Friday, December 14, 2007

Men's BB: Iowa Hawkeyes vs. Drake Bulldogs

http://content.answers.com/main/content/wp/en/7/7c/Iowa_Hawkeyes_Logo.svg.pngVS.

GAME INFO: Fri., Dec 14, 2007 - 7:05 CST - Carver Hawkeye Arena; Iowa City, IA
IOWA (6-5) / Drake (8-1)

Not much in-depth analysis here.
If Tony Freeman plays 20 min, Iowa wins. If he doesn't, Iowa loses.

Drake will press and Tony will be the key.

Prediction: IOWA 64, DRAKE 57

Kirk Ferentz's House Was Egged Last Night

I just received an e-mail from a very reliable source this morning that Kirk Ferentz's house was vandalized last night. Read below for the details.

IOWA CITY, IOWA - Iowa City Police found an empty carton of eggs outside Iowa Coach Kirk Ferentz's house this morning. Two of the eggs had hit the house. Three were apparently dropped retrieving them from the carton. Four were thrown over the house and landed in the back yard, while a couple hit houses on either side of the Ferentz house.

Jake Christensen is being questioned in the incident.

Saturday, December 08, 2007

Men's BB: Iowa vs. ISU Prediction

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GAME INFO: Sat., Dec 8, 2007 - 1:05 CST - Hilton Coliseum, Ames, IA
IOWA (6-4) / UNI (3-4)

Jeff Peterson will be back in the starting lineup for this game. Tony Freeman looked terrific in his action off the bench versus UNI. He is still hurting quite a bit, but Iowa can use him at 50% health. Bohall is still suspended. Iowa looks to actually be the team with more talent on the floor. As hard as that is to believe. Iowa's froshes are playing terrific. Jake Kelly is getting more comfortable in system, Jarryd Cole is working hard down low, and Jeff Peterson is still running the point effectively. Iowa has the better backcourt, ISU is a little better down low.

Taking a look at "like opponents" between the teams:
  • Both teams lost to Bradley by about the same margin.
  • ISU lost to UNI at home by 13, while Iowa beat UNI on the road by 7.
  • Iowa will play Drake next week, a team that beat ISU by 35 points earlier this week.
We know this logic never works: Team A beats Team B; Team B beats Team C; Team A will beat Team C.... but I still prefer to look at "like opponents".

ISU's RPI: 105
IOWA's RPI: 224

ISU has lost 4 out of the last 5. Iowa started season winning its first 4, then losing its next 4, followed by winning 2 in a row coming into this game.

My heart wants to say Iowa wins by 8 points. I really think this team has what it takes to knock down the Clones in Hilton. Tony Freeman is the biggest reason behind this though - if he can play Iowa will win this game. If he can't because of the injury, it's ISU's game to lose. That said, my official prediction won't be on par to what I want to be typing.

ISU - 63 Iowa - 58

ISU just finds ways to beat Iowa at home whether it be basketball or football. It just happens.

* UPDATE: I am ok with my prediction now that Tony Freeman is in street clothes for this game. I think Iowa has a shot at taking them down, it will be a close game. ON IOWA!

Wednesday, December 05, 2007

Men's BB: Well, it's official. I don't know crap about basketball

Going into the UNI - Iowa game, you'd have to be the world's biggest homer or a complete and total moron to take Iowa over UNI. Well, it happened. Iowa went into Cedar Falls as a double-digit underdog and took down the Panthers via a SUPREME gameplan by Coach Lickliter and terrific execution by the players. Iowa was able to withstand some awful calls in favor of Coleman down the stretch. It seemed like any time an Iowa player breathed on him, there was a foul called. Great job by this Iowa bunch. Best game of the year by both Seth Gorney and Jake Kelly. Tony Freeman came back and instantly made everyone around him better.

What a fun game to watch!

OT: Support the Salvation Army - DONATE TO MY KETTLE



Ok, so I made a blog entry earlier today in regards to The Salvation Army accepting VISA. Well, turns out you can donate online. While this doesn't help my problem when faced with a bell ringer, it does allow me to donate via plastic.

So why do you help out too? Go to my online kettle and donate: CLICK HERE TO DONATE

Something as little as $5 can help out in a big way.

OT: How Long Until the Salvation Army Bell Ringers Accept VISA?

The Salvation Army has been raising funds at the local and regional level for ages. The Red Kettles can be seen towards the end of each year at many stores across your area. The volunteers ring the bell in sub-degree temps (well, at least where I live) to help those in need.

Here's the conundrum. I don't carry cash. Really, I don't. I rarely, if ever, have any sort of currency in form of bill or coin. As I exit a business and see a red kettle with a person ringing the bell, I feel like I should give them some money. Except, WHOOPS, I don't have anything on me!

So just HOW LONG is it until the Salvation Army accepts VISA? Haven't they seen the commercials? Life takes Visa. Ring away good bell ringers, but please don't scoff at me because I do not give. I am a slave to VISA and its cashless hold on society.

Men's BB: Iowa vs. UNI Prediction

http://content.answers.com/main/content/wp/en/7/7c/Iowa_Hawkeyes_Logo.svg.pngVS.

GAME INFO: Wed., Dec 5, 2007 - 8:00 CST - McLeod Center, Cedar Falls, IA
IOWA (5-4) / UNI (6-1)

This game has blowout written all over it.

Jeff Peterson, the Big Ten leader in assists as of the beginning of this week, is out due to the death of his grandfather. Dan Bohall was arrested for public intox and is suspended for the game. And we all know that Tony Freeman is still recovering from his broken 5th metatarsal. Coach Lickliter is nervous too.

If Freeman cannot go, even for spurts at a time, Iowa is in SERIOUS trouble tonight. The Hawkeyes would have been a double-digit underdog even with Peterson and Bohall.

Let's take a look at the current roster:


Ouch. It's not as if this team boasted "depth" under its list of strengths anyway.

Guards (3): Justin Johnson, Jake Kelly, JR Angle
Forwards (3): Kurt Looby, Jarryd Cole, Cyrus Tate
Centers (2): Seth Gorney, David Palmer

Ouch, indeed.

So the Starting Lineup might look like this:

PG - Jake Kelly
SG - Justin Johnson
G - JR Angle
PF - Jarryd Cole
PF - Kurt Looby

I just don't know how Kelly and Johnson don't play 40 minutes each.
Oh yea, don't bother bringing up the possibility of someone fouling out. Just stop right there.
Iowa's first taste of the brand new McLeod Center might not be very delicious.
Will Iowa's bigs be able to stop Coleman (i.e. - Hawkeye Killer) and the up-and-coming stud, Jordan Eglseder? Probably not stop, but contain, I think so. I do think, though, that the UNI guards will harass the ballhandlers to no end and the turnovers for Iowa could be higher than the points scored.

PREDICTION: Iowa 48, UNI 70