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KenPom thinks this team is a lot better than we give them credit for.

Dec 17, 2019
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Currently listed as the:

- 3rd best team in the Big Ten (better than OSU, MSU, Wisconsin, Michigan)
- 4th best offense in the country
- 17th best team in the country

Now KenPom is a predictive measure, and not a ranking based off your W/L results over the year but if you want reason to believe this team could be more than just a one-and-done in the tourney there it is. If we were to stay at 17 through the end of the year this would be the 2nd best KenPom rated team in the Fran era (last year 7th).

I don't fully see this with my eye test because I don't trust the perimeter defense and rebounding in crunch time, BUT my hope is that we are too close to this team on a day-to-day basis and they actually are a lot better than we think. We will see!
 
Currently listed as the:

- 3rd best team in the Big Ten (better than OSU, MSU, Wisconsin, Michigan)
- 4th best offense in the country
- 17th best team in the country

Now KenPom is a predictive measure, and not a ranking based off your W/L results over the year but if you want reason to believe this team could be more than just a one-and-done in the tourney there it is. If we were to stay at 17 through the end of the year this would be the 2nd best KenPom rated team in the Fran era (last year 7th).

I don't fully see this with my eye test because I don't trust the perimeter defense and rebounding in crunch time, BUT my hope is that we are too close to this team on a day-to-day basis and they actually are a lot better than we think. We will see!
It's definitely interesting. Iowa is getting some run from absolutely decimating the bad non-conference teams. It also helps that Virginia and Utah State have been playing better, which does impact Iowa's rating. Utah State is now 31 in the Pomeroy rankings, and Virginia is up to 76.

Getting to .500 in conference is a good place to be. Been a long climb after the gauntlet of Purdue and Illinois in December to go to 0-2. Bummer the Rutgers and PSU games couldn't have ended differently.
 
This is a team built to do better in the NCAA tournament than the Big. Opposite of last year. More finesse than brute. Better defense, a star that can create his own shots and 3 point shooting that is trending up.
It’s going to come down to the effectiveness of our guards. You know that Keegan Murray is going to be Keegan Murray, and I would expect at least one of Pat or Kris to show up in a given game as well. We’ve lived and died in tournament time with our guard play (as do 95% of teams in March Madness) - it’s a guard’s game. Not to be captain obvious, but giving up 63% from the field and 56% from three to the opposing team’s starting guards, while getting 0 points from our own isn’t a recipe for success

The good news is that we can throw several different looks at teams with (hopefully a confident and healthy) Bohannon, Toussaint, Ulis, and Perkins to keep defenses off-balance that we couldn’t necessarily do leaning on Bohannon, Toussaint and Fredrick in the backcourt last year. There’s a lot more variety in terms of skill sets this year, in my opinion, and substantially elevated ability on the defensive end of the court when the team commits itself
 
This is a team built to do better in the NCAA tournament than the Big. Opposite of last year. More finesse than brute. Better defense, a star that can create his own shots and 3 point shooting that is trending up.


You are correct. Iowa is more likely to play teams they can compete against physically outside the B1G.

It makes sense that when Iowa can compete on the glass, they have a great chance of winning. Iowa leads the conference in turnover margin because they don’t turn it over and they force turnovers. Thus, opponents have to rebound well to make up the difference in field goal attempts.

If the opponent doesn’t do that, all Iowa has to do is shoot even with them and Iowa wins.
 
That is spot on, I’m pretty sure we make the dance and I’ve always thought this team had a better chance to get to a sweet 16 then last years team due to better athleticism.
 
For whatever reason the computer ratings do love our Hawkeyes. #17 in Kenpom, #18 in Sagarin and #19 in the NET rankings despite being 1-5 in our Quad 1 games.

I'll take it and hope they keep getting better over the next month or so.
 
Now that the team has discovered how to play a little defense I like our team a lot better. I have a good feeling that we are going to make a little run.
 
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Metrics are loving us partly because some of the teams we expected to be absolute dogs have not been.

Longwood is #125
WIU and UMKC are hovering around #200 (low but way better than 300+)

The fact we beat them all by 25+ is adding up to stronger metrics.

And no truly “bad” losses (don’t start with Nebraska please).
 
Fans would feel a lot better if we had won either at Rutgers or PSU. Hawks are good if the other team doesn't turn it into a street brawl. When we win, it isn't close. Need to show we can win some games that go down to the last couple of possessions.

Home games against MSU and UM will tell a lot, assuming we handle Nebbie. I wish we had played UM early, because they are now a totally different team, capable of winning a few games in the dance.
 
Metrics are loving us partly because some of the teams we expected to be absolute dogs have not been.

Longwood is #125
WIU and UMKC are hovering around #200 (low but way better than 300+)

The fact we beat them all by 25+ is adding up to stronger metrics.

And no truly “bad” losses (don’t start with Nebraska please).
Funny it turned out our schedule was a little tougher than many of us thought.
 
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This is a team built to do better in the NCAA tournament than the Big. Opposite of last year. More finesse than brute. Better defense, a star that can create his own shots and 3 point shooting that is trending up.
Great point. I don’t see them going past the sweet 16 but I do see this team as one that can “overachieve.”

Most athletic Iowa team since….2015? 2001? Pre Alford?
 
Ehhhh? Garza, CJ on one leg, JoBo, Connor…just noo. They had real strengths when healthy but athleticism wasn’t one of em. The athletes (for mostly justifiable reasons minus Keegan) didn’t get much burn.
 
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I would like to see this team win in B1G vs an upper division team. Best win so far is at home vs Indiana.

I think a lot of posters thought this year's team would be more athletic and capable of playing good defense. You really need to be good defensively to compete in NCAA....just sitting back in a zone and hoping teams will miss shots isn't a recipe for success in Ncaa tourney.
 
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I would like to see this team win in B1G vs an upper division team. Best win so far is at home vs Indiana.

I think a lot of posters thought this year's team would be more athletic and capable of playing good defense. You really need to be good defensively to compete in NCAA....just sitting back in a zone and hoping teams will miss shots isn't a recipe for success in Ncaa tourney.
This team has played some damn good man this year. They aren't backing down from anyone.
 
That is spot on, I’m pretty sure we make the dance and I’ve always thought this team had a better chance to get to a sweet 16 then last years team due to better athleticism.
probably have to knock off a 1 seed in the 2nd round to do that
 


You are correct. Iowa is more likely to play teams they can compete against physically outside the B1G.

It makes sense that when Iowa can compete on the glass, they have a great chance of winning. Iowa leads the conference in turnover margin because they don’t turn it over and they force turnovers. Thus, opponents have to rebound well to make up the difference in field goal attempts.

If the opponent doesn’t do that, all Iowa has to do is shoot even with them and Iowa wins.
Also -

The Hawks have played 16 games against B1G or good non-con opponents.

They are 9-2 when shooting above 40.3%. 0-5 shooting at or less than 40.3%.

The Hawks don't even have to be "on fire" to have a chance to win games - they just can't be cold as ice.
 
Ehhhh? Garza, CJ on one leg, JoBo, Connor…just noo. They had real strengths when healthy but athleticism wasn’t one of em. The athletes (for mostly justifiable reasons minus Keegan) didn’t get much burn.
All of the athleticism from this season's team was on the 20-21 team.

Add two NBA players, Nunge, and the best 3pt Hawkeye shooter of all-time, and the rosters aren't even close.

If you want to talk athleticism on the court, that's another story
 
probably have to knock off a 1 seed in the 2nd round to do that
That's why the next few weeks are critical for the young Hawkeyes. It's time to "put some hay in the barn" and get that seeding up into the 5-6 range. It's much easier to knock off a 3 or 4 seed as opposed to a 1 or 2.
 
Currently listed as the:

- 3rd best team in the Big Ten (better than OSU, MSU, Wisconsin, Michigan)
- 4th best offense in the country
- 17th best team in the country

Now KenPom is a predictive measure, and not a ranking based off your W/L results over the year but if you want reason to believe this team could be more than just a one-and-done in the tourney there it is. If we were to stay at 17 through the end of the year this would be the 2nd best KenPom rated team in the Fran era (last year 7th).

I don't fully see this with my eye test because I don't trust the perimeter defense and rebounding in crunch time, BUT my hope is that we are too close to this team on a day-to-day basis and they actually are a lot better than we think. We will see!
Must be figuring in officiating ;)
 
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