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Season predictions

DrewHawk33

Team MVP
Jan 25, 2008
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The season can't get here fast enough so here are some of my thoughts. Feel free to mock, agree or add whatever else you want to make the time pass quickly.

I believe this team will finish no worse than 4th in the conference. Actually, I really believe if JBo stays healthy all season this team will finish 2nd behind Michigan St. If Cook stays healthy all season and Garza can get acclimated to college basketball quickly we will push the Spartans for the title.

I know defense is one of the keys for success and believe me we will improve there. Another year of these guys playing together will no doubt improve the help defense. Also, adding some height to the center position will help too.

Ultimately, my confidence in this team comes from the fact that they seem to have a little swagger to them. Examples: JBo hits a game winning shot at Wisconsin last year. Cook is willing to dunk over anyone. Pemsl goes toe to toe with Haas and slams him to the ground for a jump ball. Baer is that annoying energizer bunny type that gets under the opposing teams skin. This confidence is an attribute the experts can't measure and what will lead to great things for this team.

Let me know what you're thinking. Help me get my bball fix until the games start!!
 
The season can't get here fast enough so here are some of my thoughts. Feel free to mock, agree or add whatever else you want to make the time pass quickly.

I believe this team will finish no worse than 4th in the conference. Actually, I really believe if JBo stays healthy all season this team will finish 2nd behind Michigan St. If Cook stays healthy all season and Garza can get acclimated to college basketball quickly we will push the Spartans for the title.

I know defense is one of the keys for success and believe me we will improve there. Another year of these guys playing together will no doubt improve the help defense. Also, adding some height to the center position will help too.

Ultimately, my confidence in this team comes from the fact that they seem to have a little swagger to them. Examples: JBo hits a game winning shot at Wisconsin last year. Cook is willing to dunk over anyone. Pemsl goes toe to toe with Haas and slams him to the ground for a jump ball. Baer is that annoying energizer bunny type that gets under the opposing teams skin. This confidence is an attribute the experts can't measure and what will lead to great things for this team.

Let me know what you're thinking. Help me get my bball fix until the games start!!
I agree that this this team seems to have a healthy amount of confidence. I thought we lost the 2013 & 2015 Iowa St games because we played scared and they didn't. I don't want our guys talking shit to opponents like Last Chance State, but confidence is important.
 
When you take a look at this conference you can see that it is loaded.....without including Iowa I see MSU, Purdue, Minnesota, and NW as teams that have the talent and depth to win the B10 with MSU as the clear favorite based on talent, coaching, and proven success.

Then there are teams like Maryland, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Penn State that also have talent and have proven to be tough competitive teams.

You also have teams like Indiana and Illinois that have some talent and new coaches that have been successful in previous stops.

Nebraska fits in here somewhere.

Last but not least you have the Ohio States and Rutgers of the world. Some people will call these teams "terrible" but I won't.....they are D1 programs with enough ammo to beat some teams. MSU you might be the only team that can show up at one of these places and not put forth a strong effort and still win...

With Iowa I agree with the point of the OP that this group has some swagger......I saw that right away last year that the incoming freshman didn't show fear, they weren't intimidated. They have a mental approach that is better and different than any team we have seen at Iowa in a long, long time. I also agree that the health of JB is vital (I know, Mr. obvious) but I think we can handle an injury to almost anyone else (maybe not Moss).

So, assuming JB stays healthy (and he was remarkably healthy last year for a freshman playing the minutes he did) I see Iowa anywhere from 2nd to 7th.....at 2nd I would be extremely happy and at seventh I would be somewhat disappointed. I think I would be pretty happy with 4th and finishing ahead of Wisconsin. Just think what the feeling in the program would be with that finish and only losing one player.....? Wow, what a bright future.

I will not be down about a 5th or even 6th place finish this year although I obviously hope for better.......My wild ass guess is that the B10 makes a strong case for 8 teams in the NCAA tournament this year. This is where the preseason tournaments that B10 teams participate in are important for the conferences success and the perception of the conference....because during the season they will be beating up on each other often.
 
I see them right around that 6th place slot. Probably around 10-8 conference record. I can see a real logjam in the middle of the conference, like the 4th through 8th spots. It wouldn't surprise me a lot for the Hawks to be anywhere in that range. Unless the wheels fall off completely it's unlikely for them to fall below 8th. Getting into the 2nd or 3rd spot doesn't seem likely, but who knows.

I'm looking forward to a fun year. I hate winter, but right now I'm just ready for the games to start.
 
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MSU
Purdue
Minnesota
Northwestern
Maryland
Wisconsin
Iowa
Michigan
Indiana
Illinois
Penn State
Nebraska
Ohio State
Rutgers
 
I will not be down about a 5th or even 6th place finish this year although I obviously hope for better.......My wild ass guess is that the B10 makes a strong case for 8 teams in the NCAA tournament this year. This is where the preseason tournaments that B10 teams participate in are important for the conferences success and the perception of the conference....because during the season they will be beating up on each other often.

This point can't be oversold this year. If the B1G struggles in the non-conference, it could be an ugly year for seeding.

I see the potential for the B1G to WIN 15 NCAA tournament games with a strong non-conference showing. With a poor showing, that number could drop to 6-8 and needing to hang our hat on MSU's coattails.

I finally think this is the year that Iowa sees everything fall right. We got a good league slate to pile up wins, so a great showing in the non-conference could finally set us up for major success come March (and April???).
 
Haven't looked at any other schedules but we should win 10 games the way I see it. That should put us in top half, maybe even top 3-4.
 
Haven't looked at any other schedules but we should win 10 games the way I see it. That should put us in top half, maybe even top 3-4.
10 conference wins making the top 4 ? That would be quite a muddled conference finish.
 
The conference is loaded but our schedule could be a lot worse. I can see 10 or 11 wins in conference and that will see us dancing for sure. I could actually see anywhere between 3rd and 8th in the conference.
 
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The schedule is favorable. 10+ conference wins. If we don't finish in the top 5, I will be genuinely surprised. In the tourney, this will be a team that no one wants to see in their bracket. I'm not going to put a ceiling on them but sweet sixteen wouldn't be surprising at all.
 
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MSU
Purdue
Minnesota
Northwestern
Maryland
Wisconsin
Iowa
Michigan
Indiana
Illinois
Penn State
Nebraska
Ohio State
Rutgers
I think this is close, but with a favorable schedule, I would move Iowa above Maryland and Wisky, and PSU above Illannoy:
MSU, Purdue, Minny, NW, Iowa, Mary Land, Wisky, UM, IU, PSU, Illannoy, Nebby, OSU, and Rutgers.

Anything from 13-5 to 8-10 is possible, and I would use 11-7 as the over/under.
 
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Help me get my bball fix until the games start!!
"Teaser": Can you wait 'til the 27th when the Hawks take on Jewell? Got your BTN Plus ready? Make sure to replace the batteries in the remote for regular season games? Stocked up on popcorn? Lots to do. But, I'm as itchy as you are. Can't arrive soon enough!
 
Iowa was 1 win away from a 4th place finish alone, and that loss was to Minnesota where the Ref royally screwed the pooch by awarding a jump ball when the Minnesota was clearly out of bounds
these were losses on the road where Iowa never got a home game
Minnesota
MSU
NW
this year those team come to Carver where I am hoping for a different outcome,
I see 12-1 in the OOC, 13-5 to 11-7 and a top 4 finish, the lone OOC loss will be to ISU as it is in Hilton this season
 
I agree that this this team seems to have a healthy amount of confidence. I thought we lost the 2013 & 2015 Iowa St games because we played scared and they didn't. I don't want our guys talking shit to opponents like Last Chance State, but confidence is important.

I think we have the type of guys that let their games do the talking. JBo and Baer are those two guys. They never stare anyone down or talk smack, but they will be those guys that the our opponents fans will hate because they are so clutch or pesky. (For you older posters think Brian Cardinal annoying)

Also we have the emotional leaders. Cook and Pemsl are those two that will stare a hole through you or just beat the crap out of you. After a whole game of that the opponent is bound to snap.

Like you said it's just a confidence these hawks ooze that is contagious to your teammates.
 
Iowa will fight their RPI all year long.. might need 22 wins to get in
 
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I think MSU will be 1st, Purdue 2nd and Northwestern 3rd. I think Iowa is as good or better than Minny, Maryland and the rest. I don't think Minny will hold up this year and we are better than Maryland and the rest in my opinion. I think we fit in at 4th.
 
Sticking with 24+ overall wins in the regular season and 13-5 in the Big Ten.

I'll be close as usual, one game off, two on the outside. Unless Bohannon gets seriously hurt.

We're going dancing.
 
Sticking with 24+ overall wins in the regular season and 13-5 in the Big Ten.

I'll be close as usual, one game off, two on the outside. Unless Bohannon gets seriously hurt.

We're going dancing.


It’s clear now that the basketball gods hate smarmy smug fans and punish them accordingly. If he doesn’t come back we should do much better this season.
 
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The season can't get here fast enough so here are some of my thoughts. Feel free to mock, agree or add whatever else you want to make the time pass quickly.

I believe this team will finish no worse than 4th in the conference. Actually, I really believe if JBo stays healthy all season this team will finish 2nd behind Michigan St. If Cook stays healthy all season and Garza can get acclimated to college basketball quickly we will push the Spartans for the title.

I know defense is one of the keys for success and believe me we will improve there. Another year of these guys playing together will no doubt improve the help defense. Also, adding some height to the center position will help too.

Ultimately, my confidence in this team comes from the fact that they seem to have a little swagger to them. Examples: JBo hits a game winning shot at Wisconsin last year. Cook is willing to dunk over anyone. Pemsl goes toe to toe with Haas and slams him to the ground for a jump ball. Baer is that annoying energizer bunny type that gets under the opposing teams skin. This confidence is an attribute the experts can't measure and what will lead to great things for this team.

Let me know what you're thinking. Help me get my bball fix until the games start!!

I'm not being mean, and I have never tried mushrooms before. Perhaps you could show me? Are you kidding me? Have you ever played in the Noon Basketball Association (NBA) at your local YMCA? No D, and idiots coming down on your ankles. Iowa has no D bro. I like Fran's offense better than Lick's, but D isn't part of it. The hawks are too slow to even play zone at the point of attack to turn this around in one year.
 
I think Indiana finishes in the top 3 or 4. They have the best class coming in and they will have a guy who can play the point, something thy lacked last year.
Romeo Langford is a flat out stud and will be a one and done.
 
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Last year, a lot of us, myself included, were predicting success and thinking that we had a relatively easy schedule. I still haven't figured out how the defense didn't get a little better, and I am not sure what to think about a couple of players, who I thought would be very good last year. This year is definitely wait and see.
 
I'm not being mean, and I have never tried mushrooms before. Perhaps you could show me? Are you kidding me? Have you ever played in the Noon Basketball Association (NBA) at your local YMCA? No D, and idiots coming down on your ankles. Iowa has no D bro. I like Fran's offense better than Lick's, but D isn't part of it. The hawks are too slow to even play zone at the point of attack to turn this around in one year.

rBVaJFjvHi-AL4qGAADECrKyANE528.jpg


What is this and why is this, bro?
 
Last year, a lot of us, myself included, were predicting success and thinking that we had a relatively easy schedule. I still haven't figured out how the defense didn't get a little better, and I am not sure what to think about a couple of players, who I thought would be very good last year. This year is definitely wait and see.


The defense did get better at the very end of the year. We can only hope that it continues.
 
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So far, all of you are ignoring the fact that the Big Ten Schedule expands to 20 games instead of 18. Finishing 10 and 10 in the Big Ten will probably get you maybe an NIT invite.
So at least 12 wins maybe 13 and up is going to be necessary to get invited to the NCAA tournament.
Taking a dive in the conference tournament won't help either.
Looking forward to the upcoming year with renewed enthusiasm and a tighter rotation. Playing the whole roster is not a recipe for success.
It's nice that we have a head coach that loves his players and doesn't want to hurt any feelings, but he needs to play his 8 to 10 best players a majority of the minutes unless it's a blowout either way.
 
I'm not being mean, and I have never tried mushrooms before. Perhaps you could show me? Are you kidding me? Have you ever played in the Noon Basketball Association (NBA) at your local YMCA? No D, and idiots coming down on your ankles. Iowa has no D bro. I like Fran's offense better than Lick's, but D isn't part of it. The hawks are too slow to even play zone at the point of attack to turn this around

Minnesota sucks. We will beat them like a drum!
 
this team is poised to finish 13-7 and a 5th place finish, as for the love for Purdue makes no sense as they lose 4 SR Starters, I can see Iowa finishing above Minnesota, NW and Purdon't. MSU. really why the constant love affair it took everything they had to beat Iowa 96-93 . with Michigan needing OT to beat Iowa 77-71 in the BTT, JBo was getting healthy and the teams defense was getting better.

this year they are hitting the weight putting on solid muscle weight and getting stronger. the pic in my Avatar is of Dailey, [wish it was in my sig as that bar has 6 of the heavier weights with a pair 10 lb weight on the ends]
 
This thread coming back up proves two things.

1. Legend is an a-hole.
2. Gopher fans are stupid.

Maybe Legend is an a-hole Gopher fan? Hmmmm.
I might have contributed by poking at those, who were hyping Haas, in the thread about the NBA draft. Legend seems to have a LONG memory. He sometimes provides good info, but usually likes to make others look stupid. Most of us can do that just fine without his help:)
 
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this team is poised to finish 13-7 and a 5th place finish, as for the love for Purdue makes no sense as they lose 4 SR Starters, I can see Iowa finishing above Minnesota, NW and Purdon't. MSU. really why the constant love affair it took everything they had to beat Iowa 96-93 . with Michigan needing OT to beat Iowa 77-71 in the BTT, JBo was getting healthy and the teams defense was getting better.

this year they are hitting the weight putting on solid muscle weight and getting stronger. the pic in my Avatar is of Dailey, [wish it was in my sig as that bar has 6 of the heavier weights with a pair 10 lb weight on the ends]


Close losses are evidence of Fran’s accomplishments.

Lucky for us that the teams that beat us last year are sitting still, not lifting, and not working to get better. That should help us easily add 9-10 league wins to our record this year.
 
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