Cook is 6'9" for sure and he is the least of our worries at this point. I do feel bad for him because he's ultra talented and will probably never get to play in the NCAA Tournament. At times it seems like he's the only one 100% engaged on the court when things are going bad.
So let's look at McCaffrey' recruiting
- Thread starter longtimer
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theboat
Well-Known Member
That is moral victory talk. If a moron that has gotten all F’s, finally gets a C it is still the same C as an A student slacking and getting a C.
His overall results are C at best. His best years were maybe B+
That analogy doesn't make sense because it was the person before him that got the F. If Fran took over for Lute and had these results, he would deserve way worse than a C. It works both ways.
theboat
Well-Known Member
so even better. Last years class failed so I am somehow better in getting a C? Judge the man by his results, not the previous coach results. Take out the first 2 years and he is still average, which is what a C is. You give him a moral victory because we sucked 9 years ago.
NikeHawk21
Well-Known Member
When I did my grades I definitely factored in where the program was and how many scholarships we had.
For instance I graded the Marble, Basabe, McCabe class as a B. If we were to bring in that class for our 2019 class I’d probably rate it a C or C+. I think that is the concept PC is getting at.
For instance I graded the Marble, Basabe, McCabe class as a B. If we were to bring in that class for our 2019 class I’d probably rate it a C or C+. I think that is the concept PC is getting at.
NikeHawk21
Well-Known Member
Fran did correct. You won’t hear many mentions of success when the negative crowd is leading the conversation unfortunately.
NikeHawk21
Well-Known Member
Interesting way to look at it although I don’t agree with all grades.
I think his philosophy is fine. He was going after plenty of PG’s last year but we just couldn’t get them. People forget that we were looking really good for Charlie Moore (I cringe bringing up that name with Twins around), but then he started having some of his “handlers” involved. Fran decided to take the high road and not get involved in that, which I think most would agree is the right call. Unfortunately that left us without a top PG.
In that instance though when you strike out, bank the scholarship or understand you need a guard that can contribute now, so look to transfers and JUCO's.
Fran's philosophy is that of positionless basketball. That may work in the NBA when the bigs have guard skills, but it doesn't work at Iowa when we don't have guards with guard skills and continually have Wagner and sometimes Pemsl playing the 3, which is absurd.
While everyone else has taken advantage of the grad-transfer rule, Fran hasn't quite figured it out. He'd rather sign 4/5 guys who play the same position (none of them PG) so he can trot out 11-12 guys in a game with lineups that make zero sense. Ever other coach has figured out to either bank the scholarship or use it on a grad transfer, where even if you miss it costs you 1 year as opposed to 4.
Disclaimer: I'm not saying anything bad about CJ Fredrick because I've never seen him play but writers have continually compared him to Brady Ellingson. Was Brady Ellingson so good that our goal has been to recruit another 4 years of Brady Ellingson? We get an open scholarship after the Williams transfer which should have been used on a grad transfer or JUCO PG. Instead we have a really great SF recruit coming in, in Wieskamp (albeit at a position we're not in need of) and a Brady Ellingson clone (this according to those who cover Iowa). Neither incoming recruit is the guard we're in dire need of, someone who can break a defender down. Fran is in over his head. There's a reason he was damn near 50 before he got a shot at a P5 school.
1977Hawkeye
Well-Known Member
Fran caught lightning in a bottle with Aaron White. How many 3* recruits become your program's #2 all-time scorer? Yes, he recruited White so it counts and Fran gets credit, but I think he also got a little lucky that he turned out so good.
Fran has also had a lot of recruiting misses. Guys who haven't produced or haven't stayed in the program. I could name them all but don't feel like typing it all up.
The reason I don't really agree with this is because he was good right from the start of his career.
NikeHawk21
Well-Known Member
I agree with several points you have made.
I totally agree on the fact that Fran should have gone the JUCO or grad transfer route to get a guard the last few years.
I agree on the Frederick situation as well.
I don’t agree that he is in over his head. If that were the case he wouldn’t have led us to 3 strait NCAA tournaments, which is a feat we’ve accomplished only one other time since 1990. We wouldn’t be one of three teams with a B1G record of .500 or better for 5 consecutive years if he was without a clue.
Now he royally screwed up the Ellingson and Wagner classes, and followed that up by bringing in one guard and 5 bigs over the last two years which ultimately could be his demise. That’s something I won’t argue against, but at the same time we can’t act like he hasn’t done one positive thing since he’s been here.
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NikeHawk21
Well-Known Member
Exactly. He wasn’t a project like a Marble or Olaseni. White averaged 11 points as a freshman. It’s not Fran’s fault that other coaches didn’t see his talent.
NikeHawk21
Well-Known Member
Every coach in college has misses or departures. The bottom line is that there are 12 scholarships for each team and most teams only play 8-9. If you think Fran has “missed” on more players than the average coach I think you’re mistaken. Fran’s biggest issue right now is that almost all of his misses came in consecutive years.
But his job was a lot harder to get to average. That's like saying an A in general math is just as impressive as an A in calculus. You have to account for how hard his job was and it was about as hard as it gets. I believe he could have coached the exact same way if he inherited an average program and he would have had better results than he has had now. In my opinion, that wouldn't mean he deserves a better grade. This isn't about making excuses because I would dock his grade if he had a better team to start with. This is about me using every variable and you blindly looking at wins and losses.
And I already know you're going to say "wins and losses are all that matter". But that's such a generic, un-thought out response. If Iowa has 20 wins, the coach deserves a C. If Kentucky has 20 wins, the coach deserves an F. I would be shocked if anyone didn't agree that 20 wins at Kentucky wasn't worse than 20 wins at Iowa. But it is worse because of the variables that anyone can see with half a brain.
smitharooney
Well-Known Member
He is a good player but we need better players. we need Cook to be coming off the bench to spell kids . We need Cook to be our best 6th -8th player . Not the best . He is our best player and that’s why we are 0-5 .
theboat
Well-Known Member
You clearly miss my take.
I don’t agree that just because Lick had MAC level players that all of the sudden Iowa is a MAC level school. You are saying that Lick permanently lowered your expectations. I disagree.
Yes Iowa isn’t Duke or Kansas or Kentucky, but there is no reason they can’t be 2nd tier. They did an AP poll history a couple years ago and Iowa was #23. No reason to think that shouldn’t be the norm more often than not.
You admit that Fran is Iowa average. I think I am giving him credit for rebuild, because the more I think about it, the more he becomes below average. But I guess that’s ok because he’s better than Lick.
theboat
Well-Known Member
Now this is silly. The teams struggles are not on Cook
