Time to put up or shut up

H

HawksMN

Well-Known Member
Big games are here boys.

IMO these are the big ones in the Conf. season: OSU(2), WI(2), MSU(2). Not that they aren't all important but these are the highly ranked teams.

We need to at least split these games to be a contender, and to make March rock solid IN. Its time to bag a few big victories. 1-5 or 0-6 is going to make for another sweaty selection Sunday, lets not go there. Go Hawks, starting this weekend.
 
If they go 1-5 in these games and win all the rest they are still golden. That would be seven losses. Probably good for a 5-6 seed still. Even throwing in another loss or 2 no worse than a 7 probably. It won't make for a sweaty selection Sunday, just a disappointing one. In order to have a happy selection sunday a split or 4-2 would afford us an unexpected loss or two. That would put us in the 2-5 seed range depending on how the year plays out nationally. We need a few wins in these games for a confidence boost going in to march. Especially one on the road.
 
Ya if Hawks go 1-5 against the big 3 then they need to do youmans work against the rest of the league. Split against those guys and get a bad-game reprieve against a Minnesota or an Indiana.
 
The big ones are at home. Protect home court and steal a few on the road,

Lose at home and much more pressure to win on the road which is much tougher to do in the big 10.

So let's not freak out if we lose Sunday.
 
HawksMN said:
Ya if Hawks go 1-5 against the big 3 then they need to do youmans work against the rest of the league. Split against those guys and get a bad-game reprieve against a Minnesota or an Indiana.
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I think you may be overestimating the selection standards. We were pretty close to making it last year. If we go 20-11 (9-9) again, we are likely on the right side of the bubble as the schedule is so much stronger this year. 11-7 would definitely get us in, no matter which games we lose.
 
ibahawkeye said:
The big ones are at home. Protect home court and steal a few on the road,

Lose at home and much more pressure to win on the road which is much tougher to do in the big 10.

So let's not freak out if we lose Sunday.
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Great point. Lots O' confidence around hear about walking into the Kohl center and coming out with a win. Don't get me wrong, this team is capable, but the season isn't over if we lost at WIsky.......
 
This will be a game of runs....who can finish down the stretch....I think also Fran will find out the players that can deliver in this type of environment, or rather who can maintain the same consistency on offense and defense.....what always scares me about Wisconsin is the ability to lull you into their half court game, then wham, a 7' center throws in a 3-ball....I just wanna watch Bo Ryan and his many faces of doom and gloom....classic stuff....Tomorrow night's game will be a good test (for both teams)
 
deanvogs said:
Great point. Lots O' confidence around hear about walking into the Kohl center and coming out with a win. Don't get me wrong, this team is capable, but the season isn't over if we lost at WIsky.......
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You can almost feel the meltdown comin haha
 
We already lost a game we should have won (ISUx) and already lost a game we could have won (Nova).

Honestly, doesn't leave much room for error in league play against the top teams.

OP is right on.
 
ibahawkeye said:
The big ones are at home. Protect home court and steal a few on the road,

Lose at home and much more pressure to win on the road which is much tougher to do in the big 10.

So let's not freak out if we lose Sunday.
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Agree totally. I believe Fran style of play really matches up well against Coach Ryan's and I think that is why the Hawks have done so well against the Badgers in recent history. Lets not forget the Hawks have won 3 of the last 4 meetings against the Badgers with the loss being in overtime at the Kohl center. I would love too see the Hawks beat the Badgers Sunday but a tough competitive close loss to them at the Kohl center would not be the end of the world. GO HAWKS BEAT THE BADGERS!!
rwtsracefan(Dan Wemett)
 
This is a big game no doubt, no reason not to go in with the mindset of a put up or shut up game. However, it's easy to think of the #15-20 ish rated, 3rd/4th/ ish in the BoneG Wisconsin and forget that this is an undefeated, #3-#6 rated Wisky team. Totally different proposition. They were almost impossible to beat at home even as a more middle of the road squad, this incarnation of the Vadgers appears to be a step above the BoDgers of the past years couple years.
 
I think Iowa is going to lose the game. Want them to win, don't think they will. I think that place is going to be at a fevered pitch. If folks act like its the end of the world if Iowa loses a road game to a team ranked in the Top Five, that;s totally on them
 
Packers/no students. It'll be a good crowd but nothing like it could be, best time possible for Iowa to play there.
 
The world isn't falling apart if Iowa starts 3-3. The more difficult part of the schedule is the front half.

Obviously a win a Wisky is a huge impact.
 
I think this might be a put up or shut up game for the fans (Uthoff / Brust), but I don't think it is for the season. This could be a barometer game for Iowa, on the road at the 4 or 5 ranked team in the nation. This game will show Iowa what they need to work on. I do think Iowa can win, IF, they make more than 70% from the line, are essentially even with rebounds, less than 10 total turnovers and score more than 75 points. We need to run, run, run and then run some more. They don't have the length or depth to hang with us in that type of game. If the score is in the 60's, we could be toast, unless we shoot 80% from the line and take more tan 20 attempts.
 
I don't think we would even drop out of the top 25 with a loss, but this board will explode with negativity if we do. Like Jon said, people forgot how to handle a basketball season. There are ups and downs. Hope for the best each night, but as long as you're in, it only matters how you're playing in march.
 
Geez, Wisconsin has only two good wins - Fla was a home game. I don't know if they have earned their ranking?

We have played a much tougher schedule and I think that makes a big difference in this game. My real concern is Fran's teams don't close out games and we have average shooters that struggle against strong defenders.

We shall see but, I think the Hawks take this one
 
hwks1 said:
Geez, Wisconsin has only two good wins - Fla was a home game. I don't know if they have earned their ranking?

We have played a much tougher schedule and I think that makes a big difference in this game. My real concern is Fran's teams don't close out games and we have average shooters that struggle against strong defenders.

We shall see but, I think the Hawks take this one
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I think I saw Fran on the bench in the NIT when we closed out 4 games in a row.
 
hwks1 said:
Geez, Wisconsin has only two good wins - Fla was a home game. I don't know if they have earned their ranking?

We have played a much tougher schedule and I think that makes a big difference in this game. My real concern is Fran's teams don't close out games and we have average shooters that struggle against strong defenders.

We shall see but, I think the Hawks take this one
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Iowa has played a much tougher schedule? You're joking right? Line up their schedule against the hawks game by game and it's not even close. Wisconsin has played one of the tougher sched's in the country.

Wisconsin has beaten Florida, Marquette, saint Louis, St. John's, Virginia, UW/Green Bay, West Virginia just off the top of my head. Marquette is struggling but it's a rivalry game as well as Virginia since Bennett played in Wisconsin and coached for Bo.

Their ranking is earned.
 
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