What is wrong with me?

[soybean]

At the beginning of the season I had zero expectations for the Hawks. None. Nada. Zero.They were so young. So unexperienced. So unknown. No expectations was the best thing for my mental health. I would be an interested observer, but nothing more.

Then sometime along the way, perhaps after the Purdue game, I started to watch a bit closer..even went to a couple games(OSU & Neb) at Carver. I was starting to get that old feeling back, but I repressed it. I was still in control. Then came Indiana, Maryland and Wisconsin. I knew I was in some trouble but I told everyone I was still laid back about these young Hawks and I'd wait and see. No expectations. I even gave up my tickets to Penn State and stayed home to watch on TV. Afterwards I knew I was in trouble. I allowed him to emerge - the soybean that believed that Iowa would be playing Sunday afternoon in D.C. Yes, I admit it...I believed. What is wrong with me?

 

[Suterman]

You never need to apologize for being optimistic, but the expectations can kill you.

 

[soybean]

You never need to apologize for being optimistic, but the expectations can kill you.

So, National Champs 2018 is a bad idea?

 

[Suterman]

So, National Champs 2018 is a bad idea?

As a team goal it's a fine idea. As a fan expectation.................................

 

[soybean]

As a team goal it's a fine idea. As a fan expectation.................................

OK, 2019 it is then.

 

[sultanofsuede]

pretty much exactly how my season went, as well...

 

[Gabe Sifuentes]

Freshman playing like seniors and everyone else playing like freshman is what happened. As long as JoBo is around, though, never stop dreaming. Kid will get us there.

 

[anon_2zMXH429BhxV1Npk]

At the beginning of the season I had zero expectations for the Hawks. None. Nada. Zero.They were so young. So unexperienced. So unknown. No expectations was the best thing for my mental health. I would be an interested observer, but nothing more.

Then sometime along the way, perhaps after the Purdue game, I started to watch a bit closer..even went to a couple games(OSU & Neb) at Carver. I was starting to get that old feeling back, but I repressed it. I was still in control. Then came Indiana, Maryland and Wisconsin. I knew I was in some trouble but I told everyone I was still laid back about these young Hawks and I'd wait and see. No expectations. I even gave up my tickets to Penn State and stayed home to watch on TV. Afterwards I knew I was in trouble. I allowed him to emerge - the soybean that believed that Iowa would be playing Sunday afternoon in D.C. Yes, I admit it...I believed. What is wrong with me?

Hmmm are you and I the same person?

Coming into the year I wanted to be above .500 for the year, making the NIT was gravy. Even throughout the year my expectations remained in check. But somehow two weeks cut off the blood flow to that part of my brain and I got excited. I had said before the little run that only way Iowa was making the dance was to win 4 in a row, then make the finals of the BTT. We won the 4 in a row and I convinced myself we just needed to beat Indiana and maybe Wisconsin, that we'd be comfortably in.

That said, last night sucked. I was disappointed, but today I feel better now that my brain is functioning again and realizing that making the NIT with this team and how they improved this year was more than I wanted before the season started.

 

[HoustonREDHawk]

So, National Champs 2018 is a bad idea?

Downsize to B1G champs, and you might have something.

 

[HawkLogic]

they exceeded my expectations.

Moss looks talented and met my expectations.
I'm happy with the season. They did better than I thought and improved nad flashed a lot of young talent

JayBo has quick release and better ball handler/passer than I though, so he exceeded.

Pemsl exceeded my expectations. Very skilled.

Cook met/exceeded high expecations.

Kreiner looks solid, met expectations.

Dailey--not enough PT to judge.

Ellingson exceeded expectations---regained his shooting touch which he had not shown as Freshman.

Baer---met high expectations.

 

[bagdropper]

Exceeded here too (I thought a game or two over .500 was a reasonable expectation)...but I never bought into the late run as them being "cured".

Just too many kids on the roster. A team of 5 star frosh types via talent can overcome their youthful mistakes. That wasn't Iowa.

Indiana scared the hell out of me when I watched the first 5 minutes of Michigan-Nebraska last Sunday night. Bad match-up in general, and they were certainly due.

My expectations will be considerably higher next year though. Less maddening losses, maybe better non-con, no UNO losses, maybe they can actually beat Illinois and also not get the screw-job call next year.

That's probably (not knowing the schedule withstanding) maybe 3-4 more wins regular season. My 2018 Expectation Starter Kit probably begins at 20-21 wins before the B10 tourney.

 

[FairfIowafan1984]

Finally a logical post with the rational fans last night I was saying the same thing. This young team had a great season, the future looks amazing.

Before the season I was just hoping for above .500 overall record, making NIT. Never would have thought that we would have a 10-8 conference record. 1st team all big ten, 6th man of the year, 2 freshman on the all freshman squad. I thought cook and jok might happen. But Baer and JoBo shocked me throughout the season.

When this team was playing well they were so fun to watch!!! I got a few negative people last night at me when I said before the season started I would have been happy with the NIT.

And young isn't an excuse we were the 7th youngest team in D1 out of 351 teams. The other teams had losing records, we didn't.

Love this thread!

 

[tumorboy]

Need a traditional break them down off the dribble PG to be a really dangerous team that can go far in the tourney. But several pieces are there. Man I wish Wieskamp was in the 2017 class.

 

[Hawkfan_08]

Yeah, all of that is true with me.

 

[Hawk_4shur]

Concur with most of this thread. I don't think this group will win a NC, but I think a B1G championship is realistic. The team needs one of these guys to develop into a true star ...an unstoppable force. It could happen.

 

[Loveblackandgold]

At the beginning of the season I had zero expectations for the Hawks. None. Nada. Zero.They were so young. So unexperienced. So unknown. No expectations was the best thing for my mental health. I would be an interested observer, but nothing more.

Then sometime along the way, perhaps after the Purdue game, I started to watch a bit closer..even went to a couple games(OSU & Neb) at Carver. I was starting to get that old feeling back, but I repressed it. I was still in control. Then came Indiana, Maryland and Wisconsin. I knew I was in some trouble but I told everyone I was still laid back about these young Hawks and I'd wait and see. No expectations. I even gave up my tickets to Penn State and stayed home to watch on TV. Afterwards I knew I was in trouble. I allowed him to emerge - the soybean that believed that Iowa would be playing Sunday afternoon in D.C. Yes, I admit it...I believed. What is wrong with me?

Not sure what is wrong with you but for me it is:

Steve Wait scoring an old style 3 to punch a final four ticket
Gamble hitting an open three against Oklahoma sending Iowa to the elite 8
Beating the Fab Five at Carver the day Iowa retired Chris Street's number
Coming back from 17 down in second half to beat GW sending Tom Davis to his final Sweet sixteen
Watching Marble Jr. and Aaron White lead Iowa basketball's resurgence
Dismantling Davidson in first round
Woody's put back to put the owls to sleep
Jordan's three that turned out the lights in Madison

It is these moments that keeps me coming back for more!

It is truly great to be a Hawkeye!

 

[NorthCentralHawk]

I would've been right there with ya going into the BTT had they not won 4 in a row to end the regular season. If this young team is anything other than improving before our eyes, it's streaky. Four in a row had me feeling more pessimistic about the Indiana game than I wanted to...I mean, it was all looking good, right? I was almost wish they'd laid an egg vs. Penn State or gotten a beat down from Wisconsin. THEN go on a 3-4 game winning streak.

But hey, I'll take what we got this year. Had a lot of fun watching them grow up and I think they'll be a pretty darn good team by the time these freshmen are juniors. No quit or choke in these guys, just the freshman learning curve and inconsistency that comes with it, plus some fire in the belly.

 

[NI hawk]

Not sure what is wrong with you but for me it is:

Steve Wait scoring an old style 3 to punch a final four ticket
Gamble hitting an open three against Oklahoma sending Iowa to the elite 8
Beating the Fab Five at Carver the day Iowa retired Chris Street's number
Coming back from 17 down in second half to beat GW sending Tom Davis to his final Sweet sixteen
Watching Marble Jr. and Aaron White lead Iowa basketball's resurgence
Dismantling Davidson in first round
Woody's put back to put the owls to sleep
Jordan's three that turned out the lights in Madison

It is these moments that keeps me coming back for more!

It is truly great to be a Hawkeye!

Comeback against GW did not send Dr. Tom to sweet 16. Iowa beat Arkansas to get to sweet 16.

 

[SDHawkDoc]

It was easy to get sucked in. They had some nice games; The end of the regular season was great. I went last minute to the psu game, had good seats, thoroughly enjoyed the regular season finale. I was always able to keep in the back of my mind, though, that they were erratic. A good game, or even 2 in a row, didn't necessarily mean you could count on a similar performance the next night. Consistency as a team and with individual players was not part of the equation this year.
I had hopes against Indy, but also knew they were completely capable of falling on their faces.

 

[24 so far]

Fran's abysmal record in the Big Ten Tournament should give everyone pause. I had zero optimism, or pessimism. Just watch them play and hope for the best. As a group they are capable of great things and horrible things, often in the same game. Unfortunately they stunk, as they typically have under Fran at this tournament. It is what it is.

Enjoyed the year, entertaining team. Future looks good, but not as good as some of the announcers want to make it out to be because of our youth IMO. A lot of hyperbole that I'm not buying until I see it with my own two eyes. Good teams don't lose 14-15 games. We'll see what happens, but it could certainly be worse.

It would be nice to be a factor again in the NCAA Tourney, and as much as I like Fran, his decent teams at Iowa have choked at the end of the year, there is no getting around that. That needs to change, and until it does I'm not going to get the "warm-fuzzies" about any of Fran's teams. Sue me I guess.

 

[83Hawk]

I expected an up and down season with an NIT berth. That is what we got.

Still.....it was disappointing to be so close to the NCAA, only to get blown out.

Which brings me to the one thing I am unhappy about....yet another BTT choke job. I am sick and tired of being run off the court in the first game almost every single year.

 

[Pepperman]

Which brings me to the one thing I am unhappy about....yet another BTT choke job. I am sick and tired of being run off the court in the first game almost every single year.

I think if you stopped to really consider what happened, you'd realize Indiana just had one of their best games all year. 60.3% shooting and 60% from three point range too.

To say Iowa choked is simply not true. You can say that about some of the previous years though.

 

[General Tso]

Indiana getting be by double digits against Wisconsin didn't help

 

[83Hawk]

I think if you stopped to really consider what happened, you'd realize Indiana just had one of their best games all year. 60.3% shooting and 60% from three point range too.

To say Iowa choked is simply not true. You can say that about some of the previous years though.

One time, I can pass off......4 times...not so much.

I used "choke" as a generic term. Maybe choke isn't the correct word this year. The point is...there seems to be a different excuse each year for the same result.