Concerned about Fuller

tweeterhawk said:
Jon suggested last month he had heard roommates Gatens and Tucker were pretty close and that cliques had developed on the team, so this may not be so far off.

Certainly sounds like Coach Fran has a lot of repair work to do, more than might be apparent. But if possesses half the confidence he has exuded so far I have no doubt he's up to the task, and look forward to seeing what he can accomplish.
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Every team has cliques. Its just a matter of how much each player views the value of playing together to win. The most common clique starters come from the coach treating players differently(goes for work too). Gatens is a local and a Legacy so he gets pointed to by most but who knows unless you've been involved.
Bottom line is people can ***** and whine about losing but if it means enough to you you will find a way to get along and form a cohesive unit.
This is the #1 problem in most situations,sports,work etc.
 
pistons said:
I have never heard that about Gatens

It's your second post so I assume you are trying to start trouble.
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I have. Didn't see any need to stir the pot, not to mention it was second-hand, so never posted anything about it. However, back in December, heard from someone who knows May's parents well that there was some friction between EM and MG -- that MG was "an ---hole".

I'll take everyone's skepticism because I've not been a huge MG fan this season for reasons I've stated before, (many of them non-basketball related). Just connecting the dots over the last few months leads me to suggest to everyone: avoid minimizing the influence / power of a hometown legacy, especially on a young, losing team that lacks leadership.
 
STILLBUSTER said:
I have. Didn't see any need to stir the pot, not to mention it was second-hand, so never posted anything about it. However, back in December, heard from someone who knows May's parents well that there was some friction between EM and MG -- that MG was "an ---hole".

I'll take everyone's skepticism because I've not been a huge MG fan this season for reasons I've stated before, (many of them non-basketball related). Just connecting the dots over the last few months leads me to suggest to everyone: avoid minimizing the influence / power of a hometown legacy, especially on a young, losing team that lacks leadership.
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This is what has me concerned. Would be a bitter irony if FM finds that one of the primary obstacles to healing the team is the local legacy. Don't discount the hard feelings that may exist between the pro-Lick players on the team and those who wanted him gone.

At least FM has the honeymoon and enough good will that if he finds any player is not part of the new T-E-A-M, they can be encouraged to play elsewhere without much fallout. That applies to all players on the roster as well as those coming in.
 
I think the whole thing is probably over blown but also heard rumblings that a couple of Freshmen weren't huge fans of a couple of Sophomores and vice versa.

I think a lot of this has to do with a couple of things, #1 the team is VERY young and clearly didn't have that guy that would get everybody on the same page. #2 Losing, I think this is the biggest factor, when you are losing it's really easy to start pointing fingers away from yourself as to why the team isn't winning games.

I hope that Fran can get the team back on the same page and hopefully next year with everybody being a year older they will realize they won't win many more games if they buy into the system and realize that one or two guys can't take the team on their back to get things going in the direction everybody wants it to go.
 
hoffahawk said:
I think the whole thing is probably over blown but also heard rumblings that a couple of Freshmen weren't huge fans of a couple of Sophomores and vice versa.

I think a lot of this has to do with a couple of things, #1 the team is VERY young and clearly didn't have that guy that would get everybody on the same page. #2 Losing, I think this is the biggest factor, when you are losing it's really easy to start pointing fingers away from yourself as to why the team isn't winning games.

I hope that Fran can get the team back on the same page and hopefully next year with everybody being a year older they will realize they won't win many more games if they buy into the system and realize that one or two guys can't take the team on their back to get things going in the direction everybody wants it to go.
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Clearly needs to be a leader of the pack. Didn't see one last year, which probably accounts for some of the sniping.
 
tweeterhawk said:
Clearly needs to be a leader of the pack. Didn't see one last year, which probably accounts for some of the sniping.
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Agreed, and that leadership can come from the HC. I don't think the team got that from Lick, because apparently he was somewhat distant from them off the court. A coach who doesn't associate much with his team off the court is not as likely to understand what's going on between his players. It sounds like Caff's approach is to be around the players a lot off the court, and that's a good thing.

Having said that, a group of 13 college kids who happen to play basketball is no different from any other group of 13 you might select and throw together for other purposes. There will be some who associate with some more than others. Unless the divisions are really extreme or someone is trying undermine the HC, it usually doesn't prevent the team from succeeding. The place where it's most important for them to be on the same page is on the court.
 
STILLBUSTER said:
I have. Didn't see any need to stir the pot, not to mention it was second-hand, so never posted anything about it. However, back in December, heard from someone who knows May's parents well that there was some friction between EM and MG -- that MG was "an ---hole".

I'll take everyone's skepticism because I've not been a huge MG fan this season for reasons I've stated before, (many of them non-basketball related). Just connecting the dots over the last few months leads me to suggest to everyone: avoid minimizing the influence / power of a hometown legacy, especially on a young, losing team that lacks leadership.
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I've heard the same thing through the grapevine. My parents are actually friends with May's parents, family friends or whatever. And we have heard from them that Gatens and Tucker were a**holes when everyone else came in last year. Acted like they ran the show type thing. So this is certainly something that has been tossed around.
 
STILLBUSTER said:
I have. Didn't see any need to stir the pot, not to mention it was second-hand, so never posted anything about it. However, back in December, heard from someone who knows May's parents well that there was some friction between EM and MG -- that MG was "an ---hole".

I'll take everyone's skepticism because I've not been a huge MG fan this season for reasons I've stated before, (many of them non-basketball related). Just connecting the dots over the last few months leads me to suggest to everyone: avoid minimizing the influence / power of a hometown legacy, especially on a young, losing team that lacks leadership.
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I have heard the rumblings as well but the stuff I heard came from the opposite direction as your info. It seems that something was brewing in that locker room last season. As others have said, I think only good things can come from Tucker's departure.
 
This isn't the first we've heard of some chemistry issues. Jon mentioned in a previous post about Tucker that bringing Tucker back would open doors we don't want open. He mentioned that while some on the team might welcome it others wouldnt. When you factor Tucker and Gatens were really close, its pretty easy to read between the lines and draw natural conclusions there.

There's a little more smoke for their not to be a fire in this case. When you factor in Matt's dad isn't going to win many popularity contests in town maybe its a little like father like son?
 
FreddyBrown said:
Agreed, and that leadership can come from the HC. I don't think the team got that from Lick, because apparently he was somewhat distant from them off the court. A coach who doesn't associate much with his team off the court is not as likely to understand what's going on between his players. It sounds like Caff's approach is to be around the players a lot off the court, and that's a good thing.

Having said that, a group of 13 college kids who happen to play basketball is no different from any other group of 13 you might select and throw together for other purposes. There will be some who associate with some more than others. Unless the divisions are really extreme or someone is trying undermine the HC, it usually doesn't prevent the team from succeeding. The place where it's most important for them to be on the same page is on the court.
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This makes me think of the wisdom Lute used to use by having the players vote for or against recruits. The players, oftentimes, are the best judges of who will fit in.
 
A lot of turmoil within the program. As I said early in the hire, it will be up to Coach McCaffery to figure out a way to get a sense of togetherness with this team. There are factions throughout the team that affected on the court performances and affected things off the court. A lot of things when down on the inside of the program and it will be up to Iowa's new coach to get the players to trust each other and become a true basketball family. Not an easy task by any stretch of the imagination.
 
So much for the vaunted bonding experience of the Euro-trip last summer...hey, anytime I go on a trip with people by the end there is usually tension..traveling together can bring out the worst in people.
 
pistons said:
I have never heard that about Gatens

It's your second post so I assume you are trying to start trouble.
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Yeah pistons, the number of posts must mean instant credibility. I am a lurker who only posts when I have something to add, not just to spout verbal diarrhea of every assine random thought I have on here. So the six years or so I have been a member of both Hawkeyenations (just recently re-upped my username on this site) must mean I am only trying to start trouble. I seem to recall someone a few months ago posted Tucker leaving as their first post and that turned out to be true didn't it. Just saying.
 
in8hawk said:
Yeah pistons, the number of posts must mean instant credibility. I am a lurker who only posts when I have something to add, not just to spout verbal diarrhea of every assine random thought I have on here. So the six years or so I have been a member of both Hawkeyenations (just recently re-upped my username on this site) must mean I am only trying to start trouble. I seem to recall someone a few months ago posted Tucker leaving as their first post and that turned out to be true didn't it. Just saying.
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Don't take it personally. It's just usually a safe bet that someone making one of their first posts is someone trying to stir trouble, at least when it's talking about something like a player transfer. It's not always the case, but it's better to assume it is.
 
Igothawked said:
I've heard the same thing through the grapevine. My parents are actually friends with May's parents, family friends or whatever. And we have heard from them that Gatens and Tucker were a**holes when everyone else came in last year. Acted like they ran the show type thing. So this is certainly something that has been tossed around.
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Whether it's true or not, the concept of anyone acting like they ran the show called Iowa Basketball the last couple of years is laughable. Who would want to honestly take credit for "running" that mess? That's like being the so-called leader of a banana republic - hardly striking fear in anyone who matters.
 
homes said:
Whether it's true or not, the concept of anyone acting like they ran the show called Iowa Basketball the last couple of years is laughable. Who would want to honestly take credit for "running" that mess? That's like being the so-called leader of a banana republic - hardly striking fear in anyone who matters.
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Do you understand what he means by "run the show"? They weren't looking for credit of the results.
 
IAJay said:
He was working out with the team yesterday. I find it kind of odd that a player would be doing strength and conditioning drills with a team that he was going to be leaving soon. That is just my take though.
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Unless, of course, the player is a German playing for Iowa State.

Just sayin'
 
FreddyBrown said:
Agreed, and that leadership can come from the HC. I don't think the team got that from Lick, because apparently he was somewhat distant from them off the court. A coach who doesn't associate much with his team off the court is not as likely to understand what's going on between his players. It sounds like Caff's approach is to be around the players a lot off the court, and that's a good thing.

Having said that, a group of 13 college kids who happen to play basketball is no different from any other group of 13 you might select and throw together for other purposes. There will be some who associate with some more than others. Unless the divisions are really extreme or someone is trying undermine the HC, it usually doesn't prevent the team from succeeding. The place where it's most important for them to be on the same page is on the court.
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Of course the coach needs to be a leader, but there needs to be leaders on the floor. The players have plenty of friends, they need some one to mentor them. A coach doesn't need to associate much with his players off the court as long as he has their respect on the court.

We need to not only recruit great athletes, but great leaders as well. Iowa basketball as lacked upper classmen leadership for some time now. I can't think of a great leader we have had for the soph class to follow, and it appears there is no natural leader in the group.
 
JonDMiller said:
I feel strongly that he had made his mind up to leave Iowa. I have little doubt of that. And I think he had made initial plans to return to a school in his home state of Arizona...I think when kids his age make decisions like that, the tough thing is unwinding those, because you buy into it mentally.

I really hope he stays, but I think Coach McCaffery still has some work to do on this front.
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Granted hes good but nothing special and while he would help out next year i have a feeling ol coach can find someone to step in. ITS A NEW ERA OF IOWA BASKETBALL so i have no problem in saying "sayonara homie!"
 
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