By the time you read this, caucus day will have come and gone and we beleaguered Iowans will finally be free of incessant ads and pandering politicians; at least for the next year or two, anyway.
But there is still some mighty interesting and important polling going on of great interest to many of the denizens of the Hawkeye state – namely, the college basketball Coaches and AP polls.
Following a disappointing but not altogether unexpected road loss to fellow top 10 team Maryland, the Hawks sit this Tuesday at #5 in the AP Poll and #7 in the Coaches poll. Looking at this situation from a caucus-fevered, political point of view, what does Iowa need to do to shore up its platform, energize its constituency and surge to #1 in the polls?
• Rally the base: The Lickliter era turned Carver Hawkeye Arena into a veritable morgue. Sleepy crowds of 6,000 or so watched listless teams struggle to hit 50 points while the head coach literally held his head in his hands in abject futility. Despite Fran McCaffery’s new brand of inspired, high-tempo - and most importantly - winning basketball, crowd energy is only now starting to edge back to acceptable Iowa standards. The Michigan State game was a raucous sell out, and good crowds were on hand for both Purdue and Northwestern, so that is progress. Even though the Big 10 schedule makers did Iowa no favors (zero Saturday games, really?) it’s time for Iowa fans to fully embrace this Top 10 squad and make Carver a nightmare venue for visiting teams. I’m sick to death of hearing about “Hilton Magic” but it would be great if Iowa could harness that same level of excitement (minus the incessant booing and literal hostility) at home.
• Have a good “ground game”: This sounds more like the recipe for a mauling Kirk Ferentz offensive line on the gridiron, but I’d like to see the cagers pound the ball a bit more as well. It’s amazing to see an Iowa team shoot so well, especially from the 3 point line, but the long-range game doesn’t always travel so well (see the Maryland game as an example). Adam Woodbury is having an amazing senior campaign and has held his own against some mammoth and talented frontlines in the Big 10 like those of Purdue and Maryland. But Iowa could use a little more consistency in the scoring department from down inside and I’d like to see Dom Uhl continue to post up and get some scores off offensive rebounds and other “dirty work” plays. Ahmad Wagner seems to be really hitting his stride as well. If Iowa is going to vie for #1, those young guys are going to have to take it up even another notch.
• Surprise the favorites with a “grassroots” campaign: The Hawkeyes have a very Iowa-centric squad, with Des Moines, Siouxland and Cedar Rapids all represented. More high level Iowa kids are coming in soon as well, with the McCaffery boys and Muscatine’s own Joe Wieskamp. McCaffery has built the current juggernaut through his eye for talent and a solid development approach. Mix in homegrown talent like this with a sprinkling of high-flyers from around the country and you are building a program built to last.
• Keep the coffers full: All political campaigns these days need deep-pocketed donors who are engaged and excited to throw money at their preferred candidate. The same is true of big time college basketball programs. The Hawkeyes finally getting a dedicated practice facility was a game-changer (another political cliché!) but the arms race never ends. If Iowa is going to ascend to the mountaintop and stay there, it is likely Carver will need major upgrades, the new athletic-centered dormitory needs to be built sooner rather than later and the recruiting budget will have to continue to climb. Look deep into your Hawkeye souls and dig deep into your wallets big donors, the work is never done!
• Hope and change: Let’s hope the Hawkeyes continue to roll through the Big 10 slate like Ronald Reagan racked up Electoral College votes against Walter Mondale. And let’s change Iowa’s recent flameouts in the Big 10 tournament by having a solid week in Indy. Get to Des Moines with a one or two seed in tow and it will be “Morning in (Hawkeyeland) again.”
Follow me on Twitter @ToryBrecht and follow the 12Saturdays podcast @12Saturdays.
But there is still some mighty interesting and important polling going on of great interest to many of the denizens of the Hawkeye state – namely, the college basketball Coaches and AP polls.
Following a disappointing but not altogether unexpected road loss to fellow top 10 team Maryland, the Hawks sit this Tuesday at #5 in the AP Poll and #7 in the Coaches poll. Looking at this situation from a caucus-fevered, political point of view, what does Iowa need to do to shore up its platform, energize its constituency and surge to #1 in the polls?
• Rally the base: The Lickliter era turned Carver Hawkeye Arena into a veritable morgue. Sleepy crowds of 6,000 or so watched listless teams struggle to hit 50 points while the head coach literally held his head in his hands in abject futility. Despite Fran McCaffery’s new brand of inspired, high-tempo - and most importantly - winning basketball, crowd energy is only now starting to edge back to acceptable Iowa standards. The Michigan State game was a raucous sell out, and good crowds were on hand for both Purdue and Northwestern, so that is progress. Even though the Big 10 schedule makers did Iowa no favors (zero Saturday games, really?) it’s time for Iowa fans to fully embrace this Top 10 squad and make Carver a nightmare venue for visiting teams. I’m sick to death of hearing about “Hilton Magic” but it would be great if Iowa could harness that same level of excitement (minus the incessant booing and literal hostility) at home.
• Have a good “ground game”: This sounds more like the recipe for a mauling Kirk Ferentz offensive line on the gridiron, but I’d like to see the cagers pound the ball a bit more as well. It’s amazing to see an Iowa team shoot so well, especially from the 3 point line, but the long-range game doesn’t always travel so well (see the Maryland game as an example). Adam Woodbury is having an amazing senior campaign and has held his own against some mammoth and talented frontlines in the Big 10 like those of Purdue and Maryland. But Iowa could use a little more consistency in the scoring department from down inside and I’d like to see Dom Uhl continue to post up and get some scores off offensive rebounds and other “dirty work” plays. Ahmad Wagner seems to be really hitting his stride as well. If Iowa is going to vie for #1, those young guys are going to have to take it up even another notch.
• Surprise the favorites with a “grassroots” campaign: The Hawkeyes have a very Iowa-centric squad, with Des Moines, Siouxland and Cedar Rapids all represented. More high level Iowa kids are coming in soon as well, with the McCaffery boys and Muscatine’s own Joe Wieskamp. McCaffery has built the current juggernaut through his eye for talent and a solid development approach. Mix in homegrown talent like this with a sprinkling of high-flyers from around the country and you are building a program built to last.
• Keep the coffers full: All political campaigns these days need deep-pocketed donors who are engaged and excited to throw money at their preferred candidate. The same is true of big time college basketball programs. The Hawkeyes finally getting a dedicated practice facility was a game-changer (another political cliché!) but the arms race never ends. If Iowa is going to ascend to the mountaintop and stay there, it is likely Carver will need major upgrades, the new athletic-centered dormitory needs to be built sooner rather than later and the recruiting budget will have to continue to climb. Look deep into your Hawkeye souls and dig deep into your wallets big donors, the work is never done!
• Hope and change: Let’s hope the Hawkeyes continue to roll through the Big 10 slate like Ronald Reagan racked up Electoral College votes against Walter Mondale. And let’s change Iowa’s recent flameouts in the Big 10 tournament by having a solid week in Indy. Get to Des Moines with a one or two seed in tow and it will be “Morning in (Hawkeyeland) again.”
Follow me on Twitter @ToryBrecht and follow the 12Saturdays podcast @12Saturdays.
