storminspank
Justin VanLaere
To quote The Office -
Business School Student: How has your Herfindahl index declined since the merger?
Michael Scott: Nice try. How's your Polak-says-what index?
I've been more excited w/ McCaffery in 45 days...
- Thread starter storminspank
- Start date
To quote The Office -
Business School Student: How has your Herfindahl index declined since the merger?
Michael Scott: Nice try. How's your Polak-says-what index?
FreddyBrown
Moderator
It just feels good to be a Hawkeye hoops fan now, doesn't it?
ssckelley
Well-Known Member
I still remain reserved. The moves he has made has gotten me more excited about Hawkeye Basketball but I keep remembering the last time I was really excited about a coaching hire (I wont bring his name up). I want to see the 1 or 2 more kids he brings in this month and see the team play in November before I drink Coach Fran koolaid. I hope that those of you feeling good about Coach Fran will still be optimistic after a bad loss to some mid major or a blow out loss to MSU on the road.
Everyone needs to remember this upcoming season is going to be another rebuilding year and any expectations exceeding being more competitive and improving the win total is setting the expectations to high. But I do like the moves he is making.
Everyone needs to remember this upcoming season is going to be another rebuilding year and any expectations exceeding being more competitive and improving the win total is setting the expectations to high. But I do like the moves he is making.
AcctHawk99
Well-Known Member
I agree with you ssc. I'm glad that he's filled out his coaching staff and that he has a former HC and former hawks on staff will help. I also agree that I hope posters that are so optimistic will stay that way through the rough patches as well. One thing I think we're guilty of as Iowa bball fans (myself included) is that we tend to error towards one extreme or the other in regards to how we feel about the program. Need to support the program and hope for the best until we can see some results on the court to base opinions on.
I was excited during the first few years of the Alford era. He brought in a highly rated JUCO right away in Rob Griffin. And then his first recruiting class was lights out with Jared Reiner (who had an offer from UCONN), Glen Worley (top 50 player who had an offer from MSU), JUCO Reggie Evans (offer from Oklahoma), and of course the transfers of Luke Recker and Ryan Hogan.
The first 2 years showed promise. Wins over UCONN, Kansas, and a big road win over Scoonie Penn and OSU in year 1. Year 2 we were off to a 17-4, 6-2 start when Recker was injured. The Big 10 tourney run in 2001 and the following off-season was the last time I've been this excited.
clicheusername3
Banned
Uhhh...not really. I'm reserving my judgement on my excitement until after we play the SW, NW, UT-whoever portion of our schedule next year.
clicheusername3
Banned
that i will grant you!
All we have to go on right now is how Fran has handled the following:
1. Initial Presser...check
2. Meet and greet with the fans..check
3. Staff building...check
4. Player retention....ok, lost Fuller and Larson, but gained Basabe...undetermined.
5. Media engagement...check.
If I had to do the same checklist for SA and Lick...my report card would be
1. Initial presser....SA did fine, Lick was underwhelming.
2. Fans engagement...SA ...not much..same with lick.
3. Staff building...SA and Lick basically went the safe route and hired former assistants who seemed like yes men who had not done much on their own..
4. Player retention.. SA lost Range,Rucker,Ramos,Gomes...came back with Griffin and Fermino...Lick lost Tyler Smith, came back with Peterson....meh.
5. Media engagement...SA did a few things, Lick not so much.
To this point, which admittedly is somewhat all pie in the sky stuff, Fran kicks butt on the other two.
As for sheer excitement...that indiana comeback in 2001 to put the hawks at 17-4 was very much a high point in the last decade...
Lets hope Fran can get us there by year 2 or 3.
1. Initial Presser...check
2. Meet and greet with the fans..check
3. Staff building...check
4. Player retention....ok, lost Fuller and Larson, but gained Basabe...undetermined.
5. Media engagement...check.
If I had to do the same checklist for SA and Lick...my report card would be
1. Initial presser....SA did fine, Lick was underwhelming.
2. Fans engagement...SA ...not much..same with lick.
3. Staff building...SA and Lick basically went the safe route and hired former assistants who seemed like yes men who had not done much on their own..
4. Player retention.. SA lost Range,Rucker,Ramos,Gomes...came back with Griffin and Fermino...Lick lost Tyler Smith, came back with Peterson....meh.
5. Media engagement...SA did a few things, Lick not so much.
To this point, which admittedly is somewhat all pie in the sky stuff, Fran kicks butt on the other two.
As for sheer excitement...that indiana comeback in 2001 to put the hawks at 17-4 was very much a high point in the last decade...
Lets hope Fran can get us there by year 2 or 3.
storminspank
Justin VanLaere
FreddyBrown
Moderator
Well, if we were at hawkeyereport.com you would be called out for ripping on the former staff. That is getting old.
Igothawked
Well-Known Member
I would agree that Fran is doing everything the right way so far. I am definately more excited now than I was at the end of the year and when Fran was hired. I just really hope it translates into better product on the floor.
I think Barta has to get some credit for what Fran has done so far. It is very likely that Barta gave Fran a list of "things" that had to be done. For example, hire and ex-Iowa player, get some JUCO players in to play next year, and come up with a slogan to try and get people excited.
I think a lot of Fran's early success has to be attributed to Barta.
I think Barta has to get some credit for what Fran has done so far. It is very likely that Barta gave Fran a list of "things" that had to be done. For example, hire and ex-Iowa player, get some JUCO players in to play next year, and come up with a slogan to try and get people excited.
I think a lot of Fran's early success has to be attributed to Barta.
HawkeyeShane
Well-Known Member
I disagree Igot...Barta does deserve credit for the hire, but if he had given Fran a list of ANY kind...he wouldn't be our coach right now. Fran knows what he's doing, he's done this before. No doubt in my mind, he's doing this "his way".
Igothawked
Well-Known Member
Who knows, you might be right. I know Fran has done this before but never on this level. I would just be very surprised if he walked in the door and said I am going to do this, this and this and we will get people talking about the Iowa hoops program. I'm sure he had some ideas, but I'm also sure Barta said you are going to have to say a few things at your 1st presser and then you are going to get your butt out there and find some players for next year. To be honest I am guessing they both had some input and both came up with the things they needed to do to garner some excitement. Either way whatever they are doing it's been working so far.
As a side note, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that you need get some JUCOs in there to a least have enough guys to field a squad to practice against.
tubahawk
Well-Known Member
Unfortunately my pragmatic personality is in agreement.
I'm cautiously optomisitc at this point. Fran has said and done the right things, but its what happens on the court that counts.
With that being said, I am feeling much, much better about the direction of the program now than I would have been if Lickliter were still the coach.
clicheusername3
Banned
For some people, unhappiness is just a natural state.
It's not unhappiness. I could get hired at a job and have a solid press conference, say all the right things, be friendly.I think everyone is a little disillusioned. I said I'm reserving my judgement at this time. If anyone has learned anything from the past 10+ years or so since TD left it should be that mid-major hires haven't worked. At the end of the day we hired exactly what everyone was hoping we wouldn't hire and we've lost more players. But now magically everyone is so excited about it based on pretty much nothing.
