This Season's Expectations

[mtdew_fever]

At the beginning of the season, wouldn't about everyone been ok with a tie for 3rd place in the Big 10?

I realize the last month has been terrible, but prior to the season's start.....I think this is about where people thought Iowa would finish this year.

Obviously the loss to Illinois yesterday is a disappointment all around, but overall though, this was a pretty good season for Iowa.

 

[Dr. Brad]

Not to sound negative, but does anyone recall a more disappointing season?

 

[DenverTurtle]

While the OP is correct that in the end this team is about where most people thought they'd be they were something like 11-1 the 1st 2/3 through conference play. When you start 11-1 and finish 1-5 (with 4 of those first 11 wins coming against MSU and Purdue) that is disappointing. As far as endings to a season goes this is about as disappointing as it gets.

 

[mtdew_fever]

Yes, by far the 2001-2002 Hawkeye team was a much bigger disappointment. They were preseason #9 and in Luke Recker's senior season he was on his way to be an All-American. Everything fell apart once the Big 10 season started and they ended up 5-11 in the conference.

Not to sound negative, but does anyone recall a more disappointing season?

 

[DenverTurtle]

Yes, by far the 2001-2002 Hawkeye team was a much bigger disappointment. They were preseason #9 and in Luke Recker's senior season he was on his was to be an All-American. Everything fell apart once the Big 10 season started and they ended up 5-11 in the conference.

Agreed. I almost forgot about that. I think both Recker and Evans were preseason all-Americans and Alford had the #2 ranked recruiting class in the country entering its 1st season. (Brody Boyd, Summerville, etc)
For that team to finish under .500 in conference play was atrocious. The only reason we went to the NCAA tourney that year was because we won the BTT and got the automatic bid.

 

[Hawk_4shur]

The OP is correct. Twenty years from now this season will look ok.

But right now it is pretty painful.

 

[MepoDawg#]

Make the sweet 16 and all is forgotten.

 

[hawkeyemike23]

Would you rather have a season like ours, low expectations, sudden rise to the top five and quick collapse, or a season like ISU's, super high expectations, slow season long decline from top five to bottom half of the conference, unranked team heading into the tournament?

Both are fun options.

 

[mtdew_fever]

I completely agree.

The NCAA Tournament is where it's at. Winning a game or two in the Big 10 Tourney is meaningless in comparison.

Make the sweet 16 and all is forgotten.

 

[MepoDawg#]

I'd rather have the high and lows. More exciting. But both regressed to the mean, but ISU is probably more disappointing. You saw Iowa's capabilities for a prolonged period (weeks) but only saw ISU's for brief period in games.

 

[mtdew_fever]

Anyone that had any knowledge of Iowa St's program knew their margin for error was slim to have that great season.

Much like Iowa though, if Iowa St makes a run in the NCAA tournament it won't matter.

I'd rather have the high and lows. More exciting. But both regressed to the mean, but ISU is probably more disappointing. You saw Iowa's capabilities for a prolonged period (weeks) but only saw ISU's for brief period in games.

 

[GoHawks2009]

Agreed. I almost forgot about that. I think both Recker and Evans were preseason all-Americans and Alford had the #2 ranked recruiting class in the country entering its 1st season. (Brody Boyd, Summerville, etc)
For that team to finish under .500 in conference play was atrocious. The only reason we went to the NCAA tourney that year was because we won the BTT and got the automatic bid.

That was the year after the BTT title. We got to the championship game again and lost to Ohio State. I remember how worried the committee was in the Selection Show about Iowa winning the potential auto bid at the 11th hour.

 

[Hawkeye3412]

Iowa is pretty much ending up according to the preseason expectations and had they stayed on that kind of curve or progression, people would have been fine. But when you have such a great start, expectations change and thus this ending is so much more painful and disappointing. And then to see the way Illinois came out and laid down after Purdue hit them, was even more frustrating. Add in the fact that they had a chance at a high seed and the rare chance to play in their home state for the first couple of rounds, it exacerbates the frustration further. It's crazy that they have a 46 point differential in 10 losses...4.6 points per game in losses...3 plays that go differently....

In the long run, the coaches have to get some finishers that can help put the games away late! A point guard that can get the ball where it needs to be when it needs to be there would be an awesome addition...that and a monster rebounder.

 

[markfromj]

Not to sound negative, but does anyone recall a more disappointing season?

The season ending was disappointed, but I do not see this as a disappointing season overall. I thought we would be a bubble team, and likely on the wrong side of it. We are much better than that. They exceeded my pre-season expectations.

 

[Rifler]

Not to sound negative, but does anyone recall a more disappointing season?

Yes. Are you new here?....

 

[Ronman]

Most "experts" had us finishing anywhere from 6th to 9th in the conference. We finished tied for 3rd and had another 20+ win season and a third straight NCAA appearance. Yes, it was more than disappointing the way the team performed down the stretch, but overall, a pretty decent year considering. I really feel badly for the seniors. You know that they wanted to go out on a high note, yet here we are, limping into the NCAA's. Hopefully, once we are playing teams out of conference, we can regain our lost mojo.

 

[Buffalo43]

Iowa is pretty much ending up according to the preseason expectations and had they stayed on that kind of curve or progression, people would have been fine. But when you have such a great start, expectations change and thus this ending is so much more painful and disappointing. And then to see the way Illinois came out and laid down after Purdue hit them, was even more frustrating. Add in the fact that they had a chance at a high seed and the rare chance to play in their home state for the first couple of rounds, it exacerbates the frustration further. It's crazy that they have a 46 point differential in 10 losses...4.6 points per game in losses...3 plays that go differently....

In the long run, the coaches have to get some finishers that can help put the games away late! A point guard that can get the ball where it needs to be when it needs to be there would be an awesome addition...that and a monster rebounder.

Bohannon will be that point guard distribute and hit shots at crunch time

 

[SDHawkDoc]

Hawks are great examples of how important the trajectory of the season is to how it is perceived.

Taken in its entirety, they slightly exceeded.
The way they did it was another matter entirely.
Rocketed from obscurity to a top 5 and talk of a 1-line seed in the NCAA tourney, then crash and burn over roughly the same time period.

They'll still be in the tourney. Probably a slightly higher seed than would have been expected. But, no momentum. Team playing poorly. Essentially in free fall.

While January was fun, I would rather have had the less peaked trajectory that brought them to the end of the season needing (and getting) some wins down the stretch and going into the tourney with some excitement simmering.

 

[ryno99]

Would you rather have a season like ours, low expectations, sudden rise to the top five and quick collapse, or a season like ISU's, super high expectations, slow season long decline from top five to bottom half of the conference, unranked team heading into the tournament?

Both are fun options.

Yet their fanbase and talking heads are very optimistic and talking about deep run into March even with a same record as Iowa. Their record is the same but they have better wins and no bad losses. They've proven they can make it to the Sweet 16 and their team has leadership, clutch players and a high level PG. The optimism from both Iowa and ISU couldn't more polar opposites.