This team is better than last year's.

[1977Hawkeye]

When you have a lot more scorers, its a lot easier to score.

For sure, but what I'm saying is that last year's team didn't start well shooting the ball those first two games so it wasn't a big surprise that it didn't shoot it all that well all year long, so I'm hoping the first two games of this year are a good omen.

Last year, it wasn't so much a case of Iowa feasting on cupcakes, because it didn't shoot that well against them, either. Different story so far this year.

 

[Tierney]

Iowa played 2 games at the Garden last April . One was great, one was bad. I think they will play well Thursday. We may see the Twin Towers play together more in this game.

I think they might play together if Iowa can stay out of foul trouble. It should be a good test for White, Woodbury, and Olesani.

 

[WildTurkey]

I think people jump to conclusions way to early. What if we had played Texas the first game and lost by 5-10 points? People would be like.. Man we really miss Marble or McCabe's tougness. Man Basabe would have played better Defense inside etc..

Its nice to be excited again about Iowa basketball but i just think some of you are setting yourself up for a meltdown later. KCCO Hawkeyenation

 

[1977Hawkeye]

I think people jump to conclusions way to early. What if we had played Texas the first game and lost by 5-10 points? People would be like.. Man we really miss Marble or McCabe's tougness. Man Basabe would have played better Defense inside etc..

Its nice to be excited again about Iowa basketball but i just think some of you are setting yourself up for a meltdown later. KCCO Hawkeyenation

If Iowa loses by 5-10 points to TX (even if it had been opening game), I wouldn't have been too worked up over it. Losing to the #10 team in the country? It happens, and there would probably be plenty of positives to take away.

Now if we get blown out, that'll sting a little, but I don't anticipate that.

 

[PCHawk]

So basically you're saying this is a Top 30 team?

I am. It's not like it's not possible for the 40th best team to beat those teams by that much. It's just unlikely they would do it back to back with pure dominance like we did.

It would be different if the other teams were missing open shot after open shot and we were making everything we jacked up, but that just wasn't the case.

 

[BrueCrew3]

I'll try not to re-hash other posts, but imho, losing RDM, as good as he is/was, may be the best thing to happen to this team. Everyone waited for him to do something. My sense this year is that everyone is trying to do something, pass, score, defend, whatever it takes. No one person is going to have to fill the void. They're making it a team effort.

I'm reminded of the Packers in the mid 90's. They were a good team with Sterling Sharpe. When he was lost to injury, Brett Favre was forced to spread the ball around. It made the Packers (and Favre) a better TEAM. It was addition by a very significant loss.

As disheartening as the end of last year was, I was still very optimistic about this years incarnation. I knew that the returning players would be a year older and more seasoned. That alone makes them better players. Yes we lost a lot in the seniors, but I believe this team is going to do some damage.

As for Thursday, I'm certainly hoping for a win, but I'm not expecting it. We're playing the #10 team in the country. I'm hoping we keep it close and not get blown out.

GO HAWKS!!!

 

[Tierney]

I'll try not to re-hash other posts, but imho, losing RDM, as good as he is/was, may be the best thing to happen to this team. Everyone waited for him to do something. My sense this year is that everyone is trying to do something, pass, score, defend, whatever it takes. No one person is going to have to fill the void. They're making it a team effort.

I'm reminded of the Packers in the mid 90's. They were a good team with Sterling Sharpe. When he was lost to injury, Brett Favre was forced to spread the ball around. It made the Packers (and Favre) a better TEAM. It was addition by a very significant loss.

As disheartening as the end of last year was, I was still very optimistic about this years incarnation. I knew that the returning players would be a year older and more seasoned. That alone makes them better players. Yes we lost a lot in the seniors, but I believe this team is going to do some damage.

As for Thursday, I'm certainly hoping for a win, but I'm not expecting it. We're playing the #10 team in the country. I'm hoping we keep it close and not get blown out.

GO HAWKS!!!

Fran doesn't seem to have the need to talk up his players this year. He seems more relaxed too. I don't know if Iowa will beat Texas, but I think
Fran knows he has a pretty good team.

 

[DodgerHawki]

If Iowa loses by 5-10 points to TX (even if it had been opening game), I wouldn't have been too worked up over it. Losing to the #10 team in the country? It happens, and there would probably be plenty of positives to take away.

Now if we get blown out, that'll sting a little, but I don't anticipate that.

At this point we have no idea now good/bad Iowa is. Iowa was clearly better than its first two opponents, and did a good job of putting them away by halftime. Starting Thursday, we start seeing opponents with the physical wherewithal to fight back. The last month of the season last year, this roster basically folded up and didn't fight. Until I see Iowa work through some adversity against a quality (top 50-100 team), I'll be skeptical. But I'm excited to see what this year's team has to offer.

 

[blkngldFRO]

It does not look like we can yet all agree that this team is better than last year

But I think we can all agree that WE’RE BACK!

 

[bogeyman]

Last year in the first two games against UNC Wilmington & Omaha, Iowa was a combined 7-26 (26.9%) from behind the arc.

First two games this year, they are a combined 18-41 (43.9%).

Sure, it's just two games so only time will tell if it'll continue, but I'm definitely encouraged by the outside shooting so far.

I feel a lot better about our shooting this year, however, with this team shooting well when the bright lights are on will show us they can compete with the best. Lots of guys can shoot without any pressure, its a different animal when the game is tight and the opponent isn't NDSU.

I am also still concerned we don't have a go to guy in clutch situations that can create their own shot. This will definitely have to be a true team effort this year.

 

[SnapBack2]

I don't think people are jumping to conclusions, I think there is evidence we have improved and I don't think it's wrong to point that out.

 

[lightning1]

Gauging the quality of the team on wins over Hampton and NDSU is the real mistake.

not gauging my opinion based on the competition we've played. I'm basing it off of what I've seen in the offense/defense and especially the passing game. They look like a better T.E.A.M. right now.

 

[RocknRollface]

I'm still worried about our half-court offense against higher-end teams that apply a lot of ball pressure. We lack a back-court shot creator. I think we are going to need to play through our frontcourt in half-court sets against good teams.

I think our reduced depth will actually help us this year. To me, this year, 7 guys have played like rotation players, Jok and Dickerson need to step up their game to get rotation minutes, and Uhl is probably a year away. I see an 8 maybe 9 man rotation, which should allow more continuity.

Defense should be better if we run Gesell and Clemmons as the guards all year.

I kind of agree we don't have a guard that is going to creat much offense in the half court in conference unless it becomes Dickerson.

But what we do have is a huge offensive mismatch in Uthoff if he continues to shoot the ball well. He will usually be defended by guys 5 or more inches shorter and should be able to shoot whenever he wants.

This team will have to play like Wisconsin of last year to be succesful in the half court, spacing, shooting and ballmovment.

Hopefull the days of going one on one and throwing your self into a pile of bodies in the lane is over.

 

[DP5555]

I won't fully believe in this team until they have a game where they go out and win it at the end of regulation against a good opponent. That has been their Achilles heel the past couple years. Inability to make clutch free throws and clutch shots when it matters most. Losing RDM doesn't matter in that regard because he wasn't good at it either. He took the most last second shots and he missed the majority of them. Somehow, some way, they need to figure out how to earn a hard fought victory. Starting with making clutch free throws would be a step in the right direction. Maybe that would lead to the confidence needed to knock down some big shots.

Right now, if a game is tied with 2 minutes to go I'm going to fully expect the Hawks to figure out a way to blow it. Simply because that's what they've done in the past. I hate saying that, but it's true. I just expect the worst in those situations because it makes it easier to accept when it happens.

 

[tweeterhawk]

I won't fully believe in this team until they have a game where they go out and win it at the end of regulation against a good opponent. That has been their Achilles heel the past couple years. Inability to make clutch free throws and clutch shots when it matters most. Losing RDM doesn't matter in that regard because he wasn't good at it either. He took the most last second shots and he missed the majority of them. Somehow, some way, they need to figure out how to earn a hard fought victory. Starting with making clutch free throws would be a step in the right direction. Maybe that would lead to the confidence needed to knock down some big shots.

Right now, if a game is tied with 2 minutes to go I'm going to fully expect the Hawks to figure out a way to blow it. Simply because that's what they've done in the past. I hate saying that, but it's true. I just expect the worst in those situations because it makes it easier to accept when it happens.

This is where I think you are wrong. Right now it looks like there are three or four options on the floor in the starting rotation who could get the late basket(s) you need, including the winning one. I don't think you could say that last year. That's not a rap on RDM -- well, it sort of is -- but last year every opponent knew who Iowa looked to be clutch in the closing moments. Most of the time he wasn't.

 

[HawkeyeMike23]

This is where I think you are wrong. Right now it looks like there are three or four options on the floor in the starting rotation who could get the late basket(s) you need, including the winning one. I don't think you could say that last year. That's not a rap on RDM -- well, it sort of is -- but last year every opponent knew who Iowa looked to be clutch in the closing moments. Most of the time he wasn't.

Weren't those same guys on the floor last year too and they couldn't get it done then? They suddenly became "clutch" over the summer?

 

[NEIChawk]

People gettin all jacked up over 2 games already...For me, it's a wait and see.......This team needs an early season win over a good opponent...we have that wish tomorrow/Friday.....So let's "wait" until tomorrow/Friday and "see" where we are after that.....For some maybe it's the doldrums of the football season that has people excited for b'ball....I'm glad it's here also, but let's pull back the reigns a bit...

 

[DP5555]

This is where I think you are wrong. Right now it looks like there are three or four options on the floor in the starting rotation who could get the late basket(s) you need, including the winning one. I don't think you could say that last year. That's not a rap on RDM -- well, it sort of is -- but last year every opponent knew who Iowa looked to be clutch in the closing moments. Most of the time he wasn't.

Look, I hope I'm wrong, but what Mike said ^^^ is exactly how I feel. They need to prove it. Yes I've been impressed with their shooting so far. It definitely looks like they have more players capable of knocking down shots. However, knocking down shots against pretty bad opponents in a game that's a blowout is totally different than knocking down shots with a couple minutes to go in a game against a ranked opponent. None of the guys on Iowa's roster have shown the ability to do so consistently. Hell, most of them haven't shown the ability to do it at all in those moments. There have been some huge games the past couple years that the Hawks controlled the entire way through only to blow it at the end by not taking advantage of scoring opportunities. Until they prove they can do that I'm going to remain skeptical.

 

[HerkyDude]

Agree totally. Have people already forgotten last season? Like they looked good in Europe and for awhile after and what happened? I am excited for Clemmons and felt he would be a starter if he stuck around. He has the speed, he just needed to mature.

 

[PCHawk]

I heard a stat that this is the first time ever we started 2-0 and won both games by 20 or more (and we won them both by 30 plus).