Wondering how some of you are setting the bar in year 1 of Mccollum. This team will have more continuity than most in today's college basketball but albeit at a lower level. My personal prediction is (18-13, 9-11) on the bubble but outside the field. Wondering what others think?
Expectations/predictions?
- Thread starter HAWKNESS
- Start date
Its haard to tell but you might really be close. I would think a very good non-conference record but a lot of these new players to Iowa will not be playing against Big Ten caliber teams once eveery three weeks, but twice a week. Will be a gib change. Hope they adjust quickly. Just my thoughts.
I expect a tough team that wins more than they lose. I think a top half finish in the Big Ten is realistic. My optimistic side of my brain thinks they could be a top 4-5 team in the Big Ten.
If they are in top half of league they'll definitely be in tournament and that would be a very successful season I don't think anyone could argue that.
I think seeing some of the pre-season predictions I think OSU, IU, UCLA and Oregon are all a bit overrated. While we are not a team full of highly rated guys Mac is a winner, and I also think team cohesion will be a big thing. I'm saying we're a top 5-6 team this year. And we've got the best pt guard in the league which matters.
another meaningful post from the eye
Too early to tell what to expect, but at least I have "hope" this year with McCollum as head coach.
Last year's team was 17-15 (7-13)
With very limit data to go off right now I'll predict 20-11 (11-9)
I reserve the right to change my prediction after 6 games
With very limit data to go off right now I'll predict 20-11 (11-9)
I reserve the right to change my prediction after 6 games
I'm a big Drake fan too. Last year I was skeptical how they'd be compared to what program was under Deveries. I definitely didn't see them exceeding Deveries best teams with his Nw Mo State core. I guess I'm slightly skeptical again but continuity as you said might be undervalued. I hope you're right.
I'm not sure the record is great in the first year but I think we see the signs. I expect a tough team that isn't intimidated and doesn't get run out of the gym at the first sign if adversity like Fran's teams did.
Brand new roster, brand new coach, it's hard to know for sure what to expect. About all we can do is use last year's Drake team as a baseline since many of those players followed Ben to Iowa City, and then account for the new players. I felt that Drake looked like they belonged from what I saw of them in the tournament those 2 games. How will it translate to the season grind in the Big Ten? Will see, but I expect the team to be competitive.
My prediction is top half of the conference and at least on the bubble, minimum. Maybe better, but I have no idea what the ceiling is, really. I'll tentatively predict a 19-11 (11-9) record heading into conference tournaments.
My prediction is top half of the conference and at least on the bubble, minimum. Maybe better, but I have no idea what the ceiling is, really. I'll tentatively predict a 19-11 (11-9) record heading into conference tournaments.
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Ncaa tourney is the floor. Year 1 could be more successful than year two, probably won't have a Stirtz level player next year.
I’ll be reasonable for this year……..Final Four
Really looking forward to the season though I'm not really sure what to expect. I think we have some pretty big holes in the ball handling and size dept that I'm hoping good coaching and effort can mask. Good news is that the Hawks will have the best player on the court most nights. I think they'll be playing for a 7-10 seed this year
I think either barely in or barely out of the big dance. A couple of bounces of the ball could make a big difference.
After being very impressed with the defensive tenacity and the offensive structure that this team has, I'll have a clearer picture of what things might look like during and after the Acrisure, which comes up later this month in Palm Springs on the 25th and 26th. Until then, I'm going to enjoy the ride.
The Xavier game on the 14th will be a pretty decent litmus test as well.
No it's just a fact. Doesn't mean the team can't still be good.
Defense, for those who still haven't noticed, is the key to success in any sport. It always has been, and it always will be. But defense alone or offense alone won't get you to the championship level. Good teams play all aspects of the game at a high level. You saw that last night with the defensive tenacity not seen since Lute Olson's days. You saw that with the effort on the boards, unseen in at least the last 18 years in Iowa City. And then you saw about a dozen dunks from multiple players and an offensive system designed to emphasize the skills of the players on this roster.
McCollom didn't win all those games and all those titles with smoke and mirrors. He knows the game. He knows how to get the best out of the players he has. Nobody will outwork him or his teams. Hell, Stirtz was a nobody coming out of high school. But once McCollom identified him, Stirtz has been a star and is now projected to be an All-American and a top ten NBA draft choice. You think that's an accident?
I'm looking forward to Iowa's Big Ten opener @ Michigan State. It's gonna be fun watching Izzo's antics while he dreams of the days of Lickliter and McCafferey and rues the day Iowa hired McCollom.
This Iowa team has the attitude and toughness the Hawkeyes have generally lacked for almost two decades. Combine that with top-level coaching and one of the top five point guards in the country, and then watch out for Iowa. Just IMHO, of course.
McCollom didn't win all those games and all those titles with smoke and mirrors. He knows the game. He knows how to get the best out of the players he has. Nobody will outwork him or his teams. Hell, Stirtz was a nobody coming out of high school. But once McCollom identified him, Stirtz has been a star and is now projected to be an All-American and a top ten NBA draft choice. You think that's an accident?
I'm looking forward to Iowa's Big Ten opener @ Michigan State. It's gonna be fun watching Izzo's antics while he dreams of the days of Lickliter and McCafferey and rues the day Iowa hired McCollom.
This Iowa team has the attitude and toughness the Hawkeyes have generally lacked for almost two decades. Combine that with top-level coaching and one of the top five point guards in the country, and then watch out for Iowa. Just IMHO, of course.
Setting my sights/hopes on a Sweet 16, but just making it to the tournament would be a successful year 1 IMO. Missing the tournament would be concerning.
I said before the season we were going to the Sweet 16, and last night did nothing but reinforce that.
I'm not going to predict what place they'll finish but I think they can be a tourney team. I also predict that things under Ben McCollum will make sense.
For instance I predict our offense will look different tempo wise depending on the opponent because that makes sense. It also makes sense to have full effort on defense and the boards. It was suggested by Settles that Hausen didn't play because of bad defensive effort. That makes sense.
Things that don't make sense......
-Running up and down the court against better teams and talent.
-Switching from zone to man to zone defense for zero reason even when one is working better than the other.
-Chucking up long threes early because that's "our style"
-Having former players state that defense wasn't taught extensively in practice
-Not taking weightlifting seriously.
For instance I predict our offense will look different tempo wise depending on the opponent because that makes sense. It also makes sense to have full effort on defense and the boards. It was suggested by Settles that Hausen didn't play because of bad defensive effort. That makes sense.
Things that don't make sense......
-Running up and down the court against better teams and talent.
-Switching from zone to man to zone defense for zero reason even when one is working better than the other.
-Chucking up long threes early because that's "our style"
-Having former players state that defense wasn't taught extensively in practice
-Not taking weightlifting seriously.
I'll admit I thought Hausen would probably start based on experience and the fact that in the past he's always had multiple 3 pt threats out there, and last year that's all Mascari did for Drake. However, while Mascari was not fast, he was in fact a really dogged defender. Multiple times last year he was yelling at some of the newcomers for not being where they were supposed to be defensively. Howard is a much better athlete than Hausen and at 6-5 is explosive and bigger and has a year of experience in the system. He's only going to get much much better. When he's a Sr he's going to be great.
Howard is much improved from last season. Almost night & day.
That's right. Under Lickliter it was like 46-42. And Fran did win at MSU at least once in 15 years. The Pirates also swept the Dodgers last season. And your point is . . . ?
Howard was pretty raw last year, played small school basketball and basically only offer was NW MO until McCollum took the Drake job. Great athlete and hard worker, he's going to be a high level player but since he didn't play on a high level AAU team and played at a 1or 2A school in Missouri he was way under recruited.