...and he was widely criticized for it. My point is...if 8 years in, we're looking for a one year rescue because our roster is so weak at a key position...something is wrong.
I get your point, but I really can't be critical of someone who is exhausting all avenues to be successful. Our roster is where it is for a number of reasons, and some I would say hinged on a few signings that didn't happen. You either wallow in misery, lie to yourself, etc...or you use the opportunities available to make improvements....and he was widely criticized for it. My point is...if 8 years in, we're looking for a one year rescue because our roster is so weak at a key position...something is wrong.
I get your point, but I really can't be critical of someone who is exhausting all avenues to be successful. Our roster is where it is for a number of reasons, and some I would say hinged on a few signings that didn't happen. You either wallow in misery, lie to yourself, etc...or you use the opportunities available to make improvements.
I really hope Joe W is next coming of Superman and Connor will be the piston that was missing this year. But, I will believe it when I see it. Gladly be wrong, but not sure even these guys can save a ship that is slowly taking on water.
Spot on. Well said.The only good news I have for you is that Joe W is probably as close to superman that we could get. I might take shit for this, but in my unprofessional opinion Joe W is better at this age than was Harrison Barnes. Barnes was bigger and stronger with a little better overall athleticism therefore ranked much higher as a recruit. But Joe's overall game is above HB's senior year. I watched HB play live 10 times as a prep at Ames. I have seen Joe 8 times. This is what I am basing my opinion on.
The only sad thing for me is Joe is coming into a bad situation. He has to beat out 2 veteran guys or play a position that limits his ability a little bit. Joe will be a stud, but I don't know that he will make a big enough impact year 1 to make us a contender. I think he does personally account for about 3 additional wins this next season though. Hopefully the rest of the team can progress and give us an additional 4 wins. That would move us firmly back to middling program instead of basement dwellers.
As for Connor, we'll I don't have a lot to say. I don't know that he can be a legitimate option at PG this year either. I don't like Fran giving him a scholarship. He maybe worthy of it, but I was sincerely hoping that Fran would use the scenario to bank some goodwill with the fan base. Adding your 2 children who at least project to be D1 talent on your own dime is exactly the kind of thing that almost any Iowa fan could have respected. It would have proved that Fran was committed to winning and Iowa more than anything else. Now if one of his kids doesn't pan out it will be the ruin of Fran and I could see the program going through some nasty tunnels digging out of this mess.
Maybe Fran's kids contribute at a high level though and help this team get back to respectability or better. Either scenario could play out. I will give you one guess as to which one my money would be on.
Fixed that.\Adding your 2 children who at least project to be D1 talent on your own dime is exactly the kind of thing that almost any Iowa fan should have expected.
Spot on. Well said.
Fixed that.
Lordy, I hope he can guard threes.The only good news I have for you is that Joe W is probably as close to superman that we could get. I might take shit for this, but in my unprofessional opinion Joe W is better at this age than was Harrison Barnes. Barnes was bigger and stronger with a little better overall athleticism therefore ranked much higher as a recruit. But Joe's overall game is above HB's senior year. I watched HB play live 10 times as a prep at Ames. I have seen Joe 8 times. This is what I am basing my opinion on.
The only sad thing for me is Joe is coming into a bad situation. He has to beat out 2 veteran guys or play a position that limits his ability a little bit. Joe will be a stud, but I don't know that he will make a big enough impact year 1 to make us a contender. I think he does personally account for about 3 additional wins this next season though. Hopefully the rest of the team can progress and give us an additional 4 wins. That would move us firmly back to middling program instead of basement dwellers.
As for Connor, we'll I don't have a lot to say. I don't know that he can be a legitimate option at PG this year either. I don't like Fran giving him a scholarship. He maybe worthy of it, but I was sincerely hoping that Fran would use the scenario to bank some goodwill with the fan base. Adding your 2 children who at least project to be D1 talent on your own dime is exactly the kind of thing that almost any Iowa fan could have respected. It would have proved that Fran was committed to winning and Iowa more than anything else. Now if one of his kids doesn't pan out it will be the ruin of Fran and I could see the program going through some nasty tunnels digging out of this mess.
Maybe Fran's kids contribute at a high level though and help this team get back to respectability or better. Either scenario could play out. I will give you one guess as to which one my money would be on.
Wasn't Connor a 4* recruit? I seriously doubt that the evaluators gave him that ranking because they all love Fran. If his last name wasn't McCaffery would you be bitchin' about taking a 4* and giving him a scholarship?
That's not how this works. Their name IS McCaffery....which means there's no reason on God's Green Earth that they should be on scholarship. Free those 2 scholarships up for more difference makers. It's not like being a "walk-on" gets you less stuff (training table access, tutoring assistance, etc) like it used to back in the day.
This isn't rocket science here. If you can add your two kids who are Top 150 and Top 50, respectively, by using no scholarship, which then frees up 2 scholarships you wouldn't have had, then it's a no brainer.....especially considering that tuition, fees, R&B, etc would amount to less than 2% of Fran's buyout. But this is Fran we're talking about, so no surprise here....