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Ian Pike Hammer
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Give me your best, worst and then your most realistic prediction for Iowa this year: non-conference record, conference record and postseason, if any.
Also a decent chance that Joe W is a first team all conference candidate. I loved his makeup last year, which was my biggest question about him the previous summer. The lights were not too bright for him.This next year has such a big difference between best case and worst case. I personally don't think most of the guys we lost are difficult to replace because they all had such huge holes in their games. But that doesn't mean the replacements won't still be a drop off. A drop off in talent with a huge drop off in experience will mean the worst case scenario probably plays out. To me that will be a season like a couple years ago. Replacements that end up being slightly all around better because of no holes in their game mean a season like last year or slightly better.
I think there is a decent chance CJF is a better all around player than Moss, a decent chance that Nunge could be an all around better player than Cook, and a decent chance our point guard position will be better than last year with 2 new options plus the possibility that we have a healthy Bohannon. Its unlikely all 3 will happen, but if it does, we could finally earn a seed that gives us a legit sweet 16 chance.
My prediction is a couple losses out of conference but with a tougher schedule, and a slightly better conference record, earning us a similar seed as last year.
We will have to really shit the bed to not make the NIT. But making the NCAA will definitely be more difficult because the conference won't be as strong. The conference won't be as strong and a power conference like the PAC 12 won't get held to two bids two years in a row. 10-10 in 2020 will mean NIT.Best case scenario, first round ncaa.
Worst case scenario, doesn't even make NIT.
I am going to wuss out on this one. I have no clue what to expect from JT, Nunge, or CJF. I know what Iowa needs from them, but will they get it? We can hope and speculate, but no one really knows. There are so many moving parts in the Iowa backcourt right now I can't get a feel. Will JW have to do a lot of heavy lifting at the 2? Will CM find a jump shot? Jbo's health? I can see a 6-8 seed in the NCAA tournament or no post season at all. The margin is that wide.
I predict that they will be capable of beating any team in the country,and they will go undefeated until someone beats them.
To me is comes down to four guys. Nunge, Toussaint, Evelyn, and Frederick. I think we pretty much have a good idea of what we will get from the rest of our guys, sans Pat who I’m not expecting much from.
If 3 of those 4 are quality B1G level starters we are probably a tourney team in the 7-9 range.
If 2 of the 4 are B1G quality starters we are probably pretty bubbly but could dance.
4 of 4 we have a pretty darn good team.
1 of 4 and we are probably NIT bound.
(Edit: if JBo returns and is his normal self we will only need 2 of those guys)
I’m pretty high on Nunge and I think CJF will be a good one, so for me it comes down to Toussaint and or Evelyn.
18-22 wins - on the bubble, but my floor expectations for this program will always be the NCAA. If they miss it, well, there will be a lot of excuses built in with what Iowa lost from last year, but IMO, these losses have been known for some time and as a Fran supporter and fan, my expectation of him as our HC is that he has plenty of time to sort that out and be prepared to field a quality team worthy of post season play.