Fran and the Wizard of Westwood

ChosenChildren

ChosenChildren

Well-Known Member
I am old enough to vividly remember John Wooden and his great UCLA teams.

Fran is using the exact same system as the Wizard of Westwood:

1. Up-tempo, relentless fast break offense.
2. Using 9 or 10 players to wear down the opposition.
3. Pressing concepts on defense, including the half-court trap (the defenses further wear down the opponent).
4. Great out-of-bounds plays.
5. Intense coach who expects a lot from his players, but relates to them and encourages them to get better.
6. A team that is built to be unselfish; the unselfish players are rewarded and the selfish or lazy players are shown the bench.
7. Incredibly bright and articulate; a great interview and probably a great recruiter and communicator with the players.

The similarities to me are quite remarkable. This could be the beginning of something special, as Fran's concepts take hold at Iowa. We are playing a style that is truly unique in the Big Ten, and so different from the slow-down, "smash-mouth" style of Michigan State, Wisconsin, Illinois, Minnesota and Purdue. Also, since 10 kids get to play, I think you will see fewer transfers out of the program (that seemed to be a problem in the Alford and Lick years).

If we could sneak into a post-season tournament, his style will be tough for teams to handle.....
 
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ChosenChildren said:
We are playing a style that is truly unique in the Big Ten, and so different from the slow-down, "smash-mouth" style of Michigan State, Wisconsin, Illinois, Minnesota and Purdue.
Click to expand...

You probably also remember during the Tom Davis days, you would hear over and over again that the rest of the Big Ten coaches always said that Iowa was the toughest team in the conference to prepare for because they really couldn't simulate Iowa's full-court press in practice, and Iowa had a unique style of play.

Very much the same thing here in Fran's case I do believe. The similarities are remarkable - from the pressing and up-tempo style of play all the way down to the ability to get to the FT line far more than their opponents.

I'm betting Iowa will be the team that "nobody wants to play" in the Big Ten Tournament this year.
 
1977Hawkeye said:
You probably also remember during the Tom Davis days, you would hear over and over again that the rest of the Big Ten coaches always said that Iowa was the toughest team in the conference to prepare for because they really couldn't simulate Iowa's full-court press in practice, and Iowa had a unique style of play.
Click to expand...

That is probably also the reason why Mr. Davis had so much success in the 1st round in March
 
ChosenChildren said:
I am old enough to vividly remember John Wooden and his great UCLA teams.

Frank is using the exact same system as the Wizard of Westwood:

1. Up-tempo, relentless fast break offense.
2. Using 9 or 10 players to wear down the opposition.
3. Pressing concepts on defense, including the half-court trap (the defenses further wear down the opponent).
4. Great out-of-bounds plays.
5. Intense coach who expects a lot from his players, but relates to them and encourages them to get better.
6. A team that is built to be unselfish; the unselfish players are rewarded and the selfish or lazy players are shown the bench.
7. Incredibly bright and articulate; a great interview and probably a great recruiter and communicator with the players.

The similarities to me are quite remarkable. This could be the beginning of something special, as Fran's concepts take hold at Iowa. We are playing a style that is truly unique in the Big Ten, and so different from the slow-down, "smash-mouth" style of Michigan State, Wisconsin, Illinois, Minnesota and Purdue. Also, since 10 kids get to play, I think you will see fewer transfers out of the program (that seemed to be a problem in the Alford and Lick years).

If we could sneak into a post-season tournament, his style will be tough for teams to handle.....
Click to expand...

You forgot the most important component of Wooden's success.

8. Sam Gilbert paying all the best players to come to UCLA.
 
images
 
Sorry about the typo; I was referring to Fran, not Frank, of course.

Old men like me can't see very well:(
 
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Our style of play is already causing some issues it seems. Everyone the Big Ten wants to slow down the game and we are pushing the ball up after missed or made baskets. It kind of feels like watching a spread team move the ball at will on the football teams defense.
 
Good comparison,Chosen. I am so old that I remember the first of Wooden great teams at UCLA. They played Iowa in Dec of 1964 or 1965. Iowa had a good team,with George Peeples and Chris Pervall, and they played UCLA supertough, but lost a one pointer,I believe. That UCLA team had Walt Hazzard. They did not have a starter over 6'4''. They ran like greyhounds,and pressed and just dazzled their way to a National Championship. I believe they beat Cazzie Russell and Michigan in the final.

But,your point is well taken. Before Lew Alcindor and all the great All-Americans, Wooden won with speed and precision running attack,pressing the whole Fran game.

Gary Williams was on Big Ten BB Report tonite and he expanded on his comments of last nite regarding Iowa and their unique style of play. He said that anytime a team is different than the rest,you have a chance to outperform your talent. He said Iowa is the only team in the league that ran on made baskets ,ran all the time.
Gary Williams knows this concept,as a disciple of Mr. Davis,he brought the pressing/running game to OSU and then later to Maryland.

Mr. Davis definitely had a unique style that let Iowa overperform their talent,but at some point we stopped getting enough talent to threaten for league titles.
Fran is a recruiter,salesman,pitchman...he can chase down the talent.

Exciting times ahead.
 
Except Fran is unable to stockpile players like Wooden did back then so that players could not play at other schools. I don't believe there was a restriction on how many kids a coach could recruit...I could be wrong on that one too.
 
It Tom could have recruited at the level that the George did, Iowa would have been a national power. Davis' system worked VERY well with top players, but then most systems work VERY well with top players.
 
NewMexHawk said:
It Tom could have recruited at the level that the George did, Iowa would have been a national power. Davis' system worked VERY well with top players, but then most systems work VERY well with top players.
Click to expand...

That's true, but without a dominant true center, run and gun works the best. And if you've got one who can move, then anything goes.
 
NewMexHawk said:
Except Fran is unable to stockpile players like Wooden did back then so that players could not play at other schools. I don't believe there was a restriction on how many kids a coach could recruit...I could be wrong on that one too.
Click to expand...

If Fran can't stockpile players then Kirk should be fired!
 
1977Hawkeye said:
You probably also remember during the Tom Davis days, you would hear over and over again that the rest of the Big Ten coaches always said that Iowa was the toughest team in the conference to prepare for because they really couldn't simulate Iowa's full-court press in practice, and Iowa had a unique style of play.

Very much the same thing here in Fran's case I do believe. The similarities are remarkable - from the pressing and up-tempo style of play all the way down to the ability to get to the FT line far more than their opponents.

I'm betting Iowa will be the team that "nobody wants to play" in the Big Ten Tournament this year.
Click to expand...

when i read the OP's list, I thought you don't need to look any further than a former coach to fit that description! a few differences, but a lot of similarities.
 
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