FreddyBrown
Moderator
Our guys look worn out, indifferent, frustrated, lost, unmotivated or some combination thereof. This is not how a team looks that has any belief in what they're doing.
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Something is wrong, and it's not just the talent
- Thread starter FreddyBrown
- Start date
JonDMiller
Publisher/Founder
After the first game of the year, which Iowa lost to a nobody we'd ever heard of state, my thought was pretty simple: I hope these guys survive the next 30 of these without blowing out ACL's or getting burnt out on basketball.
I am not getting back on the emotional roller coaster. Barta is not going to make any changes, and Lickliter will get a fourth year. Next year had better show signs of drastic improvement, or there should not be a year five.
That's about it.
ibahawkeye
Well-Known Member
I haven't seen anybody say they would support keeping Lick if anybody transfers, other than Brommer, so can we just make this an assumption when discussing the Iowa basketball program or Lick's future?
HawkeyeRyno
Banned
I agree with you Jon, as do many others but I posted a comment earlier that I am starting to think Barta is going to look at what Bill Carmody has done with NW now and how they have given him 10 years and looking at a bright future. Barta will see this as proof "if given enough time things will come together" theory and I can see Barta sticking with his guns and giving Lick another 8 years or so. I don't know if Barta realized how competitive Iowa was before Alford and is basing Lick's tenure more on coaches like Carmody with struggling programs finally turning the corner during his time so far at Iowa than what the Iowa program once was. He talks about how tough it was acheiveing success while he was A.D. for Wyoming and I not real comfortable with that. I am seriously starting to believe he views Lick like NW views Carmody.
glidinghawk
Well-Known Member
storminspank
Justin VanLaere
I don't think Barta is that daft, Guru.
DailyMealDeal
Well-Known Member
It's pretty obvious to anyone watching these games that this thing is a trainwreck. The thing that I wonder about is this......this year is so bad that even going .500 next year will seem deceivingly "good". Will that be enough to keep the Lick train rolling?
HawkeyeRyno
Banned
I do. Here's his thinking "if Northwestern can turn things around why not Iowa"?
busabus114
Well-Known Member
I would say the #1 thing wrong with Iowa is the talent....and it isnt even close
tomhawk80907
Well-Known Member
I couldn't agree more. I stuffed a USA Today in my travel bag for the flight home tonight. Some where over Iowa I start reading and all over the sports page a huge article on S.A. and the Lobo's.......26 - 3 and headed for the tourney. Everything is good with him and all was bad with Iowa and how do you disagree as things now stand. The paper also ranked all college BB programs. We were something like 162 and behind PSU.
We are the classic definition of that old saying, "if you put lipstick on a pig, its still a pig".
hawkeye12345
Well-Known Member
This is exactly what I'm afraid of. Going from absolutely god awful to just below average isn't really an improvement. Next year is Lick's 4th year at Iowa. 4 Mother F'in years to try and build something and we have continued to slide every year with no signs of improvement. We have just set a record for most losses in a season. We have played 3 years of the worst basketball in iowa history. These are facts. these aren't embellishments.
next year we need to win 20+ games or he gone.
HawkeyeRyno
Banned
And to get to 20 wins next season would be one of the biggest turnarounds in college basketball (10-12 game improvement). Lick would have to win more games than he ever has in his previous three years at Iowa. That would mean he would have to be 5 games better than his best season ever at Iowa. This with four new freshmen and an unproven JUCO added to the mix. One of the freshman coming in may be trouble too. This would be an unprecedented coaching job and worthy of a NCOY award!! I don't see how this is remotely possible with his prior results. I'm sorry but a 15-15 (.500) season isn't gonna cut it for a lot of us. This is the definition of mediocrity, we are at 'awful' right now. Not sure a .500 record will result in excitement. NOT. GONNA. HAPPEN.
HawkPrdatr40
Well-Known Member
15 and 15 better not cut it. Because IMO if Iowa finishes next year .500 it will only be because 10 or 11 of those wins came courtesy of the non-conference schedule.
In order for Lick to save his job Iowa needs to have a solid non-conference record and finish .500 in the Big Ten. That would be acceptable right now..
My problem is that players don't seem very happy on the court and it's almost as if they are just going through the motions. It's really sad to see. Lastly for Coach Lickliter the Coach of the University of Iowa and a proud member of the Big Ten. It disgusts me that he would say that his son should have been playing sooner. That my friends is just unacceptable. Coach Lickliter is responsible for judging talent and that has me concerned. lil lick is a junior college player and that could be even debated. Not trying to offend anyone and this is not pointed to John Lickliter the person.
HeneryHawk
Well-Known Member
The way the guys carry themselves, I would not be surprised to see more guys leave, regardless of the recent articles in the paper. They have little energy, look like nothing is remotely enjoyable, so where is the hope, belief, for without it, what keeps them here?
hawkeye2188
Well-Known Member
It is quite bad when this team cant accumulate as many wins as the football program, with 3x the amount of games. I say send him packing now and let the kids play on there own the last 3 games they would probably get better results.
hawkeyescott
Well-Known Member
The answer is simply NO. You won't make the NIT with a .500 record and he needs to have this team make that and then build off that for the following year and make the NCAA tournament. To make the NIT it will take 17 to 20 wins.
SteveGarvey
Well-Known Member
Northwestern doesn't have a rabid fan base like we do as they've never seen their team even make the NCAAs. So, I'm sure the AD there didn't have NEAR the pressure that Barta would have to get rid of the head coach.
