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The transcript of the Iowa press conference from Saturday afternoon:
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“They go to school. They do their homework. They shake hands. They say please and thank you. But once you throw that ball up, they will rip your heart out and watch you bleed.” -- Jay Bilas -
The more I read about these guys, if you took the actual name out of the stories or threads, one might think we're playing Wisconsin or Arizona with all the talk about how good they are. Either they are vastly underseeded, or are playing absolutely out of their skulls right now (except their second to the last game, versus Penn State) and can be extremely average to get that 7 seed.
I read about them and they sound like a 5 to 6 loss team. I realize the B!G eats its own, but 11 losses?Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.
Mark Twain.Comment
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Look at it this way: We control White......and they lose. We have 5 kids all in double figures. If we beat ourselves , we lose. THEY can't beat us...........very unlikely unless Jimmer shows up.Comment
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I read everyone of their responses, players and coaches, and I still get the sense they are saying:
"we respect them. they won 33 games, they are big, they are ranked, BUT Zags still don't play in the Big 10."
They keep referring to how great the Big-10 is, which is understandable, and mentioning their road wins and 6 game winning streak against 'really good teams', because they play in Big-10.
They're hanging their hats on wins vs Rutgers, Nebraska, Penn St, Northwestern, Indiana(not bad) to end the season. Not sure any of those squads, save Indiana, would be in Top-3 of WCC.
We see how much conference plays can skew results, as those teams/coaches become so familiar and know the names of your family members.
White mentioned they he was the only one who had really seen GU play until NDSU and watching film.
Aaron White scored 20+ in each one of those games. When he didn't, they required 7'1", 250lb Woodbury to bail them out. As long as Karnowski can stay out of foul trouble, we should be fine.
6'9" small forward Uthoff could be an issue as well. Will attempt to post-up Wesley and/or Draino. Will need to help.
I just don't feel Wiltjer can defend White at all, and if he does, Aaron White draws fouls as well as Tyler Haws.
Hoping the game isn't called tightly. I think Sabonis can hang with him though. Kinda similar players, moreso than Wiltjer and him.
Might see more Sabonis/Karnowski tonight than usual, purely for defensive reasons/assignment. Will definitely see Nunez for a few minutes as well.
Our guards are flat-out better. Better shooters, play-makers, passers, etc. Our backcourt needs to be focused.Comment
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You really have to be careful at this stage when you put all your eggs in one basket. The narrative here seems to be "Oh Gosh, who is going to guard White?!" and the Iowa board is saying "Zaga can't handle White!". Did you see Villanova's game last night? NC State played feisty but didn't play great defense. Nova had a lot of good looks and Hart/Arcidiancano, are top notch schooters, and were a combined 0-9 from the field and had 10 points combined. If you want something closer to home, take a look at the excerpt below from Iowa's loss to Michigan State (75-61). Nobody is invincible and I am confident GU will have plenty of answers with their complex personnel.
He didn't seem to have his usual energy level," McCaffery said. "If you remember, we took him out early. We just wanted him to settle down, relax. I think he was hyped. We put him in, and he was a little better. But he certainly wasn't himself."White was matched up with Michigan State senior Branden Dawson, who limited his looks at the basket."I've played against guys who are tough to go against (before)," White said. "Usually, I raise the bar to play against those guys. But (Thursday) I was really frustrated with myself, because I didn't help my team at all."
Michigan State coach Tom Izzo noticed.
"I love Aaron White, I really do," Izzo said, adding, "Your best players ... White didn't play as good, and that makes a difference."IF YOU WANT A THING DONE WELL, DO IT YOURSELF. -NAPOLEON BONAPARTEComment
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Do they mean the Big-10 that includes 1st round loser Iowa State???????Originally posted by Goshzagit View Post
Do they mean Big-10 powerhouse Indiana who lost to Eastern Washington in their own gym????
Do they mean that Big-10???????
We play well, we win. Let's Rock & Roll, I think the guys will be up for it and will bring the intensity.
Go ZAGSComment
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I see you're on a Bluto type roll here, but Iowa State is a member of the Big 12.Originally posted by TacomaZAG View Post
Go Zags!You have to love the Gonzaga fan. Not satisfied to be affronted merely by common hosings at the hands of ragtag referees, he plows all avenues of discontent. - John Blanchette
Gonzaga University...Home of the Zags...The Bulldogs. If you pronounce it "Gone Zaw Ga," they'll know you're not from here and they may charge you more for your coffee. - Garrison KeillorComment
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Thanks for catching that embarrassing misstatement. Meanwhile, a #7 Big10 team is giving a #2 seed all it can handle. We're in for a fight regardless of misplaced confidence coming from IA camp.Originally posted by Angelo Roncalli View PostComment
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Interesting post regarding the mighty and unbeatable Big-10:
Very true.
The WCC is ranked the 9th best conference (out of 33 D1 conferences), while the Big 10 is ranked 4th best. via KenPom, RPI, etc.
The WCC is no Big 10.
That said, would you guess the WCC ranks higher overall than the 11th ranked Mountain West, feat San Diego St, UNLV, Boise St, Colorado St, Wyoming, Utah St, et al?
Or much higher than the 12th ranked Missouri Valley, feat Wichita St, UNI, etc
Just found that interesting...would you guess the WCC is Top-10 and significantly higher than the conference of Wichita St and UNI or San Diego St, UNLV etc are in?
There are 24 D-1 basketball conferences worse than the WCC, yet the way people refer to it...you'd think it was bottom feeder.
I have a feeling the media would be surprised that the WCC ranks above Mountain West and MVC...
Based on rankings/numbers alone, the WCC is tied with the American Athletic conference, which feat SMU, Memphis, Cincinnati, Tulsa, UCONN, etc. Nearly identical ratings.
In addition to above,
IF you respect conference ratings (not just brand), then you must respect RPI, KenPom, Sagarin, AdjO/D, etc.
Then all things equal, teams playing the same # of games, winning/losing, etc.
Then you must know,
Rutgers, Nebraska, Northwestern, Penn State
--- are technically, by equal standards, rated lower/worse than:
Pepperdine, Portland, San Diego, St Mary's.
Gonzaga's RPI/KenPom, Sagarin rating is around 8th, which would be 2nd in Big-10
You can claim "Conference Affiliation" all you want, yet playing against better teams on a more consistent basis actually improves your RPI and Sagarin rating, win or lose.
Heck, BYU at #37 would be 4th in Big-10, JUST behind Mich St.Comment
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That's going to leave a mark.Originally posted by Goshzagit View PostWhenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.
Mark Twain.Comment
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I'm not sure why people think Sabonis is a significantly better defender than Wiltjer. I've seen Sabonis get abused at times this year just like Wiltjer. Maybe Sabonis is better in the low block (he did good work against Waldow this year), but I can't really see him chasing White around on the perimeter effectively. Sabonis gave up 8 points in about 2 minutes to Brandon Ashley from Arizona.Comment
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They continue and incessantly mention the Big-10, including their Coach!Originally posted by DixieZag View Post
I just found it interesting that they hold UNI in such high regard and give more conference respect to than the WCC. Their MVC is ranked 3 spots lower than the WCC. Interesting.
UNI hammered Iowa earlier this season, with ONE big body.
While Iowa seems much improved, they also hang their collective hats on beating Rutgers, Nebraska, Penn St, etc, even the coach says those teams 'aren't underdogs and very good teams because they are members of Big-10'.
Hog wash.
Big 10 is a Top-5 conference, no disputing that, yet there is more parity and equal teams amongst said conferences. They call the WCC a "garbage" conference, yet its still top-10. Top-30%.
They won't respond to that post because it contains objective analysis, stats, facts, and rationale. Not just brand-name blinding via Big-10 homersComment
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Originally posted by seacatfan View Post
Werner went right at him about 3 or 4 straight times on Friday as well.Comment
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I understand what you're saying, especially since Sabonis is incapable of putting a hand in someones face. Domas is solid on low block, yet abysmal vs shooters. He gives up more open looks than anyone on the team. Wiltjer will draw the assignment on White, and White will find ways to score, much like Wiltjer.Originally posted by seacatfan View Post
I'd like to see Sabonis step up his defense, he's pretty darn mobile, strong, and solid lateral movement, just get your hands up Domas!Comment
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