a good amount of both like Gonzaga has. So, Altman and Oregon pull out a close game if coached the same way and Iowa has a more athletic team. Then you get those close "what if" or "why didn't we do this or that" games with 3 or 4 decisions here and there that eat at you. Losing 86 - 82 to Oregon wouldn't be much better.
Fran's teams didn't start playing defense till season 9, Not till the second half of this season and forgot about it again in this tournament. Great athletes aren't automatically great defenders. It is smarts and effort and proper technique. Athletes get fouled out if not playing "D" right and they still get beat with bad attack angles and footwork and gambling on steals and not keeping the hands out etc. so whoever you have needs to be coached the right way and play the D all the time not just at times.
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Knight78
Well-Known Member
If Illinois had:
1) Got the ball to Kofi more to get the Loyola big guy in foul trouble.
2) Ayo had been more of a distributor instead of believing the hype about himself and not tossed up a lot of bad shots.
3) Their guards had stopped the incessant dribble-dribble-dribble and instead passed.
They would have won. If they got the ball to Kofi half the amount of times that we get the ball to Luka, it would have been no contest. But they hadn't done that all year.
dahlhawk
Well-Known Member
The NIT is fine, for a young and upcoming team. The problem is Iowa hasn't been able to continue to improve to the highest levels. We peak at the top 25 and are usually paper lions. This won't change unless we get some ballers that can stand the physical play that is popular these days. I think the players Fran has on the roster if he can keep them and add to them might change this trend. Oregon was so underseeded, but we would have run into a great athletic team at some point.
Northside Hawk
Well-Known Member
Like in the next round. USC, if anything, is more athletic than Oregon.
People are constantly saying it's as good as it gets at the end of the season. I knew those posts were coming this year too, regardless of what happened.
I'd say Toussaint, Perkins, and Ulis are pretty damn athletic.
