The case for Iowa

[HawkNole09]

This has been such a fun year to watch, as the team developed week to week. Hitting big shots, knocking off good teams. Now that we're getting close to the tournament I think it's worth looking at the team and their accomplishments.

This young team walked into this year knowing it was going to be playing freshmen, but I don't think even Fran, thought that'd they'd play this much. Remember Christian Williams was rising, Dom Uhl had looked like an eventual starter. Ahmad Wagner had been solid.

But, as they sit right now Iowa's 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 6th leading scorers are freshmen.

As you might expect they got off to a bumpy start losing 5 of their first 8 (during Cook's injury) before running off five straight wins. The B1G schedule should have been brutal, but instead Iowa is looking at going 10-8, with wins over Purdue, Maryland, and Wisconsin -- and two double OT losses to Nebraska and Minnesota.

Since Dec 5 this team has been 15-8 and could very easily have been 16-7 or 17-8. They will have run off 7 of their last 10 with a win against Penn State.

There's little doubt in my mind that this team is playing like one of the top 60 teams in the country. But, they still probably need three wins between now and next Sunday for anyone else to take notice.

However it turns out -- this has been one of the best, most exciting years of Hawkeye basketball.

 

[tedboy78]

This has been such a fun year to watch, as the team developed week to week. Hitting big shots, knocking off good teams. Now that we're getting close to the tournament I think it's worth looking at the team and their accomplishments.

This young team walked into this year knowing it was going to be playing freshmen, but I don't think even Fran, thought that'd they'd play this much. Remember Christian Williams was rising, Dom Uhl had looked like an eventual starter. Ahmad Wagner had been solid.

But, as they sit right now Iowa's 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 6th leading scorers are freshmen.

As you might expect they got off to a bumpy start losing 5 of their first 8 (during Cook's injury) before running off five straight wins. The B1G schedule should have been brutal, but instead Iowa is looking at going 10-8, with wins over Purdue, Maryland, and Wisconsin -- and two double OT losses to Nebraska and Minnesota.

Since Dec 5 this team has been 15-8 and could very easily have been 16-7 or 17-8. They will have run off 7 of their last 10 with a win against Penn State.

There's little doubt in my mind that this team is playing like one of the top 60 teams in the country. But, they still probably need three wins between now and next Sunday for anyone else to take notice.

However it turns out -- this has been one of the best, most exciting years of Hawkeye basketball.

Well stated. I hope the committee looks hard at those things you stated (you could also look at Jok's injury affecting the games he DIDN'T sit out). Either way, it's been exciting to watch this team grow. They really seem to have bought into Fran's system and play unselfishly, so the future is really exciting.

 

[DanL53]

My dilemma. Deciding which Big Ten office to charge into, barehanded, screaming like a lunatic, if they yank this all away from us like they did in 2012/13. I shall bust the pot of every beloved plant. I shall smash keyboards and computers. I shall defecate and use the product to write, "Jim Delaney, but this is redundant!", on the walls.

But where? Chicago? New York? Chicago? New York?

We should be talking our opportunity at a fifth straight NCAA. This should be an exciting time for me. But all I feel is dread. Hawkeyes, turn your jocks around and protect your backsides from the Big Ten's Valentine. He's out there somewhere.

 

[markfromj]

We should be talking our opportunity at a fifth straight NCAA..

Fourth.

 

[DanL53]

Fourth.

Fifth. We SHOULD be talking about our fifth.