Lunardi liking Iowa's chances at an NCAA invite.

[DanL53]

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/bracketology

Has us as a seven seed. With our group of youngsters I would be very happy if that happens. A fourth invite in a row and honestly looking further down the road we only seem to be getting better!

 

[HawkAttackDial911]

It will be Fran and staff's best coaching job yet if he can pull an NCAA invite out of this young team.

 

[4th & 9 inches]

A new record for the earliest post about the next season's NCAA projected field.

 

[DanL53]

A new record for the earliest post about the next season's NCAA projected field.

Yeah, but it's fun, optimistic, and as to Lunardi? Well:

 

[Obviously Oblivious]

I'd take that right now. A lot of unknowns going into next season but I won't be surprised if Fran gets things clicking again.

 

[BuckRussel]

A new record for the earliest post about the next season's NCAA projected field.

No, not even close

 

[icantfindausernamethatisntused]

To me, the biggest question will be whether this team can defend and rebound. We were not a good rebounding team last year, and we lost our best rebounder in Woodbury.

Next year's team should have more length on the perimeter as Gesell and Clemmons will be replaced by Williams and someone taller than Clemmons (possibly Moss). Wagner has plenty of athleticism to be a good post defender despite being just 6-7. He struggled at times last year with positioning, but I think he'll improve with another year of experience. It will be interesting to see if he and Cook play a lot of minutes together.

 

[hawkeyeguy69]

To me, the biggest question will be whether this team can defend and rebound. We were not a good rebounding team last year, and we lost our best rebounder in Woodbury.

Next year's team should have more length on the perimeter as Gesell and Clemmons will be replaced by Williams and someone taller than Clemmons (possibly Moss). Wagner has plenty of athleticism to be a good post defender despite being just 6-7. He struggled at times last year with positioning, but I think he'll improve with another year of experience. It will be interesting to see if he and Cook play a lot of minutes together.

Defense and rebounding will be key with this team. Unless they are just on fire with shooting, they'll need to pull down some boards and stop other teams to maintain their confidence and have some offense. They have the athletes. But good defense usually takes some experience.

The length you mentioned is what will help significantly. We should have a net gain in wingspan of about two feet. Probably more. With nearly a 7' wingspan, Williams alone will add close to a foot over Gesell. In the few minutes he played, CW showed rebounding to be a potential strength... Cook will be a push with Woody on reach. But you could add a foot & a half gain if you want to throw in vertical leap. OK, maybe two & a half feet there....

I think rebounding will be a strength of this team. Overall Defense should OK at least, with transition defense being really good. That length will be huge. The quickness should be there. Hopefully Fran can infuse the techniques needed to make this a good defensive team, for a team that will be running a lot... If so, a 7th seed we will be.

 

[spiderland]

Lunardi's done this a few years now, I'd be curious to see statistics on percentage of the field he correctly predicts in this pre-pre-season bracket. Nothing about seeding--just whether a team made the tournament, period. I doubt they're readily available, however.

 

[NevadaHawk]

I'm not sure this young team will be able to do it but we need to avoid the second half of the season swoon that has become an ongoing issue with Fran's teams. Fran and his staff need to figure out what adjustments are necessary to fix this problem. I just hope these young guys can make a breakthrough in this area.

 

[DanL53]

I'm not sure this young team will be able to do it but we need to avoid the second half of the season swoon that has become an ongoing issue with Fran's teams. Fran and his staff need to figure out what adjustments are necessary to fix this problem. I just hope these young guys can make a breakthrough in this area.

Twice in six years. Besides. Why don't you save everyone the trouble and just TELL Fran what adjustments he needs to make.

Or, He could cure it like Lute did after finishing second and tied for second, 12-6 and 10-8 and just say Adios. His guys were getting called chokers.

 

[EZ2BJZ]

Pencil me in for liking Iowa's chances to get an at large bid into the dance next season.

There was pessimism last year from Hawkeye fans prior to the season (and it sure ratcheted up several notches after the first preseason game).

So nothing new.

I think Iowa will be good, bad, and ugly. But they will compete. And they will get some unexpected wins.

 

[HoustonREDHawk]

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/bracketology

Has us as a seven seed. With our group of youngsters I would be very happy if that happens. A fourth invite in a row and honestly looking further down the road we only seem to be getting better!

The prediction is probably based more on a show of respect for Fran and the coaching staff, than an analysis of the team.

 

[goodbyebobby]

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/bracketology

Has us as a seven seed. With our group of youngsters I would be very happy if that happens. A fourth invite in a row and honestly looking further down the road we only seem to be getting better!

I won't be the least bit surprised if we are a six come the post season. This team is going to be more along the lines of Fran's Siena teams than any we have seen.

Honestly, I think this team will be fun to watch, and pretty darn good.

 

[MrShameless]

He has 8 teams from the big ten getting in with Ohio state as a 12 seed (or 8th place in the conference) and Iowa the next lowest seed at a 7, which would seem to be where he would have us finish in the conference and which would seem to be realist(if not pessimistic) prediction.