There's always next year

[phdsvp]

I'll be shocked if we lose at Iowa State.

 

[HuckFinn]

Huck, it was actually kinda funny. he was joking.

Glad someone got it.[/QUOTE]

I know, I know. I am too much a "literal" guy. You are right...was pretty funny once someone slapped me upside the head!

 

[InGoodCo]

I'm curious where they will come from. I see losses at ISU, Cincinnati (if both make the preseason tourney final), and whatever ACC team since it'll be a road game for non-conference. We probably won't draw as weak a conference schedule as this year either. Michigan, Indiana and Penn State will all be road games at least once, this year they were all home games. Plus, we probably won't have 13 non-conference games since the BTT is a week earlier next year and the BT regular season starts a week earlier to account for that. Now that could be beneficial with a similar record if it eliminates a couple high RPI teams, but we add Drake back too although UNI sucked this year so that may be a wash. I'd be surprised if we reach 20 wins next year, but our resume could be stronger without an Omaha type loss.

Iowa just beat back to back top 25 teams on the road to end the regular season. ISU loses 7 Seniors... i think it's too early to write W and L's on next season but I don't think it's a stretch to think there should be more W's and more expectation to see them.

 

[DDThompson]

No shit.

Nobody asked you the reason for your winsome personality.

 

[mopkins]

I'm curious where they will come from. I see losses at ISU, Cincinnati (if both make the preseason tourney final), and whatever ACC team since it'll be a road game for non-conference. We probably won't draw as weak a conference schedule as this year either. Michigan, Indiana and Penn State will all be road games at least once, this year they were all home games. Plus, we probably won't have 13 non-conference games since the BTT is a week earlier next year and the BT regular season starts a week earlier to account for that. Now that could be beneficial with a similar record if it eliminates a couple high RPI teams, but we add Drake back too although UNI sucked this year so that may be a wash. I'd be surprised if we reach 20 wins next year, but our resume could be stronger without an Omaha type loss.

I wouldn't count Iowa state as an automatic loss just because its in lames...Iowa State loses 5 of their top 6 scorers next year. 66 points per game graduating this year. Iowa will be the more experienced team next year.

 

[DDThompson]

Hawk Haterfans need to move on to baseball.

Heller is in his fourth season and is rebuilding already/again -- won't win a Big10 title. Recruiting mostly Iowa kids = Lazy recruiting.

And just think about this: success in baseball is 3 of 10 times with a bat and only 7 of 10 on the hill.

You're missing out on so many opportunities to b&tch about players' failures and overpaid overextended coaches.

Keep your life going until football by freaking your snowflake in baseball !!!!!!!!!

 

[1977Hawkeye]

Will be interesting to see the fan base's attitude next year with more expectations.

The expectations will be higher (and they should be), and if this team doesn't make the dance at minimum, then people are going to start getting restless IMO, myself included. But we'll see what happens.

The 21st century of Hawkeye hoops has made me skeptical. This is how I see it:

This year: The year with no expectations, and the team seemed to make progress, get to the NIT. Great accomplishment for such a young team, future is bright, everybody is confident about the future, yada yada yada. Gets fan base reeled in again.

Next year: Hot start, ranked, cough up a couple games late (Iowa plays at ISU again next year, gulp) that could've really padded the resume.. But still on track.. Until February when it all starts crumbling.

Yeah, that's pure sarcasm but that's my fear. Seen it all too often (not just under Fran, but Alford, too). I really hope next year is a good year and the team plays consistently and earns a solid NCAA seed (say, 5-6 or better) and doesn't get NWST'ed in the NCAA 1st round.

 

[mrolympia]

[QUOTEt="sioux34, post: 1595120, member: 48755"]I am afraid this beat down could be held against the hawks to keep them out of next years NCAA tourney.

Congrats on the dumbest post of the week award![/QUOTE]
had to give you a like because you took this seriously

 

[1977Hawkeye]

Nobody is "happy" with the NIT, I'm not sure why people keep saying that. There's a big difference between being happy and exceeding expectations. iowa lost 4 senior starters, played 6 freshmen and 4 sophomores. "Experts" expected them to finish between 12-14th in the big ten this year. 3 weeks ago Iowa wasn't even in the NIT conversation. Whether you want to admit it or not, they beat everyone's expectations.

It was supposed to be a rebuilding year

If Iowa can go on a decent run (2 or 3 wins) in the NIT it will be good for them. If they flame out in the first round it could be damaging. I believe Iowa also goes on a european trip this summer which will be really good for a young team...hopefully they don't get lit up by Pierre Pierce again.

I expected the NIT this year, actually, with 16-18 wins. That was my pre-season pick. So they actually ended up right on schedule in my book, albeit on the higher end of my expectations. So while I'm not disappointed in this year at all, I'm not going to act like this season totally blew me away, either.

Yes, future looks good - Now, I know there is still an NIT to be played, but my focus at this point is already shifting to next year and how much this team improves, and to see if they can find some consistency and play good basketball all the way through into March.

 

[PCHawk]

I expected the NIT this year, actually, with 16-18 wins. That was my pre-season pick. So they actually ended up right on schedule in my book, albeit on the higher end of my expectations. So while I'm not disappointed in this year at all, I'm not going to act like this season totally blew me away, either.

Yes, future looks good - Now, I know there is still an NIT to be played, but my focus at this point is already shifting to next year and how much this team improves, and to see if they can find some consistency and play good basketball all the way through into March.

But look at it this way. We are a pretty high seed in the NIT. We probably played like a 5 seed in the NCAA Tournament over the last 10 games or so. We would have probably snuck into the tournament and had our first ever double bye in the Big 10 tournament if we didn't get screwed in the Minnesota game. When you factor in all of that, it's a lot more promising than just saying "we are an NIT team".

Imagine if we would have won against Memphis and Omaha, beat a Nebraska team that didn't just beat Maryland and Indiana back to back (without those 3 wins, beating Nebraska would have done nothing to make us think we were playing good), lost to Minnesota without getting screwed, then lost against Wisconsin and Maryland at the end of the year. We would have still made the NIT, but we wouldn't have seen any improvement as the year went on. It would be a totally different feel than what we have now.

 

[PCHawk]

There is just such a huge difference between a team who starts the year looking like an 18 win team and ends the year looking like an 18 win team than this team that started the year looking like a 10 win team and ended the year looking like a 24 win team.

 

[uihawk82]

Don't you expect a 4-6 win improvement? I do.

Not unless we get better pt guard penetration and rim defense.

 

[BigD]

Life is hard being a HAWKEYE sports fan. A lot of disappointment and rationalization............. sigh.

 

[Mrke1]

Next year, more than any other year imo, is big year for Fran. He has no excuse next year not to make the NCAA tourney. Realistically, all we have to do is not have 2 of those bad non-con losses and then go 10-8 again to make it.

We also need to see some improvement in March, even if it's just 1 or 2 wins in the B1G tourney.