McCabe seems to enjoy the minutes he is receiving... as do Marble and Basabe. I think it is a horrible attitude to say things like "thrown into the fire" as if that is a bad thing. Does that hold true for North Carolina? Are they constantly throwing freshman to the fire or is that different? QUOTE]
Wow, really, you just compared freshman at Iowa to UNC? Maybe if Iowa had players like, Jerry Stackhouse, Rasheed Wallace, Vince Carter, Antwan Jamision, Tyler Hansbrough, etc... then there would be an argument.
Being "thrown into the fire" is far from an insult to the player, it is an insult to the state of the Program. Now, with Fran, it is going to change. I really think that a redshirt year would have benefited Marble and Basabe, but there is no way Iowa could redshirt either of them. The reason I would have welcomed a redshirt year for both is, they need to get Big Ten bodies, they have the skill, but need a year to work on their physiques. Brommer is another player that could have used a redshirt year, but that is just the way it is.
Maybe I am a little old school in thinking, but unless the freshman is an elite player they shouldn't start. When freshman are forced to play minutes (and expect to be some of the top contributors) because the Program is that bad, I don't like to see it.
As we move forward in Fran's coaching at Iowa, we will see less and less of starting freshman out of need, I would expect it to end this year, unless Iowa can get a player that deserves it because of what he has shown, not becasue he has to.
