Iowa

[OC football]

Iowa is a team that I feel that we have overlooked so far. It's ok, the whole country has. They just won a big game aginst Indiana.

Iowa three top scorers are white. They are ranked number 16 in the country. Ant they have a fourth white player who gets significant playing time. It is not unusual for this team to have four white players on the floor at any given time.

 

[OC football]

Iowa is also #1 in the Big Ten.....

So our dream final four would be....

Duke- #1 in SCC
West Virginia - #2 in Big East
Gonzaga - #1 in the WCC
Iowa - #1 in the Big Ten

Duke has three white staters. West Virginia, Gonzaga and Iowa all have got four white starters. All of these teams are in the top 25 over all.

 

[ocaamikedm11]

I haven't looked past them, but everytime I start to feel real confident about this team, they seem to let me down.. losing to teams like Northwestern and Northern Iowa have hurt this team's image as a real contender, but I believe they are one of those teams that when they're on, no one is beating them, and when they're off, they could lose to some bad teams..

 

[whiteCB]

A couple of the white guys on Iowa have receding hairlines and another in going bald. Its pretty funny considering these guys are in their early 20s. OC you stole my next topic starter but its alright its good to see I wasn't the only one who noticed how well Iowa was doing.

 

[guest301]

I noticed a couple of their players were balding as well.I think in a weird way it reinforces the white-non athletic thing. It's a fact of life that baldness(usually) doesn't look as good on a white guy as on a black guy. I hope Iowa makes it far in the tournament.

 

[Bunnyman]

I also noticed Iowa had four whites on the floor many times during the Indiana game. The Hoosiers used to be a mostly white team as well. Not now. Indy had the usual racist caste structure of 5 blacks on the floor at all times. Maybe that's why they lost!

 

[ocaamikedm11]

Iowa is a team that if they go into the tournament hot, unlike last year when they backed their way in, they can beat ANYONE and I truly believe that. Hopefully they will make a nice along with some other of the whiter teams in the tournament.

 

[Jimmy Chitwood]

the truly interesting thing about Iowa, aside from their incredible defense, is the fact that for the most part they aren't a good shooting team. it's interesting to listen to commentators try to describe the mostly white Hawkeyes, because they can't use any of the tired old cliches about white shooters.

and correct me if i'm wrong, but isn't Adam Haluska one of the most athletic players in the whole country? commentators often discuss his track ability--he won four individual event state championships in Iowa as a senior, claiming victories in the 100, 200, and 400 meters, and the long jump--but they almost never mention his "athleticism" as it relates to his play on the court. he is incredibly fluid and often plays above the rim, but he is almost never given credit as being athletic. weird...

 

[JD074]

College basketball has been disappointing for the last few years because the white-friendly teams get unceremoniously bumped out of the tournament, usually pretty early. It's fun to have all these excellent white players to root for, but we need them to make some noise in the tournament. This is Duke's chance and it may slip away if they don't do it now. Same for these other teams.

UConn is the team to beat this year.

 

[ocaamikedm11]

UConn is the team to beat this year.

Well, they just got beat by Villanova, so they are certainly beatable!

 

[OC football]

Iowa has a huge game tommarrow aginst 13th ranked Michigan State.

Lets hope that Iowa wins and stays on top of its confrance.

 

[OC football]

*Conference

 

[sunshine]

JC I agree about announcers and Haluska. Even the scouting services out of high school were luke warm on his athleticism--ie: deceptive quickness blah blah blah. Despite winning long jump and 100 meters in high school.

 

[ocaamikedm11]

Big game tonight against Michigan St, it's on ESPN and they're currently up 4 at half.

 

[ocaamikedm11]

Iowa wins and is still on track to win the Big Ten regular season title.. now all they have to do is finish strong!

 

[GreatLakeState]

I'm not sure that Iowa "backed in" to the tournament last year. After Pierre
Pierce got the boot, the team had to regroup and find its new identity,
and ended up getting some must-wins down the stretch, then upset MSU
in the Big Ten tournament, to clinch a bid. Though Iowa lost in the first
round, the late-season success was crucial for building confidence for
this year's Big Ten title shot.

 

[JD074]

UConn is the team to beat this year.

Well, they just got beat by Villanova, so they are certainly beatable!

That's good. Although Villanova is also a high ranking black team. Duke is the only white-friendly team with a realistic shot at the championship, and if JJ gets shut down for just one game in the tourny, that'll probably be their last game.

 

[guest301]

Gonzaga is in the top 6..how can you say that they don't have a lugit shot at the championship. If anybody in the country is better than JJ..it's Morrison.

 

[ocaamikedm11]

West Virginia has a good shot too I believe, although after losing to Seton Hall last night my case doesn't look so good. This is pretty much the same team that went to the Elite 8 and blew a huge lead and were very close to making the Final Four. They are certainly a legit contender and I expect to see Duke, Gonzaga, and West Virginia all playing deep into March.

 

[JD074]

Aragorn, because of the way these teams have folded in the tournament. Especially Gonzaga. Maybe this is the year they'll turn it around.

 

[guest301]

Let's hope so and Gonzaga did fold last year, so you are right JDO74 in that respect. Barkley said last night on tnt that Gonzaga wasn't good enough to contend for a championship and said something to the akin that they weren't a "dark" team. It was some kind of a joke but the meaning is clear.

 

[guest301]

I guarantee unless they run into Duke that they will make the final four this time. Maybe even if they do run into Duke! Hopefully they will not be in the same bracket. I don't think that will happen because their current ranking should preclude them from running into UConn or Duke untill at least the Final 8.

 

[whiteCB]

Gonzaga is on ESPN2 tonight but unfortuatly for all us east coasters its on at midnight but I can sleep in till 7:30 so I'll probably stay up and watch it all.