VanLaere: Iowa Basketball and the Postseason

I would hate to see Iowa play in the CBI or CTI...whatever they are, I couldn't even bring myself to look back at the beginning of the thread to make sure I had the acronyms right.

It's embarrassing. It's bad enough we spend enough time on these message boards, do we honestly want to break down our chances of getting into a third or fourth tier "post-season" and then waste more time breaking down our opponents leading up to these games?

I don't want to hear the argument about more practices, more experience, building into next year...blah, blah, blah. Honest to god, it's not that important. Let the season end. Let the players go back to being college students full-time for an extra week, let us move on and not have to break down the most mindless minutia for the umpteenth time on these message boards.

I've been a fan since Carfino was hittin' and stickin' and I can't stomach the thought of the University of Iowa participating in these tournaments. I get the NIT, there is some history there and the tournament generally is a consolation prize for a winning season. But let it end there. Please, please let it end there. This is a personal plea for no more posts acknowledging whatever it is that falls somewhere below the NIT but above the conclusion of a season.
 
I would hate to see Iowa play in the CBI or CTI...whatever they are, I couldn't even bring myself to look back at the beginning of the thread to make sure I had the acronyms right.

It's embarrassing. It's bad enough we spend enough time on these message boards, do we honestly want to break down our chances of getting into a third or fourth tier "post-season" and then waste more time breaking down our opponents leading up to these games?

I don't want to hear the argument about more practices, more experience, building into next year...blah, blah, blah. Honest to god, it's not that important. Let the season end. Let the players go back to being college students full-time for an extra week, let us move on and not have to break down the most mindless minutia for the umpteenth time on these message boards.

I've been a fan since Carfino was hittin' and stickin' and I can't stomach the thought of the University of Iowa participating in these tournaments. I get the NIT, there is some history there and the tournament generally is a consolation prize for a winning season. But let it end there. Please, please let it end there. This is a personal plea for no more posts acknowledging whatever it is that falls somewhere below the NIT but above the conclusion of a season.

I understand this because you are used to the old days of Iowa Basketball. But you have to start somewhere. If anything, give Gatens some sort of postseason. The CBI is good enough for Stanford, Cincinnati, and Utah, but Iowa and its fans are above it? I don't believe it. Not after going through one of the worst five year stretches in Iowa Basketball history.

Again, I can see where you are coming from, but sometimes a small step is just that. A step.
 
Yes. We are above it.

The fans, maybe. The program, no.

In all seriousness, take a look at this...

Wins over the last 5 years:
Washington - 111
Stanford - 95
Oregon - 92
Cincinnati - 87
Utah - 80
Virginia - 79
Iowa - 66

If those teams can take a bid to the CBI, clearly Iowa can too.
 
Yes. We are above it.

CBI tournament isn't necessary about the fans. No one remembers the results of even NIT tournaments. Its about giving players recognition and reward of being able to continue their collegiate athlete status a few more games. For players like Matt Gatens, they deserve that much. Also a change compete to be recognized as an individual MVP of the entire tournament. Chance for interesting matchups to occur, perhaps run into Camples' conference season champion and get some pay back against a Big South opponent. And while the games may be meaningless to the casual fan, do you think a senior wants his last time he wears his schools uniform to be a lost? For the players, there is plenty to play for.

Saw you post hate on non NCAA tournaments in other threads multiple times, give it a rest, hardly found anyone agreeing with you.
 
SMHawk:

The NIT gives autobids to conference champions that lose in their conference tournament. So, unless Iowa gets in NIT, they won't be playing a conference champ that didn't make the NCAAs.
 
I am a Cubs fan so my summer is already shot and it is a long time before football season. Let them play in the CBI/CIT, this team is fun to watch and I will take more Iowa basketball.

No ghost, I don't wanna read another stinkin cat poop pizza post. :D
 
The top of the Big is weak... ie: Mich State lost last night by a huge spread to Indy. We can run the tourney with the Matt / Franny combo.
 
I would hate to see Iowa play in the CBI or CTI...whatever they are, I couldn't even bring myself to look back at the beginning of the thread to make sure I had the acronyms right.

It's embarrassing. It's bad enough we spend enough time on these message boards, do we honestly want to break down our chances of getting into a third or fourth tier "post-season" and then waste more time breaking down our opponents leading up to these games?

I don't want to hear the argument about more practices, more experience, building into next year...blah, blah, blah. Honest to god, it's not that important. Let the season end. Let the players go back to being college students full-time for an extra week, let us move on and not have to break down the most mindless minutia for the umpteenth time on these message boards.

I've been a fan since Carfino was hittin' and stickin' and I can't stomach the thought of the University of Iowa participating in these tournaments. I get the NIT, there is some history there and the tournament generally is a consolation prize for a winning season. But let it end there. Please, please let it end there. This is a personal plea for no more posts acknowledging whatever it is that falls somewhere below the NIT but above the conclusion of a season.
Great post.
 
Tend to agree with jackl. I get the sentimental desire to see Gatens play in the postseason, but if you don't make the NIT, the other stuff is about on par with playing in some early December bowl game in Shreveport in front of 3500 fans.

Yes I would go to a home game out of my love for Iowa hoops, but I wouldn't feel like we had hit some milestone.....especially if we can't handle business against NE and NW. Win the last two, get redemption against IL in the BTT and I think the NIT is within our grasp. I would prefer winning our way into some "other" tourney i.e. being an NIT bubble team vs. losing 2 of 3 and getting some charity invite to play Clemson or Campbell again.
 
What is so dang embarrassing about playing in one of these post season tournaments? I find it more embarrassing that Iowa has not even been able to qualify for one of these tournaments the past few years and have lost 20 games the past 2 years. There is nothing wrong with playing in a tournament with 15 other teams that finished with similar records or decent mid majors. It is at least 1 more game to see Gatens play before he calls it a career. The worst that can happen is they happen to win and they would have to stick the trophy in that crowded trophy case.
 
The fans, maybe. The program, no.

In all seriousness, take a look at this...

Wins over the last 5 years:
Washington - 111
Stanford - 95
Oregon - 92
Cincinnati - 87
Utah - 80
Virginia - 79
Iowa - 66

If those teams can take a bid to the CBI, clearly Iowa can too.

I don't care if those teams sacrificed their dignity to lose in a crappy tournament. We're too good for it.

Let Matt Gatens go out on top, on senior day, in front of his fans with a big conference win in a full house. Let the young players get experience in the PTL instead of wasting their time playing the fifth place team from the Atlantic 10.

If Fran doesn't have the sense to stay out of this crap, I hope the league refuses to let him.
 
Looks like the CBI is the most likely landing spot. They have taken teams under .500 before too, so if we fail to win one of our last 2 games, we could still qualify. Oregon State went in 2009 with a 13-17 record and made it to the finals.

Also, several of the games are televised by HD Net, which is a channel I get (and in HD of course) versus the CIT which is televised by crappy standard def Fox College Sports (FCS), which Dish doesn't offer.
 
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