New Article: The Unreached Summit, a history of modern Iowa bball

Wasn't there an injury situation on the 2001/2002 team. Was it Recker's ankle or wrist or something? I just remember not being as surprised at the drop-off as one would expect.

This article does a nice job of outlining how things went, but I think it takes a little too rosy turn when it gets to the current situation. It really should have been honest about last year being a continuation one of the worst stretches in the history of the program. He was brutally honest regarding all the other regimes, he should maintain the same perspective until things actually turn around.
 
CAARHawk said:
Wasn't there an injury situation on the 2001/2002 team. Was it Recker's ankle or wrist or something? I just remember not being as surprised at the drop-off as one would expect.

This article does a nice job of outlining how things went, but I think it takes a little too rosy turn when it gets to the current situation. It really should have been honest about last year being a continuation one of the worst stretches in the history of the program. He was brutally honest regarding all the other regimes, he should maintain the same perspective until things actually turn around.
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Yeah, I think it was 2000-01 where Recker fractured his knee.. The team was 17-4 at the time if IIRC, and lost something like 7 of 8 after the injury. Most of those were close losses too that would likely have been W's if we had Recker in the lineup.

I agree that I think it's a little too early to say the bad days are over - we've won only 22 games the last two years. But, Fran seems to instill confidence in many ways. I'm hoping that means the results are soon to come.
 
I seriously doubt that Artis Gilmore played for Jacksonville in 1970 and returned to do graduate work at UNLV in 1987 just so he could play Iowa in the Final Four for the second time.
 
1977Hawkeye said:
Yeah, I think it was 2000-01 where Recker fractured his knee.. The team was 17-4 at the time if IIRC, and lost something like 7 of 8 after the injury. Most of those were close losses too that would likely have been W's if we had Recker in the lineup.

I agree that I think it's a little too early to say the bad days are over - we've won only 22 games the last two years. But, Fran seems to instill confidence in many ways. I'm hoping that means the results are soon to come.
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I meet Fran the other day and I can say he absolutely exudes confidence. I can see why kids would want to play for him. Very personable and grounded guy. I think he is definitely headed in the right direction
 
Hey Joe - you gotta be spelling McCaffery's name right. ;)

One thing I will argue is the attendance thing. Last year was not equal to the height of the Alford Era. In Jeff and Greg's senior year, Carver-Hawkeye was continually sold out. Yes, attendance rebounded last year, but it's still not to that level yet.
 
MisterLucky said:
I seriously doubt that Artis Gilmore played for Jacksonville in 1970 and returned to do graduate work at UNLV in 1987 just so he could play Iowa in the Final Four for the second time.
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Are you thinking of Armon Gilliam, who played for UNLV on that 1987 team? Artis Gilmore was most definitely on the 1970 Jacksonville team....
 
switch351 said:
I meet Fran the other day and I can say he absolutely exudes confidence. I can see why kids would want to play for him. Very personable and grounded guy. I think he is definitely headed in the right direction
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I agree Fran seems to have the "It" factor, but there is no real indication that it is translating into kids wanting to play for him. Iowa has one of the lowest ranked recruiting classes in the conference coming in and only one verbal for a class in which he has 5 available scholarships.

So again, that is something that still needs to be seen. What can be
said, just by considering HUB, BC, and Mel, is that he does a nice job of turning over every stone. We hope he can get to the point when he can recruit straight up against the big boys and not have to work so much around the edges. But, for now, it is nice to have someone who is that resourceful.
 
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Things definitely seem like they are going in the right direction. I think Iowa lost 7 or 8 games last year by two possessions or less. The schedule this year is about as good as you could hope for a team that needs to learn how to win again. I Iowa can stay healthy I think this team can win at least 18 and possibly 20 given the schedule. Would have to win at least 22 or 23 to get to dance with the likely rpi so not planning on that.
 
Recker never returned to action in the 2001 BT Tourney, or any time for Iowa that season...he made the game winner in the 2002 tourney. That tourney was a lot of Reggie Evans, some gutty performances by Oliver and Boyd and even Duez.
 
2000-2001 was a real nice team

Senior PG Oliver
Killer 2G in Recker
Devasting forward in Evans
Shooters: Hogan, Boyd
Glue: Duez
Bench: Worley, Reiner, Thompson

I think they were 6-2 in B10 play before Recker went down...Illinois & MSU won it that year at 13-3. I think the Iowa team, sans injuries, could have gone the last half 7-1 or 6-2...

Iowa was helped out when #2 seed MSU lost to #7 PSU, a team Iowa beat by 20 in the semis, and on the other side, #4 seed Indiana beat #1 seed ILL...but that was an amazing run.
 
JonDMiller said:
2000-2001 was a real nice team

Senior PG Oliver
Killer 2G in Recker
Devasting forward in Evans
Shooters: Hogan, Boyd
Glue: Duez
Bench: Worley, Reiner, Thompson

I think they were 6-2 in B10 play before Recker went down...Illinois & MSU won it that year at 13-3. I think the Iowa team, sans injuries, could have gone the last half 7-1 or 6-2...

Iowa was helped out when #2 seed MSU lost to #7 PSU, a team Iowa beat by 20 in the semis, and on the other side, #4 seed Indiana beat #1 seed ILL...but that was an amazing run.
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To my mind, Iowa has had a history of untimely injuries or setbacks just when they appeared to be ready to turn the corner to another level. This was one of those injuries. That season, with Evans down low and Oliver running the point, Recker was in an ideal situation to be able to score basically at will until his injury. Iowa would have been a very tough out with a healthy Recker in the BT that year. The next season, Pierce arrived and we know how that worked out.
 
storminspank said:
Hey Joe - you gotta be spelling McCaffery's name right. ;)

One thing I will argue is the attendance thing. Last year was not equal to the height of the Alford Era. In Jeff and Greg's senior year, Carver-Hawkeye was continually sold out. Yes, attendance rebounded last year, but it's still not to that level yet.
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Not to nitpick, but didn't they have attendance issues that year up until mid-February? I could be wrong on this, but it was after the Illinois game is when everyone bought in. I recall it took a gimmick/promotion to sell that game out.

For whatever reason that game stands out because of the atmosphere that got you a little nostalgic of what Carver used to be and Jeff Horner's left handed break away dunk.
 
...thus why Alford was let go. While Alford did have two or three good teams, the brand of Iowa basketball disintegrated under his control. At least under Davis there was annual hope. Alford had only two teams that could make some noise and they were both colossal disappointments. But, I felt that the meat of the article was in the pre-1983 content. I never realized how dominant Sam Williams actually was...nor how good Iowa actually was 1954-1980.
 
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