Just a general comment not directed to anyone in particular: It always amazes me when fans think they know who should play and who should sit. They never see a practice, they never see a scouting report, they never see a gameplan, yet they think they know. Don't these "experts" realize that we pay Coach to make those decisions? How would the expert feel if we told him which Pitchfork to use to clean the stalls?
Big Surprise
- Thread starter hawkeye12345
- Start date
storminspank
Justin VanLaere
hawkeye12345
Well-Known Member
You pay me $1 million dollars to put a mediocre to **** poor team on the floor and I will let you criticize me all day long.
With that said, if Licks system worked even just a little bit over the past 3 years, I highly doubt he would have as many doubting Thomas' as he does right now. Our team blows. We currently have an RPI of 173. We have players transferring out of the system for a plethora of reasons and there is no end in sight. We have players riding the pine and then lighting up the scoreboards only to get relegated back to the bench. We have 2 and 3 star recruits on our radar when the Illinois, Michigan, Michigan St, Purdues and Minnesotas of the world have 3, 4 and 5 star recruits coming in. We aren't getting better and our competition is.
What positive signs do you see that others don't? Being competitive in the 1st half of games doesn't get you any bonus prizes from the NCAA selection committee. Redshirting JUCOs is a joke. Having a game plan of launching 3s isn't a good game plan when you only make 34% of them.
Missing every tournament known to man that takes about 50% (just a guess) of the D1 teams isn't a good year.
So we have 4 kids coming in next year....big deal. We only have 6 out of his 10 past recruits contributing any amount of playing time this year so his record of recruiting good players isn't exactly top shelf. And just an FYI.....EVERY PLAYER that is currently on the Iowa roster was rated as a 3 star coming out of high school with the only exception being BROMMER AND ARCHIE who were both 2 star players. We might have two players on our current roster that would play for another Big10 team and we have maybe 1 player on our current roster that might start for another Big10 team that is currently sitting in the top half of the league. I could care less what the bottom half of the Big10 rosters look like.
hawkeye52205
Member
Fuller sprained his ankle. Duh.
hawkeye12345
Well-Known Member
Fuller sprained his ankle, Tucker had mono, Archie has shoulder problems, Tate had knee issues, etc. etc. Those are certainly issues but the major dilemma we have here is the lack of depth and lack of talent. You can win with 3 or 4 solid role players that are playing in their position but you can't win with 5 players that are average and a few of them are not playing in their best fitted position. Add on the lack of depth you have whats called a mid-major team.
I agree that getting 4 solid recruits to go with the existing team, (who by the way, outside of AT, are busting their butts and giving everything they have to turn this program in the right direction) is why the statement of "wait until next year" is different from previous years. Next year will also be difficult though but the added depth will alone get us additional wins next year.
knighthawk13
Well-Known Member
Hawkeye12345- If this team doesn't show any sort of measurable increase of success next year, then you have a point. Until then, I really think you are just banging your head against the wall. The lack of depth and talent will be filled with the class coming next year.
JanuaryTailgate
Well-Known Member
seepig
Well-Known Member
I don't know what Archie's situtation is but I think Fuller's was injury related. Fuller has played better than I thought he was capable. You can't keep him out of the line up!? Bawinkel on the other hand isn't even close to D-1 even if he was playing for the Presbyterian Blue Hose. Bawinkel and Brommer could both have their scholarships pulled and we wouldn't notice a difference.
