Fran's Grade after 5 years

[WindsorHawk]

None of our current freshmen or incoming freshmen are "impact" type players. Hopefully in two years, Pemsl will be that kind of guy.

I am very excited about the incoming freshmen and Uhl. I've seen Uhl play and disagree with your assessment. I haven't seen the incoming freshmen but you obviously have seen each of them play multiple times. A brief summary of what you observed relative to each recruit would be greatly appreciated. I guess you should focus on their shortcomings since none of them are "impact" players. Thanks in advance!

 

[NEIChawk]

We should be excited every year for a new class that comes in...New blood, new expectations, new names to learn, can't wait...

 

[hawkforlife9]

Anxious to see his next years class. Should be fun going to that next level.

 

[hawkforlife9]

Very true. With the roster Fran has built for next year we'll kick their #$%s in Ames next year.

The timing for this statement isn't the best. They got bounced by a weak team in their 1st tournament game...a team did what their previous 5 opponents all could have done. And the transfer bug bit him this time. His 2 senior transfers both went scoreless. And it's my understanding from my ISU friends that B J-D went off in the locker room at half time.

 

[BigD]

The best I can give is a B. One NCAA win in 5 years is not deserving of an A or even a B+. Fred Hoiberg took over the last place team in the Big 12 and has made a top 10 team out of them...and they will be even better next year. I believe we may have peaked this year under Fran with our top 35ish team. Next year will be a slight step back (probably a bubble team), then the following year we lose everyone and are an NIT team again. Recruiting needs to pick up in a major way. None of our current freshmen or incoming freshmen are "impact" type players. Hopefully in two years, Pemsl will be that kind of guy.

Recruiting may be Fran's biggest challenge. The future you lay out for the next two years is not very encouraging but could turn out to be accurate. Bubble next year and NIT after that is very very concerning.

Now having said that it should be pointed out that there were many that thought we would be NIT material this past season but Fran did a good job of coaching his players up and getting them to the field of 32. Hats off to him and the players. If your your prognostications are correct and we bubble up next season and NIT the year after that, then I for one will not be satisfied with that. Think about it? One NCAA bid and one play in game in what would be seven years. That's UNIish and not acceptable for a university with the money and facilities that we have.

I'm hoping for better with the seniors and juniors we have coming back next season. A BIG JC Tranfer this fall could be just what the doctor ordered to lift this team to a point of finishing in the top three in the B1G next year and the year after that. Go get that guy Fran.

 

[PCHawk]

I am very excited about the incoming freshmen and Uhl. I've seen Uhl play and disagree with your assessment. I haven't seen the incoming freshmen but you obviously have seen each of them play multiple times. A brief summary of what your observed relative to each recruit would be greatly appreciated. I guess you should focus on their shortcomings since none of them are "impact" players. Thanks in advance!

I'm not sure how anyone can make predictions on a team 2 years from now. Especially when there are only 2 players that will still be on the team. Might as well say there is no way we will win a game 4 years from now because no one on that team has done $hit yet.

 

[WindsorHawk]

Might as well say there is no way we will win a game 4 years from now because no one on that team has done $hit yet.

lol

 

[PCHawk]

Recruiting may be Fran's biggest challenge. The future you lay out for the next two years is not very encouraging but could turn out to be accurate. Bubble next year and NIT after that is very very concerning.

Now having said that it should be pointed out that there were many that thought we would be NIT material this past season but Fran did a good job of coaching his players up and getting them to the field of 32. Hats off to him and the players. If your your prognostications are correct and we bubble up next season and NIT the year after that, then I for one will not be satisfied with that. Think about it? One NCAA bid and one play in game in what would be seven years. That's UNIish and not acceptable for a university with the money and facilities that we have.

I'm hoping for better with the seniors and juniors we have coming back next season. A BIG JC Tranfer this fall could be just what the doctor ordered to lift this team to a point of finishing in the top three in the B1G next year and the year after that. Go get that guy Fran.

He's predicting an NIT bid for a team that consists of Jok as a senior and Uhl as a junior. Everyone else on that team will be a complete unknown.

 

[mopkins]

Do fans care about Iowa basketball again? Has Iowa made it to back to back NCAA tournaments? The answer to both of those is yes. I don't see how Fran couldn't get an A.

He has taken Iowa from the bottom of the Big Ten to a legit contender in only 5 years. That is pretty incredible.

 

[Knight78]

Looks like we all believe in grade inflation. Fran has performed at just an acceptable level for a high level, power conference program. He would be on the C+/B- line for me. He hasn't gotten us back to the Davis years performance and we fired Tom for that.... Keep in mind that Davidson is just a few hundred students larger than Wartburg.

Since when is the size of a college student body relevant to how good the basketball team is? Check out these enrollments:

Wofford 1500
Hampton 3800
Providence 3800
Valparaiso 4000
Xavier 4500
Butler 4900

All of these programs have made the tournament this year. All have made the tournament multiple times in the past 10 years.

 

[biasedHAWKEYE]

I think people forget just how bad Iowa was when Fran got here. 5 years is a "long time" in today's standards, but he had to build this thing from the very, very, very bottom up. Recruiting has been okay given that Fran had to recruit from the basement of the B1G. Sometimes success lags behind recruiting. In this case, I think recruiting will lag behind success...Iowa is still in brand rebuilding mode, in my opinion.

I put him at A-.

 

[Knight78]

Ralph & Lute brought in players like Freddie Brown, John Johnson, Ronnie Lester & Sam Williams. Fran has not brought in one player of that talent. Plus, Wooden seemed to get the best players without the one & done rule. Of course, freshman ineligibility helped.

I wouldn't count Williams, Brown and Johnson the same as Lester. Williams, Brown and Johnson were transfers from Southeastern Iowa CC in Burlington.

 

[Knight78]

The timing for this statement isn't the best. They got bounced by a weak team in their 1st tournament game...a team did what their previous 5 opponents all could have done. And the transfer bug bit him this time. His 2 senior transfers both went scoreless. And it's my understanding from my ISU friends that B J-D went off in the locker room at half time.

The big question is "Is BDJ even on campus now that the basketball season is over?"

He was in trouble with the law in Ames multiple times and it was smooothed over by Fred. He did not play well in the last 8-10 games for them. He already has his degree (why he was able to play right away when he transferred), so he doesn't have a degree to work toward.

I hope Iowa never recruits someone of his "character" under Fran.

 

[okeefe4prez]

Has there really been improvement in March of each year, though? I think in terms of March play, we peaked the year we had the deep NIT run. That team could have made the Sweet 16, or perhaps even the Elite 8 the way they were playing late (assuming the bracket fell into place). The guy has had a first game out in the BTT each of the past two years to dismal teams as well. He beat a a very undersized Davidson team in the first NCAA game this year, but I still think the team looked better in March of 2013 than it did in March of 2015.

The guy has at least brought the talent back up to close to where it was before Alford stopped recruiting and it fell off under Lickliter, but the pipeline looks a little murky. I'd say fire him, but if his kid is a legit baller and is coming in a few years, I'd go ahead and keep him around for another few years and hope that he is at least half as good in March as Bryce Alford is.

 

[FRANAMANIAC]

I think the problem is there is a big difference between an Iowa Gradin scale and an objective one. Yall have to remember we have a loveable loser me mentality that is so ingrained most of us an rent self aware of it. It's the reason we all are all so bipolar. We long for winning so bad, that when we do have some success, it gets to our head quickly.

I would give fran based on what I expect for an Iowa coach an A- or B+. On an objective college coaching scale (izzos, ryans, etc) a C, average. I would give this season a B+ Objectively

my only gripe is that the pay might be too high for him for his recruiting results.

EDIT: I would like to clarify my opinions on Fran. He has met and exceeded my expectations, but as others have said, now we are entering Y6. This isn't the good old days where coaches would stay around 20 years (Ferentz). As others have said above, we are now entering a transition from "Can Fran bring Iowa basketball back to relevance?" to "Can Fran bring Iowa basketball from relevance to prominence?" I.e., we need to stop losing to teams like jNW and Penn State, closing out games we have won, as well as recruiting top players

Improvement should always be the goal in a sports team, so Fran improving the last 5 years has been a pleasant surprise, especially this year. I expect us to take a step back next year (do people know our vaunted recruiting class' ranking?), but if we play better, then I will eat crow.

 

[okeefe4prez]

Do fans care about Iowa basketball again? Has Iowa made it to back to back NCAA tournaments? The answer to both of those is yes. I don't see how Fran couldn't get an A.

He has taken Iowa from the bottom of the Big Ten to a legit contender in only 5 years. That is pretty incredible.

Legit contender? Did you see what Wisconsin did to us? We lost at Northwestern and got bounced out of the BTT by lowly Penn State. Those are not the marks of a legit contender.

 

[Knight78]

Very true. With the roster Fran has built for next year we'll kick their #$%s in Ames next year.

Not sure about that. They have four starters returning, a couple of top bench players returning and we will have to play on their court. They always play better at Hilton - not due to "magic" but due to the fact that they seem to get to more 50-50 balls at home than they do on the road.

 

[FRANAMANIAC]

Yeah I think people needs on calm down and realize he only "brought us back" to 5th place in the conference. Is more relevance good? Yes, but let's stay grounded

 

[BigD]

Yeah I think people needs on calm down and realize he only "brought us back" to 5th place in the conference. Is more relevance good? Yes, but let's stay grounded

Is that a "c" grade then? Your 5th place in the conference is a legit point. This is his upcoming sixth season so I think looking back at Lick ball at this point is not legit and just rationalization.

i had the privilege of watching the Lute teams and I guess I am spoiled. Under Lick the program was the only thing spoiled.... Lol. That was however almost six years ago and Fran needs to take total ownership going forward from here. I am hoping for the best.

 

[mopkins]

Legit contender? Did you see what Wisconsin did to us? We lost at Northwestern and got bounced out of the BTT by lowly Penn State. Those are not the marks of a legit contender.

3rd place in the big ten behind on of the top 4 teams in the country in Wisconsin and a top 10 team Maryland doesn't make you a Big Ten contender?

Did you see what Rutgers did to Wisconsin? Did you see what Indiana did to Maryland?