2018 was a year of success in many ways for the Iowa Hawkeyes. However, as the always optimistic Hawkeye fans have become accustomed to, it was also a year full of what could have been.
As we ring in a new year, here are some New Years resolutions for your Iowa Hawkeyes.
Football: Big Ten Championship
On the football field the Hawkeyes finished the year at 9-4, ending the season with a New Years Day win over Mississippi State in the Outback Bowl by a score of 27-22. To many this may seem like a successful season, and by all means it was, but Hawkeye fans are tired of being teased with a team that appears to be so close, yet continues to fall short of making a run at a Big Ten title. In 2019, Kirk Ferentz and the Hawkeyes will need to have their resolution set on winning the Big Ten Championship, and perhaps looking at a shot at the College Football Playoff. This may seem like a lofty expectation, but many around Iowa City can see the light at the end of the tunnel, and will hope to see the Hawks take the step from an above average team to a great team in 2019.
Basketball: Make a run in March
I won’t sugar coat it, the 2018 season for the Hawkeye basketball team was an utter disaster, as they finished with a 4-14 record in conference play, 14-19 overall, leaving them not only out of the big dance, but the NIT as well. As we head into 2019, the Hawks have had their fair share of inconsistency, but they also appear to have some swagger that they did not possess last year. With key contributions from Tyler Cook, Luka Garza, Jordan Bohannon, and freshman Joe Wieskamp, they appear to have more depth and chemistry than they did at any point last season, which has put them in the top 25 early on. This makes the resolution for them simple; don’t just make the tournament, make a run. With the lack of consistency, it may be hard for this Iowa team to make a deep run, but they still have time to put all of the pieces together and get hot at the right time, and after-all, Iowa has shown the glimpses of talent to allow March Madness to live up to its name. Look for the Hawks to try to make a Sweet 16 push in March.
Wrestling: Repeat 2018
Wrestling has been a staple in Iowa for many years, and the program in making the most of it right now. Iowa’s Spencer Lee won his first National Title in 2018 at 125 pounds, and looks to keep Iowa as one of the top schools in the country in 2019. The resolution for the Hawkeye wresting team is to keep doing what they did in 2018, and that’s win another National Championship.
Baseball: Improve on the Road
Manager Rick Heller will have to improve his teams’ biggest weakness if the Hawkeyes want to have any chance to make it to Omaha, and that is the improve their play on the road. The Hawks had a sub par 14-17 record away from Iowa City, and with a record of 20-6 at home, this makes you wonder if their road play is the only thing keeping them from reaching their goals. With the Hawks just a little more than a year off of a Big Ten Championship and a record of 33-20 in 2018, the Iowa baseball team has the talent and will look to improve their road record so they can have a shot to win it all in June.
