Wieskamp will be first team all big 10 next year.
Liam Robbins in Transfer Portal!
- Thread starter ssckelley
- Start date
Next year's roster is the roster people have been bitching about not having. They just don't know it yet. 3 quick athletic guards and 3 or 4 athletic wings. We could easily see a lineup of Toussaint, Perkins, Patrick, Wieskamp, and Keegan. That would be like something we've never seen under Fran.
WindsorHawk
Well-Known Member
Appreciate the post. You reminded me of my granddaughter. She’s 15 months old and just points at things and laughs.
You should double check your sources. We finished alone in 3rd two full games ahead of 5th. You say we barely made top 4 when we were as close to 2nd as 5th.
Fryowa
Administrator
Two full games, huh....
That doesn't exactly scream dominance over 3 and 4 to me.
And that still says nothing about making up for Garza's offense. He carried this team in each and every way and there is zero chance you replace those points and space creation with Liam Robbins.
Iowa was the 5th highest scoring team in D-1 last year with 80.3 PPG. Luka Garza had 24.1 of those himself which is exactly 30%. And that totally ignores the open shooting he created for other players when he was getting double and triple-teamed. In what galaxy could you even think for half a second that you're going to replace that kind of production with Liam Robbins (or anyone else in the portal)?
I mean, I really want to hear the explanation on this one...
WindsorHawk
Well-Known Member
Let’s review my post. I’m hopeful (feeling or inspiring optimism about a future event). Hopeful is a good thing.
I then gave my honest (free of deceit and untruthfulness; sincere) opinion. Honesty is a good thing.
I then gave my opinion (a view or judgment formed about something, not necessarily based on fact or knowledge). And opinions are great because everybody gets one. And it’s totally fine if they are completely different.
Finally, I suggested it could improve the team by bringing everyone back and possibly helping Iowa land another transfer to potentially improve next year’s team.
I’m comfortable with my post and stand by it. And please don’t think I’m calling you out or upset in any way because that’s definitely not the case.
WindsorHawk
Well-Known Member
You always say stuff like this. I assume you’re just cautious by nature and don’t want to get your hopes up. And that’s cool.
If Robbins doesn’t come I will be less optimistic about next year. But my current optimism won’t cause me to have a mental breakdown if we go 6-14 in the BT. I’ll just be a little bummed.
WindsorHawk
Well-Known Member
This is a fair and insightful post/question and I will give my opinion and reason for optimism. Please remember this is my opinion not a statement of fact.
When Robbins got hurt I thought he was developing into a special player. IMO he was looking like the 2nd best center in the conference. He defends. He shoots the 3. He gets to the line. He plays hard. He didn’t play dirty or act like a punk...Fran won’t even take him if he is.
I also like that he’s a self made man. He took a unique path. He lost weight. He worked hard. He proved himself at the mid major level. He proved himself at the BT level IMO.
And I don’t expect him to be Garza. I think he helps cover a fair amount of what we lost in Garza. And he’s not a freshman. He’s fully developed physical D1 major conference talent.
His presence could also make current players and potential transfers think more highly of Iowa’s prospects for next year...helping offset some more of Garza’s loss.
Side Note - I expect Keegan, Patrick and others to improve and also help offset Garza’s lost contributions.
Edit - If he had stayed healthy I think MN makes the NCAA Tournament.
Last edited:
hawkdrummer1
Well-Known Member
Reports elsewhere are saying Robbins has had a couple of phone chats w Fran and he got a call from Luka. It's not a done deal, but IOWA seems to be in good position.
MelroseHawkins
Well-Known Member
Step right in where Garlza left off????????? Garza was a two time All-American and POY. In the all-time history of Iowa basketball, he was Iowa's only unanimous POY selection.
MelroseHawkins
Well-Known Member
Fair enough! He would definitely fill a void, especially with losing Nunge as well. 7 footers just don't fall into team's laps all too often.
chucktownhawk
Well-Known Member
Let's get back to bringing in the reins. I'm kind into that 
thedukeofearl
Well-Known Member
One good thing about Fran not putting enough priority on defense is he puts a huge priority on offense. Fran's offense is a decent percentage of the reason Garza put up those numbers. No one player needs to make up his numbers tho. They just need to find a way to make up for the loss of his high efficiency.
ssckelley
Well-Known Member
Come on now, you know damn well what I meant. No, I don't expect Garza level of production, but he will fill a huge hole underneath the basket. In that aspect he will pick up where Garza left off. I wouldn't expect anyone to come in and put up Garza type numbers.
1977Hawkeye
Well-Known Member
Exactly. Just having someone serviceable in there instead of nothing but a gaping hole where Garza used to be, would be nice. Obviously some others from elsewhere on the court will need to help pick up the slack for the production Garza left behind.
InGoodCo
Well-Known Member
I think Iowa is a 7 seed or better with Joe back next season, bubble without him and I mostly think that just because of all the unknowns. But, surprisingly, for as much as we lose, we have a nice little nucleus with Joe T, Patrick, CJ and Murray
Like @PCHawk said, what's in the mix is what Iowa fans have been harping on forever for Iowa to have. Athletic guards and tall wings/forward highbred type players.
Some how that translates to Iowa not being very good in some people's minds, but I personally think the opposite and frankly, this is why I've been adamant about this team not being Iowa's ceiling. I mean, it might be seed wise (a 2 is tough to get and a 1 takes a special season) but it's definitely not the ceiling of how good Iowa can be and perform. I think what's on the roster now could very well have a higher ceiling depending on how they develop and what other pieces they ad.
When Marble graduated, everyone said the same thing. When White graduated, everyone said the same thing. When Uthoff graduated, everyone said the same thing.
I could keep going, but the narrative on most fan boards after every season is "well, so and so's gone, guess it's back to the NIT" .... and to those people I want to ask, like are you paying attention to this program? Fran is going to have another all conference 1st team caliber guy on his roster likely by next season and that's if Joe leaves or not.
Like @PCHawk said, what's in the mix is what Iowa fans have been harping on forever for Iowa to have. Athletic guards and tall wings/forward highbred type players.
Some how that translates to Iowa not being very good in some people's minds, but I personally think the opposite and frankly, this is why I've been adamant about this team not being Iowa's ceiling. I mean, it might be seed wise (a 2 is tough to get and a 1 takes a special season) but it's definitely not the ceiling of how good Iowa can be and perform. I think what's on the roster now could very well have a higher ceiling depending on how they develop and what other pieces they ad.
When Marble graduated, everyone said the same thing. When White graduated, everyone said the same thing. When Uthoff graduated, everyone said the same thing.
I could keep going, but the narrative on most fan boards after every season is "well, so and so's gone, guess it's back to the NIT" .... and to those people I want to ask, like are you paying attention to this program? Fran is going to have another all conference 1st team caliber guy on his roster likely by next season and that's if Joe leaves or not.
Fryowa
Administrator
I will get roasted for this but I think Murray is a more important piece to this team than Weezy. Keegan played like a veteran this year other than fouling a lot, and that's something he's already said he was aware of and was working on. I'd definitely rather have a guy who was aggressive playing defense and rebounding than one who's holding back.
Murray was by far the smoothest player to the basket and it seemed like he always finished. Some of those reverse layups he got to fall in traffic were things of beauty. He plays hard D and gets down the floor, I just see him being the centerpiece next season.
Chickenlounge
Well-Known Member
Did you forget we still have the best post feeder on the planet, dare I say the galaxy?
1977Hawkeye
Well-Known Member
I mainly just think the new guys coming in next year are inexperienced and that there's no way IMO that next year won't be a drop off. Two years from now? We'll see.
I've been watching Iowa basketball long enough (since the mid 1980's) to know that years after we lose a lot of production (like right now), there has traditionally been a fairly sharp drop off.
1989-90: No postseason (BJ, Roy, Ed graduated)
1993-94: No postseason (Earl, Barnes graduated, Kevin Smith left, and Chris Street)
1999-00: No postseason (Settles, Koch, McCausland, etc. were gone)
2006-07: No postseason (Haluska, Horner, Brunner all gone)
2016-17: NIT (Gesell, Woodbury, etc. gone)
One exception I can think of was the 1996-97 team. That team finished 2nd in the Big 10 and took Kentucky to the wire in the 2nd round. That, after losing Millard, Murray, Kingsbury from the year before, and Settles was also supposed to be on that team but had the back injury. That team did also have a guy running the point who led the conference in scoring and assists, yet somehow didn't win B10 POY, and we won't have anyone like that at PG unless someone really emerges... Woolridge was a senior, though.
This all assumes Wieskamp is gone, and if he returns this changes my narrative, but we are presumably losing Garza, Bohannon, and Nunge for sure. Anyone else?
If Robbins joins us and JW comes back - I can see NCAA tournament. We'll just have to see how it shakes out. The roster is hardly set. I just expect next year to be a rebuild type year due to general inexperience and how these types of things have gone in the past.
Last edited:
1977Hawkeye
Well-Known Member
I love the guy. He's already pretty good, but add a bit more strength and if he can improve his shooting some, he'd be dynamite. Defensively, he's a lot like his old man. Very active, gets a lot of deflections, tips and steals.
