Build to the future with fresh line-up

[OnLookin08]

You're Fran McCaffery, you've coached the 2010-11 team the best you can, yet only have one conference win to show for it. You are instilling a new style of play and a new level of competitiveness; you are coaching the team to run at a fast pace for 40 minutes and on the need to play defense for the full 35 seconds of the play clock.

You know the fans weren't expecting much this year, and it's now time to focus on building the foundation for what you hope will be many more years in Iowa City. Who do you start and give the most PT the rest of this season?

These would be mine:

G - Bryce Cartright
G - Roy Marble
F - Melsahn Basabe
F - Zach McCabe
F - Andrew Brommer

Reserves:

Stoermer
Gatens
May
Cole

This may have previously mentioned, because as usual I am way to lazy and apathetic to read what everyone else wrote, but...

I can't think of a better way to perpetuate Iowa's problem of getting people to transfer or not ever commit. Imagine you are someone watching this team as a recruit. You then see them bench some dedicated veterans. Does this sound like a team you want to play for?

Not to mention Cartwright is a JUCO transfer. What sense does it make to play him and not May and Gatens.

Weird post IMO. And by weird I mean hopefully sarcastic or otherwise dumb.

 

[tweeterhawk]

This may have previously mentioned, because as usual I am way to lazy and apathetic to read what everyone else wrote, but...

I can't think of a better way to perpetuate Iowa's problem of getting people to transfer or not ever commit. Imagine you are someone watching this team as a recruit. You then see them bench some dedicated veterans. Does this sound like a team you want to play for?

Not to mention Cartwright is a JUCO transfer. What sense does it make to play him and not May and Gatens.

Weird post IMO. And by weird I mean hopefully sarcastic or otherwise dumb.

Not being "sarcastic" or cynical (or dumb, either). Just taking a realistic look at the current talent and not seeing a lot of additional growth for either Gatens or May as players for next year, and thinking it's worth giving the younger players more of a chance to develop, at this point.

BTW your "play them because they are veterans or upper classmen" approach isn't going to cut it. Most successful coaches learned that long ago. You ride your talent wherever and whenever it comes along and move forward.

 

[OnLookin08]

Not being "sarcastic" or cynical (or dumb, either). Just taking a realistic look at the current talent and not seeing a lot of additional growth for either Gatens or May as players for next year, and thinking it's worth giving the younger players more of a chance to develop, at this point.

BTW your "play them because they are veterans or upper classmen" approach isn't going to cut it. Most successful coaches learned that long ago. You ride your talent wherever and whenever it comes along and move forward.

That's not at all what I am saying. I am saying play them because they are proven leaders and talents. Will they be around when Iowa finally turns the page and is back, probably not. Will they be a big part in getting Iowa back there? You better hope so or we are in for a long stretch of terrible basketball.

If you legitimately believe that benching those players would help build a program I personal believe you're a bit off your rocker. Talk to anyone, especially and underclassmen, who has played early in their career. Second only to coaching, they learn the most from the veteran leaders around them. If you put a bunch of freshmen on the floor that's exactly what you have, a bunch of inexperience. We don't have the talent level of the teams like Kentucky that can afford to put 5 freshman on the floor and say "go" as they play one year and head out the door.

Maybe I'm wrong, but I really don't think so. (I rarely do)

 

[EddyP]

I don't have a problem with the way Fran has been playing them. He has given Marble, Brommer, and McCabe plenty of playing time. Who cares who starts at this point. As far as who gets more pt, well that will depend on who plays the best from here on out and I think that is exactly what he is thinking as well.

 

[tweeterhawk]

I don't have a problem with the way Fran has been playing them. He has given Marble, Brommer, and McCabe plenty of playing time. Who cares who starts at this point. As far as who gets more pt, well that will depend on who plays the best from here on out and I think that is exactly what he is thinking as well.

We can only hope. And that may mean some "experienced" players get benched. The current line-up just isn't working.

 

[BlackGold57]

Do you honestly beleive any line-up you put out there right now is going to change the end results. The talent is not there. These guys need more games and time together, need solid recruits, and need to build confidence (which they have little to none). They play well for 10 minutes and then get run over.

just hope they bring it every night for 40 minutes and do the best they can. After seeing a number of games, this is a project.

 

[tweeterhawk]

Do you honestly beleive any line-up you put out there right now is going to change the end results. The talent is not there. These guys need more games and time together, need solid recruits, and need to build confidence (which they have little to none). They play well for 10 minutes and then get run over.

just hope they bring it every night for 40 minutes and do the best they can. After seeing a number of games, this is a project.

Barring any departures other than Cole and addition of a blue chip recruit, the 2011 team is largely the same one that will take the floor next year: Cartwright, Gatens, May, Basabe, Brommer. (Marble and Payne will be in there somewhere.)

What about that line-up gives you any reason to expect next year will be any better than this year?

 

[MSGT1]

Barring any departures other than Cole and addition of a blue chip recruit, the 2011 team is largely the same one that will take the floor next year: Cartwright, Gatens, May, Basabe, Brommer. (Marble and Payne will be in there somewhere.)

What about that line-up gives you any reason to expect next year will be any better than this year?

From what I've seen of the three PGs (Guerrero, Carter and Stokes) and the three bigs (Katenda, Olaseni and Pitchford) that they've offered, if they get one of each, they would probably either start or play major minutes. I'd say the same about White, Oglesby will probably contribute, but not at the level of the other three, mainly because of depth at the wing. As I said earlier, using the ones I think are most likely to sign...

Cartwright
Gatens
May
Basabe
Pitchford

would be the likely starters, but it wouldn't surprise me to see Stokes be the first off the bench, replacing Gatens and moving BC to the wing. Throw Marble in for May and you have a long, athletic team that can cause some match-up problems. They would also have something they are sorely lacking this year...depth. Would it be enough to turn them into a 20 game winner? Very unlikely, but it should be enough to move them up a few spots in the conference, and challenge for a post-season berth.

Now, if they end up with none of those players and go the JUCO or some other route, then all bets are off. However, I feel really good about the getting Stokes and one of Pitchford or Katenda. No inside info, just something about the situation makes me think they get two of those three. They would instantly make Iowa a much better team, for many reasons.

 

[ibahawkeye]

From what I've seen of the three PGs (Guerrero, Carter and Stokes) and the three bigs (Katenda, Olaseni and Pitchford) that they've offered, if they get one of each, they would probably either start or play major minutes. I'd say the same about White, Oglesby will probably contribute, but not at the level of the other three, mainly because of depth at the wing. As I said earlier, using the ones I think are most likely to sign...

Cartwright
Gatens
May
Basabe
Pitchford

would be the likely starters, but it wouldn't surprise me to see Stokes be the first off the bench, replacing Gatens and moving BC to the wing. Throw Marble in for May and you have a long, athletic team that can cause some match-up problems. They would also have something they are sorely lacking this year...depth. Would it be enough to turn them into a 20 game winner? Very unlikely, but it should be enough to move them up a few spots in the conference, and challenge for a post-season berth.

Now, if they end up with none of those players and go the JUCO or some other route, then all bets are off. However, I feel really good about the getting Stokes and one of Pitchford or Katenda. No inside info, just something about the situation makes me think they get two of those three. They would instantly make Iowa a much better team, for many reasons.

What about Cully... Do you think Stokes is going to be good enough as a true Freshman to take away the PT from Cully if he can come back healthy?

 

[MSGT1]

What about Cully... Do you think Stokes is going to be good enough as a true Freshman to take away the PT from Cully if he can come back healthy?

I think he'd take some of it, but I also think you see both BC and Stokes/Guerrero/Carter play quite a bit at the 2. It wouldn't surprise me if one or the other was on the floor as a 2 with Cully at 1. Don't get me wrong, Cully is a nice player, and a good game manager, but he isn't a slashing type that can create his own shot against top PGs. With some of the shooters, and I'd include Cully in that, they need players that can penetrate and dish or kick out. Having one, BC, isn't going to cut it next year.

If they want improvement next year they need one to two more. And those minutes will have to come from somewhere. Part of those will come from Cully, some from BC and probably some from Gatens.

 

[WindsorHawk]

That line-up would not strike fear in the hearts of most Iowa high school teams, let alone any of our 2012 opponents.

That team would beat an Iowa High School All Star team by 40...and that's if they called off the dogs.

 

[lvis79]

I would like to see a line up like this:

BC
Gatens
Marble
Basabe
Unfortunately Brommer (hopefully we can recruit a big man to start)

With a bench of:
Cully/Stokes or another recruit
Oglesby/BC and maybe one of our PG recruits
White/May
McCabe/Archie/White/Recruit in the 4 and 5 spot

That's a lot more depth than we have this season I think. Maybe you see people like Stokes and Stoermer in there too, it's too hard to predict that though. I think we could surprise some teams next year though.