Hawkeyes have fifth-best odds to make 2021 Final Four

[drew_hawk]

https://247sports.com/college/iowa/...ka-Garza-Jordan-Bohannon-Tim-Doyle-148341139/

With Vegas willing to put us up this high, you have got to like the odds of Luka coming back next year. They've gotta know something...

 

[HawkRugged17]

 

[TheTruthTheWholeTruth]

It’s tough, historically, to make the FF if AdjO/AdjD are 75+. I’m still of the opinion that this squad will need to make a leap forward defensively in order to contend for a B1G title/deep tourney run.

 

[anon_i8nzeu2gbf0ba]

It’s tough, historically, to make the FF if AdjO/AdjD are 75+. I’m still of the opinion that this squad will need to make a leap forward defensively in order to contend for a B1G title/deep tourney run.

I agree. But the thing is, with a healthy JBo, a workhorse like Garza, Connor M. playing more at the three, and the tenacious quickness of Joe T., I think the defense can and will be significantly improved. So Iowa should have as good a shot at the Big Ten and national titles as it's had in a long, long, long time.

 

[Rifler]

Also increases the odds that the season never happens,.. it's great to be a Hawkeye fan...

 

[slipHawk]

Don’t even get your hopes up - if we have a season like that it’s one for the ages. I do wish we could have seen what the team could do this year.

Odds like that are silly to me. So many factors.

 

[Arbor1]

https://247sports.com/college/iowa/...ka-Garza-Jordan-Bohannon-Tim-Doyle-148341139/

With Vegas willing to put us up this high, you have got to like the odds of Luka coming back next year. They've gotta know something...

Dont see how any of this works if 14 day quarantine is the covid response to a positive test. NO way players avoid covid, only question is timing.

 

[icantfindausernamethatisntused]

I agree. But the thing is, with a healthy JBo, a workhorse like Garza, Connor M. playing more at the three, and the tenacious quickness of Joe T., I think the defense can and will be significantly improved. So Iowa should have as good a shot at the Big Ten and national titles as it's had in a long, long, long time.

Iowa's national defensive efficiency rankings the last 3 years has been trending in the right direction:

• 2018: 242
• 2019: 111
• 2020: 97

In order to be a legitimate Final Four contender, their defensive efficiency would need to be in the top 75 nationally, and more likely within the top 50 nationally. Bohannon will always be a liability defensively, and Garza is never going to be a rim protector. With that said, I do think Garza has made improvements on the defensive end since he was a freshman and with a heavily experienced team next year I think they have a good chance of improving as a team defensively. I'm just praying they get a chance to play the season.

 

[Smigamorski]

Iowa's national defensive efficiency rankings the last 3 years has been trending in the right direction:

• 2018: 242
• 2019: 111
• 2020: 97

In order to be a legitimate Final Four contender, their defensive efficiency would need to be in the top 75 nationally, and more likely within the top 50 nationally. Bohannon will always be a liability defensively, and Garza is never going to be a rim protector. With that said, I do think Garza has made improvements on the defensive end since he was a freshman and with a heavily experienced team next year I think they have a good chance of improving as a team defensively. I'm just praying they get a chance to play the season.

Nunge should be a viable rim protector.

 

[vgshwk]

They can improve there defensive efficiency by just rebounding better. With more depth almost all their numbers should improve.

 

[Hawkeyegrad2006]

I agree. But the thing is, with a healthy JBo, a workhorse like Garza, Connor M. playing more at the three, and the tenacious quickness of Joe T., I think the defense can and will be significantly improved. So Iowa should have as good a shot at the Big Ten and national titles as it's had in a long, long, long time.

Vastly improving defensive rebounding would be a great start (they were a great offensive rebounding team last year with the tap backs, etc

 

[Hawkeyegrad2006]

Vastly improving defensive rebounding would be a great start (they were a great offensive rebounding team last year with the tap backs, etc

i just realized i basically copied the guy above me, haha i promise that was an accident

 

[Ronman]

Garza averaged 1.8 blocks last year, which tied him for 7th in the B1G. Not great, but not bad. Gave the other teams something to think about.
I vividly remember some very emphatic rejections from him at big moments in games last year.

 

[eyesofhawk]

Guess I've been confused my whole life. I always thought that Aristotle was smart but he just said that Iowa will be better defensively because JBo is returning. That is literally the stupidest thing I've heard in a long time. Congrats!

As for the defensive rebounding. It gets mentioned on this board fairly often but the thing that isn't being mentioned is the fact that defensive rebounding is largely a byproduct of sound defensive positioning. Fran's teams have always lacked the fundamentals to maintain sound defensive positioning. And nothing will compromise defensive positioning more than penetration; so good luck with JBo on the floor. Fran will have to play zone almost exclusively when JBo is in, especially if he's playing the point. And it is harder to rebound out of zone than man.

All that being said, I think the Hawks have a great season

 

[Suterman]

JBo has been injured almost his whole time at Iowa. He is now 100% healthy. I can see his defense improving quite a bit from this fact alone.

 

[bansheexyz]

100% agree on needing defensive intelligence to reach the final four. SDSU and MSU games last year are proof of that. We had those games and then *poof* we didn't. Those are the teams you'll have to beat, they have some star player that Joe T needs to faceguard all game.