I agree. Could totally see this team losing 2nd round at home.
And we have to have the brackett break right. Iowa avoided Stanford, which opened up their path to the final four.
Um - it would have had to come from an NIL group. Still not legal for universities to put players in contact with private companies for sponsorships. That still has to be handled thru collectives.
You are so wrong. Caitlin does not use the Swarm. Caitlin doesn’t have an NIL collective. She just has people handle her NIL. You don’t know what you are talking about. The Swarm is great. But no one is forcing these athletes to use it.
You guys are posting like Iowa got crushed by 20, instead of losing in OT...on the road...to a very good Ohio State squad. Iowa had been playing very well prior to today, and this was a hardfought game throughout - it's not like Iowa just laid an egg here.
That’s what I meant by we’ll need a lot of upsets to get to the Final 4.
Oh, and you're an expert on the Swarm?
I don’t think Ohio State’s as good as last year.
This is also true of many teams that make Final Four runs.
Fair enough - Idk that I even disagree with you that much on this point. Still doesn't change that we played a good opponent on the road in conference play and lost in OT. And prior to this game we'd been looking like the ladies were figuring things out.
You keep digging yourself a hole.
Most years, absolutely not. This year will never happen again for an Iowa team. You can’t tell me a Hy Vee or Casey’s or a generous donor wouldn’t pay 500k to give this team a chance. Yes. I know, it’s not “pay for play”, but it essentially is. This was the year to swing for the fences.
I’ve posted this even after wins when teams kept it close due to our lack of quality post play.
feel free to look at final four teams in either men or women's tournaments for say the last 5 years and let me know how many teams got to the final 4 without playing a team that advanced via upset.
Right now, and mods or Hinrichs could chime in if i'm wrong - I'd be very surprised if anyone other than Cooper (maybe) and Caitlyn are getting $500k from NIL or some donor. You'll note that both are also local Iowa kids with immense appeal to the fanbase. just my opinion - i doubt very much there's any transfer portal kid out there from ANY sport who's going to get $500k to come to Iowa; MAYBE someone like Proctor who has Iowa ties as well.
Matchups always matter in the tourney - not sure I'd go so far as to say super-lucky, but it always helps!
Well, derp!!!
You are missing the point. The appeal to the fanbase is irrelevant.
The appeal matters tho if you're talking about a transfer getting a sponsorship from say Casey's or Hy-Vee - they're only making that commitment if they think they're getting a payoff that makes it worth it.
She had NO money to get one of the bigs in the portal. Go talk to the NIL people.
That is correct— had to go all in while Clark is at Iowa. Too late now.
I never argued otherwise - playing teams that advance via upset always helps. advancing in the tournament has always been dependent to some degree on the matchups, upsets, etc. Rare is the team that advances by playing a bracket that went chalk for them - meaning they play the highest possible seeds, no games against any cinderellas.
Easy to be critical….You know of anyone who was willing to “drop” $500,000 on a top center? Didn’t think so.The women’s program had no nil money last year.
Christ AGAIN, WHO were they supposed to get? The only quality big in the portal was Betts, and she had ZERO interest in Iowa. Supposedly she wouldn't even talk with the swarm guys. Why must we persist in this BS?
Clarks NIL is through companies paying her as a spokesperson, because her skill has made her such. WHO were companies supposed to give big$ to sight unseen? WHO was available that was worth that committment? People keep making up this dream that there was some player out there that Lisa should have brought in, even though no such person existed, and then trying to call her out for not fulfilling their made up dream....
It is a broken record, but look at the posters. No offense to anyone, but pretty much all new to WBB conversations.
So there were no bigs that could rebound and play d?
Please review the players in the portal and let us know who you think Bluder should have magically found and paid $300k for.
Other than a fast break layup tell me how Hannah can take a defender off the dribble, and power her way to a score. She doesn't. If these post players can't shoot face up then teach them a half hook or a jump hook. Wait, they don't or can't jump.
No she didn’t. And of course we wouldn’t be as good without Clark. That’s just stupid to even bring up. Point is we do have her. The best player in college bball. Some of you guys are crazy after a loss. Ohio St is talented and we lost in front of 18K on the road. We’re fine.
Don’t disagree whatsoever and hindsight is 20/20. Based on the season sellout and the outrageous secondary ticket prices people are paying, we likely could have generated a very large sum of money towards a portal player - again I have no concept of how this would be organized, but having a generational talent like Clark and not taking advantage of what has become essentially pay to play seems like a missed opportunity.
