Jon's new article

[BlacknGold19]

#DefeatistAttitude

Lol. C’mon man. I’ve been cheering the Hawks on my whole life. I’ve watched us play in one sweet 16 game in all my years that I can remember and I’m 36. Things aren’t going to change as much as you or I want it to. It’s reality.

 

[lightning1]

I’m frustrated. I love Iowa Basketball. I want nothing more than to watch great basketball every year. Fran has brought some excitement back to the program. I’ve definitely been entertained the last 5 years. This year is brutal yes, it’s easy to call out Fran right now. Jon’s article is realistic, even if you disagree. We are never going to be Duke, UNC, Kansas, Kentucky, etc. The problem with it all is Iowa fans are rabid and have huge hearts. We are passionate. We want nothing more than to compete with the big boys every year. It often leads to major disappointment or major frustration, because in all reality, we will never compete with the big boys. Jon is realistic. Fran needs a longer leash. If it continues the next year or two..move on.

Iowa Basketball will never reach any of our expectations. It’s a hard thing to fathom. I struggle with it too. But at the end of the day, Duke is Duke and Iowa is Iowa..and it forever will be. Doesn’t matter who coaches.

I'm sure they said this same thing at Wisconsin, 20 years ago. Just look at the difference the right AD and the right President can make.

 

[tksirius]

Lol. C’mon man. I’ve been cheering the Hawks on my whole life. I’ve watched us play in one sweet 16 game in all my years and I’m 36. Things aren’t going to change as much as you or I want it to. It’s reality.

Well, certainly not as long as Gary Barta is the AD.

 

[Joshbrown]

Lol. C’mon man. I’ve been cheering the Hawks on my whole life. I’ve watched us play in one sweet 16 game in all my years that I can remember and I’m 36. Things aren’t going to change as much as you or I want it to. It’s reality.

Curious, how much do you want it to change?

 

[Tierney]

https://www.hawkeyenation.com/basketball/lost-season-iowa-hoops-doesnt-mean-end-near

First, I agree in the sense that he should not get fired (right now) based on the sum of the whole of what he has accomplished. I'm on record saying he should get 2 more years. However, I also think the program is on the downturn and he is very likely not going to get it done. I hope I'm wrong. I think it is going to take more than Fran's boys and Joe W to save an incomplete and poorly coached defensive team.

I do think Mr. Davis built up more street creed by year 8 compared to Fran though. Mr. Davis had 6 NCAA tourney appearances with 1 Elite Eight and 1 Sweet Sixteen in that time. Fran, by comparison, 3 NITS, 1 First Four (fringe NCAA invite), and 2 NCAA tourney appearances. But, I agree with Jon that Fran dug the program out of the grave so that is his saving grace right now.

I think he has 2 years to get a basketball fundamentally competent, NCAA tourney roster, complete with a true point guard and center that does not tank considerable portions of the regular season. I'm not holding my breath.

The end might not be here, but I think we are seeing the beginning stages of the final act. Even in Mr. Davis's 4-14 year, I still had hope for better days. That was a tough Big Ten and Iowa beat North Carolina that year. This is something completely else I'm watching.

The athletic director would never fire McCaffery unless there was a player revolt.

 

[lightning1]

Lol. C’mon man. I’ve been cheering the Hawks on my whole life. I’ve watched us play in one sweet 16 game in all my years that I can remember and I’m 36. Things aren’t going to change as much as you or I want it to. It’s reality.

He's right. If you don't demand better, you won't get it.

 

[MWS604]

Jon is an apologist for Hawkeye athletics. He's got a good thing going - access to the team, coaches, administrators. Being positive and lowering expectations is smart from a business perspective. Giving up on Fran won't happen until it is clear that Fran is going to get canned.

Most of us on this message board see issues that recur year after year and Fran is too stubborn to change and address those problems. Jon even raised a few of them.

I guess he thinks Fran will recruit a PG, bring on an assistant coach that helps develop a better defense, stop subbing as if this were the NHL, and start calling timeouts at the appropriate time. I'm not optimistic.

 

[Joshbrown]

Jon is an apologist for Hawkeye athletics. He's got a good thing going - access to the team, coaches, administrators. Being positive and lowering expectations is smart from a business perspective. Giving up on Fran won't happen until it is clear that Fran is going to get canned.

Most of us on this message board see issues that recur year after year and Fran is too stubborn to change and address those problems. Jon even raised a few of them.

I guess he thinks Fran will recruit a PG, bring on an assistant coach that helps develop a better defense, stop subbing as if this were the NHL, and start calling timeouts at the appropriate time. I'm not optimistic.

This brings up an interesting point.

For the sake of argument let's say FM got fired tomorrow.
Would Jon:
A) Say he thinks Barta made the right decision???
B) Say he thinks Barta made the wrong decision??

 

[tweeterhawk]

#DefeatistAttitude

No shit.

 

[MWS604]

This brings up an interesting point.

For the sake of argument let's say FM got fired tomorrow.
Would Jon:
A) Say he thinks Barta made the right decision???
B) Say he thinks Barta made the wrong decision??

LOL won't happen, it's a paradox just like you Can't go back in time and kill your grandfather

 

[lightning1]

The athletic director would never fire McCaffery unless there was a player revolt.

Not so sure about that. If paid attendance drops below 10K, he might not have any choice.

 

[smitharooney]

Lol. C’mon man. I’ve been cheering the Hawks on my whole life. I’ve watched us play in one sweet 16 game in all my years that I can remember and I’m 36. Things aren’t going to change as much as you or I want it to. It’s reality.

This is how Iowa fans felt until some guy named Lute showed up on campus . It can be done at this program . A competent AD can find the next young coach K who is hungry and looking to prove himself . The school just has to take a chance and give him a shot

 

[revkev73]

Never has so much talent, done so little, in Iowa sports history.

 

[tweeterhawk]

I don’t see what giving Fran one more year, or two, accomplishes other than prolonging the inevitable. Anyone can look at what is known about next year’s class and his recruiting and not feel a great sense of optimism.

Stop the bleeding now. Fire Fran.

 

[mopkins]

IMO I'm starting to think Fran just simply missed on the players he recently recruited. There's no leader of any kind on this team and there seems to be no heart of any kind except occasionally Baer and maybe some fire in Garza. The rest of the guys are either going through the motions or just out there for themselves.

The big question right now for me is this: Did Fran just get lucky with Aaron White, Jarrod Uthoff, and Peter Jok....or did Fran get unlucky with this batch of players he has now? At this point there's no real way of telling, but its interesting to think about.

Either way its on Fran, but these kids today are running the same offense and defense of the Iowa team that was at one point ranked 10th in the country and slotted as a one seed only a few years back.

 

[mopkins]

I don’t see what giving Fran one more year, or two, accomplishes other than prolonging the inevitable. Anyone can look at what is known about next year’s class and his recruiting and not feel a great sense of optimism.

Stop the bleeding now. Fire Fran.

If you fire Fran now, you pay him $4M over the next two years to not coach. You also lose Connor and Patrick (top 50 prospect according to every major outlet) guaranteed, and you probably lose Wieskamp (top 50 prospect) to who knows where...quite possibly Iowa State.

So you're going into next season with nothing as far as recruits and who knows who else leaves your current program. Cook maybe transfers or just tests the pro waters, etc.

IMO it just makes zero sense whatsoever to fire Fran during or after this season. No matter who you brought in next year the program would be a wasteland. It makes a lot more sense to give Fran a year or two more to right the ship. After the 2019-20 season Fran's contract is up, Cook/Bohannon/Moss/Pemsl/Kriener/Dailey all are gone. Nunge/Garza would be seniors and Wieskamp would be a junior...which is at least a decent enough core for a new coach to start building a program with.

 

[Kennyfromminne]

Then why even fucking play? For the fun of it? This ain’t fun, slick.

What a shit attitude. I hope you didn’t pass that garbage onto your kids.

Participation trophies for all

 

[smitharooney]

IMO I'm starting to think Fran just simply missed on the players he recently recruited. There's no leader of any kind on this team and there seems to be no heart of any kind except occasionally Baer and maybe some fire in Garza. The rest of the guys are either going through the motions or just out there for themselves.

The big question right now for me is this: Did Fran just get lucky with Aaron White, Jarrod Uthoff, and Peter Jok....or did Fran get unlucky with this batch of players he has now? At this point there's no real way of telling, but its interesting to think about.

Either way its on Fran, but these kids today are running the same offense and defense of the Iowa team that was at one point ranked 10th in the country and slotted as a one seed only a few years back.

I thought there was maybe some fire in Garza until last night when he got out of the way like a wuss and let a guard bring it home to his momma. If I was as worthless as him at rebounding and playing defense I would have still put that punk on his ass and gave him notice you aren’t going to try and embarrass me and my teammates. This team has no backbone or pride. They let Rutgers turn the last few minutes into a playground slam dunk contest

 

[theboat]

I’m frustrated. I love Iowa Basketball. I want nothing more than to watch great basketball every year. Fran has brought some excitement back to the program. I’ve definitely been entertained the last 5 years. This year is brutal yes, it’s easy to call out Fran right now. Jon’s article is realistic, even if you disagree. We are never going to be Duke, UNC, Kansas, Kentucky, etc. The problem with it all is Iowa fans are rabid and have huge hearts. We are passionate. We want nothing more than to compete with the big boys every year. It often leads to major disappointment or major frustration, because in all reality, we will never compete with the big boys. Jon is realistic. Fran needs a longer leash. If it continues the next year or two..move on.

Iowa Basketball will never reach any of our expectations. It’s a hard thing to fathom. I struggle with it too. But at the end of the day, Duke is Duke and Iowa is Iowa..and it forever will be. Doesn’t matter who coaches.

I haven’t seen one person that expects Iowa to be Duke, but there is no reason they can’t be Purdue or even Wichita State. Good coaches win wherever they are. Fran is an average coach at best. His best years were average. You and Jon are happy with average.

I try to teach my kids every day that failing something is not as bad as not trying. I want them to push themselves to be better and understand that it isn’t always easy. Some Iowa fans like you and Jon would just rather eat the same breakfast every day, drive your dodge stratus, and root for an Iowa team that is content with average or below because it’s easy.

 

[Fryowa]

Never has so much talent, done so little, in Iowa sports history.

That’s where everyone’s wrong. There’s not a huge amount of talent. The recruiting hype and high school film (which is crap for predicting college performance, btw) made you think there’s all kinds of talent, but there isn’t.

If there were “so much talent,” we wouldn’t be having this thread.