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Andy Katz, Clark Kellogg, Dick Vitale, Seth Greenberg & Reece Davis have Iowa in Final 4. Katz Does Not See a Team that is a Bad Match Up for IOWA

Franisdaman

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Nov 3, 2012
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Stephen Bardo said to hold on regarding the Final 4 talk but he thought Iowa could definitely make the Sweet 16.

Hell, Loyola Chicago has made a recent Final 4. Why not Iowa?

Love this team!

Go Hawks!!!

EDIT:

Mike Hall in a later segment asked Andy Katz what gave Andy the confidence that Iowa could make the Final 4.

Andy's check list:

* You need a star. Keegan can carry them

* Iowa makes 3's

* Iowa's offensive efficiency is off the charts

* Iowa's defense is so much better

* Fran is really confident in this group. Bardo starting shaking his head yes in agreement. Fran is not yelling that much at the team right now because he is liking what he is seeing.

* The NCAA Tournament is all about match ups. Andy is not sure there is a team out there that is a bad match up for IOWA; this Iowa team can fly up and down the court.


Bardo, on why he thinks Iowa can make the Sweet 16:

* JBo is looking healthy

* Iowa hits the offensive glass

* Iowa can win a # of different ways

* Perkins gets after you & is gaining confidence

* Iowa has so much depth. Sandfort is now coming off the bench and producing
 
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I updated the orig post with this:

Just now, Mike Hall asked Andy Katz what gave Andy the confidence that Iowa could make the Final 4.

His check list:

* You need a star. Keegan can carry them

* Iowa makes 3's

* Iowa's offensive efficiency is off the charts

* Their defense is so much better

* Fran is really confident in this group. Bardo starting shaking his head yes in agreement. Fran is not yelling that much at the team right now because he is liking what he is seeing.

* The NCAA Tournament is all about match ups. Andy is not sure there is a team out there that is a bad match up for IOWA; this Iowa team can fly up and down the court.


Bardo, on why he thinks Iowa can make the Sweet 16:

* JBo is looking healthy

* Iowa hits the offensive glass

* Iowa can win a # of different ways

* Perkins gets after you & is gaining confidence

* Iowa has so much depth. Sandfort is now coming off the bench and producing
 
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I
Just now, Mike Hall asked Andy Katz what gave Andy the confidence that Iowa could make the Final 4.

His check list:

* You need a star. Keegan can carry them

* Iowa makes 3's

* Iowa's offence efficiency is off the charts

* Their defense is so much better

* Fran is really confident in this group. Bardo starting shaking his head yes in agreement. Fran is not yelling that much at the team right now because he is liking what he is seeing.

* The NCAA Tournament is all about match ups. Andy is not sure there is a team out there that is a bad match up for IOWA; this Iowa team can fly up and down the court.


Bardo, on why he thinks Iowa can make the Sweet 16:

* JBo is looking healthy

* Iowa hits the offensive glass

* Iowa can win a # of different ways

* Perkins gets after you & is gaining confidence

* Iowa has so much depth. Sandfort is now coming off the bench and producing
If IOWA can make 19 3’s/Gm, they could make the FF, agree…
 
The Hawks look great. When is the last time an Iowa team peaked like this? Let's just enjoy the ride. Perkins changed everything, the dude is a beast right now.

I don't think we should underestimate the fact that Fran is a players' coach and has complete confidence in all of his players. He's always trying to lift his players up. He did that for Kris, after Kris missed some FTs and the game winning shot 4 days ago. Tony is now thriving under Fran's tutelage.

In the postgame press conference this afternoon, when asked about Tony, Fran reminded everyone of the many reasons why he offered Tony a scholarship.
 
Right now let’s just be happy if Iowa can make it to the second weekend. We’ve had teams in the past capable of making deep runs but always got bounced early.

Lots of things have to go right if Iowa is going to make the Final Four. I just don’t think enough are going to happen.
 
Lots of things have to go right if Iowa is going to make the Final Four.
That's true of almost every team not named Kentucky, Duke, or Gonzaga . . . and even those teams can be--and have been--beaten more than once.

Lots of things had to go right for Iowa to make the Final Four in 1980. And the Hawkeyes had a great shot at winning the national title . . . until things didn't go right for Iowa in the form of All-American Ronnie Lester reinjuring his knee early in the national semifinal vs. Louisville.

Luck is almost always part of success . . . in life in general and in sports. Maybe this is the year talent and luck converge for Iowa and the Hawkeyes do return to the Final Four. It could happen.
 
I keep expecting the bottom to fall out on this great ride the team's been on since February 1, but it doesn't seem like its going to happen. They just keep maintaining the peak they're on.

Aside from the many missed dunks & bunnies vs Michigan and all the missed FTs @ ILL on Sunday night, Iowa has not beat themselves since February started. And consequently, the two times they did are the only two times they've lost in that stretch.

And ALL wins in this 9-2 stretch have been by 10+.
 
That's true of almost every team not named Kentucky, Duke, or Gonzaga . . . and even those teams can be--and have been--beaten more than once.

Lots of things had to go right for Iowa to make the Final Four in 1980. And the Hawkeyes had a great shot at winning the national title . . . until things didn't go right for Iowa in the form of All-American Ronnie Lester reinjuring his knee early in the national semifinal vs. Louisville.

Luck is almost always part of success . . . in life in general and in sports. Maybe this is the year talent and luck converge for Iowa and the Hawkeyes do return to the Final Four. It could happen.
I think it’s Arizona, UK and Gonzaga … not impressed with Duke.
 
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I keep expecting the bottom to fall out on this great ride the team's been on since February 1, but it doesn't seem like its going to happen. They just keep maintaining the peak they're on.

Aside from the many missed dunks & bunnies vs Michigan and all the missed FTs @ ILL on Sunday night, Iowa has not beat themselves since February started. And consequently, the two times they did are the only two times they've lost in that stretch.

And ALL wins in this 9-2 stretch have been by 10+.
Tomorrow's game might be another close one. Maybe a war? Tune in. ;)
 
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That's true of almost every team not named Kentucky, Duke, or Gonzaga . . . and even those teams can be--and have been--beaten more than once.

Lots of things had to go right for Iowa to make the Final Four in 1980. And the Hawkeyes had a great shot at winning the national title . . . until things didn't go right for Iowa in the form of All-American Ronnie Lester reinjuring his knee early in the national semifinal vs. Louisville.

Luck is almost always part of success . . . in life in general and in sports. Maybe this is the year talent and luck converge for Iowa and the Hawkeyes do return to the Final Four. It could happen.

I don't think that Iowa team last year had much chance at final-4 and it turned out none of the other B1G teams had much chance.

In the NCAA, you have to play defense. I don't remember the stat, but last year Iowa with a 70th tempo adjusted defense was outside the range for Final-4 teams in tempo adjusted defense.

This team is quite different from past Fran teams that sat back in a zone defense and hoped the opponent missed open 3pt shots and hoped opponent wouldn't kill them with offensive rebounds. This team gets after it on defense and generates turnovers, competes on boards, takes care of the ball at exceptional level, and plays man defense and seems to communicate reallly well on defense. Even JBO looks like he is playing the best defense of his career.

The teams aren't similar in makeup, but I do think the winning streak, getting hot at right time makes this team resemble Lute's 1980 Final-4 team....that team had a star....Ronnie Lester...this team has a star...Keegan...that team had hot shooter in Vince Brookins...this team has several guys on 3pt hot streak.....that team rebounded/defended and so does this team.

All that said, sometimes the basket has a lid on it and you do lose games you shouldn't, but at least i don't see Iowa getting blown out in first 5 minutes of nccaa tourney games like they have in several of their round of 32 games.
 
Not only is Iowa peaking at the right time, but that Illinois loss showed them how much it hurts to lose in that fashion (blown lead, missed free throws, blown opportunity). That may end up serving as a “Get Out of Jail Free” card since it sucked but didn’t ultimately cost them anything.
 
Whoa Nellie. They just beat the 12 seed in a 12 team tourney. FF is a pretty big leap
fun-sucker-party-pooper.gif
 
There are definitely bad matchups out there for Iowa. Or at least less optimal. Talented bigs still bother iowa although the adjustments iowa has made the latter part of the season has mitigated that somewhat. Also, teams that are good at controlling the pace like Rutgers and Wisconsin bother Iowa

Let’s say we end up a 6. I’d rather face a power conference team like Wake or Miami than a scrappy, deliberate non power team like Loyola or Davidson.
 
The Hawks look great. When is the last time an Iowa team peaked like this? Let's just enjoy the ride. Perkins changed everything, the dude is a beast right now.
Totally agree that Tony P is the difference. He plays all aspects so savvy and well. Fierce defender. He is our next star along with Kris (assuming Keegan goes). His heart is strong and it is easy to tell he is a leader on this team and perhaps the alpha next year.
 
I love all the positive posts and our possibilities.
We won’t hit 19 threes the rest of the games and shooting is a contagious thing. I hope we don’t hit a game of bricks or a game where a big goes nuts for our opponents. I’m going to enjoy the ride. This offense hasn’t happened since Ralph Miller and his 6 pack.
 
A B1G pundit saying that about the Hawks, cant get upset about that, great for recruiting nonetheless.

I didn’t realize it, but Fran has been yelling less...
 
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Iowa outscored a LOT of teams today, or barely scored less than, by halftime.

And outscored quite a few just based on their 2nd half output!


You score 64 points in a half against any major conference opponent, and you had yourself a damned nearly perfect 20 minutes of action.
 
Need to see this team gut it out when the shots aren’t falling. One minute left. Tie ball game. Who’s taking it to the rack?
I’d prefer this didn’t happen against Rutgers, I’d rather have them put away going into that final minute to save some legs and stress of the game for Saturday.
 
I’d prefer this didn’t happen against Rutgers, I’d rather have them put away going into that final minute to save some legs and stress of the game for Saturday.
Rutgers may as well tape a big red "W" on the front of their jerseys because like Wisconsin, they wear the red/white and they play a methodical style of ball that can take teams out of their comfort zone. The were able to entice Iowa to get into a rock-and-stick fight at the RAC this year and they're going to stick with what works for them.

Unfortunately for Rutgers, this Iowa team is a different (and better) team than it was a couple of months ago. If Iowa can dictate the tempo today like they did against Northwestern, it's ruh-roh for Rutgers.
 
I like this team, I think they do some things well that other Iowa teams have not. I could definitely see them in the Sweet 16 depending on matchups.

But we’re basing this thread off what we see them do against the Big Ten. Indiana (who we DID put up 83 against) is #18 in KenPom Defensive efficiency, Illinois is #29. They would be middle-of-the-pack in the SEC or Big12. This is a physical conference, but it’s not a great defensive league.

The B1G got ran off the floor last season in the tournament. Could 4 or 5 B1G teams get to the second weekend? Absolutely! But after that? I don’t know…I feel like the guard play in the B1G, on both ends of the floor, is lagging badly behind the other marquee conferences.

The recipe for Iowa is there. Don’t get out-rebounded, keep taking care of the ball, play good enough defense that we don’t give up easy looks, and in the end it comes down to how well we shoot.
 
All it takes is an off game. Iowa isn't perfect but they are capable of damn good play. Can they keep it up?
Yes the tournament is the ultimate crap shoot. Iowa has a good team. The growth of Perkins gives them 3 guys who are legitimately good two-way players (both Murrays and now Perkins). I mean guys who are above-average to very good on both offense and defense. The rest of the roster has unique skill sets that fill roles very well.

All a team can do is try to play with great effort and attention to detail. You can't predict which games the 3's are going to go in at a high rate or when the opponent is going to play great. At some point, one would think that Iowa could have a bracket open up or just catch a break in the tournament. The more wins they can pile up here in the BTT, the more opportunity for luck they are creating for themselves in the NCAA. For example, what if Iowa could get a 5 or 4 seed, and then win the first round game and have the 4 seed lose to the 13? That never happens to Iowa. z

Team has been a load of fun to watch play the last month+. Just need a break or 2 to go their way in the really close games here to end the season.
 
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