HawkeyeWalker
Well-Known Member
I like Forde, he's pretty good. But he's a national Journalist...and they need stories...they spin.
Pat Forde: Players Blame Fran
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Hawkjammer
Well-Known Member
If only Fran could make his free throws.
kicker22
Well-Known Member
I don't necessarily think its time to turn the reigns over to someone else, but at the same time I'm lost at those that feel its fair to place the blame on the players but then praise Fran's abilities to coach.
If it's fair to solely put the blame on the starters who's names are not Uthoff and Jok, then I think its equally fair to blame a coaching staff that hasn't been able to upgrade the starting line up by bringing in recruits capable of winning a starting spot.
I'm not criticizing the players but we know that after 3 years we have no true big other than Woody and no experienced PGs other than Sapp and Gessell. Whether we've gone after and missed elite recruits is irrelevant IMO. The fact remains that this same staff who hasn't been able to bring in "better" talent is given a free pass because the "inferior" talent isn't making shots.
I like Gessell and Clemmons but if they're being held accountable as seniors for costing us games and not being liabilities rather than assets at this point in their careers then rightfully I think its fair to point the finger at a staff for failing to bring in the players to get the job done.
I simply don't think you can blame players and give the staff a free pass, and vice versa.
If it's fair to solely put the blame on the starters who's names are not Uthoff and Jok, then I think its equally fair to blame a coaching staff that hasn't been able to upgrade the starting line up by bringing in recruits capable of winning a starting spot.
I'm not criticizing the players but we know that after 3 years we have no true big other than Woody and no experienced PGs other than Sapp and Gessell. Whether we've gone after and missed elite recruits is irrelevant IMO. The fact remains that this same staff who hasn't been able to bring in "better" talent is given a free pass because the "inferior" talent isn't making shots.
I like Gessell and Clemmons but if they're being held accountable as seniors for costing us games and not being liabilities rather than assets at this point in their careers then rightfully I think its fair to point the finger at a staff for failing to bring in the players to get the job done.
I simply don't think you can blame players and give the staff a free pass, and vice versa.
And this is the same man who said the Captain should or would be fired after the football rhabdo situation. He has nothing positive to say about Iowa and grinds his axe every chance he gets. I don't know why he dislikes Iowa but he does.
Last year,the Hawks won 6 straight BIG games to end the regular season, so wrong about meltdown. Yes, they lost to PSU in the BTT and people thought they would get smoked by Davidson in the first round of NCAAs last year. That didn't happen. They played poorly for a half against Gonzagas and were out but it was not a collapse and Fran is not the wrong guy. We had nothing here when he came and now we get ranked and make the tourney and twice have been in the top ten. No one likes the problems that seem to be happening this year but Fran was not the wrong choice.
WindsorHawk
Well-Known Member
I give Fran, his assistant coaches and the current roster (especially the seniors) credit for us being relevant again. We have outstanding assistant coaches IMO...this isn't said enough. Us being relevant has led to an upgrade in talent...our young guys and incoming recruits IMO.
I think the players are the reason we aren't closing out close games at the end. But I'm extremely happy with what they have done over their 4 year careers. And I don't regret signing any of them. They behave with class; don't make excuses; and I've never wondered if they will be eligible next semester. My belief that they struggle at the end of games...due largely to their individual skill sets...doesn't equate to not wanting them at Iowa. I don't even view it as a criticism but rather an observation.
The thing is, these players are pretty good and it's hard to replace pretty good seniors with freshmen, which is all we have for a bench right now. The only problem is, these seniors can't finish the job. Whether it's finishing a good season or finishing a close game. The pressure is too much and they get in their own heads.
We got into the top 10 2 years ago and fell apart. So this year when we got into the top 10, the players were so scared of it happening again that they played too tight. It's similar to Villanova or Kansas in the NCAA'S. The players and coaches are good enough to win the games. But once they get known for getting bounced early, it puts more pressure on them the next time. Pressure their opponents don't have to play with. If Kansas loses early again, Self will have a reputation for not being able to win in the tourney. When all it really is is players playing too tight for fear of it happening to them again. It's human nature, I don't know why so many here are having such a problem figuring out what's going on.
ibahawkeye
Well-Known Member
Absolutely agree with this Windsor.
My stance is Fran is a very good coach and he's developed players but we are just a little short in terms of the current roster overall talent level of being able to take the next step of success. My personal opinion is that Fran's coaching has actually gotten more out of the talent than than we probably deserve. We've proved we can play really well at times but the lack of consistency is stems from the talent level. It's very difficult having 3 non scorers in a starting lineup and has put a ton of pressure on 2 guys.
With that said, it's Fran's job to get the talent here. Now that Iowa is relevant, fans have returned, the University is investing in to the program and upgrading Carver, my timeline for making the next step is 2 years.
Uhl, Williams, Moss, Hutton, Flemming, Cook, Baer, Wagner.... These are guys that will now have a couple years under their belt of the Big 10 grind and a better understanding of what it takes to succeed and if they are indeed an uptick in talent, the results should prove it in terms of competing for conference championships, both regular season and tournament as well as higher seeds in the NCAA which should give us a better chance for a deeper run.
I love this post. The only thing I would change is I don't believe it's a lack of talent that is costing them close games. I think it's a confidence issue stemming from some bad breaks early in their careers. Instead of fighting through it before it became a huge problem, it slowly got worse and snowballed into what we see today.
trj
Well-Known Member
That paragraph right there pretty much nails it. It sums up practically everything we have seen the last 2 years.
Knight78
Well-Known Member
As has been said, Fran can only adjust so much. We have specialty players, not all-around guys. Next year, while we will be young and inexperienced, we will have the all-around guys.
As far as adjustments go, what is he going to do?
1) Tell Mike and Sapp to shoot more threes to loosen up the driving lanes and not allow their defensive man to roam as much as they do? Both players are not considered competent three point shooters.
2) Tell Woody to suddenly become an offensive threat? While he has shown flashes of offensive potential, most of his offense has been offensive.
3) Tell Uthoff and Jok to come off the screens better? (Even though they are doing a fantastic job of it now) They are carrying the scoring load right now because of the other players not being able to shoot as well. Plus, I can't tell you how many times I've yelled at the TV "JARROD! Why did you pass it right back to Mike??!??!" when there are less than 12 seconds left on the shot clock.
4) Tell the bench to play better? Baer offered some relief last game, but he has his limitations (see my statement earlier about specialty players) which is why he's a walk-on. No one else on the bench has really stepped up for at least a month.
I submit that he can't make as many adjustments as he'd like because of the limitations of the players he has.
NEIChawk
Well-Known Member
Fran let's his players decide what the outcome will be.....I have rarely witnessed Fran telling his guys to "shoot it", or "why did you shoot it?" Fran will quickly clear his bench to find the right combo of kids that he can have confidence in to get the job done. Sometimes K78, I'v yelled at Uthoff as to why he would pass the ball, so, he's just as much to blame at times, not Fran......It's maddening, but that's the way it is and Fran will stick up for what went down, good or bad...
HuckFinn
Well-Known Member
A response to those who have posted negatively about Fran and his relationship with his players: If a kid does not want to play for Fran McCaffrey, he won't want to play for any other coach, at least in the BT conference. He treats them as individuals, and he treats them right. He "green lights" the kids on the floor. His teams press, they run fast breaks, which is what kids today want in a program. Those same kids may not always be the most talented kids in the pool coming out of high school, but because Fran and his coaches vet their players so carefully, they stay around for four years, they graduate, they don't get themselves into trouble, even in the glass house that is Iowa City. Fran is not perfect, but he genuinely cares for the kids and knows more x's an o's than anyone who posts on this site. He has put together an outstanding group of assistants. His program is clean...squeaky clean. Thank the good Lord that people who want him fired are not in the decision making crew. They couldn't take the heat the decision makers deal with every day.
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