Given how every major-college basketball program can stack its nonconference schedule with patsies, the fact Iowa has missed out on two consecutive postseasons is a bit stunning.
The Hawkeyes got no NIT bid last year with a 17-14 record, and are done for this season at 13-19.
The last time Iowa went two straight years without a postseason berth was 1976-77 and 1977-78, and it went 20-7 in the first of those two seasons with a Big Ten mark of 12-6. But that was in an era of a smaller NCAA tournament.
The NIT could afford to be picky back then.
Automatically assuming far better days are coming to Iowa next season may be flawed thinking. Do you see one true impact player on the Hawkeyes' returing roster?
Never mind a D.J. White or Eric Gordon. Is there a potential first-team all-conference player aboard right now? That's a definite maybe at best.
Look, Iowa will be better in 2008-09. How could it not be? But Purdue and Michigan State and Wisconsin should stay strong. Ohio State will be better. Illinois and Minnesota will be better.
Michigan, which beat Iowa the last two times they met this season - in Iowa City and on a neutral court - started three freshmen and two sophomores in its 55-47 win over the Hawkeyes Thursday.
Expecting Iowa to be competitive and put itself in position for some kind of postseason tourney seems reasonable. Looking for a massive turnaround in one year may be no more than a pipe dream.