Well...sniff sniff...

If only pre-season rankings did anything to help on the court........

The only rankings that matter are the end of season rankings and making the NCAA tournament.

I don't see Iowa anywhere in those.

When I said "NBA people" I meant GM's, insiders, owners, etc. People who would be extending an offer to Hoiberg to coach their franchise. Those NBA people have a lot of respect for Hoiberg.

You know what's weird? After Wisconsin got beat in the first round, you didn't post anything. THAT'S weird.
 


ISU has only lost three games at home that past two seasons combined: Mizzou, UNI and the KU screwjob. I'm not saying it's impossible, but that is hard to argue against. Iowa was breaking in a new PG this past year and won. You're also forgetting that we return a 5th year PG in Bubu. Monte Morris won Mr. Basketball in Michigan over the #10 player in the country going to Kentucky and another going to Michigan. Definitely would never bet on an ISU vs. Iowa game, but if I did it'd be on the home team every time.

Your points are valid. I will counter with the fact that we totally contained Clyburn. He didn't score a point. Can ISU do that to Marble next year? If Marble doesn't score I think ISU wins. Defense tends to hold up better on the road than offense IMO. We'll see what happens.
 


Your points are valid. I will counter with the fact that we totally contained Clyburn. He didn't score a point. Can ISU do that to Marble next year? If Marble doesn't score I think ISU wins. Defense tends to hold up better on the road than offense IMO. We'll see what happens.

Clyburn had disappearing issues early in the year that continued halfway through the conference season. I'm glad it's a battle of who is the better team now instead of who is less worse.
 


ISU has only lost three games at home that past two seasons combined: Mizzou, UNI and the KU screwjob. I'm not saying it's impossible, but that is hard to argue against. Iowa was breaking in a new PG this past year and won. You're also forgetting that we return a 5th year PG in Bubu. Monte Morris won Mr. Basketball in Michigan over the #10 player in the country going to Kentucky and another going to Michigan. Definitely would never bet on an ISU vs. Iowa game, but if I did it'd be on the home team every time.

ISU was a NCAA tournament team the last 2 years, that is why they have done so well at home. I don't think it will be that way next year. I don't think they will be awful, but I don't think they will be an NCAA team either. I bet they lose more than 3 home games next year alone, Iowa being the 1st loss.
 


ISU was a NCAA tournament team the last 2 years, that is why they have done so well at home. I don't think it will be that way next year. I don't think they will be awful, but I don't think they will be an NCAA team either. I bet they lose more than 3 home games next year alone, Iowa being the 1st loss.

ISU will be a bubble team. Hard to tell if they make it or not. The entire Big 12 loses a lot after this year. Kansas replaces all 5. Ejim could be a first team all conference player next year and will probably be picked so preseason. Niang has started since the first conference game. We will be a better defensive team as well, McGee and Lucious are short and not great defenders. Hard to tell 11 months before the tournament where they will finish.
 


Your points are valid. I will counter with the fact that we totally contained Clyburn. He didn't score a point. Can ISU do that to Marble next year? If Marble doesn't score I think ISU wins. Defense tends to hold up better on the road than offense IMO. We'll see what happens.

Bigger story was lucious in that game IMO. Iowa State could win with Clyburn playing bad, but not with lucious turning the ball over 7 times and just playing altogether god awful.
 


ISU was a NCAA tournament team the last 2 years, that is why they have done so well at home. I don't think it will be that way next year. I don't think they will be awful, but I don't think they will be an NCAA team either. I bet they lose more than 3 home games next year alone, Iowa being the 1st loss.

I agree here. Iowa State will have struggles early on. Disagree on first loss, probably will be michigan.
 


Bigger story was lucious in that game IMO. Iowa State could win with Clyburn playing bad, but not with lucious turning the ball over 7 times and just playing altogether god awful.

Clemmons played his best game of the year too. That was huge for us especially with Lucious and Clyburn stinkin the way they did.
 


Bigger story was lucious in that game IMO. Iowa State could win with Clyburn playing bad, but not with lucious turning the ball over 7 times and just playing altogether god awful.

Talking about ISU's loss to OSU? Craft manhandling anyone will cause turnovers. Bump and grind.....
 


ISU will be a bubble team. Hard to tell if they make it or not. The entire Big 12 loses a lot after this year. Kansas replaces all 5. Ejim could be a first team all conference player next year and will probably be picked so preseason. Niang has started since the first conference game. We will be a better defensive team as well, McGee and Lucious are short and not great defenders. Hard to tell 11 months before the tournament where they will finish.

Everything is conjecture right now, of course we don't know for sure how good either Iowa or ISU will be.

I just don't know if I'd count on the transfers like the last 2 years if I were ISU. I mean the combined offer list for the JUCO guys signed isn't very impressive. Only Hogue had other high D1 offers (Mizzu, Texas Tech). The other three offer lists consisted of Arkansas St.

The transfers that Fred has had success had all played or been signed/offered by high D1 schools in Lucous, Allen, Babb, White, Clyburn, even McGee (Creighton, Colorado, Wichita St. offers).

I guess my only point is Fred is finally relying on young recruited talent to be a very big part of the team, and as Iowa knows, sometimes that take more time to develop, than kids who have already played D1 ball.
 




Everything is conjecture right now, of course we don't know for sure how good either Iowa or ISU will be.

I just don't know if I'd count on the transfers like the last 2 years if I were ISU. I mean the combined offer list for the JUCO guys signed isn't very impressive. Only Hogue had other high D1 offers (Mizzu, Texas Tech). The other three offer lists consisted of Arkansas St.

The transfers that Fred has had success had all played or been signed/offered by high D1 schools in Lucous, Allen, Babb, White, Clyburn, even McGee (Creighton, Colorado, Wichita St. offers).

I guess my only point is Fred is finally relying on young recruited talent to be a very big part of the team, and as Iowa knows, sometimes that take more time to develop, than kids who have already played D1 ball.

The thing about the transfers you listed is the fact that they didn't really have anyone returning to mesh with besides Ejim this year. We only returned McGee, Babb, Booker and Ejim from last years team. I'm not sure you can really count Bubu or Percy based off of their contributions the previous season. Booker was not overwhelmingly significant this season either. We return Ejim and Niang in the frontcourt this year and it is a lot easier to be successful with a young back court than it is with a young front court. Also Percy and Bubu will provide some good minutes as opposed to season's past.

I'm not worried about how successful our JUCO bigs are going to be; We have three very capable bigs already which will allow Edozie(So.) to develop for a year as he looks like he needs it and I expect Amardi to be a defensive player that will produce for us what Booker did this season. The front court will surely be better than it was last year with our top three having another year of experience and only losing Booker with the addition of two JUCO's.

I'm also not as worried about our PG situation as I was at first with the loss of Lucious. Bubu is a very capable ball handler that takes care of the ball, can drive and draw fouls (and make the FT's), and plays much better defense. With Ejim, Niang, and two guards on the floor, he won't be expected to score as much. Then we have the young talent as well in Naz and Monte. I expect Monte to be as good if not better than Gessell was this past season for the Hawks. We have two JUCO guards coming in along with a top 5 shooter in the class, plus SDW coming off his RS year and a sophomore wing we didn't see much of due to depth in Okoro.
 


The thing about the transfers you listed is the fact that they didn't really have anyone returning to mesh with besides Ejim this year. We only returned McGee, Babb, Booker and Ejim from last years team. I'm not sure you can really count Bubu or Percy based off of their contributions the previous season. Booker was not overwhelmingly significant this season either. We return Ejim and Niang in the frontcourt this year and it is a lot easier to be successful with a young back court than it is with a young front court. Also Percy and Bubu will provide some good minutes as opposed to season's past.

I'm not worried about how successful our JUCO bigs are going to be; We have three very capable bigs already which will allow Edozie(So.) to develop for a year as he looks like he needs it and I expect Amardi to be a defensive player that will produce for us what Booker did this season. The front court will surely be better than it was last year with our top three having another year of experience and only losing Booker with the addition of two JUCO's.

I'm also not as worried about our PG situation as I was at first with the loss of Lucious. Bubu is a very capable ball handler that takes care of the ball, can drive and draw fouls (and make the FT's), and plays much better defense. With Ejim, Niang, and two guards on the floor, he won't be expected to score as much. Then we have the young talent as well in Naz and Monte. I expect Monte to be as good if not better than Gessell was this past season for the Hawks. We have two JUCO guards coming in along with a top 5 shooter in the class, plus SDW coming off his RS year and a sophomore wing we didn't see much of due to depth in Okoro.

So in summation, you think that all the new parts coming in will be good, so nothing to worry about. I think that is a "fans" perspective, and I get it, we all do that with our teams. Yet if you look fundamentally at what you lost, you have all unproven players coming in to replace them. You basically return Niang and Ejim.....the rest were part time/or not even playing last year. You can speculate all you want on how good the FR guards will be, or how Bubu will do playing full time minutes, the fact is you have 2 solid known quantities, the rest could be better or worse than you think. It is pure speculation, and that is why you won't see them on top 25 lists, or talked about being a player in the Big 12 like they were this year.

Nothing wrong with all of this, and maybe they do all come together like you say.....but that is no sure thing.
 






The thing about the transfers you listed is the fact that they didn't really have anyone returning to mesh with besides Ejim this year. We only returned McGee, Babb, Booker and Ejim from last years team. I'm not sure you can really count Bubu or Percy based off of their contributions the previous season. Booker was not overwhelmingly significant this season either. We return Ejim and Niang in the frontcourt this year and it is a lot easier to be successful with a young back court than it is with a young front court. Also Percy and Bubu will provide some good minutes as opposed to season's past.

I'm not worried about how successful our JUCO bigs are going to be; We have three very capable bigs already which will allow Edozie(So.) to develop for a year as he looks like he needs it and I expect Amardi to be a defensive player that will produce for us what Booker did this season. The front court will surely be better than it was last year with our top three having another year of experience and only losing Booker with the addition of two JUCO's.

I'm also not as worried about our PG situation as I was at first with the loss of Lucious. Bubu is a very capable ball handler that takes care of the ball, can drive and draw fouls (and make the FT's), and plays much better defense. With Ejim, Niang, and two guards on the floor, he won't be expected to score as much. Then we have the young talent as well in Naz and Monte. I expect Monte to be as good if not better than Gessell was this past season for the Hawks. We have two JUCO guards coming in along with a top 5 shooter in the class, plus SDW coming off his RS year and a sophomore wing we didn't see much of due to depth in Okoro.

There are 2 proven guys and I think those 2 guys are good. There is no comparing the rest with the known quality and experience of the returning players and transfers the past 2 seasons. You're hoping for the best as I was with Gesell, Woodbury, Clemmons and Ingram...and this year with Jok. It will take some time to adjust even if they're really good.

If just 3 or 4 of these guys pan out right away ISU could make the tournament next year...only because the Big 12 will be really bad IMO. I thought the Big 12 was bad this year yet too many were invited to the NCAA so... The entire Big 12 is rebuilding from what I thought was already a weak conference.
 


Laughable at best.

Not sure what you mean?. I like Hoiberg and think he can coach. But arguing who is "more relevant" between he and Fran...c'mon man, outside of their respective fan bases and a few talking heads during the season....neither really is...

to suggest anything else is laughable.

I would say they both "could" be....Fran having the edge of course ;-)
 


Not sure what you mean?. I like Hoiberg and think he can coach. But arguing who is "more relevant" between he and Fran...c'mon man, outside of their respective fan bases and a few talking heads during the season....neither really is...

to suggest anything else is laughable.

I would say they both "could" be....Fran having the edge of course ;-)

There's a reason schools have Fred in their coaching searches and not Fran.
 


There's a reason schools have Fred in their coaching searches and not Fran.

Just because Fred's name is leaked/linked with every coaching search doesn't mean he's actually a serious candidate or has the inside track. Fran may get lots of interest and kills it instantaneously. Who really knows what happens with all of this "stuff."
 


There are 2 proven guys and I think those 2 guys are good. There is no comparing the rest with the known quality and experience of the returning players and transfers the past 2 seasons. You're hoping for the best as I was with Gesell, Woodbury, Clemmons and Ingram...and this year with Jok. It will take some time to adjust even if they're really good.

If just 3 or 4 of these guys pan out right away ISU could make the tournament next year...only because the Big 12 will be really bad IMO. I thought the Big 12 was bad this year yet too many were invited to the NCAA so... The entire Big 12 is rebuilding from what I thought was already a weak conference.

The Big 12 deserved 5 bids this year and if Baylor hadn't crapped their pants, might have had 6. The Big 12 was down this year, yes, but that doesn't mean they didn't have 5 deserving NCAA tournament teams. You can reflect the weakness of the conference in the seeding, which was the case this year having OU and ISU as 10 seeds. The problem with the Big 12 is that they have so many one and dones.

I am hoping for the best, but don't group Clemmons and Ingram in a group with Gessell, Woodbury, Matt Thomas, Monte Morris, Sherron Dorsey-Walker, Naz Long and Kerwin Okoro. The fact that we have five young guys that other (multiple) BCS schools wanted coming in to play gives us a much better chance of succeeding than the talent Iowa has in their underclassmen.

Ingram and Clemmons only had offers from directional schools.

Naz had offers from Creighton, Miami (FL) and Mizzou.
Okoro had offers from Pitt, Seton Hall, Rutgers, Arizona, St. John's.
SDW had offers from Baylor, Boston College, Florida St., Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Temple, Virginia Tech.
Thomas had offers from Boston College, Colorado St., Creighton, Marquette, Minnesota, Nebraska, UNI, Northwestern, Virginia, Wisconsin.
Morris had fewer offers but Arizona St., Cinci, GTech, Providence, and USC. He had a conditional offer from Michigan with another guy from the state on first to commit gets the spot. He beat that guy and the #10 prospect in the country (that signed with Kentucky) out for Michigan Mr. Basketball.
 




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