Yep, I would say you nailed it pretty good.
This past loss was a bad one. When your dealing with college age athletes you’re going to have a game like this pop up once every couple of years. The big question will be how does the team respond? That’s when you find out what you’re made out of.
Also you bring up a good question about how long is just getting to the tourney good enough? When do fans start expecting more? Maybe the Iowa fan base toleration level equals that of the Chicago Cubs fans base or the Chicago Bears. That was one hell of season in 1985 for “da bears” but that was 37 years ago. That’s mind boggling for those of us that were around then. I was in my twenties then.
As a cubs, bears, and Iowa fan this is frustrating to say the least. It almost sounds, dare I say it, cyclonish……… when the mindset accepts it.
For sure......there is a chance though that Fran may solve this problem....and not exactly favorably. We may not have to wait and see how long is to long to go without a Sweet 16 because:
With Fran's history of uneven recruiting (and indifference to half-court defense)....and eventually he is going to run out of former Mr. Davis's former player's offsprings.....and landing a Garza or KM is like lightening striking twice and we don't have Doc Brown's time machine to know when lightening will strike again........
We will have to watch and see if Fran starts to struggle to get these guys into the Big Dance period.
Not saying doomsday is coming for Fran, but he may have his work cut out for him. Hopefully that Brock Harding kid becomes the guard that has always eluded Fran and he gets a true big man or two that really works out for him.
He needed to spin the straw into gold when he had the chance....and he made iron pyrite in the NCAAs with Garza and KM. To think what could have been with future recruiting had significant runs happened.
And, Austin Gary Barta Powers won't be around forever gnawing his snaggle-tooth teeth into the Kinnick bleachers.
In terms of this year and what has transpired already, they are going to have their work cut out for them to get into the Big Dance. Say they do, I think Iowa is going to have to have a game like they did against Iowa St to make the Sweet 16...everything is going to have to go in and the opponent is going to have to be ice cold. But, that 2nd round opponent is going to be significantly better than the clowns.
I really do want things to work out for Fran and he can push this program further along. But, have we already seen his best days at Iowa?
And to think the Douche Bag coach at Iowa St has already taken a team further into the Big Dance than Fran has ever had.