Can we compete?

No they shouldn't be judged by the W-L record this year. Thats not my point. My point is that this team, with this staff can be alot better than people think. We will definately see improvement because the team will be energized. Starting out hot in out of conference play will be key, but I really believe 16+ wins is not that far from reach.

Think whatever you will, but this staff will give Iowa a chance to win everynight, regardless if we our out maned or out gunned...for the simple fact our opponent will have to study us and we will adjust as the game changes. I'm really glad Lick is gone, im really looking forward to winter...
 
HawkeyeRyno said:
And we are currently failing at this...!!
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I am one who has been criticized on this board for saying that if the coaching staff doesn't get the recruiting turned around by November, they probably won't ever. I came to this conclusion by looking at coaches that have been hired over the last five years and discovered that the good recruiters made a significant mark in their first year. Almost like some guys have "it."

That being said, too early to say the coaches are failing at recruiting right now. However, if we don't see some significant movement by the November signing date, it will not be a good sign according to my system.
 
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I think Murphy (the walk on) and Marble can spell Cully for ten to fifteen minutes a game. If cully got hurt we would be screwed. I think we will have a better mon-conference record but might have a hard time in the big ten. Another point guard would sure be nice.
 
I am not sure how people are getting to more wins based on the change in style of play. Up tempo means you need a good number of ball handlers. Lick's system is actually better for a depleted bench. It will help in the future, but it will be tough this year.
 
If the question was can we compete for the first half...Then absolutely...But without Ware or more depth at guard, it wont take an injury to cripple the Hawks, simply fatigue.
 
Smarthawk said:
True but there aren't any directional schools in the Big 10. If Cully goes down...then what?
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Exactly. And I'm seeing talk that we aren't recruiting any more PG's for this class. Is our guard situation going to be any better than it was last year? I don't see how it could be, if a walk-on is going to compete for the backup spot. Hopefully we can land someone good for the 2011-12 season then.
 
CAARHawk said:
I am one who has been criticized on this board for saying that if the coaching staff doesn't get the recruiting turned around by November, they probably won't ever. I came to this conclusion by looking at coaches that have been hired over the last five years and discovered that the good recruiters made a significant mark in their first year. Almost like some guys have "it."

That being said, too early to say the coaches are failing at recruiting right now. However, if we don't see some significant movement by the November signing date, it will not be a good sign according to my system.
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wow, we just went thru one of the worst decades of mens basketball and we are ready to throw Fran and his staff under the bus if we don't sign a great class by next nov. Im sure the other big ten programs are hoping we become negative and dont support the new coaching staff. I am happy that we didnt waste a scholarship on Salter, look at some of the reaches Lick tried to bring in, how did that work? we have upgraded our coaching staff considerably, now we need to sit back and support them! Give them the necessary time to develop recruiting connections and the talent will slowly start to come, we are not going to turn into a Kansas or Uconn over night but i still feel we will finish 16-14 and make the NIT!
 
If by compete you mean participate in every game, then yes

If by compete you mean be competitive and win more games than this year, then no
 
SirJamaLot said:
wow, we just went thru one of the worst decades of mens basketball and we are ready to throw Fran and his staff under the bus if we don't sign a great class by next nov. Im sure the other big ten programs are hoping we become negative and dont support the new coaching staff. I am happy that we didnt waste a scholarship on Salter, look at some of the reaches Lick tried to bring in, how did that work? we have upgraded our coaching staff considerably, now we need to sit back and support them! Give them the necessary time to develop recruiting connections and the talent will slowly start to come, we are not going to turn into a Kansas or Uconn over night but i still feel we will finish 16-14 and make the NIT!
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Its fine that you think this and its great to be optimistic but people need to get their expectations in check. This team as currently constructed can not compete in the Big Ten and has no chance of making the NIT. I love the excitement but i hope those with lofty and most likely unreachable expectations arent complaining when January rolls around

We are most likely going to win about as many games as we won this year.
 
We need Coco for a chance to compete this year...even then who knows? Uptempo offense = more turnovers + more shots and i'm not sure who will be making the shots for us. May showed some promise last year, but I agree with a prior poster that Gatens regressed last year. Hopefully the new staff can get him back on track and help Cully gain more consistency in his shot. IF we get Coco and Gatens and Cully make improvements then we can maybe stay in games.

Possibly more important to this discussion is can we win close games this year? We were in at least 7 or 8 losses with less than 5 minutes to go and couldn't close out or make up the little ground we had left. If we are better at the end of games we should see improvement in the record from that alone if nothing else improves.
 
busabus114 said:
Its fine that you think this and its great to be optimistic but people need to get their expectations in check. This team as currently constructed can not compete in the Big Ten and has no chance of making the NIT. I love the excitement but i hope those with lofty and most likely unreachable expectations arent complaining when January rolls around

We are most likely going to win about as many games as we won this year.
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Exactly, how did being all excited and over the top enthusiastic work out the past two coaching regimes...I'm taking the middle to slightly negative ground stance from the beginning of this regime just to try something different...
 
No, without a true Division 1 player capable of playing in the Big 10 Iowa will not be able to compete next year with an up tempo style of play. Those of you that think Cully can do it alone and with walk on's as back ups must be drinking to much kool aid.
 
therealforeverhawk said:
This is not a one year effort for recruiting. They are recruiting two and three even maybe 4 years down the road. Building the foundation this year, not just recruiting for the class of 2010 in isolation. So not failing.
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Here is the problem though. You can't put back to back 10 win seasons together and expect any talent to want to come to your school. If Fran doesn't have Iowa back on track by his second year (ie vast improvement and a .500 record) I think it will be too hard to recruit. Nobody wants to play for a team that has just finished it worst 3 years of basketball in school history.
 
ssckelley said:
No, without a true Division 1 player capable of playing in the Big 10 Iowa will not be able to compete next year with an up tempo style of play. Those of you that think Cully can do it alone and with walk on's as back ups must be drinking to much kool aid.
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I fear you are correct,sir.
Please Fran,get a passable backup in here by next fall,somehow.
 
Yes Iowa was in quite a few games last year. The reason that was the case was because of Lick's system, which allows less talented teams to stay close in games. Please don't take this as a Lick endorsement. This system also made it really hard to recruit players to compete. Iowa should not aspire to be Northwestern. Just saying the closeness had more to do with style of play than level of player talent.
 
To answer the original question...No we can't. This is my first disappointment of the new era. Not adding either a PG or a combo guard Juco. I know some roster turnover is expected thus I can't get upset with them about Fuller, Larson or Brust but I really thought with the number of players getting released across the country that a stop gap solution could be found in the late signing period. One JUCO would have allowed still 3 scholarships for 2011 and then 4 for 2012.

To those who think the new walkon might be as good as any player you can bring in late my answer would be we need both. We are so thin in the backcourt that a JUCO guard and McCarty are needed.
 
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