Lick's Conference Call Today

[HawkIreign]

Has Payne improved?
Has Fuller improved?
Has May improved?
Has Brommer improved?

Has the team moved the ball inside to the post more this season than in the past two seasons?
Has the team played competitively against some really good teams, i.e. Purdue, OSU, Michigan St?
Hell, many of you thought Iowa would not win a game in the conference, so 4 wins should be well past your wildest expectations?

Yes, they have layed some eggs, but that is to be expected from the youngest team in the entire conference.

This team has improved and is developing a good core of players going into next year from where I sit.

I'll agree that they have shown improvement in certain areas but they still look like a monkey humping a football as a unit.

 

[ForeverHawk]

I'll agree that they have shown improvement in certain areas but they still look like a monkey humping a football as a unit.

Sometimes, yes. But not all the time. I have said many times that I am disappointed with how things have gone. I have given Lick the benefit of the doubt on all the transfers, including Tucker. My perception would change if any of the core players leaves at the end of this season. This was one of the reasons why I had absolutely zero expectations this season. Perhaps that is why I do not get worked up over losses. But I see improvement, I see a good core developing and I really like our incoming class. That has given me reasons for optimism going into next season and I think this team will be substantially better.

I get tired typing the same thing over and over. I would think some of the rest of you would as well, positive or negative?

 

[urohawk]

OK first of all, throw out the schedule. I know they haven't gotten any "signature" wins (for lack of a better word although the NW win is pretty close but again, they're without Coble too). But let's just talk pure x's and o's. You aren't seeing a different team? Well maybe you aren't because like you said, you didn't watch much of the first half of the season. Well I did. I can honestly tell you I think they are playing better basketball. They have their ups and downs (obviously more downs) but they are hitting cutters better, getting the ball inside, playing better defense, rebounding better...you name it. And are they good at those things? Not really. Some times yes, some times no. But at the beginning of the year, they were god awful. That's all I'm saying. I'm not proclaiming they have "turned the corner" because obviously that only happens when you start winning more.

The hope though, is that they don't have to start over again next year. That will go a long way to their progression in building the program. I don't know, it just seems to me that because you are so anti-Lick that you won't even admit you are seeing them play better is all.

Totally agree Azmess. They are playing better and at times entertaining basketball. I can understand people saying that when you start out at god-awful than there is no place but up. While I agree to an extent there are plenty of teams that don't improve w/ similar talent levels and experience (Indiana for one).

Your last paragraph nailed it...if the starters all return, where can coach take a team that is not starting over? I am not justifying the fact that he has had to start over this year, simply asking the question. And the point is that w/ improvement seen this year, you don't really know what he can do when he has a roster full of his own players w/ experience. Personally I don't think they will have a great year next year b/c they lack a great perimeter athlete but I don't know.

Of course if they get run out of the gym their next 3 games maybe I won't even believe what I just wrote.

 

[DesMoinesHawki]

Like he!! they have! The worst Iowa basketball team in history beat the worst basketball team in Indiana history.... We are 2-7 over our last 9 games and 1-3 in our last 4. That's not improving, that's simply playing an opponent that sucks worse than you do.

Thank you. Could not have said it any better ... Indiana is absolutely horrible. That was the worst Indiana team I have EVER seen take the court. Absolutely horrible ... Our RPI is horrible. Our team is horrible ... And we can only beat the low lifes of the Big 10 ... We go to Wisky and get kicked by 23 at least ... That is not progress Lick ... You are sinking the Iowa program to depths it has never known ... But, you are still taking home your big fat pay check ...

 

[ShadasRevenge]

Thank you. Could not have said it any better ... Indiana is absolutely horrible. That was the worst Indiana team I have EVER seen take the court. Absolutely horrible ... Our RPI is horrible. Our team is horrible ... And we can only beat the low lifes of the Big 10 ... We go to Wisky and get kicked by 23 at least ... That is not progress Lick ... You are sinking the Iowa program to depths it has never known ... But, you are still taking home your big fat pay check ...

This....stream....of....conciousness....is....hard.....to......read.

 

[ShadasRevenge]

Totally agree Azmess. They are playing better and at times entertaining basketball. I can understand people saying that when you start out at god-awful than there is no place but up. While I agree to an extent there are plenty of teams that don't improve w/ similar talent levels and experience (Indiana for one).

Your last paragraph nailed it...if the starters all return, where can coach take a team that is not starting over? I am not justifying the fact that he has had to start over this year, simply asking the question. And the point is that w/ improvement seen this year, you don't really know what he can do when he has a roster full of his own players w/ experience. Personally I don't think they will have a great year next year b/c they lack a great perimeter athlete but I don't know.

Of course if they get run out of the gym their next 3 games maybe I won't even believe what I just wrote.

That could very well happen, but I think that most people here realize that Iowa has probably won it's last game for the year. I don't think any of us expect Iowa to beat Minnesota or Wisconsin or Michigan (if that's who it is) next Thursday.

 

[AZmess]

That could very well happen, but I think that most people here realize that Iowa has probably won it's last game for the year. I don't think any of us expect Iowa to beat Minnesota or Wisconsin or Michigan (if that's who it is) next Thursday.

DON'T QUIT ON ME NOW!!!!!

 

[lightning1]

Nice try coach. Bringing Tom Brands into the opening paragraph. Success by association isnt going to get it done.
FAIL!

 

[lightning1]

You guys cant talk about the improvement of this team. It is worse than last year.
and that team was worse than the year before.
I could pick up a basketball again, play for 1 year straight and there will be improvement in my game. That doesnt mean I am suiting up for the Houston Rockets. That doesnt mean I am getting a shoe deal with Nike. Not good enough, even when its showing some improvement, still isnt good enough.
Todd Lickliter isnt good enough.
This isnt Missouri, but you still have to show me. Show me the wins, coach.
Show me the steady incline of the program in the W/L column.
Show me the NCAA tournament seed.
Show me the NCAA tournament win.
Show me, coach.

 

[AZmess]

We can and we are.

 

[lightning1]

We can and we are.

I guess you can, techniqually. You just cant do it with much credibility. No offense intended.

 

[ShadasRevenge]

I guess you can, techniqually. You just cant do it with much credibility. No offense intended.

His point is (and has been throughout the season) that the team has improved each time out. They're playing better now than they were in November.

 

[joemc1]

Why is it such an accomplishment to be playing better now than November? My golf game is better in August than it is in March. With that and 50 cents, you can get a cheap cup of coffee.

 

[parquet]

His point is (and has been throughout the season) that the team has improved each time out. They're playing better now than they were in November.

I'll give you the last statement, but not the "each time out" part.

 

[ShadasRevenge]

I'll give you the last statement, but not the "each time out" part.

Yeah, thats true. They've had some stinkers. Nothing like what happened to ISU tonight, but still some turds in the punch bowl.

 

[azhawkphan]

Thank you. Could not have said it any better ... Indiana is absolutely horrible. That was the worst Indiana team I have EVER seen take the court. Absolutely horrible ... Our RPI is horrible. Our team is horrible ... And we can only beat the low lifes of the Big 10 ... We go to Wisky and get kicked by 23 at least ... That is not progress Lick ... You are sinking the Iowa program to depths it has never known ... But, you are still taking home your big fat pay check ...

Holy Crap! This is getting absurd. 12345, jparmley, DesMoinesHawk... you guys have to be the most negative, myopic people, just have to be. Can't see the forest through the trees.
DesMoinesHawk - please don't hold the amount of $$$ Lick makes against him. I don't know him personally, but my guess would be that Lick doesn't like losing these games any more than we do. He isn't tanking anything on purpose. Lick doesn't earn the average compensation for a BT bball coach. Be mad at the amount of money coaches make in comparison to teachers/nurses/hospice care providers, but don't hold the amount of money somebody makes against them... seems very petty.
Also, Lick is not going anywhere anytime soon. Are any of you going to come up with the approx. $2.4M buyout? I am not I know that. I am sure the donors that can, know what the plan/direction is (I am definitely sure there is one) and are comfortable with it. I agree the current product on the floor is not exciting, but I have watched Lick's teams at Butler and they played good exciting basketball IMO. I am not a Lick supporter or hater... I think he could have done better or done some things differently, but I also strongly think that there are much bigger problems to fix than our coach (which appears Barta/Lick seem to be addressing).
Also, this blaming only Lick for "the sinking of the Iowa program" has to stop. Lick wasn't here in the 90s and 00s when the Iowa bball program saw virtually no investment ($$$ wise) back into the program. Lick wasn't here when the Iowa bball program saw a constant downward slide in success in the 90s and 00s. I think the Iowa program had bigger problems than most realize when Alford left. There was a reason that a "name coach" didn't even sniff Iowa (no Pearl didn't sniff us, he used us) when we were replacing Alford.
The reason for hope in the program is not in the improvement of this year's team although there has been IMO. The reason for hope is that the transferring of core players stop (hopefully), Barta/Lick have gotten investment $$$ back into the program in the form of new practice/strength facilities and a new strength coach, the recruiting seems to have improved, individual improvement of Fuller, Payne, and May. There is reason for hope guys. You have to know what you are fixing before you make a correction. I am not sure firing Lick at this point is going to get us what we want any sooner... in fact it may delay it even further.

 

[hawkeye12345]

We can and we are.

Are you lobbying for a job on the coaching staff?

 

[hawkeye12345]

Holy Crap! This is getting absurd. 12345, jparmley, DesMoinesHawk... you guys have to be the most negative, myopic people, just have to be. Can't see the forest through the trees.
DesMoinesHawk - please don't hold the amount of $$$ Lick makes against him. I don't know him personally, but my guess would be that Lick doesn't like losing these games any more than we do. He isn't tanking anything on purpose. Lick doesn't earn the average compensation for a BT bball coach. Be mad at the amount of money coaches make in comparison to teachers/nurses/hospice care providers, but don't hold the amount of money somebody makes against them... seems very petty.
Also, Lick is not going anywhere anytime soon. Are any of you going to come up with the approx. $2.4M buyout? I am not I know that. I am sure the donors that can, know what the plan/direction is (I am definitely sure there is one) and are comfortable with it. I agree the current product on the floor is not exciting, but I have watched Lick's teams at Butler and they played good exciting basketball IMO. I am not a Lick supporter or hater... I think he could have done better or done some things differently, but I also strongly think that there are much bigger problems to fix than our coach (which appears Barta/Lick seem to be addressing).
Also, this blaming only Lick for "the sinking of the Iowa program" has to stop. Lick wasn't here in the 90s and 00s when the Iowa bball program saw virtually no investment ($$$ wise) back into the program. Lick wasn't here when the Iowa bball program saw a constant downward slide in success in the 90s and 00s. I think the Iowa program had bigger problems than most realize when Alford left. There was a reason that a "name coach" didn't even sniff Iowa (no Pearl didn't sniff us, he used us) when we were replacing Alford.
The reason for hope in the program is not in the improvement of this year's team although there has been IMO. The reason for hope is that the transferring of core players stop (hopefully), Barta/Lick have gotten investment $$$ back into the program in the form of new practice/strength facilities and a new strength coach, the recruiting seems to have improved, individual improvement of Fuller, Payne, and May. There is reason for hope guys. You have to know what you are fixing before you make a correction. I am not sure firing Lick at this point is going to get us what we want any sooner... in fact it may delay it even further.

You are clearly trying to compete against DatSuccess for the longest run on sentence ever posted on this forum.. Well done.

 

[AZmess]

Why is it such an accomplishment to be playing better now than November? My golf game is better in August than it is in March. With that and 50 cents, you can get a cheap cup of coffee.

Its not a given that every team will play better as the season goes on. There are plenty of teams out there that are tanking as opposed to peaking.

I'm not saying its earth shattering by any means....

 

[jparmley3]

Its not a given that every team will play better as the season goes on. There are plenty of teams out there that are tanking as opposed to peaking.

I'm not saying its earth shattering by any means....

OK, let's say I give you the 'we are playing better now than at the beginning of the season' argument.

The bottom line is that we have won 10 games in year #3 of Coach Lickliter's run.

Which is less than last year.
And last year was less than the previous year.

Are you noticing a trend?

While we may be 'improving' each game, as you say, the overall product has always been and will always be judged by the Win/Loss record.

And, right now at Iowa, we are being judged on a Loss/Win scale.

I wish I was paid $1.3 million to fail 60% of the time.

(not so) FUN STAT:

In 3 years at Iowa, Lick is the worst coach by winning % in the history of the Program.

In 3 years at UNM, the guy everyone ran out of Iowa (Steve Alford), holds the best winning % of any coach in the history of Lobo hoops. (doubling Todd Lickliter in wins during the same time: 73 to 37 as of 3/2/10)