Fran needs to get over the monumental hump that is February basketball.
This team seems gutsy and they don't have alot of "quit" in them. The only game they absolutely quit on was the DePaul game way back in November. Maybe they are built to make a run.
The season will be a success even if they don't win the B10. I just want them to remain competitive, in the race till the very end.
Yeah it's hard to envision a scenario where a team wins the conference this year and loses at Nebraska. It's just a road game that all the other good teams likely win this year.
That said, there is no game left on the schedule that is unwinnable, and I'm including the games at East Lansing, Illinois, West Lafeyette, and Maryland.
In terms of the February swoon thing, that is part reality and part narrative, such as KF never plays young guys. If Iowa has a worse record the second 10 games of the conference schedule compared to the first 10, does it mean Iowa played worse, or that the schedule the second 10 games was more difficult? The final 10 games for Iowa this year include road games at Indiana, at Purdue, at Illinois, at Michigan State, at Minnesota. That is brutal. Home games with Illinois, Ohio State, Penn State, Nebraska and Purdue. One bad team in 10 games, Nebraska. If you told me right now Iowa goes 5-5 with that I am happy.
No doubt there have been some Fran fades. Last year they went 5-5 in the final 10, and lost 5 of 6. Some of it was schedule related, some was bad luck (2 OT losses).
2017-18 the team was just bad. 4-14 in conference, and they actually won 3 of their last 10, which was better than 1-7 in the first 8.
2016-17, 7-3 in the last 10. 10-8 in conference. Won last 4 regular season games, including 2 against ranked opponents on the road. Not a fade.
2015-16. 5-5 last 10, but this was from a perch of being ranked in Top 5 and leading the league. Lost 5 of 6 at one point. Was Fran's best shot at winning the league.
2014-15. 7-3 last 10, including winning 6 straight. This was when Aaron White went nuts. Not a fade. Combination of Aaron White playing out of his mind and the schedule easing up. Schedule included 2 with Northwestern, Rutgers, Penn State, and Illinois, all of whom were bad.
2013-14. 4-6 in last 10, and lost 5 of the last 6. Could be classified as a fade. This was when Patrick was undergoing the cancer stuff. Lost tons of close games (notice a trend?).
2012-13. Went 6-4 in last 10, and 6 of the last 8. Was overall 9-9 in conference, so team didn't fade but got better. This was the infamous loss to MSU in Big 10 tournament.
2011-12. 5-5 in last 10. 8-10 overall in conference. Fran's first NIT team. Can't really be a fade, team was what it was.
2013-14 and 2015-16 set the narrative, as those were talented teams that left some wins on the table. But Fran has also had seasons such as 14-15 and 16-17 which finished really well.
I will enjoy watching this team. They play hard and share the ball and enjoy each other's success.
