Iowa Hoops...there was once a time...

[JonDMiller]

I've recently posted some measuring posts related to Iowa's struggles in recent years...When Iowa last won an NCAA tournament game, Adam Woodbury and Mike Gesell were in the 1st grade. They have no idea of what things used to be like, the expectations that surrounded the program. I think they will be a part of brining some of it back.

For those of your reading this under the age of say 25, Iowa made it to the NCAA tournament 16 of 21 years before Steve Alford's tenure began...over 75% of the time.

The Iowa basketball team was ranked at least once during every season 1979-1993, 1995-2002 and 2004-2006. That's just two years since 1979 through 2006 where they were not ranked at least once (2003 and 1994). It hasn't been ranked since 3/14/06, going on seven straight years.

That's freaking crazy and so outside the historical norm for this program.

 

[zhawk21]

So here's the million dollar question Jon, do you think Iowa will be ranked some time this year?

 

[bcl20]

No way they are ranked this year. Maybe if they split Michigan and Indiana during the first week of the B1G season (not actually sure what day of the week they release rankings since I haven't had a reason to check them in 6 years, but even then I don't think there is enough juice in our schedule to get to the rankings.

 

[eveningnewsteam]

I grew up in the 80s and 90s. I knew nothing different other than Iowa being in the NCAA tournament and being ranked. At that point, everyone was ****** off about not making out of the 2nd round enough.

 

[hawkfan33]

The lack of tourney success beyond the first round during Davis' tenure should remind us that it was time for a change.

 

[burky247]

The lack of tourney success beyond the first round during Davis' tenure should remind us that it was time for a change.

Thing is...you usually remember what was done last. And what was done last was a Sweet 16 appearance.

 

[hawkfan33]

Thing is...you usually remember what was done last. And what was done last was a Sweet 16 appearance.

And what was done the decade before that?

 

[JonDMiller]

So here's the million dollar question Jon, do you think Iowa will be ranked some time this year?

No..there is going to be too much damage during their first seven Big Ten games. They will be 11-2 entering Big Ten play, MAYBE getting a couple votes but I doubt it.

 

[jacknicholson]

The lack of tourney success beyond the first round during Davis' tenure should remind us that it was time for a change.

As far as I know Mr. Davis never lost a first round game at Iowa......

What I remember last was Alford's number 4 ranked team losing to number 13 ranked NW State in the last seconds of the first round......

 

[dmShortSaledude]

If these were biblical times, Fran would be thy savior.... He is THAT good.

 

[hawkmatt]

As far as I know Mr. Davis never lost a first round game at Iowa......

What I remember last was Alford's number 4 ranked team losing to number 13 ranked NW State in the last seconds of the first round......

Even worse...we were a 3 they were a 14.

 

[kmajhawk]

Funny how times change. There once was a time where it was just about as difficult to snag a single game ticket to CHA as it was to get one to a Springsteen concert. There was a waiting list to purchase season tickets. Anyone remember when the basketball team was ranked No. 1?

Man, do I feel old.

 

[tednugentfan]

Iowa was good in one of the golden ages of college basketball. I don't remember the specific years, but OU, MI, UNLV, AZ and others had loaded rosters of guys who went on to long NBA careers. Maybe this is selective memory, but didn't we always end up drawing Duke in the 2nd round of the tourney? The Iowa-OU and Iowa-UNLV games are must watch games for anyone too young to have seen them live. I remember when random dudes would be sporting Iowa basketball gear (like Georgetown, MI, etc.) because of BJ, Ed, Roy, etc. Selection Sunday was a huge deal back in the day.

 

[NYCHawkeye74]

The lack of tourney success beyond the first round during Davis' tenure should remind us that it was time for a change.

Perhaps, but that change was a long tourney drought. A lot of folks were clamoring to send Mr. Davis packing. They got their wish. Wonder Boy started with a recruiting bang, but then things got sour real fast. I often think that when institutions try to change who they are, things don't always work out so well. We wanted a big national name to replace our all time winningest coach. We got Alford. He seems like a good fit...at New Mexico. Michigan did the same thing. They replaced a school legend in Lloyd Carr with Rich Rod. Just like Alford was a total and complete change from Davis, RichRod was a total and complete change from Carr. Neither worked out very well and created a lot of problems for the institution.

 

[eyekwah]

Most of the people think of Todd Lickliter as the worse hire ever by Iowa. In my lifetime, which covers from Bucky O'Conner to the present, I would say Steve Alford was the worse. Contrary to the thoughts of some, Mr Alford was the beneficiary of years of Iowa success. Most of the players he recruited were committed to Iowa before he ever arrived, i.e. Jeff Horner. No Iowa coach had ever lost 16 games in a season, he accomplished that in year one. He went on to do it again. His interference in the P Pierce incident made his tenure worse and set back Iowa's national image. When he left for New Mexico I let out a sigh of relief, but the cupboard was more bare than when he first arrived.

Todd ball wasn't a brand of basketball that long time Iowa fans could relate to. Those of us who watched the 1970 Miller team couldn't even stomach watching paint dry basketball and we quit going and watching. McCaffrey took over the worse situation in the last 60 years, but he brought in a brand of basketball that puts butts in the seats and eye balls on the sets. He obviously can recruit and recognize talent that can play his style.

 

[ssckelley]

Iowa was really bad back in the 70s, Dick Schultz was the Lickliter of of that era. Like Fran, Lute dug Iowa basketball out of a big hole. Under Lute Iowa did not make the tournament until his 5th season but back then the tournament was only a 32 team field, the year it expanded to 40 was the first year Iowa made it under Lute. But I became a Hawkeye fan because of that final four run, I was only in 1st grade.

Making the NCAA tournament every year was normal back then and the top talent in Iowa wanted to play for either Iowa or Iowa State, there were not many kids in Iowa signing elsewhere unless Iowa/ISU did not want them. That came to an end when Raef Lafrenz decommitted to Iowa and went to Kansas. Ultimately that was the beginning of the end for Tom Davis and it started a trend of the top talent leaving Iowa for other programs, mainly Kansas. Hopefully Fran getting Woodbury and now Jok to come to Iowa will start the trend back to the top talent staying instate, but that will only happen with success and getting back to the NCAA tournament on an annual basis.

 

[HawkinGoferLand]

I grew up in the 80s and 90s. I knew nothing different other than Iowa being in the NCAA tournament and being ranked. At that point, everyone was ****** off about not making out of the 2nd round enough.

Top 25 rankings and NCAA 2nd Rounds were basically an expectation/the norm for me then. Didn't really know anything else....

 

[hawkfan33]

Perhaps, but that change was a long tourney drought. A lot of folks were clamoring to send Mr. Davis packing. They got their wish. Wonder Boy started with a recruiting bang, but then things got sour real fast. I often think that when institutions try to change who they are, things don't always work out so well. We wanted a big national name to replace our all time winningest coach. We got Alford. He seems like a good fit...at New Mexico. Michigan did the same thing. They replaced a school legend in Lloyd Carr with Rich Rod. Just like Alford was a total and complete change from Davis, RichRod was a total and complete change from Carr. Neither worked out very well and created a lot of problems for the institution.

Iowa's struggles in the 2000's have been the best thing that could have ever happened to Davis. The revisionist history of his time here has been extremely favorable to him. Alford was a very good coach by the time he left Iowa, unfortunately he had lost a large chunk of the fanbase over the handling of the Pierre Pierce incident.

 

[hawkfan33]

Most of the people think of Todd Lickliter as the worse hire ever by Iowa. In my lifetime, which covers from Bucky O'Conner to the present, I would say Steve Alford was the worse. Contrary to the thoughts of some, Mr Alford was the beneficiary of years of Iowa success. Most of the players he recruited were committed to Iowa before he ever arrived, i.e. Jeff Horner. No Iowa coach had ever lost 16 games in a season, he accomplished that in year one. He went on to do it again. His interference in the P Pierce incident made his tenure worse and set back Iowa's national image. When he left for New Mexico I let out a sigh of relief, but the cupboard was more bare than when he first arrived.

Todd ball wasn't a brand of basketball that long time Iowa fans could relate to. Those of us who watched the 1970 Miller team couldn't even stomach watching paint dry basketball and we quit going and watching. McCaffrey took over the worse situation in the last 60 years, but he brought in a brand of basketball that puts butts in the seats and eye balls on the sets. He obviously can recruit and recognize talent that can play his style.

There is so much wrong with this post, I don't know where to start. Most of Alford's recruits weren't committed to Iowa before he arrived. You say no Iowa coach had ever lost 16 games in a season? Well guess what, that's completely wrong as Tom Davis did, twice (89-90 and 93-94). Alford may have done it in his first year but it's a lot worse doing it in your fourth year than your first year. Look at Davis' first four years at Iowa:

30-5 Elite Eight
24-10 Sweet Sixteen
23-10 Second Round
12-16 No NCAA Appearence

Hmm, notice a trend there? Davis was like Bruce Weber, he coached up another guys recruits to great success but could never come close to approaching that again. If the goal of the program was to win 20 games and a first round game, he could do that. If you wanted to do anything beyond that, well it was time for him to go.

 

[theobserver]

There is so much wrong with this post, I don't know where to start. Most of Alford's recruits weren't committed to Iowa before he arrived. You say no Iowa coach had ever lost 16 games in a season? Well guess what, that's completely wrong as Tom Davis did, twice (89-90 and 93-94). Alford may have done it in his first year but it's a lot worse doing it in your fourth year than your first year. Look at Davis' first four years at Iowa:

30-5 Elite Eight
24-10 Sweet Sixteen
23-10 Second Round
12-16 No NCAA Appearence

Hmm, notice a trend there? Davis was like Bruce Weber, he coached up another guys recruits to great success but could never come close to approaching that again. If the goal of the program was to win 20 games and a first round game, he could do that. If you wanted to do anything beyond that, well it was time for him to go.

I felt, as did many people, that a coaching duo of Tom Davis as head coach and George Raveling as the assistant in charge of recruiting would have been nearly unbeatable for that time. That's pure dreaming, of course; was never going to happen. Further, Raveling seemed ill at ease in the Iowa City fishbowl and wanted out, and his ego would not have allowed him to be the No. 2 under anyone else.