Best Team Since.....
- Thread starter kcgolfer
- Start date
The team that goes the farthest in the tourney has a leg-up in discussions of greatness.
The 70 team was great. Unquestionably great. But they couldn't get it done against J'ville.
The 1980 FF team was not exactly loaded. But they played great when it mattered most.
The '86 team was loaded. It also played great when it mattered most, except for the 2nd half of the Elite 8 game.
Will this team play it's best when it matters most?
For the record, the 70 team was the best in my lifetime.
The 70 team was great. Unquestionably great. But they couldn't get it done against J'ville.
The 1980 FF team was not exactly loaded. But they played great when it mattered most.
The '86 team was loaded. It also played great when it mattered most, except for the 2nd half of the Elite 8 game.
Will this team play it's best when it matters most?
For the record, the 70 team was the best in my lifetime.
I grew up listening to games on the radio and going to games at the Fieldhouse - this is the best team we have had since the 1987 team!
Let's see what this team accomplishes. They are very fun to watch and I love this team. If they finish 3rd in the regular season, lose in the semis of the B1G tourney and don't get to at least the Sweet 16, then no, they aren't an elite Iowa team. Let's see what they accomplish.
To young to really remember the 70 team. Final 4 team was a lot of fun. Elite 8 team was my college years so clearly remember it more. As others have posted guys stayed all 4 years back then, teams were loaded, like Illinois, Michigan and of course Indiana. We beat some teams that had some high level players. UTEP was a helluva team. Tim Hardaway played what, 10-12 years and was a star in the league. Oklahoma was loaded. We were the better and deeper team against UNLV. Just didn’t finish. Combination of a lot of things. This team is phenomenal. Don’t know if we have any pros, times have changed but offensively we are so efficient and we have the best player in College bball. I’m just enjoying the ride.
BirdistheWord
HB Legend
Maybe so, but we were a #2 seed and made the elite 8 and were primed to go to FF. The UNLV collapse sucked, we played a bit tentative.
FWIW...Gamble started over 250 games and Armstrong over 300 games in the NBA. They were more than bench players.
I loved that 86-87 team, but I'm not persuaded by some of your individual comparisons, plus this team shoots it much better. (Of course, the guys on the 86-87 team would have worked harder on their three-point shooting if they were playing today - the three-point shot was new to college basketball that season, except for some experimental rules in 82-83 conference-only games.) Just to take one example, JBo might get a slight edge over the younger BJ, who wasn't even supposed to be the starter on that team (Reeves was injured). BJ certainly developed as the season went along, before really blossoming over the next two seasons. JBo is a much better shooter, of course, and at this point in BJ's career, a better passer. I'll also take Joe T. over Bill Jones as the back-up point guard. Unfortunately for Bill, he had to play out of position his first two seasons at Iowa (he played the 4 as a frosh).
Agreed. Ultimately it's what you do in The Tourney.
But if they were to outright win a Big Ten Basketball Title that will be a fun run to remember. Let's just do both and call it good!
BirdistheWord
HB Legend
Yes, game was different back then. We were every bit as athletic as Michigan, Illinois, UNC, etc. We had so much variety and complementary players like Jeff Moe, Kent Hill and even Al Lorenzen. But Gamble/Marble/BJ/Horton were a really tough nucleus. We could play defense and rebound. Not the best shooting team per se, but good enough.
87 team was one of the greatest. I believe Gamble fired up a 3 at the end of game which would have tied LV and sent game to OT?
2006 team was a great team as well. I was at the Palace to witness the NW State game. Still makes me sick...
This year’s team is special. There does not seem to be any selfishness and everyone has a role.
Best thing about this year has been coming to this board and reading positive debates like this one. Refreshing change from beating up players and coaches.
It’s great to be a Hawkeye!
2006 team was a great team as well. I was at the Palace to witness the NW State game. Still makes me sick...
This year’s team is special. There does not seem to be any selfishness and everyone has a role.
Best thing about this year has been coming to this board and reading positive debates like this one. Refreshing change from beating up players and coaches.
It’s great to be a Hawkeye!
Just remember - teams are the sum of their parts and not just about who has the most NBA players on the roster. This 2021 team has the almost certain player of the year on it who is efficient at a level that hasn’t been seen in decades and lots of great shooters surrounding him, along with a bunch of nice interchangeable parts that can navigate situations where we need more dribble drive offense, passing, or defense.
This is why the Raptors were better than the Warriors in 2019, regardless of Durant or Thompson’s injuries. 4 legit All Star players didn’t equal a team with the right defense, shooting, passing, and depth.
This is why the Raptors were better than the Warriors in 2019, regardless of Durant or Thompson’s injuries. 4 legit All Star players didn’t equal a team with the right defense, shooting, passing, and depth.
Maybe Gamble should have shot it. His alley-pop pass to Lohaus was too hot to handle.
No offense but they weren’t beating the Warriors with Durant and Thompson. Let’s also not underestimate the talent on this team. Agree we might not have many pros, or possibly any, but we are highly skilled, mature, and have the player of the year. We’re a Final 4 team.
Armstrong started for a couple NBA Championships teams and I believe Gamble started for the Celtics. Much more than quality bench players.
Sorry I just posted the same thing before I read your post. Almost verbatim......
In CBB you are remembered how you do in the tourney. So this team is TBD.
People remember the 1980 team foundly. But were fifth in the Big ten. While the 2006 team was tied for number 2 and BTT Champs. But most people only remember the disappointing ending. The 1987 team had the disappointment at the end. But a number 2 seed losing to the number 1 seed even with a huge lead is hardly underachieving.
People remember the 1980 team foundly. But were fifth in the Big ten. While the 2006 team was tied for number 2 and BTT Champs. But most people only remember the disappointing ending. The 1987 team had the disappointment at the end. But a number 2 seed losing to the number 1 seed even with a huge lead is hardly underachieving.
I stand by these statements. And hopefully @TampaHawkfan now sees the logic and foresight in them.
We'll be lucky to finish 2nd in the B1G regular season standings, like the 2005-2006 team did.
We'll be lucky to win the Big Ten Tournament, like the 2005-2006 team did.
We'll be lucky to get a 3 seed or better, like the 2005-2006 team did.
And I can picture a horrific end to our 2021 NCAA Tournament run, just like what happened with the 2005-2006 team.
A lot of these posts have not held up well.
The one repeating theme I do agree on is that it's all about what happens in NCAA tourney time. Nobody gives a damn that '83 nc state was unimpressive regular season or that '85 'nova was nothing special until tourney time.
The one repeating theme I do agree on is that it's all about what happens in NCAA tourney time. Nobody gives a damn that '83 nc state was unimpressive regular season or that '85 'nova was nothing special until tourney time.
And, frankly, no one (except Steve Alford) gives a damn Iowa won the B1G Tournament Title in 2006. What we will always remember is Northwestern State.
while that is true, the journey is the fun part of a college hoops season. NCAA tournament success usually requires luck. You can still have fond memories of great teams that get unlucky and flame out early in the tourney.
Oh sure. Great regular season games occupy a special place for a lot of fans. I don't deny that. A lot of B1G network programming is built around that
Oh sure. Great regular season games occupy a special place for a lot of fans. I don't deny that. A lot of B1G network programming is built around that
if the only thing that makes a season worthwhile to you is a deep tourney run, well you will rarely be happy.
Once the tourney starts you just hope your team gets lucky but can’t expect too much.
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