Light Years

[cockyhawkfan]

This team is light years ahead of last years team and what they would have been this year with Lick. I took nothing away from last nights close loss except frustration. No more moral victories for me. Because it's clear to me this coach is making our team better. And the reality is, we were still going to be a bottom tier team this year no matter what. But I can guarantee no Big Ten team has looked forward to playing us this season. I don't think the same can be said for the last few.

If coach Fran can continue this pace of improvement I think we're a bubble team in two years. If he can pick up a couple key recruits and help May find his role, maybe they can do better who knows. But I like what I am seeing and its hard to deny that excitement is building around this program again.

 

[ICHAWK]

This team is light years ahead of last years team and what they would have been this year with Lick. I took nothing away from last nights close loss except frustration. No more moral victories for me. Because it's clear to me this coach is making our team better. And the reality is, we were still going to be a bottom tier team this year no matter what. But I can guarantee no Big Ten team has looked forward to playing us this season. I don't think the same can be said for the last few.

If coach Fran can continue this pace of improvement I think we're a bubble team in two years. If he can pick up a couple key recruits and help May find his role, maybe they can do better who knows. But I like what I am seeing and its hard to deny that excitement is building around this program again.

Just Imagine how bad this team would be:

Cully Payne
John Lickliter
Ben Brust
Devyn Marble
Zach McCabe
Eric May
Matt Gatens
Andrew Brommer
Devon Archie
Cody Larson
Jarryd Cole

Holly Hell! I think I would have officially given up on Iowa Basketball....

This really puts in perspective the IMPACT 2 players can make to a team, along with a coach willing to coach to strenghts. Cartwright and Basabe replace Larson and Brust, and Iowa actually is a team that actually somewhat looks like the belong on the court a lot of the time.

The however shows that Fran knows he needs to turn the roster over and recruit over guys. You can really see it with PG, he is really recruiting over Cully Payne right now working the JUCO route again. I think he will recruit over Eric May as well if he can find a wing player.

It's scary that some people actually were in favor of giving Lickliter more time.

 

[JHHawk]

Agree. As Fran said earlier in the year,'' you are never as far away as you or the fans might think''....and I agree. If we added two guys like Bryce and Mel to this squad this spring,that might give us the critical mass of athletes to take pressure off of our role players,and we could make a solid jump next year with the league losing a ton of players.

I have faith in Frans coaching ability,and evaluation skills,so that just leaves his salesmenship on the recruiting circut,which I suspect are also good....our day is coming.

 

[bkim24]

Just Imagine how bad this team would be:

Cully Payne
John Lickliter
Ben Brust
Devyn Marble
Zach McCabe
Eric May
Matt Gatens
Andrew Brommer
Devon Archie
Cody Larson
Jarryd Cole

Holly Hell! I think I would have officially given up on Iowa Basketball....

This really puts in perspective the IMPACT 2 players can make to a team, along with a coach willing to coach to strenghts. Cartwright and Basabe replace Larson and Brust, and Iowa actually is a team that actually somewhat looks like the belong on the court a lot of the time.

The however shows that Fran knows he needs to turn the roster over and recruit over guys. You can really see it with PG, he is really recruiting over Cully Payne right now working the JUCO route again. I think he will recruit over Eric May as well if he can find a wing player.

It's scary that some people actually were in favor of giving Lickliter more time.

Starting five w/o Cully
Brust
Gatens (questionable he was coming back)/Marble
May
Mccabe
Cole

.....brutal

I might have started Brommer just so we can say were the only team in America that starts 5 White guys

 

[sportstalent]

Agree. As Fran said earlier in the year,'' you are never as far away as you or the fans might think''....and I agree. If we added two guys like Bryce and Mel to this squad this spring,that might give us the critical mass of athletes to take pressure off of our role players,and we could make a solid jump next year with the league losing a ton of players.

I have faith in Frans coaching ability,and evaluation skills,so that just leaves his salesmenship on the recruiting circut,which I suspect are also good....our day is coming.

You have to agree with Fran on that quote, no doubt. Do we have to add two guys like Cartwright/Basabe? It would be nice, it isn't as essential as it was this year though. That being said, I like Shaquille Stokes and Eric Katenda a lot to fit that mold of Cartwright/Basabe and Iowa will benefit in the end for that. The 2010 class is much better in reality than it was on paper, I don't think anyone can disagree with that. The 2011 class, so far will be better in reality than on paper because this staff can coach, it is evident, one word, Brommer. Andrew is not going to be an All-BT performer, but is that the end of the world, no, but if he gives Iowa something, like rebounding or toughness, just something that Iowa can rely on night in and night out then Iowa is a better team for it, to a point Brommer has in most games, some more than others. That is what this staff can do though, get players to buy into roles, without question. If the opposite were true then this team would have folded when down 13 even though it was the first half.
The only team that has improved more than Iowa in the BT from game one is Michigan. We will only see how much this team has really improved when the non-conference start next year...my prediction, Iowa has 11 wins heading into BT play next season. This season has went about as planned, when Iowa signs two more players, I am hoping the two above, it gives Iowa more depth than it has had for a long time and that matters. Even if Iowa doesn't sign more players, Oglesby/White will provide scoring and versatility from the bench, something Iowa has lacked for a long time as well.

 

[JHHawk]

Next year,non-conference schedule will include road games at UNI and ISU...both should be tough,so not going to make any predictions at this point. ACC Challenge is always tough,and we probably play some good teams in a holiday tourny. 11 wins means maybe only 2 losses,which could be a bit much for this team...we will see.