Minnesota at home

This would be a huge win for the Hawks!  Minnesota is #13 in the RPI and Iowa matches up with them well.  I think we pull this one off at home in overtime and move to a bubble team.  Go Hawks!!!

overtime?  heck no, win this baby by 10 in regulation!

Agreed Aaron huge win!  Hopefully Minnesto didn't find their mojo last game verse Wisconsin.  Win this one move into a tie with Minnesota in the Big Ten and beat Nebraska on the road (which will be tough) to get back to 500 winning percentage in big ten puts us in the hunt.  A lot of bubble teams had bad losses this past week which helps a ton.

Prediction Iowa wins 66-60!

Another pivotal game.

Let's hope we don't let this one run down our legs.

I want to be proven wrong about not making it to the Dance.

I find it odd we're a 1.5 pt dog at home, but i hope it'll be some extra motivation...

Iowa better get it together fast...
 

Fantastic Victory !!!!

Nice to see us put an absolute crushing on the Gophers.

Great defense and great coaching !!!!!

the one thing that bothered me was after the game and the "expert" there at the BigTen desk said Iowa is still way too low in RPI to get in the NCAA, said they essentially had to win out except Indiana cause they have no wins vs the top 50 except this one and Minny is dropping fast

so yes, great win but think we do need to keep winning, I think really if we play to potential that they have had, they could win out, but likely going to drop to IU

add 2 wins in BigTen tourney though and that will look nice

Great win!  The press Zone defense with Hollins out was the game.  Man that zone shut them down they got like 30 points the last 30 minutes! 

May just had a huge game!  He brings such athleticism and energy to our defense and transition offense.  Their defense energy like most teams is so much better at home.  They played good offense verse Penn State but they didn't have the defense energy at Penn State like today.  They need to bring this intensity to Nebraska it's going to be a must game and a tough one I feel.

Only criticism was the wholesale lineup change with 15 minutes to go in the first half as Reason pointed out in another thread.  I felt our starters were playing decent but Minnesota just came out strong.  Hollins picking up his second foul saved our a**.  

I wonder what our record is when Marble and White both score 15+ I bet it's pretty good.  Let's keep it going and get into the bubble discussion.  

Rooting on the Wildcats tonight! 

the one thing that bothered me was after the game and the "expert" there at the BigTen desk said Iowa is still way too low in RPI to get in the NCAA

I agree with him as of now!!  We are about 83 without the Minnesota game and before today Minnesota was like 10th in the RPI.  The RPI loves Minnesota, one of the reasons I hate the RPI and think they need to put much less significance with it.  The BPI is way more accurate in my opinion.  Iowa is 51 before today, he** Nebraska was higher in RPI than Iowa until this week. 

But don't worry our RPI will be where it needs to be if we win 4 of our next 5.  Winning on the road verse Nebraska will cause it to go up and just playing Indiana will help it even if we lose by 100!  Another reason why the RPI sucks a**, Colorado gets huge RPI bump after losing to Kansas by 40 at KU because their sos is boost higher.  Basically winning by 30 verse Texas Pan is way worse than losing by 40 to KU at KU in the RPI system.  It's the major reason the computers hate Iowa because our non-conference schedule was very weak and may be Iowa's demise but to be honest I'm not sure the young Iowa team was ready for major competition early on this year.

We just need to beat Illinois who will be in top 50 RPI.  That's gives us 4 wins verse top 50 RPI teams (ISU, MINN, WISC, ILL) and quality conference road wins and 8-2 record in last 10 if we win one big ten tourney game.  As stated before I think that's put us in the dance!

But what may keep us out is that our best road win or neutral court win would be Northwestern or UNI(may need to win in 2nd round of big ten tourney to improve this), as stated above non-conference sos hurts us too.  It will be definitely close if we win 4 of last 5.  I just look at the bubble teams (ESPN) and last 4 in and think Iowa is better than these teams.  (Teams for the A-10 kill me like Lasalle, Temple, Charlotte getting in!)  I'm a SLU fan and no way SLU competes for a big ten crown yet they are at the top of the A-10.  PAC-12 teams come on (ASU and California).  Thank God there is a lot of basketball to be played!

This team's demise was giving away far too many games this season.  Iowa will be lucky to get into the big dance.  Iowa MUST win four of their five remaining games.  And then Iowa must win 2 games in the B1G tourney to get in.  

A tall order yes...but the best thing for Iowa is that everygame from here on out is a must win (tourney) game.

Should Iowa go 3-2...or worse...they will have to win 3 B1G tourney games.  That will be more of a challenge. 

I would rather see Iowa go to the NIT...and win the NIT this year.  That probably does the program more than drawing a play-in game and losing to a 'wildcat' team 

I would rather see Iowa go to the NIT...and win the NIT this year.  That probably does the program more than drawing a play-in game and losing to a 'wildcat' team

Not me, I feel for the Seniors and how much they(he aka May) want it!  To get this close and not get in would suck for him.  Plus I think getting NCAA tourney experience would be huge and a step forward for this team.  I'm sure one of the team goals is to make the NCAA tourney not to win the NIT tourney.

As a fan sure to watch 6 games verse one is a no brainer.  But that's not placing much confidence in your Hawks saying they are a one and done team.  You get in the dance and you never know.  A team that plays good defense and is well coached is a tough out. 

This team's demise was giving away far too many games this season.

I agree that winning even one of those games would have put us in the talk right now.  Wisconsin or Minn on the road would have given a quality non home win something we our missing that tourney selection looks for.  MSU would have given us another top 50 win (possibly 5 then).  So yes I agree this would have made up for lack of non conference RPI and full-filled our resume as the committee calls it.

 But the tourney selection committee will probably say Iowa's non-conference RPI and no big non home game wins was the reason they didn't get in if that's the case. 

 Iowa will be lucky to get into the big dance.

If they get in they have earned it because we all agree they need to almost win all their remaining games to get in. 

I just hope if we are on the bubble that the tourney selection committee looks at those road games verse Minn and Wisc being close losses and take that into consideration that we can play outside Carver.  That is something they are supposed to take into consideration.

Having to go 4-1 & win 2 in the B1G tourney to be considered is just stupid. Some of these high RPI teams have had their asses handed to them by every good team they play. Iowa on the other hand has an OT loss @Minn, a double OT loss @WISC, 4 pt loss @OSU, 2 pt loss vs MSU, 4 pt loss vs IND. What is the RPI based completly on your nonconference schedule because it seems like we have played a gauntlet of winning teams for 2 months & can't gain any ground? After this win we'll be around #30 in the Sagarin poll. How can they be that far off??? 

I.L.C.

The good cooaching part that you refer to is questionable at this point.  Coach Fran will get caught BIG TIME when he puts 5 non-scorers in the game in the NCAA tourney.  Iowa's depth will be exposed when their opponent catches them in one of Fran's crap substitution patterns.  Iowa won't recover from that in the tourney and will be a one-and-done team.  Every offensive possession is crunch time (and must count) in the Big Dance.

So, one game...and done...does the program less good than making a long run in the NIT...and maybe winning that tourney.  The experience that the young players would get has a bigger payoff next year than this year.

This isn't Iowa's year to make the Big Dance.  The NIT - win it!!!!!! 

Optimus,

At 10-8 regular season...Iowa should be in.  However, that means that Iowa swept all of the bad teams in conference and lost to most of the teams above us.  That won't look good to the NCAA committee.

Going 10-8 is so close for Iowa...winning 1 or 2 more games in the B1G Tourney would seal the deal. 

If Iowa goes 10-8 in conference and 21-10 over all they are in, without a question.  The tournament seletion weighs heavy into the following:


Last 10 games-  Iowa would have finished the season with a 7-3 record (not counting the B1G tournament), with wins over Minnesota and Illinois (whom will both be dancing) and loses to Indiana (a top 10 team), Wisconsin in 2 ots (a soon to be top 15 team) and Minnesota by 3 (a RPI beast).  Definitely good enough to get IN.

RPI-  If (note I say if) we end up 10-8 there is no doubt that Iowa's RPI will be under 60.  IN

Conference Record-  10-8 in the toughest conference in the country, finishing no less than 6th.  IN

Wins vs. top 50 RPI teams-  If Iowa beats Illinois 4 and if UNI continues to climb 5.  IN


To think that Iowa is better off in the NIT is ignorant and makes absolutely no sense at.  The only scenario that would push Iowa to winning a couple of games in the B1G tournament would be if Iowa ends up 9-9 and even then Iowa would have a case imo.   


       


       

I've always held the stance that I'd rather lose in the first round of the NCAAs than to win the NIT, no matter the circumstances.

I've always held the stance that I'd rather lose in the first round of the NCAAs than to win the NIT, no matter the circumstances.

I too agree with this Clem.  F the NIT and winning in a Loser tourney.  This was a good win for us.  Hopefully we can go into Lincoln and get a win, beat Purdue and play IU tough.  If we finish the regular season 4-1 and show up for a first round B10 tourney game, I don't see how we don't get selected.

Iowa just needs to stay focused and beat who we should beat.

Aaron,

This Iowa team is too inconsistent at this point.  That inconsistency will not go over well in the big dance and will expose this team.

So, play one game in the Big Dance...or win the NIT?

I do believe that 10-8 regular season gets Iowa in.  If Iowa drops its first round game in the B1G tourney...they'll be on the bubble and probably won't get in.

Playing more games in the NIT this year will only pay dividends for this team next year!