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VOTE: What's Realistic Ceiling for Iowa Women's Basketball team? Outlook for next year?

What's the realistic ceiling for the Women's Basketball team?

  • Total voters
    214
  • Poll closed .
What asshat voted the absolute best this team could do is sweet 16??? They are a damn 2 seed playing first 2 rounds at home! WTF? I’m not saying it’s a lock but sweet 16 as the ceiling?!?! GTFOH
 
Franisdaman said:
The Iowa women are ranked #8 in the country.

Here are Megan's National Ranks:
#1--28 PPG
#1--69.6 FG%
#1--369 FGs Made
#1--897 Total Pts
#2--424 Total Rebs
#4--13.2 Reb/Game

I hope for a couple things:

* That the @NaismithTrophy & @WoodenAward voters are not biased & that they don't ignore these stats when they vote.

* That we are not matched up with a team where they don't have to double team Megan. Our offense is so much more effective when they can play inside out.

#votegustafson
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She has no chance. She doesn't play for ND, Oregon, Baylor or Conn.. The voters probably never watched a B1G game.
BUT on the bright side her 45 points should have helped her. We need to get Geno to put out a tweet on how good she is and how he messed up on not recruiting her. :rolleyes:
 
BGHAWK said:
Sad.
Click to expand...

Yes. One Sweet Sixteen appearance
milehighhawkeye24 said:
What asshat voted the absolute best this team could do is sweet 16??? They are a damn 2 seed playing first 2 rounds at home! WTF? I’m not saying it’s a lock but sweet 16 as the ceiling?!?! GTFOH
Click to expand...

Because it’s year 19 of her program and she has only one Sweet Sixteen appearance. I didn’t vote because losing in the second round wasn’t an option. I hope that doesn’t happen but I’m not confident either.
 
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As a long time season ticket holder for IAWBB, this year's team has two things none of Lisa's other teams had: Megan Gustafson and a probable #2 seed. She is a difference maker, as is the seeding. As for their ceiling, the seeding indicates an Elite 8 reach, but in my opinion "ceiling" indicates the highest possibility. Therefore, it would seem that they have the potential to knock off a #1 seed, as long as it isn't Baylor. Time will tell, but this is a special group of ladies and coaches.
 
I really appreciate this team. Am sure they regret the loss to Indiana that prevented a co- Big 10 regular season championship. Hope their success this year gives more fans reason to not be so critical next year when there is a drop-off.
 
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NorthernHawkeye said:
Yes. One Sweet Sixteen appearance


Because it’s year 19 of her program and she has only one Sweet Sixteen appearance. I didn’t vote because losing in the second round wasn’t an option. I hope that doesn’t happen but I’m not confident either.
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There's no way the second round is this team's realistic ceiling. They could lose in the second round, sure, but that's not what ceiling means.

Iowa has proven twice that they can beat a 3 seed in Maryland. They'd play, at best, a three seed in the Sweet 16. I don't see how their ceiling is less than the Elite 8 when they can realistically beat a 3 seed and would probably be favored in a Sweet 16 game.

Iowa has also played a 1 seed and gotten demolished. Iowa could get a 1 seed that is a better matchup in the Elite 8. Or they could play really well. Or the 1 seed could get even get upset earlier. But all those are pretty unlikely scenarios. That's why I voted Elite 8 as the realistic ceiling.
 
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There are two ways of looking at this. You could have little to no faith, not believe, be pessimistic and have a negative attitude. I think that is a miserable way to think. Or you can have faith, believe, be optimistic and have a positive attitude. Everyone has their own free will to decide. But I say, ‘why be negative, or pessimistic? What is the harm in being positive and optimistic?’ The past does not dictate the present. As for myself, I am excited, hopeful, and optimistic. I have much faith in this team and believe that they can achieve the greatest season in Hawkeye history. A regional final appearance is realistic but even that is not the absolute ceiling. Go Hawks!
 
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I think we can get by NC State and reach the Elite 8 based on this, from ESPN.com:

Charlie Creme: No. 3 seed NC State and No. 2 seed Iowa (ESPN/ESPN App, 11:30 a.m. ET Saturday) are two very different teams. Styles make for great matchups and these contrasting styles should give us a good one. NC State is guard- and defensive-oriented. Iowa wants to play with pace and have Megan Gustafson dominate on the inside. Wolfpack guard Kiara Leslie, who scored 26 points in the second-round win over Kentucky, should be able to get her offense going against the Iowa guards, and Aislinn Konig should get more open looks, but will that be enough to offset Gustafson? Elissa Cunane might be the X factor. The NC State 6-foot-5 freshman's defense and ability to stay out of foul trouble are key.

Voepel: It's always fun to see a senior who is already at the top of her game versus a freshman who hopes to get there. That's Iowa's Megan Gustafson versus NC State's Elissa Cunane, a pair of centers who will meet in the Greensboro Regional. Gustafson is the espnW national player of the year and the nation's leading scorer for No. 2 seed Iowa. Cunane is a youngster still finding her way in Division I, but opposing coaches in the ACC talk about dreading to face her as she matures. Cunane had 13 points, 15 rebounds and 6 assists in the third-seeded Wolfpack's win over Kentucky on Monday, but also six turnovers. Gustafson totally might take the kid to school, but Cunane might be able to hold her own a bit.
 
Iowa scored below its average in both games so far, didn't top 70 points in either game. Sounds like it will be much the same against NC State. Although, Iowa's defense has been very good. So, even if the slowed down pace is more of NC State's style, Iowa seems well equipped to handle it.
 
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Ceiling reached. Elite 8, Big Ten Tourney Champ, Top 8 final ranking.

Amazing year. A once in a generation or two player. Good, but not great roster.

Really too bad lost at Indiana and Purdue. Both were winnable games. Regular season championship only realistic goal not reached.

Versus Baylor: no chance.
 
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According to ESPN’s [women’s] Basketball Power Index (BPI)...
https://es.pn/2V6g9oM
... Iowa’s chances to make it into the final four were 18%. That was before they beat NC State. They were the least favored of all the two seeds to make it into the regional final (elite eight), with only about a 5 in 9 odds. Now that they have overcome that hurdle, presumably their chances have improved. Of course this is all just in theory, but one could project that the BPI for Iowa to make the final four could now increase to as much as 1in 3. If those odds seem too optimistic then maybe 1 in 4 or 5 would be more realistic. Regardless, the point is that there is no good reason to be pessimistic unless the thought of a letdown is just too much to bare. As for myself, I want to optimistic, have faith and believe that there is a chance, no matter how small it is.
Go Hawks!
 
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VicHawkeye said:
I voted National Champions of course.
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According to the ESPN BPI, Iowa had a 2% chance to be national champions. Once again that was before they beat NC State. Their chances now could be 3-4%. That is in theory of course. So there is some hope.
Go Hawks!
 
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Bracing yourself for bad things that could happen is overrated. Letting yourself get caught up in believing dreams can come true is underrated.

I choose to believe until the dream is dead.
 
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Maybe we could hang with the other 1 and 2 seeds, but Baylor definitely looks deserving of the overall #1 seed. And I don’t think we can argue about being the overall 8 seed, playing them in the quarterfinals
 
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