It was 1997...

[atomicblue224]

PFFFFFT I have been to college basketball games everywhere in country and it doesnt depnds on freshman alone. it depends on how well the team runs and how well they do their job. It's alot like being on aircraft carrier, you can have new guy as part of the group that handle jets. It's matter of how well they train and how well they stick to their job.You have to do listen tocoach and do your job, you know.

 

[Tmoney12]

PFFFFFT I have been to college basketball games everywhere in country and it doesnt depnds on freshman alone. it depends on how well the team runs and how well they do their job. It's alot like being on aircraft carrier, you can have new guy as part of the group that handle jets. It's matter of how well they train and how well they stick to their job.You have to do listen tocoach and do your job, you know.

Blue, bringn the heat. Good post mi amigo. This team will be alright. I promise

 

[sportstalent]

PFFFFFT I have been to college basketball games everywhere in country and it doesnt depnds on freshman alone. it depends on how well the team runs and how well they do their job. It's alot like being on aircraft carrier, you can have new guy as part of the group that handle jets. It's matter of how well they train and how well they stick to their job.You have to do listen tocoach and do your job, you know.

Agree, and the only thing Iowa should be relying on their freshman to do this season is: play within themselves and rely on the veterans to lead them until they are comfortable to be major contributors. The problem is Gesell and Woodbury have been two of Iowa's more reliable players...not what should be happening: White and Marble need to carry this team and be focal, they haven't against the "best" competition that Iowa has played. Not to mention the troubles of McCabe, Basabe and Oglesby to this point.

 

[Thawki]

the only freshman that are amazing from the get go are the ones you *cough* buy *cough* like coach Cal. unless you are in the top 10 of the recruiting world, you aren't going to just step in and be amazing. but, we do have pieces in place to be a legit player in the Big10 from now on. will we regularly compete for conference championships? no, but we'll be competitive and fun to watch. that's all we can ask for, unless you have some money to slip to a prospect...

So Indiana with Bob Knight was paying players? michigan State has Izzo paying players? OSU's current coach is making sure his players get paid?

i et a kick how whenever it isn't your school and they et really good players they are paying them. KU isn't paying anyone and neither are the other schools I mentioned. I think you're just a whiner. I am sure some players are getting benefits they shouln't. But you infer everyone but Iowa that gets a top recruit is paying, and the schools I mentioned are pretty clean right now, I would say, and with IU, they were clean until Sampson and probably are now.

So quit whining.

 

[sportstalent]

In 1997 I was fortunate enough to attend the NCAA tournament for rounds 1 and 2 in Utah.

As always with Mr. Davis, we were the 8 seed. We played a solid game and led by Dre and "Life as a G" we took out Virginia.
Before our 2nd round game I went with my father to a Hawkeye Huddle. Greg Stokes was at the event, was introduced, and mingled with fans.

I remember 2 fans asking Greg if Iowa would be better the next year: Iowa was graduating Dre, BUT the rest of the team was returning; plus, 2 highly recruited players by the names of Ricky Davis and Dean Oliver were joining the fold.

Stokes did not hesitate: we would not be better. The 2 freshmen and the rest of the returners could not replace Dre.

A few hours later I watched Dre carry Iowa on his back for 40 minutes in a fantastic losing effort to Rick Patino's squad. A senior effort if I saw one.

Stokes' words proved prophetic: Iowa struggled mightily the next year.

Why do I share? I feel expectations for this team are based a great deal on our freshmen class. The reality is, unless you are the Fab 5, you will struggle with freshmen in spots; you will take some steps back with freshmen; you will see inconsistency with freshmen.

And that's when you have an excellent class, which we do.

Stay the course with these young Hawks.

I like what you are saying, but this isn't the same scenario. Granted, Iowa played well once Gatens caught fire, but he wasn't the sole focus of the offense the way 'Dre was. First, Gatens, not a PG and what 'Dre did that year was special leading BIG in scoring and assists, something not done.

The freshman should just be filling roles rather than have to be the prominent players like they seem to be trying to be, especially Gesell. The game against WKU, he played within himself most of the time and had a big night, although he made some questionable choices, overall he didn't hurt Iowa. Gesell just needs to be a facilitator and get the open man the ball, he doesn't have to do everything like he did in HS. Woodbury needs to play as much as his conditioning will allow, he knows how to play and being on the floor is what he needs.

I like where this team is going, except that White/Marble need to step up, but both may be a little out of position right now...Marble played better at the 3 last year and White played better at the 4 last year as opposed to Marble-2 and White-3.

 

[Tmoney12]

I like what you are saying, but this isn't the same scenario. Granted, Iowa played well once Gatens caught fire, but he wasn't the sole focus of the offense the way 'Dre was. First, Gatens, not a PG and what 'Dre did that year was special leading BIG in scoring and assists, something not done.

The freshman should just be filling roles rather than have to be the prominent players like they seem to be trying to be, especially Gesell. The game against WKU, he played within himself most of the time and had a big night, although he made some questionable choices, overall he didn't hurt Iowa. Gesell just needs to be a facilitator and get the open man the ball, he doesn't have to do everything like he did in HS. Woodbury needs to play as much as his conditioning will allow, he knows how to play and being on the floor is what he needs.

I like where this team is going, except that White/Marble need to step up, but both may be a little out of position right now...Marble played better at the 3 last year and White played better at the 4 last year as opposed to Marble-2 and White-3.

Spot on... especially the last paragraph thats what worries me

 

[franstheman]

You keep dragging "yet" into the argument...if "yet" was your point, why didn't your thread headline read,"Our Point Guards Need to Penetrate More"...you chose to say we need new PGs. Your point isn't pottery...stop spinning it.

Yeah I suppose the wording was poor, what I was trying to get at was really the crux of it all which is that we need to find a guy who can break the D down whether it's Gesell, Clemmons, Ingram, whomever. I wasn't saying we need new guys I was saying we need to find THAT GUY. But yeah I apologize for the poor wording. Hard for any of you to read my mind haha.

 

[sportstalent]

Yeah I suppose the wording was poor, what I was trying to get at was really the crux of it all which is that we need to find a guy who can break the D down whether it's Gesell, Clemmons, Ingram, whomever. I wasn't saying we need new guys I was saying we need to find THAT GUY. But yeah I apologize for the poor wording. Hard for any of you to read my mind haha.

Honestly though, Iowa is handicapped by:
1) Not getting in transition quickly on defensive rebounds and
2) White playing the 3 as he is not an efficient ball handler

The backcourt needs to just go, but there aren't enough ball handlers on the floor all the time. I would like to see more of Clemmons/Gesell on the floor at the same time and when he is ready, more of Ingram. The wildcard for Iowa continues to be Oglesby as he needs to just shoot, but not force things as he is a great passer and has a good mid-range game. Oglesby seems to be a player that has to get in the flow of the game, not just a couple minutes here or there, it causes him to force things and look bad doing it.

 

[Tmoney12]

Honestly though, Iowa is handicapped by:
1) Not getting in transition quickly on defensive rebounds and
2) White playing the 3 as he is not an efficient ball handler

The backcourt needs to just go, but there aren't enough ball handlers on the floor all the time. I would like to see more of Clemmons/Gesell on the floor at the same time and when he is ready, more of Ingram. The wildcard for Iowa continues to be Oglesby as he needs to just shoot, but not force things as he is a great passer and has a good mid-range game. Oglesby seems to be a player that has to get in the flow of the game, not just a couple minutes here or there, it causes him to force things and look bad doing it.

Not 2nd guessing in Fran. I trust him but from the games I have seen so far we need to get Ge3ell on the wing to be a knock down shooter. Or he needs to develop a floater. He can't get into the lane as deep in college as he did in hs

 

[sportstalent]

Not 2nd guessing in Fran. I trust him but from the games I have seen so far we need to get Ge3ell on the wing to be a knock down shooter. Or he needs to develop a floater. He can't get into the lane as deep in college as he did in hs

Agree, he did it against WKU and was extremely effective. I am not 2nd guessing Fran, he is doing a great job, he has turned Iowa around faster than anyone ever would have imagined.

 

[hawkfan33]

I met Andre Woolridge's brother at the Caesar's pool in Vegas a couple years ago. He was a cool dude, said Andre felt like his agent screwed him over by telling him not to work out for certain NBA teams before the draft.

/Cool story bro

 

[Tmoney12]

Agree, he did it against WKU and was extremely effective. I am not 2nd guessing Fran, he is doing a great job, he has turned Iowa around faster than anyone ever would have imagined.

Spot on!

 

[bcl20]

the only freshman that are amazing from the get go are the ones you *cough* buy *cough* like coach Cal. unless you are in the top 10 of the recruiting world, you aren't going to just step in and be amazing. but, we do have pieces in place to be a legit player in the Big10 from now on. will we regularly compete for conference championships? no, but we'll be competitive and fun to watch. that's all we can ask for, unless you have some money to slip to a prospect...

I kind of think that pieces are being put in place to where we actually could compete for some championships. Not every year but Fran is recruiting very well compared to Alford and Davis and both coaches had years where they competed for the championship. We're going to have some very good teams, not every year but often, as long as Fran sticks around.

 

[HawkeyeMHA]

I deaf remember those games and dre really came to play. He was a man out there.

 

[eveningnewsteam]

The 97 98 team at Iowa wasnt a bad team. They were a single win in the BTT over Michigan from going to the NCAA tournament. They had 20 wins that year and were 9-7 in the Big 10.