Feeling less confident about NCAA tournament hopes

[golfingwags]

Not even due to our team but due to the strength of the conference.

As of this morning's daily RPI on ESPN, we'll play 17 top 100 RPI teams. That is a tough road to 19-20 total wins. It is a double edged sword as we'll have every chance to prove our worth. Our OOC SOS isn't as bad as people expected, Western Kentucky is 7-2. GW isn't horrible. UNI/ISU are formidable, VT/WSU are undefeated.

I hope I'm wrong and we can continue to improve and find 9 conference wins.

I think tonight's game will tell a lot for the season.

Thoughts?

[Cydkar]

Not even due to our team but due to the strength of the conference.

As of this morning's daily RPI on ESPN, we'll play 17 top 100 RPI teams. That is a tough road to 19-20 total wins. It is a double edged sword as we'll have every chance to prove our worth. Our OOC SOS isn't as bad as people expected, Western Kentucky is 7-2. GW isn't horrible. UNI/ISU are formidable, VT/WSU are undefeated.

I hope I'm wrong and we can continue to improve and find 9 conference wins.

I think tonight's game will tell a lot for the season.

Thoughts?

I think most would agree with nearly everything you said. Bubble team in a tough conference could have a sad ending but plenty of opportunities to build a resume'.

[BasketballMan]

Not even due to our team but due to the strength of the conference.

As of this morning's daily RPI on ESPN, we'll play 17 top 100 RPI teams. That is a tough road to 19-20 total wins. It is a double edged sword as we'll have every chance to prove our worth. Our OOC SOS isn't as bad as people expected, Western Kentucky is 7-2. GW isn't horrible. UNI/ISU are formidable, VT/WSU are undefeated.

I hope I'm wrong and we can continue to improve and find 9 conference wins.

I think tonight's game will tell a lot for the season.

Thoughts?

Agree about your comment that tonight's game will tell us alot. Not the end of the world if we lose, however, we really need to start steppin up and winning "big" games like tonights. Guys like Marble, Mikey G, White, etc need to step it up. A win tonight will do nothing but instill needed confidence. My hunch is we will win convincingly as our studs will indeed bring it tonight.

[wundergrape]

God, I love college basketball. Every season I can remember (sans 1987) has been a rollercoaster of fate. Today, we're losers, tomorrow we're a tourney lock. The smart money, guys, is to stop making predictions and just enjoy the ride.

[wuppup]

Now we can be like ISU and complain about how hard our schedule is.

[dave3912]

God, I love college basketball. Every season I can remember (sans 1987) has been a rollercoaster of fate. Today, we're losers, tomorrow we're a tourney lock. The smart money, guys, is to stop making predictions and just enjoy the ride.

Completely agree, this team is young they are going to make mistakes and putting undue expectations on them isn't going to do anyone any good but cause the fan himself disappointment.

If they play good enough to make the NCAA tournament then great, if not then so be it. Personally, I think next season they will be alot better.

[NottiBoy]

I think 18 wins gets us in. BoneG is BRUTAL this year.

[golfingwags]

I think 18 wins gets us in. BoneG is BRUTAL this year.

What is that 18 wins is 11-2 OOC and 7-11 conference? :-)

[redhawk55]

and to think a few weeks ago people were complaining about how weak the schedule was, how Iowa would not make the Tourney because of how weak it was. with the SOS being so weak.
my how quickly things change.

[golfingwags]

and to think a few weeks ago people were complaining about how weak the schedule was, how Iowa would not make the Tourney because of how weak it was. with the SOS being so weak.
my how vquickly thing change.

I think the biggest surprise is VT being 8-0 with some quality wins. Erick Green is very good.

[NottiBoy]

and to think a few weeks ago people were complaining about how weak the schedule was, how Iowa would not make the Tourney because of how weak it was. with the SOS being so weak.
my how quickly things change.

The OOC schedule is very cupcake. I think tonight will be the only true test. I think we'll get exposed a little, but it will be a good learning experience and Fran will have the boys bounce back.

[BasketballMan]

The OOC schedule is very cupcake. I think tonight will be the only true test. I think we'll get exposed a little, but it will be a good learning experience and Fran will have the boys bounce back.

Really? Last I checked V Tech is ranked or just outside of the top 25 and Witchita State was ranked something like #2 (right behind Gonzaga) of all mid-majors. Not quite sure how you throw those two teams into the "cupcake" discussion.

[NottiBoy]

Really? Last I checked V Tech is ranked or just outside of the top 25 and Witchita State was ranked something like #2 (right behind Gonzaga) of all mid-majors. Not quite sure how you throw those two teams into the "cupcake" discussion.

VT will get exposed in the ACC. Everyone has looked past them so far, but when good ACC coaches actually prepare for them, they'll lose a lot. I don't even think they'll finish in the top half of the ACC.

[kicker22]

My honest opinion is that the season is too short to focus on the end of it. I look at the colelge basketball season as three different seasons, the OOC season, conference season, and post season. I'll worry about our conference schedule once were done with the OOC/preseason. Once we get to conference season then I'll start thinking post season. To me it just seems like the season goes by too quickly when your solely focused on making a post season run. Let's just enjoy the ride and see where it takes us.

That said, it's so much nicer now when the there is optimism that we will see the post season. I don't miss Lick one bit.

[tm3308]

While I don't disagree with the OP's assessment, why did any of that change your mind about Iowa's tourney chances? It's not like 17 teams on the Hawks' schedule suddenly reached the top 100. We knew how tough the road was going to be going into it. You don't change your mind based on the same information you've had all along.