Barta: I have to believe this...

F

FreddyBrown

Moderator
I understand why he supports his coach in public statements. Some of the support is a little over the top--"this is year one" and the like--but I understand why he does that.

However, I have to believe he sees what we see when he watches this team play a game like this. It is literally some of the worst Division I basketball being played anywhere. It is awful. It is pitiful. It is not Division I basketball.

That much, I have to believe he recognizes.

I have to believe he's cringing when he thinks about what ticket sales are going to be like next season.

I have to believe that he understands that if we have another season of futility next season he will have no choice but to act.
 
Last edited:
I'm 100% sure if Iowa has a season like this next year Barta will make a move. He will have to. No doubt in my mind.
 
I do not think he will get another year. Something is gonna happen for Barta to have to do something before year 4 rolls around.
 
ibahawkeye said:
There is no doubt that Barta can ride the economic football wave but I doubt he has completely turned his back and doesn't even watch the basketball games.
Click to expand...

He is actually on the football cruise - who knows if they have cable on the cruise ship
 
As long as the football team has continued success, it won't matter how bad basketball is. Football makes up for poor basketball profit. Barta will continue to ride Lick out just as Northwestern has with Carmody in hopes Lick will turn the corner in 10 years.
 
I agree if Iowa doesn't show fairly significant signs of improvement after next year that Lick will be gone. I just personally believe you will see significant improvement. I think we have a solid core of players to build around (Payne, Gatens, May, Cougill, Fuller). We need more efficiency on offense and to play tougher D, but I believe this team can be good in the near future.
 
HawkeyeRyno said:
As long as the football team has continued success, it won't matter how bad basketball is. Football makes up for poor basketball profit. Barta will continue to ride Lick out just as Northwestern has with Carmody in hopes Lick will turn the corner in 10 years.
Click to expand...

Seriously.... Its pretty ridiculous to be making claims for who is going to be our coaching staff 5 years from now. I mean there is too many variables, why don't you try predict who whens the big 10 in four years. While our program was down when Lick came in it was in no way comparable to Northwestern. I think he'll make it to next season next year, but just as Alford would have faced if he stayed one more season, Lick will have to meet specific guidelines.
 
bud2380 said:
I agree if Iowa doesn't show fairly significant signs of improvement after next year that Lick will be gone. I just personally believe you will see significant improvement. I think we have a solid core of players to build around (Payne, Gatens, May, Cougill, Fuller). We need more efficiency on offense and to play tougher D, but I believe this team can be good in the near future.
Click to expand...
Did you see those quality core of guys play tonight?? What makes you think they can improve enough to even be 2 spots higher in the standings...everyone else in the league is either young, or acquiring top 20 classes to make them even tougher? I don't see it...
 
storminspank said:
I'm 100% sure if Iowa has a season like this next year Barta will make a move. He will have to. No doubt in my mind.
Click to expand...
Stormin I so value your opinion...why do you think Lick gets another pass from Barta? No money available...do you think he really sees a big improvement? Even with a somewhat 5 or 6 game total turnaround it is still a boring style to most and I don't see any butts in the seats and that is the bottom dollar here. His incoming class is not going to make a splash next year...they may be decent but more like a year or two of projects. Then one maybe two rides the following year....you know he needs a program turn around guy...I respect Bobby Hansen and he keeps saying it...when is the difference maker coming??? Give me hope Stormin...throw me a life jacket. :rolleyes:
 
So who in the B10 is Iowa going to be better than next year? Everyone seems to think we will be much improved, but I don't see any teams currently ahead of us that we should be better than, and it's quite possible Penn St. and Indiana move ahead of us. Northwestern only loses one or two guys and gets Coble back, so they should be way ahead of us. I see Iowa finishing last in the B10 next season even with its "great" recruiting class coming in.
 
HawkeyeMike23 said:
So who in the B10 is Iowa going to be better than next year? Everyone seems to think we will be much improved, but I don't see any teams currently ahead of us that we should be better than, and it's quite possible Penn St. and Indiana move ahead of us. Northwestern only loses one or two guys and gets Coble back, so they should be way ahead of us. I see Iowa finishing last in the B10 next season even with its "great" recruiting class coming in.
Click to expand...

This is why i think a change needs to be made this year. We arent going to be much better next year so why even give it another year? If we win 15 games it would be "improvement" since the bar has been set at historically low levels. Time to move on. If we lose some incoming recruits because of it, so be it
 
loesshillshawk said:
Stormin I so value your opinion...why do you think Lick gets another pass from Barta? No money available...do you think he really sees a big improvement? Even with a somewhat 5 or 6 game total turnaround it is still a boring style to most and I don't see any butts in the seats and that is the bottom dollar here. His incoming class is not going to make a splash next year...they may be decent but more like a year or two of projects. Then one maybe two rides the following year....you know he needs a program turn around guy...I respect Bobby Hansen and he keeps saying it...when is the difference maker coming??? Give me hope Stormin...throw me a life jacket. :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

The ship almost sunk for me last night, loess.

I was absolutely disgusted watching the game, if it wasn't for the chat I likely would have turned the TV off. No joke.

Here's Barta's logic (and one that I agree with for the most part)... or at least what I think is Barta's logic.

1.) The buyout. It's not worth spending the $$ on the buyout. Even bringing in a new coach isn't going to put butts back in the seats, so he'll ride this out.

2.) The Guy for the Job. I genuinely think Barta believes Lickliter is the "right guy". His approach, his attitude, etc... are what he looks for in coaches.

3.) The Year One philosophy. This system is predicated on having upperclassmen. Lickliter hasn't been able to keep upperclassmen or have guys stick around to become upperclassmen (some of that is on him, some of that is on the players themselves). This system is designed so as the old guys help the new guys. Right now, it's as if everyone is still a new guy. That's not going to get it done.

4.) One more year. At this point, there really isn't a lot to lose by keeping Lickliter on. Additionally, he has 4 (possibly 5) guys coming in. The four that have signed are his best class yet. Furthermore, the recruits will have the opportunity to learn from the upperclassmen - Cole, Fuller, Gatens, etc... that's huge. So the potential is there in that regard.
 
If nothing else we are going to keep Lick because of the situation we will be in next year. A new coach now likely looses some people on the current roster as well as some of the incomming recruits. And he's still one year away from the practice facilities.

On the other hand a new coach comming in following next year would have a core group of vetrans, a promising group of young players, new facilities, and could sell the "We are turning this aroudn now" about the whole program.

The only argument to make a change now is because "I hate lick and this style of bball". There is no chance hiring a new coach at the end of the season makes us better sooner than waiting one year, none.

I don't understand why people keep discussing this, he's going to be the coach next year unless he wants to leave, its not really even debatable.
 
storminspank said:
The ship almost sunk for me last night, loess.

I was absolutely disgusted watching the game, if it wasn't for the chat I likely would have turned the TV off. No joke.

Here's Barta's logic (and one that I agree with for the most part)... or at least what I think is Barta's logic.

1.) The buyout. It's not worth spending the $$ on the buyout. Even bringing in a new coach isn't going to put butts back in the seats, so he'll ride this out.

2.) The Guy for the Job. I genuinely think Barta believes Lickliter is the "right guy". His approach, his attitude, etc... are what he looks for in coaches.

3.) The Year One philosophy. This system is predicated on having upperclassmen. Lickliter hasn't been able to keep upperclassmen or have guys stick around to become upperclassmen (some of that is on him, some of that is on the players themselves). This system is designed so as the old guys help the new guys. Right now, it's as if everyone is still a new guy. That's not going to get it done.

4.) One more year. At this point, there really isn't a lot to lose by keeping Lickliter on. Additionally, he has 4 (possibly 5) guys coming in. The four that have signed are his best class yet. Furthermore, the recruits will have the opportunity to learn from the upperclassmen - Cole, Fuller, Gatens, etc... that's huge. So the potential is there in that regard.
Click to expand...

And my concern, Spanky, is that if you're right about the points listed above, most of them do not suggest just one more year--so I'm concerned that we could be stuck in this recurring nightmare for even longer.

The one thing that I fall back on is that I just don't believe Barta can be so insulated or detached from reality as to not recognize that the program is a disaster right now.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Share this page

Top