Awesome next 3 weeks of College Basketball

[Bryzzo]

In the next 3 Weeks there is going to be some awesome matchups:

Tonight: #8 Michigan State vs. #6 Duke and #7 Kansas vs #20 Kentucky

Wednesday 12/2: #2 Baylor vs. #5 Illinois

Saturday 12/5: #1 Gonzaga vs. #2 Baylor

Tuesday 12/8: #5 Illinois vs. #6 Duke and #3 Iowa vs. #14 North Carolina

Wednesday 12/9: #6 Michigan State vs. #15 Virginia

Saturday 12/19: #1 Gonzaga vs. #3 Iowa

With all the carnage of top teams facing each other, the Hawks could realistically ascend to the #1 ranking if Gonzaga ends up beating Baylor and the Hawks knock off the Zags on Saturday, December 19th.

Even cooler, if the Hawkeyes beat Gonzaga, their early schedule in the Big 10 sets up for them to have a reasonable shot at starting off the year 10-0 in the Big 10 before they head into a road match-up at Illinois at 01/29/21. This scenario would have the Hawks starting off the season with 17 straight wins and most likely holding the #1 ranking in the Country for over a month (12/19 to 01/29).

Here are the Hawkeyes first 10 Big Ten Games of the year:

Purdue, at MINN, Northwestern, at Rutgers (tough game), at Maryland (tough game), Minnesota, Michigan State (huge Home game), at Northwestern, Indiana, Nebraska

Not very likely to start 17-0, and be #1 for over a month - but possible

 

[Jedhawk77]

In the next 3 Weeks there is going to be some awesome matchups:

Tonight: #8 Michigan State vs. #6 Duke and #7 Kansas vs #20 Kentucky

Wednesday 12/2: #2 Baylor vs. #5 Illinois

Saturday 12/5: #1 Gonzaga vs. #2 Baylor

Tuesday 12/8: #5 Illinois vs. #6 Duke and #3 Iowa vs. #14 North Carolina

Wednesday 12/9: #6 Michigan State vs. #15 Virginia

Saturday 12/19: #1 Gonzaga vs. #3 Iowa

With all the carnage of top teams facing each other, the Hawks could realistically ascend to the #1 ranking if Gonzaga ends up beating Baylor and the Hawks knock off the Zags on Saturday, December 19th.

Even cooler, if the Hawkeyes beat Gonzaga, their early schedule in the Big 10 sets up for them to have a reasonable shot at starting off the year 10-0 in the Big 10 before they head into a road match-up at Illinois at 01/29/21. This scenario would have the Hawks starting off the season with 17 straight wins and most likely holding the #1 ranking in the Country for over a month (12/19 to 01/29).

Here are the Hawkeyes first 10 Big Ten Games of the year:

Purdue, at MINN, Northwestern, at Rutgers (tough game), at Maryland (tough game), Minnesota, Michigan State (huge Home game), at Northwestern, Indiana, Nebraska

Not very likely to start 17-0, and be #1 for over a month - but possible

North Carolina is currently playing Stanford right now on ESPN. Stanford is receiving votes. Could be a decent game.

 

[Hawksfor3]

Looking forward to the Garza/Timme matchup.

 

[TheTruthTheWholeTruth]

I would be enormously happy with splitting the Gonzaga/UNC games.

 

[HawkRugged17]

 

[HawkRugged17]

 

[squeezebox]

I would be enormously happy with splitting the Gonzaga/UNC games.

Oh hell no, this is a senior laden team. With a senior PG and senior C, they should absolutely take down UNC, and both games are practically home games.

 

[TheTruthTheWholeTruth]

Oh hell no, this is a senior laden team. With a senior PG and senior C, they should absolutely take down UNC, and both games are practically home games.

Ok

 

[Ronman]

If Gonzaga survives this week against WVU and Baylor, we might be the only team standing in their way from running the table.

As a side note, the Zags next game after Baylor is against Tarleton St., a team, I have to admit, I had never heard of before. Sounds like a college that someone decided to enter into the high stakes of big time college basketball. They drug Billy Gillespie out of "retirement" and have scheduled Texas A&M and Kansas as well as the Zags this season and seem to be a member of the WAC Conference, which is a mere shadow of what it used to be.

 

[H4wkfan4life]

I would be enormously happy with splitting the Gonzaga/UNC games.

Depends on unc and depends how we lose the other.
If unc loses today I might disagree with "enormously".

 

[Fran_Man]

Depends on unc and depends how we lose the other.
If unc loses today I might disagree with "enormously".

I understand what you’re saying. I’d be happy with a split as long as we’re competitive in the game we lose. Iowa has to play well to beat unc. I think Iowa has to play well to beat Iowa State. They will be up for it.

 

[Fran_Man]

Oh hell no, this is a senior laden team. With a senior PG and senior C, they should absolutely take down UNC, and both games are practically home games.

If you’re only going to be happy with 2-0 with the #1 team scheduled in that stretch I’d prepare to be pissed off pretty much all season.

 

[squeezebox]

If you’re only going to be happy with 2-0 with the #1 team scheduled in that stretch I’d prepare to be pissed off pretty much all season.

Na, it's the year to dream big, why would anyone be "content" with a loss even if they are number one. I know they are going to drop some games, but it doesn't mean I should be content, kind of the point of being a fan.

 

[kceasthawk]

Oh hell no, this is a senior laden team. With a senior PG and senior C, they should absolutely take down UNC, and both games are practically home games.

Not sure how playing in S Falls S Dakota especially with no fan advantage is a HOME game. Its called a neutral site game for a reason. And yea I know Gonzaga is on the left coast.......

 

[kceasthawk]

Depends on unc and depends how we lose the other.
If unc loses today I might disagree with "enormously".

This. Watched some of the UNC vs Stanford game and kept thinking their going to have a hard time keeping up offensively with Iowa. Maybe I'm wrong, but we'll see in about a week.....

 

[squeezebox]

Not sure how playing in S Falls S Dakota especially with no fan advantage is a HOME game. Its called a neutral site game for a reason. And yea I know Gonzaga is on the left coast.......

Not traveling, which in this year is equivalent to a home game.

 

[Fran_Man]

Not traveling, which in this year is equivalent to a home game.

Iowa will either fly or get on a 6 hour bus ride. I don’t think there will be much of an advantage from a travel point of view. There will be some fans as the sponsors received limited tickets but I doubt enough to make an impact. This will be a true neutral site game.

 

[squeezebox]

Iowa will either fly or get on a 6 hour bus ride. I don’t think there will be much of an advantage from a travel point of view. There will be some fans as the sponsors received limited tickets but I doubt enough to make an impact. This will be a true neutral site game.

Just in circadian alone there is a difference, Gonzaga is playing at 9AM their time.

 

[Fran_Man]

Just in circadian alone there is a difference, Gonzaga is playing at 9AM their time.

I didn’t even think of that. Still, I wouldn’t call it a home game for Iowa.

 

[squeezebox]

I didn’t even think of that. Still, I wouldn’t call it a home game for Iowa.

Well, I did say "practically."

 

[mazda1]

Have you watched Iowa’s first two games? Do you really think they are playing at the number 1 team in the nation at this point? It’s going to be a great year to enjoy and I’m not going to set unrealistic expectations that can ruin that. The big ten is challenging enough that being 3/4 in the league could still get you to the final four IF the nation chooses to let the basketball season continue after the transfer of power.

 

[H4wkfan4life]

This. Watched some of the UNC vs Stanford game and kept thinking their going to have a hard time keeping up offensively with Iowa. Maybe I'm wrong, but we'll see in about a week.....

They look like they still have some last year unc in them