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This team is historically special - enjoy the ride

Bryzzo

Team MVP
Aug 31, 2016
269
435
63
Current Ranks and stats of note:

AP Poll: 4th
Net Rankings: 3rd
Current Lunardi projected seed #: #1
Ranked in the top 10 every week of the season
Nation's leading scorer and heavy favorite for National Player of the Year
3rd highest scoring team per game Nationally
5 guys shooting over 40% from 3 point land
Emerging freshman likely to make the All Big Freshman team
Roster that goes 10+ deep in Big 10 quality players

This is the most enjoyable team to watch in my lifetime (born in 1979 - fandom seriously started with Dr. Tom's first team in 1987).

This team has a very legit shot to accomplish 4 goals that have never been achieved by an Iowa team in the same season .

1. Win the Big 10 Regular Season Title
2. Win the Big 10 Tourney Title
3. Get a #1 overall seed in the NCAA Tourney Title
4. Advance to the Final 4

I'm enjoying every minute of this season. I really hope the Hawks continue to play with the confidence they have been playing with and ultimately end up with a shot at a rematch with Gonzaga for the National Title.

Stay healthy, guard the 3 ball, make your free throws (especially the clutch time ones on the road) and then practice going up and down ladders with scissors :)
 
I was out of the continental United States during the 1970 undefeated season serving our country in the Navy and we all know how the 1986/87 season turned out. TD's 1999 team was the last time Iowa won it's first 2 games in the NCAA tournament, SA's 95 team flamed out in the first game, and really none of Fran's teams were never good enough to make it to the elite eight up to this year.
Every Iowa team is different but this years team just seems to have the "IF" factor. Luka is the one player that none of the other Hawk teams had, a reliable player that is almost unstoppable and every team that plays Iowa has to focus on. And although there has been other Hawk teams that may have been more athletic, this team has 3 point shooters extraordinaire.
Keagan makes this team more athletic at the wing and adds a dimension that the returning players other then Toussaint can't replicate. Hope that this Covid-19 can be contained and we can live to see this season play out and Iowa can bring the NCAA tournament championship back to the Big Ten.
That would be my last item off my bucket list. Bears-Super Bowl Championship, check. Blackhawks-Stanly Cup Championships, check. White Sox- World Series Championship, check. CUBS- World Series Championship, check.
I'm ready for another Championship......
 
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I was out of the continental United States during the 1970 undefeated season serving our country in the Navy and we all know how the 1986/87 season turned out. TD's 1999 team was the last time Iowa won it's first 2 games in the NCAA tournament, SA's 95 team flamed out in the first game, and really none of Fran's teams were never good enough to make it to the elite eight up to this year.
Every Iowa team is different but this years team just seems to have the "IF" factor. Luka is the one player that none of the other Hawk teams had, a reliable player that is almost unstoppable and every team that plays Iowa has to focus on. And although there has been other Hawk teams that may have been more athletic, this team has 3 point shooters extraordinaire.
Keagan makes this team more athletic at the wing and adds a dimension that the returning players other then Toussaint can't replicate. Hope that this Covid-19 can be contained and we can live to see this season play out and Iowa can bring the NCAA tournament championship back to the Big Ten.
That would be my last item off my bucket list. Bears-Super Bowl Championship, check. Blackhawks-Stanly Cup Championships, check. White Sox- World Series Championship, check. CUBS- World Series Championship, check.
I'm ready for another Championship......

Thank you for your service to our country. I really appreciate you and all our great vets.

I remember the 1969-70 team. Man, they could score a bunch of points and there was no three point shot in those days. The 1980 team was fun to watch too. If Ronnie Lester doesn't go down with that knee injury, I believe we would have the whole B1G title and the National Championship.

This year's team has a chance to win it all. Enjoy the ride. It could be a very long time before we see a team like this again.
 
This team is very special, regardless of their final accomplishments.

Luke Garza is special, regardless of his final accomplishments.

I'm enjoying it!
 
Seems like this group of players really buy into McCaffrey's approach. Smart and talented group.
 
Seems like this group of players really buy into McCaffrey's approach. Smart and talented group.

Agreed. Think about how "experienced" this team really is. Years in the program ,,,,

Jbo - 5th year
Garza - 4th year
CMac - 3rd year
CJ - 3rd year
JW - 3rd year
Jack - 4th year

This team is pretty salty.
 
Agreed. Think about how "experienced" this team really is. Years in the program ,,,,

Jbo - 5th year
Garza - 4th year
CMac - 3rd year
CJ - 3rd year
JW - 3rd year
Jack - 4th year

This team is pretty salty.

This is the key. It has allowed the team to have a level of consistency they haven't had before. Teams full of freshmen can be sooooo aggravating because they are so subject to swings in play.
 
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This is the key. It has allowed the team to have a level of consistency they haven't had before. Teams full of freshmen can be sooooo aggravating because they are so subject to swings in play.
The freshman that come to Iowa are not ready for prime time. The Hawks must have experience and, every once in a while, have a player like Garza emerge. That's how Iowa competes for championships.

p.s. Garza type players don't come along very often. One can only hope for Iowa to develop a player with outstanding talent - not necessarily the best talent in 50 years!
 
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The freshman that come to Iowa are not ready for prime time. The Hawks must have experience and, every once in a while, have a player like Garza emerge. That's how Iowa competes for championships.

p.s. Garza type players don't come along very often. One can only hope for Iowa to develop a player with outstanding talent - not necessarily the best talent in 50 years!

I think that holds true for the one and done players too. It's not quite like it is at Iowa because those players are usually able to ride their athleticism to cover inconsistencies. However, it's why those teams have a tough time making it out of the Sweet 16 or Elite 8. Unless they have a few reliable upperclassmen to lead the team. Good leadership more than makes up for inexperience. Experience is usually what's required to have good leadership.
 
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This group is setting a great example for the young guys too. The 2016 class of Bohannon, Moss (RS), Cook, Kriener, Pemsl and 17 class with Garza had to figure it out themselves. We struggled through relying too much on individual players, turned the ball over at too high of a rate, had to figure out how to defend. This group is showing the freshmen class that you can play team ball, everybody puts up points and gives effort defensively, boosts their individual stocks, and still win games.

I’ve always said that Iowa is a developmental program under Fran (much like the football team), where we have unbalanced classes and win when those large classes are upperclassmen. However, due to recruiting success and team success, Fran is getting to a point where Iowa should be able to start reLOADING versus reBUILDING while still fielding a competitive squad on a yearly basis. The future is bright
 
Agreed. Think about how "experienced" this team really is. Years in the program ,,,,

Jbo - 5th year
Garza - 4th year
CMac - 3rd year
CJ - 3rd year
JW - 3rd year
Jack - 4th year

This team is pretty salty.
Pretty similar to Michigan, and Wisconsin. Hmmm, which teams are at the top of the BIG???
 
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