Who goes down to allow us to go up?

[CAARHawk]

For the first time in a long time, we will be returning players, not starting from scratch next year after dealing with offseason defections.

Not offseason defections, but the graduation of Cole without a viable alternative and the graduation of Cartwright next year with the same situation.

Look at it this way. Iowa loses Freeman, and Peterson and Kelly are there to step in. Iowa loses Peterson and Kelly, and Cully is there to step in. Iowa loses Fuller and Mel is there to step in. How is that different than Iowa loses Cole and ? is there to step in?

People might point to Brommer and Archie, but I would suggest that any of the guys we had to step in with respect to the defections were more promising options than these two.

So, I see this coming year as somewhat of a similar issue with respect to player changes.

Really comes down to recruiting a whole team of players that will be able to compete at a reasonably high level.

 

[fufred]

Agreed. Hoping for the competition to downgrade is not the way to rebuild a program.

OSU loses Lighty, Diebler, and Lauderdale for sure. Sullenger says he is staying for at least two years but a top 5 pick might want to leave and get paid now. I would guess Buford returns and they are returning 2 talented sophomores in Thomas and Craft. I'm kind of excited to see how good Thomas turns out to be and to see whether he is a 3 or a 4. He was one of the most prolific scorers in Indiana state history. Even if sully leaves they still have a talented and experienced core to build around. Throw in some more of Matta's recruits and they should be top 3 or 4 next year in the conference. Fufred could you shed some light on Thomas if you read this?

Sully is without a doubt returning, his father was quoted saying its etched in stone. As for Thomas he needs to improve his ball handling and shot selection. He was a black hole this year, has to pass better. He is a big time scorer though and should be fun to watch.

 

[DaBears]

So Penn State makes the tourny this year, and ya'll think they are going downhill?
Nebraska almost made the tourny, made the NIT, and ya'll think they are going downhill?
But we go 10-19 and ya'll think we're going to be a 7th place team?!?!

where is the logic?

 

[CAARHawk]

Who needs logic when you have hope?

Agree with the general sentiment. With the loss of Cole, Fran really needs to pull a few rabbits out if his hat for Iowa to get out of the bottom spot next year. Because Indy will definitely be better.

 

[dmShortSaledude]

Fran needs to shut down the pipeline Bo has from CR to Madison. That in itself would help a lot!

Fran WILL shutdown that pipeline, but more importantly, he will shutdown that short whiney lil twerp's pipeline. Count on it.

 

[tm3308]

So Penn State makes the tourny this year, and ya'll think they are going downhill?
Nebraska almost made the tourny, made the NIT, and ya'll think they are going downhill?
But we go 10-19 and ya'll think we're going to be a 7th place team?!?!

where is the logic?

Penn State loses Talor Battle. In case you haven't been paying any attention to PSU (and judging by the fact that you're a Cyclone fan, you probably havent), Battle was the best player in school history. At a place like Penn State, you don't just replace that with the next guy in. Battle could have started for just about anybody in the Big Ten. There is not one other player on their roster that you could say the same thing about.

 

[WindsorHawk]

Iowa moves up because they will be better. I've said it in other threads and I'll say it again here. I don't think Iowa will lose more than 2 home games in the Big Ten. Those that disagree please tell me the 3 teams that are going to win in Carver.

Iowa moves up because other teams lose more experience than we do. We lose 1 player with a lot of experience. Every other player returns and has extensive experience...as does Payne.

Ohio State - Loses Diebler, Lauderdale & Lighty
Purdue - Loses Johnson & Moore
Wisconsin - Loses Leuer
Michigan - All return...unless Morris remains in the draft
Illinois - Loses McCamey, Davis & Tisdale
Michigan State - Loses Lucas & Summers
Penn State - Loses 4 starters including Battle
Northwestern - Loses Thompson
Minnesota - Loses Hoffarber & Iverson
Iowa - Loses Cole
Indiana - We swept them

This is how I see it...assuming Morris returns for Michigan.

Michigan
Ohio State
Wisconsin
Michigan State
Iowa & Purdue
Illinois
Northwestern
Minnesota
Indiana
Penn State

 

[UncleHawk]

So Penn State makes the tourny this year, and ya'll think they are going downhill?
Nebraska almost made the tourny, made the NIT, and ya'll think they are going downhill?
But we go 10-19 and ya'll think we're going to be a 7th place team?!?!

where is the logic?

Research before you speak. PSU loses Battle, Brooks, Jackson, and Jones. That's their top two scorers, top 2 rebounders, and all the big men in their top 8. Plus, the don't recruit like OSU. Yeah, they will struggle. Frazier might keep them out of the cellar.

NE will do better but lose their top point and assist man in Jeter. Plus, they won't have the luxury of playing IaSt twice a year.

As for IA, just having 2 healthy PGs on the roster will improve the team, let alone normal player retention. Cole was a senior leader and our 2nd-leading rebounder. He was also a 6’5â€￾ center (6’7â€￾ listing was obviously quite a stretch). We ought to be able to break even covering that hole with returnees and recruits and improve significantly in the rest of the line-up. With most of the rest of the BT in moderate to severe rebuilding mode, 7th place at least seems possible. If all of this still doesn’t convince you that IA will significantly improve in the standings, answer me this: who else in the BT returns a senior backcourt, their 3 top double-digit scorers, top rebounder, and top assist man (one of the top 2-3 in the league)?

Will improvement by attrition in the rest of the league be a long-term strategy? No. But it will start the ball rolling. Get ready for the ride.

UncleHawk

 

[BlackGold57]

A key to next year will be Brommer, yes Brommer. He has to stay healthy or Basabe will be playing post and getting in foul trouble.

Assuming Cully is back, weakest spot is 5. Brommer will get better, just like this past year. There will be a recruit, but how much of an impact in the Big 10 is unknown. Archie is a good 8 minute guy, but would have to go through a transformation to improve enough to be an impact player.

Cole will be missed more than you know.

 

[Hawkize1]

A key to next year will be Brommer, yes Brommer. He has to stay healthy or Basabe will be playing post and getting in foul trouble.

Assuming Cully is back, weakest spot is 5. Brommer will get better, just like this past year. There will be a recruit, but how much of an impact in the Big 10 is unknown. Archie is a good 8 minute guy, but would have to go through a transformation to improve enough to be an impact player.

Cole will be missed more than you know.

And hopefully Archie shoots 1000 free throws per day. (and hopefully makes more than 200)

 

[clicheusername3]

A key to next year will be Brommer, yes Brommer. He has to stay healthy or Basabe will be playing post and getting in foul trouble.

Assuming Cully is back, weakest spot is 5. Brommer will get better, just like this past year. There will be a recruit, but how much of an impact in the Big 10 is unknown. Archie is a good 8 minute guy, but would have to go through a transformation to improve enough to be an impact player.

Cole will be missed more than you know.

I would have to say May pulling his head out of his *** is one key, and Basabe not having a sophomore slump. He's not going to surprise anyone next year. Brommer isn't key at all. He just needs to keep doing what he is doing picking up the trash, committing 10 fouls per 40 minutes and winding people up.

 

[UncleHawk]

I would have to say May pulling his head out of his *** is one key, and Basabe not having a sophomore slump. He's not going to surprise anyone next year. Brommer isn't key at all. He just needs to keep doing what he is doing picking up the trash, committing 10 fouls per 40 minutes and winding people up.

I think May's play is why Fran is looking at SG as well as PG. May is athletic, shoots pretty well, and defends pretty well. You'd think there was a player there. However, his lack of ball-handling has kept him from developing. Notice, out of all the players we have so far next year at 1, 2, and 3, May handles the ball the worst. Fran has made sure that isn't an accident.

Brommer will be important as a senior in the rotation. All seniors in the top 8 are integral parts of a team. All he needs to do is cut down a bit on stupid fouls and he will have a great senior season. That's certainly possible.

UncleHawk

 

[BryceC]

What you saw out of Nebraska this year is pretty much their ceiling. They will be worse next year and Sadler will probably be fired, so they'll be starting all over again. I expect Iowa to be above Nebraska in the standings for the vast majority of the time.