Some perspective as we head into Conference Tourney and March Madness

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NorthKCHawk

Well-Known Member
Just remember this as the games move forward for the next four glorious weeks:

1. Almost every Power 5 team that makes the tournament is going to lose two more times. Two!
2. The majority of teams that make the NCAA tournament are going to have a .500 or below record from here on out.
3. Every tournament team except one will end the season with a loss.

Enjoy the best 4 weeks in all of sports, but be happy no matter how Iowa finishes up. Year one of the Ben McCollum era is already a success. House money from here, boys!
 
All good points, but maybe it is better if we lean into the crazy stats of our bizarre Sweet 16 drought. Maybe that will end the curse?

I'd love to know...

In the 27 years since Iowa's last appearance, how many programs have made it to the Sweet 16?

Of those X teams who haven't made it, how many have been to the NCAA tournament 10 times or more?

How many of those X teams who haven't made the Sweet 16 since 1999, have been to the second round 5 times or more?

I would guess it is a very, very short list of teams with Iowa on those last two questions. Perhaps it is only Iowa.

Like I said, bizarre history and why Iowa basketball's destiny feels like Duke in Greenville. If that's the case, perhaps we can convince Tom Davis, Bob Bowlsby, Bobby Hurley and Deon Thomas to do some sort of ceremonial Hokey Pokey before the game to exorcise our past demons. Maybe this is the year.
 
NorthKCHawk said:
Just remember this as the games move forward for the next four glorious weeks:

1. Almost every Power 5 team that makes the tournament is going to lose two more times. Two!
2. The majority of teams that make the NCAA tournament are going to have a .500 or below record from here on out.
3. Every tournament team except one will end the season with a loss.

Enjoy the best 4 weeks in all of sports, but be happy no matter how Iowa finishes up. Year one of the Ben McCollum era is already a success. House money from here, boys!
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I sure hope we get 4 more weeks !! 2 would be nice
 
This Iowa team just seems to have run out of gas, losing six of their last eight games. I don't have the numbers, but I would bet that their shooting percentages have fallen off the ledge. Given that, my expectations for the rest of the season have tanked and any wins we experience from this point on is just gravy. Good Luck, Hawks!
 
MisterLucky said:
This Iowa team just seems to have run out of gas, losing six of their last eight games. I don't have the numbers, but I would bet that their shooting percentages have fallen off the ledge. Given that, my expectations for the rest of the season have tanked and any wins we experience from this point on is just gravy. Good Luck, Hawks!
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Cooper Koch's shooting percentage has done quite the opposite.
 
They definitely found something near the end of the first half today. Tremendous scoring balance.

I think Banks and Manyawu are the heart and soul of this team. When they play well with big minutes, we are athletic enough to complete with anyone. Koch is really coming on as well. When those 3 are clicking, it makes Stirtz that much more dangerous.
 
MisterLucky said:
I hope young Mr. Koch can bottle whatever he's using these past four games. Iowa could be so much more dangerous if they could just find a second (and third) scorer they could depend on.
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Yep, roles still shaking out is not ideal. Maybe they figure it out on this run. Teams get on runs, let’s hope Iowa is at the start one.
 
Confidence and momentum are weird things. Stirtz could not buy a bucket yesterday until a wounded prayer goes in.

Coop has struggled much of the year but now seems to have found some rhythym.

Combs has been on my cut list for a month now, but has really played well the last few games.

Banks could not miss a free throw for a month and now is shaky from the line and from the floor.

There are few with better tournament (little "t") resumes than McCollum. We shall see.
 
Banks is the key for me. He needs to find some consistency in his game and not disappear in contested games, where he could make the difference. In fact, outside of Stirtz, the entire team is hit and miss as far as showing up to make the difference in games e.g. today against Ohio St. Alvaro Folguerias, a man with all five vowels in his last name, has zero points and zero rebounds at halftime. This is a problem for the Hawkeyes and their chances to progress in this tournament. Same with Manyawu. Zero and zero. Can't have your best players disappear at critical moments.
 
NorthKCHawk said:
Confidence and momentum are weird things. Stirtz could not buy a bucket yesterday until a wounded prayer goes in.

Coop has struggled much of the year but now seems to have found some rhythym.

Combs has been on my cut list for a month now, but has really played well the last few games.

Banks could not miss a free throw for a month and now is shaky from the line and from the floor.

There are few with better tournament (little "t") resumes than McCollum. We shall see.
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Ever since I called Coop to get benched man, he's been killing it lol.
 
InGoodCo said:
Ever since I called Coop to get benched man, he's been killing it lol.
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Think you need to call for Folgueiras to get benched. His last few games are 5,2,6,4, and 8 points in each. Before that double digits in 5 of 9 and the last game was the 20 against OSU in the first game and maybe he was hitting his stride. Just hasn't really showed up when we needed him down the stretch.
 
How come it is so hard for Iowa to get a decent 7 footer?

"Purdue men's basketball has a long, consistent tradition of featuring 7-footers, most notably two-time National Player of the Year Zach Edey (7'4"), along with Isaac Haas (7'2"), A.J. Hammons (7'0"), and Matt Haarms (7'3"). The Boilermakers have maintained a streak of having a 7-footer on their roster for over a decade."
 
Realistically, do we as a fan base wish to be a program like Wisconsin or Purdue? It doesn’t seem to matter who’s on their rosters, they always have really great years and make runs deep into the tournament. I doubt the NIL money will ever allow a great collection of talent like the blue bloods, but does Wisconsin or Purdue have a big NIL advantage over us? My hope is that once Ben can get true power conference players that he can get us to those types of programs. He’s doing all of this right now with mid-major recruits, so I have faith in him to push this program to a higher tier of results.

Go Hawks!!!!!
 
MisterLucky said:
Banks is the key for me. He needs to find some consistency in his game and not disappear in contested games, where he could make the difference. In fact, outside of Stirtz, the entire team is hit and miss as far as showing up to make the difference in games e.g. today against Ohio St. Alvaro Folguerias, a man with all five vowels in his last name, has zero points and zero rebounds at halftime. This is a problem for the Hawkeyes and their chances to progress in this tournament. Same with Manyawu. Zero and zero. Can't have your best players disappear at critical moments.
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With all due respect, is this all on the players, or do the coaches have some responsibility here? How many times have we seen Combs pass up an open look, only to pass it off, resulting in an end-of-time clock prayer being thrown up? He's apparently doing what the coaches want, otherwise he wouldn't do it. It's good to have inner confidence, but it helps when you're given the green light by the coach. How many sets have been specifically drawn up for Folguerias by the coaches?

Koch has been uneven too, but he's easily neutralized if you don't have a PG who can penetrate and dish. With Koch and Sage being 3-pt threats, no reason Combs can't average 10 pts/game next season with improvement.
 
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