Josh Reed of Big Ten Geeks says it will be a disappointment if we aren't in Final Four contention.
Big Ten Geeks: Iowa 2013-14 Preview « Big Ten Network
Big Ten Geeks: Iowa 2013-14 Preview « Big Ten Network
You think fans' expectations are too high?
- Thread starter enmaster
- Start date
Most fans expectations are too low in my opinion. Not so much with how deep we get in the tournament because anything can happen with one game. I'll be disappointed if we aren't still hoping for a conference championship with 3 or 4 games to go. Unless one team is undefeated at that point.
SpiderRico
Well-Known Member
One thing to keep in mind....
Last year, we only played the top 4 teams a total of 5 times (Indiana x2, Michigan, MSU, OSU), and went 0-5 against them. This year, we will be playing them a total of 8 times....each team twice. We give up games at Neb, at Purdue, and vs Penn State.
It could certainly be a year of the proverbial "we are a better team, but the record isn't reflective of that". For anyone that hasn't looked at our B1G schedule, it's tough. There's an 8 game stretch in the middle of the B1G season that goes:
@ Michigan
@NW
vs MSU
@ Illinois
vs OSU
vs Michigan
@ PSU
@ Indiana
Last year, we only played the top 4 teams a total of 5 times (Indiana x2, Michigan, MSU, OSU), and went 0-5 against them. This year, we will be playing them a total of 8 times....each team twice. We give up games at Neb, at Purdue, and vs Penn State.
It could certainly be a year of the proverbial "we are a better team, but the record isn't reflective of that". For anyone that hasn't looked at our B1G schedule, it's tough. There's an 8 game stretch in the middle of the B1G season that goes:
@ Michigan
@NW
vs MSU
@ Illinois
vs OSU
vs Michigan
@ PSU
@ Indiana
ibahawkeye
Well-Known Member
I expect an NCAA birth. I hope to win in the first round. Anything beyond that is gravy.
Boy or girl?
Funny the difference between looking for wins against that schedule last year and looking for them this year.
Last year was loss, maybe win, loss, maybe win, loss, loss, win, loss.
This year is loss, win, good chance to win, good chance to win, good chance to win, good chance to win, win, good chance to win.
Last year we played 5 games against those teams and had almost no chance to win any of them. This year we play them 8 times but only have 3 games where we will be pretty big underdogs.
HawkeyeRyno
Banned
Spot on SpiderRico. I've been saying this all offseason. While we are deep those teams we play have better talent than us. Team has to avoid the "bad losses" this year as well. Those will absolutely hurt them if they lose those teams this season. I can handle loosing to the top teams in the B1G, it's the inferior teams they have to stop loosing to so frequently. That's the first step of proving they are better. But as you said, this season may be one of those "better than their record" seasons.
They aren't going to win the Big Ten this year, maybe the BTT, but the goal is to just make the tourney this year. That's my expectations. I'd be elated with that. The Final Four talk is ridiculous.
MisterLucky
Well-Known Member
Odd. The gist of the piece, as I perceive it, is that Coach McCaffery is doing such a great job at little ole Iowa, that some "high profile job openings" ought to come calling and if he continues this progress, he is as good as gone.
"If McCaffrey can live up to the expectations I’m bestowing here, he should absolutely be on the annual shortlist of the top replacement candidates for major openings."
WTF!?! This is a Big Ten writer. Are we just chopped liver participating in the realm of Ohio State sirloin? Is it totally unreasonable that maybe Coach and his family like living in Iowa City? We have decent facilities, a beautiful campus, an engaged fanbase and pay competitive salaries. I find this article fairly insulting.
"If McCaffrey can live up to the expectations I’m bestowing here, he should absolutely be on the annual shortlist of the top replacement candidates for major openings."
WTF!?! This is a Big Ten writer. Are we just chopped liver participating in the realm of Ohio State sirloin? Is it totally unreasonable that maybe Coach and his family like living in Iowa City? We have decent facilities, a beautiful campus, an engaged fanbase and pay competitive salaries. I find this article fairly insulting.
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BrueCrew3
Well-Known Member
To answer the OP, no .. the expectations are NOT too high. In fact, I really don't get all this "Michigan is better, so is Indiana and Ohio State, and Michigan State". Iowa is a year more experienced and lost only a good role player who was forced to start late due to injuries. I'm not cutting Eric May down. In fact, I was glad we had him. And the fact that he played as well as he did was a huge bonus to the team last year.
But the bottom line is we still have 9 players who are now a year older, a year stronger and a year more experienced. No other team in the B1G can make that claim. Did the others add some talent to off-set their losses? Absolutely!! But does any team in the B1G have the same kind of experience coming back? No .. and that fact alone makes the Hawkeyes a team to be reckoned with.
So I'll say it again. The expectations are NOT too high. In fact, some (my own included) are probably too low. This team has the talent to contend for a B1G title, regular season or tourney. AND they have the talent do some damage in the Big Dance.
Just my 2¢ .. ..
GO HAWKS!!!
But the bottom line is we still have 9 players who are now a year older, a year stronger and a year more experienced. No other team in the B1G can make that claim. Did the others add some talent to off-set their losses? Absolutely!! But does any team in the B1G have the same kind of experience coming back? No .. and that fact alone makes the Hawkeyes a team to be reckoned with.
So I'll say it again. The expectations are NOT too high. In fact, some (my own included) are probably too low. This team has the talent to contend for a B1G title, regular season or tourney. AND they have the talent do some damage in the Big Dance.
Just my 2¢ .. ..
GO HAWKS!!!
tm3308
Well-Known Member
Indiana and Michigan won't be nearly as good as they were last year (I don't care what the prognosticators say, Michigan ain't a top 10 team without Burke this year). Ohio State and Michigan State could both be affected by the new hand checking rules (and OSU won't be as good, anyway).
I think we can take all of the home games against the top teams, and I think we can win at Indiana. Is it an easy schedule? Certainly not. But it's not like we're playing last year's Indiana, Michigan, MSU and OSU twice each.
Josh Reed is playing on Iowa fans' hysteria at being relevant again this year. It is true that our ceiling is a lot higher. In comparison to the Lick years, a final four seems actually possible. But a LOT of things would have to go right for that to happen this year. I do hope for more than just an appearance in the NCAA- 2 wins would be nice. However, let's play the season first. Whad'da ya say?
goiahawks
Well-Known Member
I'm very excited for this season and I believe "we'll" be better than last year. With that said, the B1G is still the toughest conference and it won't be easy. An NCAA birth would / will be great, but I don't think we're going to compete for a B1G championship just yet. One thing is for sure, this team will be fun to watch.
D
DDThompson
Guest
If that's what Josh Reed said then he is a dope.
