Bruce Pearl.....
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1977Hawkeye
Well-Known Member
Because going to the Final Four would be awesome.
The day our "right way" approach gets us to the Final Four, I'll change my stance on this. Until then, my opinion is basically if you aren't at least pushing the envelope some on recruiting, then you aren't trying hard enough. Not when so much of this is going on around you. Don't be surprised to keep seeing most highly rated recruits going elsewhere if our program wants to always take the high road. Iowa can't recruit based on brand name like the blue bloods can. Either that, or you've better find yourself one heck of a great coach and teacher of the game. A Bo Ryan caliber coach. There aren't a lot of those out there waiting to be snapped up.
I don't get too wrapped up in the moral high ground of this, either. To me, it's just basketball. Bonus points aren't awarded for being squeaky clean. I watch because I love the Hawks and I want them to win. Why? Because it's fun. It's that simple. College or pro, I don't particular care how a team gets into the winner's circle.
Believe me. I'd rather it be a level playing ground and everybody was doing it the "right way". Sucks and I don't like it either, but seems to be the way it is.
mopkins
King Kong
I sorta agree with this although he's done more than just that. Also...usually when you get caught, it wasn't your first offense....it was just the time you finally got caught
He's done some shady things and paid a steep price for a lot of it, but he's also proven that he's a great coach.
eledmonster
Well-Known Dog
get a room!For the time being.
Northside Hawk
Well-Known Member
That whole Deon Thomas thing probably cost Pearl the Hall of Fame. He spent most of the nineties coaching at Div. 2 Southern Indiana, where he had a national championship and a runner up to his credit, when he could have been a rising D 1 star. He was still languishing at mid major UW Milwaukee in his mid forties when guys like K, Pitino and Izzo already had national championships. He now approaching sixty and this may be his one shot at the brass ring. His role in the whole Deon Thomas caper probably cost him others.
It would certainly be awesome, but would it be worth the sanctions and possible punishments that would follow? After all, we know how selective the NCAA is in their enforcement of these punishments, so I have zero faith they'd treat Iowa the same as they do UNC. Also, if anything, Pearl and his Auburn team has proven that the Blueblood glass ceiling can be broken through.
My thinking is that I don't live vicariously through Iowa athletics (not accusing you of doing so either). I love watching them and cheering them on, but their success, or lack thereof in some cases, really has no effect me, just on my mood. Nor do I have any effect on them. If I were directly-tied to Iowa basketball, maybe I would feel more strongly about ensuring their success, but to me, that would be hollow.
Northside Hawk
Well-Known Member
Person has always been a piece of work. Every championship contender in the NBA wanted his offense for a sixth man role. But Person always thought he was an alpha dog. Always had an inflated opinion of his game. And thus never hitched on with the Lakers, Celtics, Pistons or Bulls of the 1985-1995 era.
1977Hawkeye
Well-Known Member
Very possibly.
The question: Does anyone honestly care about vacated wins, though? UNLV and Tarkanian.. Fisher and the Fab 5.. UCLA and Jim Harrick in the 90's.. People like to talk about the teams but in retrospect, people don't seem to care much, if at all, about the cheating.
The record books may not show it, but it still happened.
Do we really think that Iowa won the Big 10 in 1997 because Minnesota's title got stripped? Ask anyone around here, and 1980 is the last time we won the Big 10.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1996–97_Minnesota_Golden_Gophers_men's_basketball_team
InGoodCo
Well-Known Member
and that may well be, but as far as I know, Pearl hasn't been arrested or named for anything. Pearl's baggage is having a kid over for a BBQ and then lieing about it to the NCAA, which is a joke anyways. Until he's named in some sort of suit, scandal or fired I think it's hard to pin any of that on him. Again, his baggage is exaggerated - at least as we stand now.
1977Hawkeye
Well-Known Member
Tough to answer. My initial instinct is yes, it's worth it. If it's a death penalty kind of thing.. Then maybe not so much. Illinois got smacked down in the early 90's after the Deon Thomas thing.. But they didn't stay down for long. I could live with that. If the program basically died.. then NO. Pass.
Do you think Pearl broke through the ceiling you mentioned without cheating, or at least stretching the rules a bit? If he's doing this totally legitimately, then great and good on him. Based on his past in Tennessee, I have my doubts, though. I'm not sure how involved he was with what went on up there with the assistants. I'd like to be wrong.
Personally, I'd be happy with a program that can make the Sweet 16 here and there, maybe occasionally deeper, doing it "right". We aren't really that far away from that? But the question posed in this thread, though, is would you take a Pearl type of coach who isn't afraid to get his hands dirty, yes or no. For me, it's yes. I have no real issue with it.
I'm with you - I also don't live for any sports team. It's entertainment, nothing more, really. Sucks when they lose but I don't let the world stop turning because of it. Win - and great!
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Fair enough. No, I don't think Pearl has his hands totally clean, but I do think he at least runs them under the water and dries them on his pants. I kinda like the guy too, and obviously his methods work.
Fran is Bobby Knight without the wins.
99topdawg
Well-Known Member
At Iowa--
Among the charges: that Pearl had given Thomas $100 in cash and various other inducements; that he had provided gifts and the promise of a scholarship offer to Thomas's high school friend, Renaldo Kyles; that he had made improper recruiting contact with Thomas in Amsterdam; that he had offered Thomas's grandmother "financial assistance"; and that he had helped another family member get a job; that he had "knowingly provided false and misleading information to the NCAA enforcement staff and investigators from the University of Illinois."
At Tennessee--
(I found this list) Illegal contact with recruits, lied to investigators, NCAA officials, violated bump rule, failure to comply, player failing to complete substance abuse treatment before returning to team, and unethical conduct.
Also found a quote with regards to reporting Collins in the Deon Thomas situation about Pearl, "He who smelt it, dealt it."
hawkeyes87
Well-Known Member
But by that logic, the only diff between him and Fran might be Fran was just a bit luckier.
( or Fran is the low-income guy cheating on his taxes, and the IRS is too busy auditing the rich to pay attention... )
mopkins
King Kong
Well Fran hasn't been caught cheating ever.... that I'm aware of.
lightning1
Well-Known Member
As long as we don't end up like the CyClowns. Cheating and sanctioned with nothing to show for it in the trophy case. That would suck. Lol. Big time.
SteveGarvey1
Well-Known Member
I'm pretty sure Fran doesn't choke his players in practice.
InGoodCo
Well-Known Member
I'm not saying he's a choir boy, but none of that screams to me to be a huge deal considering what goes on in college athletics. IMO, it's a lot of trumped up allegations and exaggeration. He's been caught violating rules tho and it's hard to shake that. On one hand, you want to compete and if you aren't pushing the rules to win, you aren't trying. The other hand, what he's been actually proven guilty of is pretty tame. I would have no issues with Pearl at Iowa. He was #1 on my wish list the last 3 coaches they hired.
TulipCityHawk
Well-Known Member
No. No thanks.
