Re-evaluating the program

HawkPhin

Well-Known Member
I want to start of by saying the program is in a better place now than when FM took over 9 years ago. In 2010 we were no where near being competitive let alone thinking about an NCAA tournament bid. The fans have come back for the most part and we care about Hawkeye basketball again.

Let’s be real here. FM nor GB, no matter how bad you or I want it, will be be shown the door. With that being said some major re-evaluating of the program NEEDS to be addressed. Everything from coaching style to the coaching staff to player evaluations need to be gone over with a fine tooth comb.

I feel like this program lacks an identity. We are supposed to be an aggressive offensive team that presses and gets up and down floor. Yet we lack the shooters and/or athletes to make that work. This all comes down to recruiting. FM needs to re-evaluate what type of player he’s bring into the program. He has missed out way too often on the recruiting trail. For every Aaron White there has been 4 Maishe Dailey’s.....meaning that he has fallen back on project type players that just don’t develop into anything greater than that. As an example JBo might go down as maybe one of the greatest Hawkeyes ever statistically, but outside of being an amazing shooter he is limited in almost every other facet of the game. He should not be relied upon as your first and sometimes only option.

Also, FM coaching style lends to late season collapses. He coaches with an unwavering passion which after a few months can become tiresome to a player, especially ones who have been around the program for a few years. If he doesn’t want that to happen he needs to tweek, not change his coaching style.

Defensively, this program is a mess. I’m not sure this staff really knows how to fix this. Some of it goes back to the types of players FM recruits. We lack quickness at every position to play man to man let alone a press. Heck, we lack the foot speed to really even play an aggressive zone. Plus we are a weak rebounding team. We seem to lack the desire to rebound, which rebounding is mainly about desire and positioning.

I really hope FM takes a long look in the mirror and addresses the tough questions. Otherwise he should be the former Iowa basketball coach sooner rather than later.
 
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There is probably a reason no other consistently good team in this league plays zone or presses much if at all. The Pac12 zones a lot... there is a probably a reason for that too.

Going forward as a program I would scrap both the zone and press. For every game we say wow the press or zone really changed the game there are four games where those defenses give up far too many easy baskets. As I said the other day, for the most part zone defense is lazy defense.

But first we have to recruit players that can play man to man defense, coach players to play defense, and prioritize defense meaning you don’t get on the floor if you cannot play defense. With Fran at the helm none of thise things are happening.
 
There is probably a reason no other consistently good team in this league plays zone or presses much if at all. The Pac12 zones a lot... there is a probably a reason for that too.

Going forward as a program I would scrap both the zone and press. For every game we say wow the press or zone really changed the game there are four games where those defenses give up far too many easy baskets. As I said the other day, for the most part zone defense is lazy defense.

But first we have to recruit players that can play man to man defense, coach players to play defense, and prioritize defense meaning you don’t get on the floor if you cannot play defense. With Fran at the helm none of thise things are happening.
I’m pretty sure Fran prefers to play almost exclusively man. But...despite the fact many think Fran is too stubborn to change/adjust...he has to play zone with this team. He just does IMO. I don’t think we get to 21-10 playing primarily man. If we sit all of the guys not playing defense we drop to a 3 or 4 player rotation...and at least one of those guys can’t score. I wish we could do what you suggest. But it can’t happen this year and probably can’t happen next year IMO.
 
I’m pretty sure Fran prefers to play almost exclusively man. But...despite the fact many think Fran is too stubborn to change/adjust...he has to play zone with this team. He just does IMO. I don’t think we get to 21-10 playing primarily man. If we sit all of the guys not playing defense we drop to a 3 or 4 player rotation...and at least one of those guys can’t score. I wish we could do what you suggest. But it can’t happen this year and probably can’t happen next year IMO.
Yes that’s a systematic recruiting issue. We needed zone this year because we don’t really have any defenders. When you have an average adjusted defense in the 150 range over a three year span there are some serious issues.

You are wrong about Fran’s defensive philosophies though. He’s been quoted on many occasions saying he likes to play multiple defenses i.e zone and press. He’s done that every year he’s been here.
 
Yes that’s a systematic recruiting issue. We needed zone this year because we don’t really have any defenders. When you have an average adjusted defense in the 150 range over a three year span there are some serious issues.

You are wrong about Fran’s defensive philosophies though. He’s been quoted on many occasions saying he likes to play multiple defenses i.e zone and press. He’s done that every year he’s been here.
I know he has at Iowa. But I’m pretty certain it’s out of necessity. I’m saying he came to Iowa as a man guy IIRC.
 
I know he has at Iowa. But I’m pretty certain it’s out of necessity. I’m saying he came to Iowa as a man guy IIRC.
No you’re wrong. Fran likes to be multiple with his defenses employing zone and presses. He said as much when he first got here.
 
Frans biggest failing is not recruiting to his philosophy. His Siena teams could run all day and press. Iowa does not have the athletes to compete with upper level teams.

Frans 2nd failing, not taking chances on marginal character recruits. It is good for the culture of his program however. The playing field isn’t level for him at Iowa either - what is BBall recruiting budget in the B1G? 10th -11th?

His last failing which relates to point #1 is loyalty to his assistants. He needs to do a Tony Bennet/John Belien creaning with his staff, although I do not believe he will.

At the Iowa State BBall Tourney this week, the teams with better players, or athletes won. Period. Coaching has some impact, but not as much as some on this board think.
 
Fran won't change, or even admit there is a problem. He is pure arrogance, not an ounce of introspective humility in him. The only thing he will understand is being fired. His arrogance was on display when he thought saying what said he said to the ref after the OSU game was OK as long as no one else heard it. Or playing his inept son in critical situations. Or when criticized for his extension after a shitty year that his mediocre body of work was why he should be returned. He is a shitty coach, an even worse person and has no business being employed by the U of I.
 
I’ve watched Drake quite a few times this year and the amount of athleticism they have is heads and shoulders above us...how’s that possible? Nick Norton is 5x better and more athletic than any guard we have. Same with the Murphy twins. Until we can get athletic guards on this team, this is as good as it’s going to get...
 
I am gpomg to keep an eye on things from now on.....

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I want to start of by saying the program is in a better place now than when FM took over 9 years ago. In 2010 we were no where near being competitive let alone thinking about an NCAA tournament bid. The fans have come back for the most part and we care about Hawkeye basketball again.

Let’s be real here. FM nor GB, no matter how bad you or I want it, will be be shown the door. With that being said some major re-evaluating of the program NEEDS to be addressed. Everything from coaching style to the coaching staff to player evaluations need to be gone over with a fine tooth comb.

I feel like this program lacks an identity. We are supposed to be an aggressive offensive team that presses and gets up and down floor. Yet we lack the shooters and/or athletes to make that work. This all comes down to recruiting. FM needs to re-evaluate what type of player he’s bring into the program. He has missed out way too often on the recruiting trail. For every Aaron White there has been 4 Maishe Dailey’s.....meaning that he has fallen back on project type players that just don’t develop into anything greater than that. As an example JBo might go down as maybe one of the greatest Hawkeyes ever statistically, but outside of being an amazing shooter he is limited in almost every other facet of the game. He should not be relied upon as your first and sometimes only option.

Also, FM coaching style lends to late season collapses. He coaches with an unwavering passion which after a few months can become tiresome to a player, especially ones who have been around the program for a few years. If he doesn’t want that to happen he needs to tweek, not change his coaching style.

Defensively, this program is a mess. I’m not sure this staff really knows how to fix this. Some of it goes back to the types of players FM recruits. We lack quickness at every position to play man to man let alone a press. Heck, we lack the foot speed to really even play an aggressive zone. Plus we are a weak rebounding team. We seem to lack the desire to rebound, which rebounding is mainly about desire and positioning.

I really hope FM takes a long look in the mirror and addresses the tough questions. Otherwise he should be the former Iowa basketball coach sooner rather than later.
Team is soft and fragile inside. We need gladiators and warriors. We have a collection of My Pillows.

And a psycho coach is not the leader a team can ride to a championship.
 
I’ve watched Drake quite a few times this year and the amount of athleticism they have is heads and shoulders above us...how’s that possible? Nick Norton is 5x better and more athletic than any guard we have. Same with the Murphy twins. Until we can get athletic guards on this team, this is as good as it’s going to get...
You are suspended!!
 
Fran won't change, or even admit there is a problem. He is pure arrogance, not an ounce of introspective humility in him. The only thing he will understand is being fired. His arrogance was on display when he thought saying what said he said to the ref after the OSU game was OK as long as no one else heard it. Or playing his inept son in critical situations. Or when criticized for his extension after a shitty year that his mediocre body of work was why he should be returned. He is a shitty coach, an even worse person and has no business being employed by the U of I.
Tremendous Season!! (Is Fran starting to use some Alfordisms?)
 
I’m pretty sure Fran prefers to play almost exclusively man. But...despite the fact many think Fran is too stubborn to change/adjust...he has to play zone with this team. He just does IMO. I don’t think we get to 21-10 playing primarily man. If we sit all of the guys not playing defense we drop to a 3 or 4 player rotation...and at least one of those guys can’t score. I wish we could do what you suggest. But it can’t happen this year and probably can’t happen next year IMO.
I am not sure what his defensive philosophy is. But whatever it is, we need to see some "Opposite Fran" in the future, what would it hurt?
 
I’ve watched Drake quite a few times this year and the amount of athleticism they have is heads and shoulders above us...how’s that possible? Nick Norton is 5x better and more athletic than any guard we have. Same with the Murphy twins. Until we can get athletic guards on this team, this is as good as it’s going to get...
Don’t forget the Ellingson kid
 
Don’t forget the Ellingson kid
But seriously there was a reason JBo was the last of 7 PGs recruited in that cycle. It is a damm miracle he has turned out to be as good as he’s been. But let’s be honest outside of his shooting he is not able to create of the dribble and is not quick or big enough to keep other PGs out of the lane. The total lack of perimeter playmakers that FM has missed on is astounding. Crazy to think that Bruce Cartwright has been our best playmaking PG we’ve had in the FM era.
 
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