What is "better next year" to you?

[WindsorHawk]

A better record won't take much. I think an average defensive team next year will add 8 to 10 wins with the returning guys. Now add in 3 quality players...including CM since he's been hurt/sick all season.

My expectation for next year is 2 non conference losses or less and no worse than 12-6 in the conference. I expect us to make it to Saturday of the BTT and the 2nd weekend of the NCAA.

I believe Cook, Bohannon and Wieskamp (All Freshmen Team) have a legitimate chance at 1st or 2nd Team All Conference...if they all stay healthy.

 

[Adam]

I see comments in threads like this all the time:

"Hopefully we'll be better next year..."
"Its one down year, after Fran pulled us out of the gutter. We'll be better next year."
"This is clearly a rebuilding year and the only real step back for Fran so far. We'll be better next year."

Well, what is better. Right now we're 3-11, 12-15. We have 4 games left not counting the B1G tournament. We could lose all 4 but best case in my mind is we win 2.

So lets's say we end up 5-13, 14-17. Obviously 6-12 next year is better but I don't think that's what people really are willing to accept. Evey the Pollyanna apologists seem like they're going to expect more.

I've said in other threads, we need to make the actual tournament next year - not a play in game, if we make the play-in we need to win and actually be in. So what needs to happen next year for you to consider this team better?

Next year needs to be top 6 finish in the B1G with 20+ wins and NCAA tournament (I accept play in games). We will have so many upperclassmen next year. If they don't hit this mark then it's definitely all on Fran.

Supposing they do hit that mark then 2020 needs to be top 4 in the B1G and a Sweet 16. Anything less and I will be continually disappointed with Iowa basketball and will not have a single good will bone left in my body for Fran.

 

[NikeHawk21]

A better record won't take much. I think an average defensive team next year will add 8 to 10 wins with the returning guys. Now add in 3 quality players...including CM since he's been hurt/sick all season.

My expectation for next year is 2 non conference losses or less and no worse than 12-6 in the conference. I expect us to make it to Saturday of the BTT and the 2nd weekend of the NCAA.

I believe Cook, Bohannon and Wieskamp (All Freshmen Team) have a legitimate chance at 1st or 2nd Team All Conference...if they all stay healthy.

Will Fran shorten the rotation? We don’t have any current rotation players leaving and most already feel we play way too many guys.

How will our defense improve to an average level? We are so far from average defensively right now that’s hard for me to see.

 

[MelroseHawkins]

Battle for top 4 BIG finish and solid invite the the NCAA. No bubble. That would appease me for another year.

 

[HawkGold]

7 wins in the Big would be a big improvement. 8 would be nice. That would be NIT and going in the right direction....again. 4 of the teams this year are terrible and 3 will likely be terrible next year. 4 depending on Iowa.

 

[homes]

No reason to let them off the hook for next year simply because this year sucks. No lowering of the bar for them. A top 5 finish in the Big Ten, an NCAA playoff berth (no play-in game), and at least 1 win in the tournament.

 

[1977Hawkeye]

No reason to let them off the hook for next year simply because this year sucks. No lowering of the bar for them. A top 5 finish in the Big Ten, an NCAA playoff berth (no play-in game), and at least 1 win in the tournament.

Exactly. NIT next year would not be "progress". They were NIT last year, which was supposed to be a rebuilding year.. This year is a complete disaster. NIT next year would make 3 straight NCAA misses. And that's through nearly a decade with Fran on our sidelines. That doesn't sound like progress to me.

For me, it's NCAA bid or bust. Gotta finish Top half of the conference (out of 14 teams, that isn't too high of a bar), 20+ wins, and for the love of Pete, can we finally show up for the Big 10 Tournament for once? But it's the NCAA Tournament as the end result that I'm looking for. If that doesn't happen, I will be officially out of patience with Fran. In fact, I might already be there. He gets no more slack from me.

No lowering the bar. No excuses. Go get it done, Fran.

 

[EstronHawkKing]

7 wins in the Big would be a big improvement. 8 would be nice. That would be NIT and going in the right direction....again. 4 of the teams this year are terrible and 3 will likely be terrible next year. 4 depending on Iowa.

I'm not trying to be a jerk, but I am sick of the NIT talk, which has been a popular subject with Iowa b-ball since the Alford era. As Iowa fans, let's be greedy and want the NCAA Tournament

 

[HawkGold]

I'm not trying to be a jerk, but I am sick of the NIT talk, which has been a popular subject with Iowa b-ball since the Alford era. As Iowa fans, let's be greedy and want the NCAA Tournament

I feel the same way, but the title is "What is Better" or something like that. NIT would be better as much as I'd hate it. Look where we've gotten to in football. 7-5 is certainly better than 4-8. I never took it as being a jerk.

Really interesting situations in the Big.

Rutgers is a mess.

IL is a mess and the coach has lost the team due to the verbal beatings in addition to the obvious.

Iowa is a mess that looks like the coach has lost.

MN is hard to judge.

Wisky is hard to judge.

Maryland is hard to judge.

Nebby has one sort of big win against a questionable Michigan.

NW is still NW

PSU is still PSU with no real wins.

There will be a lot of opportunity to improve the standing next year without improving all that much.

There are only 5 healthy programs in the Big that seem to be projecting strong for 2019. Everyone else is a potential disaster. They can't all be disasters. Someone has gotta win. Want to bank on PSU or Nebby winning next year? I don't.

How did the Big get to be in this shape?

 

[smitharooney]

because we can't stop dribble penetration, our bigs and wings are always helping and; therefore, are always leaving their man or area; which opens up a man or a spot on the floor to be wide open. Our bigs man defense is good, but when they have to leave their man all of the time to help, our lane becomes wide open.

Every stud PG has dribble penetration skills. Once they get past it’s the rim protectors and dominant rebounders that control the game . Our paint defense is what is killing us the most

 

[CJHawkeye]

I feel the same way, but the title is "What is Better" or something like that.

Maybe I should have said, "What is good enough for you" next year because that's what I meant. I clarified that 5 conference wins is technically better next year but that's not what I'm talking about.

 

[PCHawk]

Maybe I should have said, "What is good enough for you" next year because that's what I meant. I clarified that 5 conference wins is technically better next year but that's not what I'm talking about.

Do you mean what's good enough to be happy with the results, or what's good enough to make you confident that Fran has us back on track? I would be happy with 5th or better in the conference with a tournament bid (one where you don't have to sweat it out. I would be confident Fran has us on track with around a 7th place finish and just missing the dance. He would also need to bring in a recruit to be excited about. If next season plays out like that, I won't be happy with the results, but I would be optimistic about the following year again.

 

[trj]

I assumed that they would improve and get better from last year to this year. I am not going to make that assumption going into next year. You have Baer, Cook and JBo, you might might have something with Nunge and Garza, everyone else is crapshoot. I refused to make Wieskamp the savior I am not going to put that kind of pressure on the kid.

 

[ArvadaHawk]

Every stud PG has dribble penetration skills. Once they get past it’s the rim protectors and dominant rebounders that control the game . Our paint defense is what is killing us the most

disagree. we play mostly zone because our guards can't keep their guards out of the lane. that forces our bigs to have to leave their man or simply allow a layup. but, as you know, when they leave their man to stop the penetration, they're leaving an opposing big open. that's way too much to put on the bigs; two be able to guard 2 players and successfully defend our lane. sure most B1G teams have guards that can have success penetrating the lane; but our guards allow it far, far too often.

 

[CJHawkeye]

I would be confident Fran has us on track with around a 7th place finish and just missing the dance. He would also need to bring in a recruit to be excited about.

To me this just screams "I want to find a silver lining even if I have to pick through a mound of cow shit." For me its your prior statement. 5th or better, NCAA bid without the bubble. If not, fire Barta first.

 

[PCHawk]

To me this just screams "I want to find a silver lining even if I have to pick through a mound of cow shit." For me its your prior statement. 5th or better, NCAA bid without the bubble. If not, fire Barta first.

Well of course I'm going to try to find a silver lining. Why would someone want to not find a silver lining? That goes for every aspect of my life too. Not just teams I have no control over.

 

[hawks23]

It is fair to expect the NCAA tourny for next year. Assuming the team isn't cut down by major injuries.

If Fran were to pull together some top recruits for 2019-2020 I could be more patient. As some have said though. If missing next year that is 3 years in a row. That is plenty of time to make the tournament. Especially when the Big 10 is down this year and looks to be next year.

Weiskamp seems to be a major contributor at some point. Hard to assume he is a savior as a freshman. Those are far and few between. Diop for Ohio State was a high recruit same year as Deangelo Russell and he took a few years to develop to MVP form.

Whoever said they miss the brackets coming out and looking for Iowa every year hit the nail on the head. We should be able to get to that point again.

 

[CJHawkeye]

Why would someone want to not find a silver lining? That goes for every aspect of my life too.

Realism. I know there's a classic debate between optimism, realism, and pessimism. Everyone think's they're the realist. I find no joy in finding a silver lining only to be let down again and again.

 

[NikeHawk21]

I’m glad someone brought that question up in this thread.

At this point I’d be happy with next season if we made the dance. That would be a pretty remarkable turnaround in itself.

But that doesn’t mean I’d necessarily change my view on Fran. Recruiting will also be important. If Fran can land Carton and Foster, and make the dance next year, I’d be more inclined to think we should ride it out with him.

 

[lightning1]

Realism. I know there's a classic debate between optimism, realism, and pessimism. Everyone think's they're the realist. I find no joy in finding a silver lining only to be let down again and again.

This is pretty much where I'm at. Being a realist means we can realistically expect a BIG title in football every 7 to 8 years (we've had 5 since 1980) And we can realistically expect a BIG title in basketball every 37 years and counting.