[ColumbusHawk]

To me, being back isn't a middle of the pack Big Ten team that is one and done in the NCAA tournament. We've had that under Tom Davis. Heck, the football team was a mediocre Big Ten football team the last two years.

I want teams that Ralph & Lute had. Serious challengers for the Big Ten title more times than not, Big Ten titles & Final Four appearances. It is sad that the Hawks only have seriously challenged for the title twice since Lute left.

Personally, the two worst days in Iowa basketball were the days Ralph & Lute left.

[imported_ankle23]

yeah, i'd hate to see iowa go back to the days of Davis........quite a depressing thought.

[MisterLucky]

Geez, you've had plenty of time to get over it!

[theboat]

Originally Posted by ColumbusHawk

To me, being back isn't a middle of the pack Big Ten team that is one and done in the NCAA tournament. We've had that under Tom Davis..

Pretty sure Davis never went one and done in the tournament. I would love to have the Davis days back. that would be plenty back enough for me.

[engineersam]

check your facts. best of my recollection Iowa never lost a first round NCAA game under Davis.

[wuppup]

We are on our way back, not quite back yet.

I think back means NCAA tourney appearances, not quite sure I think we can consistently compete for final fours. But a couple sweet sixteens would be nice.

[1977Hawkeye]

Originally Posted by wuppup

We are on our way back, not quite back yet.

I think back means NCAA tourney appearances, not quite sure I think we can consistently compete for final fours. But a couple sweet sixteens would be nice.

Pretty much. If we're getting to the NCAA Tournament most years, then I would say we are "back".. Back to where we were in the Davis days.. I think that's what most of us consider to be what Iowa Basketball was, and that's kind of the standard IMO.

Can we do better than what we had under Davis? Probably. But it would take a good coach who can REALLY recruit up a storm. And then, that guy would likely move on to a top-flight job (UK, UNC, Duke, etc) sooner than later.

I don't think this program has ever consistently challenged for Final Four appearances, but it has gotten there on multiple occasions. We can do that again.

And one thing I agree with the OP on, is that it is said that Iowa basketball hasn't seriously challenged for the Big Ten title more than a copule times in the past 3 decades.

[DDThompson]

Tom Davis In 13 seasons at Iowa,

Overall regular season

11 winning records

10 seasons of 20+ wins

7 seasons of 10 or fewer losses


In the Big Ten Conference

9 winning records
2 seasons with .500 records.

10 times finished in the top half of the standings:
. . . . .2nd - 1
. . . . .3rd - 4
. . . . .4th - 2
. . . . .5th - 3


Postseason Play

9 NCAA Tournaments
. . . . . never lost in first round
. . . . . six times lost in second round
. . . . . twice to Sweet 16
. . . . . once to Elite Eight

(two NIT appearances if anyone cares)


Lute Olson in 9 seasons at Iowa

Overall regular season

7 winning seasons

6 seasons of 20+ wins

5 seasons with 10 or fewer losses

Big Ten Conference

5 winning records
2 seasons of .500 ball

7 times finished in the top half of the conference
. . . . . 1st - 1
. . . . . 2nd - 3
. . . . . 4th - 2
. . . . . 5th - 1

Postseason Play

5 NCAA tournaments
. . . . two times lost in first round
. . . . one time lost in 2nd round
. . . . one time lost in Sweet 16
. . . . one time to Final Four


Davis' record at Iowa stands up well to Lute's record at Iowa.


Here's when we're back:

4 of 5 years in the upper half of the Big10 standings

1 of 3 years seriously contending for a Big10 title

3 of 4 years going to the NCAA Tournament

1 of every 3 of those years going to the Sweet 16.


That's what Lute did at Iowa. That's what Davis did at Iowa.

[sportstalent]

Being back is not getting blown out, either at home or on the road, beating the teams that you are supposed to and some you are not.

Iowa has beaten a couple teams they shouldn't, but have not beat the teams they should and we know about the blowouts.

Baby steps, but the 2012 kids will help significantly close the gap.

[imported_ankle23]

good job thompson. to snub your nose at the davis years is kinda strange at this juncture.

[gohawks71]

I would just like to get to the tournament most of the time and have a chance every five years to make a solid run deep into tourney.

[MisterLucky]

Yeah, I miss Selection Sundays when we actually had a reason to watch.

[jacknicholson]

Originally Posted by sportstalent

Being back is not getting blown out, either at home or on the road, beating the teams that you are supposed to and some you are not.

Iowa has beaten a couple teams they shouldn't, but have not beat the teams they should and we know about the blowouts.

Baby steps, but the 2012 kids will help significantly close the gap.

As has been mentioned, we are slowly but surely getting there. I will be pleased with 6 wins in the Big Ten this year. Would be very nice to get one or two more.

We are definitely on the way. Getting to the NCAA on a consistent basis would be getting back as far as I am concerned.

[jacknicholson]

Originally Posted by MisterLucky

Yeah, I miss Selection Sundays when we actually had a reason to watch.

Always was a thrill.....

Waiting and anticipating.....

Been a while, and the last few times in the tournament we left the dance early.....

[ColumbusHawk]

Originally Posted by engineersam

check your facts. best of my recollection Iowa never lost a first round NCAA game under Davis.

I should have writen win one & done. Davis made it past the second round three times. Only once with his recruits. Davis' last team.

Davis accomplished very little in the Big Ten after his first two seasons when Iowa was 14-4 & 12-6, respectively. Davis only won twelve conference games once thereafter & never seriously challeged for the title.

After his first two seasons, Davis was only four games over five-hundred with a winning percentage of .510. Heck, you take away the third year when Iowa still had Armstrong, Marbel & Horton and Davis was only two games over five-hundred. That is mediocrity. Don't give me a list of twenty win seasons & NCAA appearances to defend Davis. It doesn't hold. It is about conference play.

In contrast, Lute took over a program that had absolutely nothing & still had a better conference winning percentage than Davis. Ralph Miller took over a program that won three conference games the previous year & his conference winning percentage is exactly one-hundred points better than Davis.

It is sad, that unless you are over forty, Iowa fans do not remember a Big Ten title or a Final Four appearance. It is really depressing to realize that it has been over thirty years since Iowa won a Big Ten title or went to the final four. Iowa was still in the midst of its 19-consecutive non-winning football seasons.l