JR Koch's opinion on whether teams like IOWA and Indiana should play in the NIT
- Thread starter Franisdaman
- Start date
Hell, we have more NIT wins over the past decade than NCAA wins. We own this tournament! We're made for this tournament. If we win it, we're the best of the shitty teams! Be proud! Be shitty!
Do we think this 20 win season is just going to magically happen without a couple meaningless wins in the NIT?!?
This season went about as well as expected. Especially when two forwards are allergic to rebounding and defense. Iowa came within an eyelash of making the big dance with a team that sucked on defense, rebounding , and 3 point shooting.
I often wonder how that 21-12 team with Marble would have done in the NCAA tournament, after seeing them run through the NIT like that.
You think Fran confers with his assistants when he go's after a player in the portal or as the captain of the ship does he makes decisions on his own. Iowa had at the start of the season only 12 scholarships on their roster. Fran went out and added Krikke and Brauns and out of hundreds of potential portal players Krikke and Brauns stood out as the best of the bunch! OK, Brauns was brought in fill the void in the loss of Connor, played high school ball with Patrick, can't imagine no other reason to waste a scholarship as for the little playing time he saw during the year.
As for Krikke, it appears that Fran only saw his offensive highlight video that was put together by the same person that made the Amarion Nimmers video that appeared on this site during the summer before the season started. Other then that, Fran didn't do enough poking around to see the other aspects of his game which was sorely lacking, and about that 13th scholarship, would a senior 7ft shot blocker and rebounder to work along side Freeman have helped this years team? Let your imagination run wild....
As for Krikke, it appears that Fran only saw his offensive highlight video that was put together by the same person that made the Amarion Nimmers video that appeared on this site during the summer before the season started. Other then that, Fran didn't do enough poking around to see the other aspects of his game which was sorely lacking, and about that 13th scholarship, would a senior 7ft shot blocker and rebounder to work along side Freeman have helped this years team? Let your imagination run wild....
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I actually don't think Iowa gets in has they even went 2-1 in the BTT or beat Illinois then go 1-1 in the BTT. Been some chaos and bid stealers.
Totally agree. We all knew Patrick was soft, yet Fran continued to give him minutes. Krikke had his moments at times but wasn't a great defender or rebounder. Dix was a huge surprise. Tony played great at times. Freeman and Dembele continued to improve. Peyton was streaky, not always a great shooter. Harding is quick but needs to improve his shot. Pryce needs to get stronger.
I never really understood the viewpoint that a team should turn down any postseason invite.
It's not worth explaining to those people, but I do laugh at everyone that poo-poo's the NIT as a waste of time.
I would personally like them to do away with those other tournaments like the CBI, CIT, and whatever the f*** else has spawned over the years for these low major teams, and just expand the NIT to 48 or even 56 teams.
That would guarantee bids to mid major champs that didn't win their conference tournament along with all the major conference teams that missed the cut, and should leave enough room for several other mid majors that have had solid 19-23ish win seasons but never had a chance at an at large bid in the NCAA Tournament.
The NIT shouldn't be the major conference's loser tournament with a bunch of mid major castaways mixed in like the people running the damn tournament are trying to turn it into.
Fran won’t play the younger guys anymore than what they play now. He will play Patrick 20+ minutes and Harding will play some in the 1st half and very little in the second. Start Harding and let him play the entire game. Sit Krikke and let Dembele get his minutes. If you want to get younger guys experience, then play them multiple minutes or decline the invite. I’m personally tired of watching the experienced players playing like freshman.
It’s a big waste of time if Fran is going to play PMac and Krikke 20 plus minutes. If he starts Brock, Dix, Payton, Owen and Ladje, then it’d be good for development. Not sure if Tony is coming back.
the NIT is apparently beneath programs like Indiana
I would LOVE for the Hawks to compete in the Not In Tournament ... IF the freshmen started. I'm such a Brock fan, he energizes Iowa's offense. Get him and all the freshmen more experience.
Apparently. Though it's been, what, three decades since Bob Knight's heyday? They've been mostly pretty irrelevant since. Mike Davis had a good run in the tournament that one year, and Crean won a conference title, but they've otherwise been a pile of average.
I'm pretty sure that's not quite how it all went down. Somebody correct me if I'm wrong, probably am, but IIRC FM was in on highly-regarded portal players but played the bridesmaid as usual. I thought Krikke was pretty highly regarded but maybe he was just one of the "best of the rest" by the time Iowa started recruiting him. The point is neither Krikke nor Brauns would have been top portal priorities for FM from the beginning.
Outstanding WOB by JR there. Rivals pretty much anything I’ve seen on this board.
Just another lanky white guy, as someone said on another thread.hope he puts on 20 lbs over the off season.
I agree. More basketball is a good thing. Unless ....
You are done developing the players you have. Maybe the high and mighty Hoosiers want to completely rebuild their roster, ya know, with good players.
Indiana arrogance on full display. They will probably keep the coach. Turning down an NIT bid is telling the players that they are done with them.
No disrespect to Cooper, really, but I don't see him fixing this teams issues. He appears to be yet another stretch 4 that can shoot. He's a Fran guy. Hopefully he's not as allergic to hitting the boards and defending as several have been. We have more desperate need of athletic guard play, and as is painfully obvious there are no backcourt players in the incoming class. Anything short of a portal miracle with a top notch guard, (not holding my breath here), and I don't see this team taking a big jump forward.....
Funny funny. but I would like to see the hawks win a few as it has been a very below avg season m not even avg
Yep. It seemed like Tony ran out of gas, or Iowa would have had a real shot. Young guys look ready to be very competitive next year.
Why? Is he a lock down defender? Just looks like another skinny tweener that Fran loves to recruit. I don’t see him making an impact at all next year.
Not any more then you were, when Bowen's minutes were declining.still beating that drum I see...
All I reference in that post is Fran could've found a one year 7ft center from the portal to help with rebounding and provide some shot blocking he had 1 scholarship to fill, but no Fran didn't want to take away minutes from Krikke and Patrick.
Fran evidently had already determined to redshirt Mulvey and In doing so he put all the enfaces of rebounding and defense on the shoulders of Krikke and Patrick. How did that work out?
And as you said, you just like to bust my balls, well, you're too late, at 75 they're not worth a shit. It's hell getting old!
Let's at least get a look at Koch before writing him off.
Owen Freeman could have also been written off last year at this point as " just another skinny white guy"...every recruit is an individual player.
I will say that the mvc portal to BIG was good for:
Mast- Neb
Jones- PU
Dumas- Illini
Krikke is last among these guys.
Mast is ripping Illini to shreds right now.
Owen Freeman could have also been written off last year at this point as " just another skinny white guy"...every recruit is an individual player.
I will say that the mvc portal to BIG was good for:
Mast- Neb
Jones- PU
Dumas- Illini
Krikke is last among these guys.
Mast is ripping Illini to shreds right now.
I'm not saying that Koch won't be a good player. I'm saying he won't do much to address the teams biggest issues.
You realize that this is nowhere close to the truth? Iowa has been to one NIT in the last decade with one NIT win. Iowa has been to seven NCAA Tournaments (eight with Covid) and has four NCAA Tournament wins.
I’m not sure if Iowa fans around here are delusional or ignorant, or both?
Iowa was ranked in the 330s in 3PA/FGA and 3 point point distribution. Which for a Fran team, is very very low. I get it, we need to improve the defense & rebounding too. But this year's teams was actually a very weak 3 point shooting team--we lived and died by guys making mid-range 2 point jumpers which in 2024 basketball is not a recipe for success.
I'd say Koch as a 3 point sniper will be a much needed addition to this current squad.
I'd say Koch as a 3 point sniper will be a much needed addition to this current squad.
We have plenty of guys who can shoot wide open 3's. The problem is they're all slow and can't get "wide open". Just sayin... We need guys who can rip and drive through traffic with strength. No team in BT is afraid of any Iowa player driving it hard from the perimeter. It just doesn't happen because no one is strong enough nor aggressive enough.
Perkins, when he's on. but thats a game to game deal, and have no idea if he's returning..
And with no scholarships available or a coach that has no idea how to use the portal to his advantage, your premise is meaningless.
Fran is not going to sit Payton, or Dix, or Freeman, or Harding, or anyone else that played for Fran this past season, for someone he might find in the portal, he hasn't done it in the past and he probably won't do it in the future.
Your post is dully noted though, and I agree with you that Iowa needs those type players, that hasn't happened at Iowa since Raveling was coach, I can only hope that the 4 freshman, Dix, and hopefully Bowen, Payton and hopefully Perkins, and the other players that will be available next year will overcome your concerns and everyone else's that follow Iowa basketball.
