How Many More Times Can This Team Lose...

[IowaHawkeyeFBnBB4Life]

before our NCAA tournament hopes are gone? You have to think if we drop the ND game then Iowa State and UNI that may just about end the tournament hopes. Unless of course Iowa goes on some amazing run during B1G play.

I think the most we can hope for from this season is steady improvement on the defensive end especially. Then hopefully by the end of the year/conference tournament time we can pull and upset or two.

 

[djwoody]

We aren't going to be an NCAA team this year. Not in this league. Best hope is a winning record and some postseason play. We might have 5 or 6 losses before B1G play. Any more than 11 losses and they'll be out.

 

[Auger]

B1G this year will be a buzz saw. The way our non con is looking so far Iowa will have to finish top 5 in the B1G and I don't see that happening. Coming into the season I was hoping for growth late in the year and a run in the NIT. That is still possible but right now that even looks like a reach. This team has a lot of major issues right now.

 

[deanhawk88]

I admit I bought into this, but fact is, a couple of guys that weren't even overly sought after at the position they would naturally play are force to play a position they are even less productive at!? To say this has been a major recruiting failure on Fran's part is an understatement...

 

[rufus-hawk]

B1G this year will be a buzz saw. The way our non con is looking so far Iowa will have to finish top 5 in the B1G and I don't see that happening. Coming into the season I was hoping for growth late in the year and a run in the NIT. That is still possible but right now that even looks like a reach. This team has a lot of major issues right now.

That pretty much sums up my perspective, too. Hope the younger players can make some nice improvements and get in the tourney next year.

 

[hawkeyeguy69]

I would say they are losing about as many as were expected to begin the year. We may be one game short in the win column. But that would be about it... I was hoping no more than 4 losses in the non-con. With 5 losses being a definite possibility. But we will probably eclipse that by one.

So we are close to being where I thought we might be. But not exactly where I had hoped we would be. Can they reverse course? They will improve. Hopefully rather quickly.

 

[DavenportHawk8]

I'd say if we get to 12 losses we are out. If we can beat UNI and only lose to ND & ISU we will be 8-5 heading into the conf slate with no bad losses. Really no "big" wins either.

Our schedule is not that bad in the conference. If we can protect home court and get some wins early, our back half is tough. If we can get to 20 wins it could be possible, but we need to "get the Big W" at some point. We have to upset someone though at home.

Our road games are @PU (L), @NEB (W?), @NW (L), @ILL (W?), @RU (W), @MINN (L), @MSU (L), @Maryland (L), and @ WIS (L).

I really only see 4 games that we will be out matched (MSU, MD, WIS, and PU). All the other games in my mind could be toss ups.

Home games we have MICH, RU, MD, PU, OSU, NEB, ILL, IU, and PSU. I think Iowa could win vs RU, OSU, NEB, ILL, PSU for sure. So there is 5 wins and you know Fran is always good for pulling an upset late in the season.

I think they get to 9-9 or 8-10 in conference. This team will get better and they will get a team on an "off" night in conference. They are learning and will improve.

 

[ScoutRefugee]

I would say they are losing about as many as were expected to begin the year. We may be one game short in the win column. But that would be about it... I was hoping no more than 4 losses in the non-con. With 5 losses being a definite possibility. But we will probably eclipse that by one.

So we are close to being where I thought we might be. But not exactly where I had hoped we would be. Can they reverse course? They will improve. Hopefully rather quickly.

I think they'll end up with 6 losses in the non conf. I fully expect ISU and UNI to beat us. Their guard play is too good. If ND beats us, we'll have 6 losses before conf play begins. Not that it matters much as I expect us to have a losing record in conf play.

 

[hexumhawk]

I dont think we have much of an NCAA tourney hope this year. If they would have gotten the memphis and SH game I would say there was a chance but I cant see this team being much better than .500 the way it sits.

Best hope is they get an NIT bid. They will have plenty of chances for good wins in the Big10 this year though so they might sneak up on some people.

Have to start rebounding with a purpose and valuing possessions.

 

[hawk-i bob]

Its easy to predict doom & gloom based on the first 6 games (especially the 3 against good to very good opponents). Doesn't take a genius to do that. I've said before...I'm not a predictor...you will not find one single post from me predicting anything related to wins or losses...NCAA or NIT. One way or the other. Good or bad. Especially with a team full of unknowns (1 senior (that plays), 1 junior, 4 soph, 6 freshman)....to me its just not that they are young... its they have not played together but for 6 games and add in the fact that Fran is rotating multiple lineups. They are still in learning to play together mode...on the floor chemistry doesn't always happen overnite.

If this team does not improve they are probably in for a long season. Let me ask...do any of you think this team will not improve? If you think they will...can you guess how much? I can't...wish I could be that fly on the wall at practices.

Its Nov29th... I'm not going to predict this team cannot beat ISU at home or UNI in Des Moines. Just not. In my limited time in coaching high school athletics...if I learned one thing I learned as long as you have a group with the drive to get better & the fight to compete a team will improve. Not easy when its D1...its just not.

So not trying to preach to the choir...just I'm not ready to determine this teams degree of success or failures this early. Yep...we play a team that is better than we are at their place tonite. Going to be a tough one.

 

[SDHawkDoc]

I didn't think they were likely to be an NCAA tourney team before the season started. Nothing so far has changed that.

Can they improve more than their opponents improve? Can they start to play some semblance of defense? Can someone(s) other than Jok or Cook step up to score consistently? Will they figure out how to run the offense through the personnel they have at the 1 position? Or, maybe through a different position? Will they get better with basic basketball fundamentals, such as blocking out to rebound?

Lots of unanswered questions.
I'm interested enough to keep tuning in to see what happens. However, I'm keeping my expectations at the 15-16 win total for the season.

 

[NI hawk]

Being optimistic I was hoping for 10-3 in non conference play. The worst being 8-5. I felt SH and the 3rd place game were two the Hawks needed and would win. 8-5 now looks like the best Iowa will be.

 

[Ihawkhoops]

I admit I bought into this, but fact is, a couple of guys that weren't even overly sought after at the position they would naturally play are force to play a position they are even less productive at!? To say this has been a major recruiting failure on Fran's part is an understatement...

Agree. I am less disappointed in the freshman and more disappointed in the lack of player development (again). Unless we get kids like White, Jok, Marble, etc., who are basketball junkies and push themselves, we don't get any player development. Wagner, Uhl, Baer, Williams, Moss are at best status quo and that is being generous.

 

[hawk-i bob]

Agree. I am less disappointed in the freshman and more disappointed in the lack of player development (again). Unless we get kids like White, Jok, Marble, etc., who are basketball junkies and push themselves, we don't get any player development. Wagner, Uhl, Baer, Williams, Moss are at best status quo and that is being generous.

I'm not sure I follow you. Are you saying that Wagner, Uhl, Baer, Williams & Moss are not developing because they are not basketball junkies and don't push themselves? I think the jury is still out on at least some of these guys you mention but they may end up not being as good as the ones' you mention. 1st Teamers All-B1G are not necessarily a fair comparison. We've had plenty of major contributors over the last few years who did not earn such lofty recognition....yet those same contributors were constantly labeled as "bust".

Its OK to have the opinion that Fran's recruiting has been a "major failure"...I don't agree but I surely don't believe these players mentioned are not developing because they don't push themselves.

 

[Ronman]

So I guess those players (Marble, White and Jok) arrived at Iowa as 3-star recruits and, despite the coaching they were given, made themselves All-Big Ten players? Hell, why did we even have them practice with the team? Probably held them back a ton!

 

[LuteHawk]

Iowa has two players in Jok and Cook who could start
for any Big Ten team this year. After those studs, the
Hawkeyes have a tremendous drop off in natural talent.
I am an optimist and see the Hawks finishing the season
with a .500 record. Our point guards are sub par and
our defense is terrible.