Sounds like it's not all Fran's fault we can't get grad transfers
- Thread starter SpiderRico
- Start date
Adam
Well-Known Member
HaydenHawk56
Well-Known Member
Remember what Alfraud said....."We are a football school." 
I think we can summarize it this way. Fran swung for the fences a few times early on in key positions and came up short. Instead of balancing out rosters, he went for the next best available player. Many moons later, he ended up with several types of the same type of players on his roster. Now his boys are getting old enough to play for him at Iowa, so they are going to play....on full rides despite his very deep pockets. Player fundamental development is lacking, a lot of xs and os thrown out there, but not taught very well. Mental weakness is a foot. A coach that explodes and now nips at the media even at the fairest of critical questions.
Gary is the AD. Gary gives out extensions like candy. Just don't have an alternative lifestyle in a leadership role under his thumb.
But, "his body of work" is getting him by along with his boss's blind faith. He has landed some players over the years to keep things interesting in building towards his prior best years (and that Is slumping into the NCAAs). That trends continues. With his 9 million buyout.....I guess he probably is not concerned about giving his son's scholarship to a type of player he really needs.
Something is definitely wrong. I think it is a lack of the regime at Iowa in building trust, a lack of PR, short-sidedness, and not being surrounded by people that can get you to where you want to go as a program....at least where a lot of your fan base would like you to go.
I think Iowa needs more capable people of making decisions at the top. And they need to get proven people in their future heading coaching positions.
Sadly, as much of a great interview Fran gave when he first came here and the slight rebuild....fast forward to this off-season and can you really say with a straight face that you are not concerned about the state of the program right now? That you are not concerned about the things that have been said this early in the off-season and decisions being made?
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.
I think we can summarize it this way. Fran swung for the fences a few times early on in key positions and came up short. Instead of balancing out rosters, he went for the next best available player. Many moons later, he ended up with several types of the same type of players on his roster. Now his boys are getting old enough to play for him at Iowa, so they are going to play....on full rides despite his very deep pockets. Player fundamental development is lacking, a lot of xs and os thrown out there, but not taught very well. Mental weakness is a foot. A coach that explodes and now nips at the media even at the fairest of critical questions.
Gary is the AD. Gary gives out extensions like candy. Just don't have an alternative lifestyle in a leadership role under his thumb.
But, "his body of work" is getting him by along with his boss's blind faith. He has landed some players over the years to keep things interesting in building towards his prior best years (and that Is slumping into the NCAAs). That trends continues. With his 9 million buyout.....I guess he probably is not concerned about giving his son's scholarship to a type of player he really needs.
Something is definitely wrong. I think it is a lack of the regime at Iowa in building trust, a lack of PR, short-sidedness, and not being surrounded by people that can get you to where you want to go as a program....at least where a lot of your fan base would like you to go.
I think Iowa needs more capable people of making decisions at the top. And they need to get proven people in their future heading coaching positions.
Sadly, as much of a great interview Fran gave when he first came here and the slight rebuild....fast forward to this off-season and can you really say with a straight face that you are not concerned about the state of the program right now? That you are not concerned about the things that have been said this early in the off-season and decisions being made?
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.
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WinOneThisCentury
Well-Known Member
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.
Oldmanhawk
Active Member
This is the biggest excuse i can think of i.e. what Pat H wrote..clearly a hit piece to appease FM and GB..
Nearly every P5 program grad school requirements are the same...Duke has taken grad transfers....Texas has...heck Vanderbilt took one.
The article makes it seem like Iowa is special...it is not. Didn’t the fball team take a grad transfer last year? Never in my wildest dreams did i ever think KF would take a grad transfer before FM.
Fact of the matter is if FM takes a grad PG he’s telling his kid he will be sitting on da bench most of the time.
Nearly every P5 program grad school requirements are the same...Duke has taken grad transfers....Texas has...heck Vanderbilt took one.
The article makes it seem like Iowa is special...it is not. Didn’t the fball team take a grad transfer last year? Never in my wildest dreams did i ever think KF would take a grad transfer before FM.
Fact of the matter is if FM takes a grad PG he’s telling his kid he will be sitting on da bench most of the time.
hawkdrummer1
Well-Known Member
True. But apparently Fran isn't exhausting all avenues (as in, open to a grad transfer). Sounds like he's banking a scholly rather than look at that option. (and no, I'm not contradicting myself...though it's not the optimal solution, he should grab a ball handler grad transfer if one's out there)
He's stubbornly doubling down on his "no real guard" formula of loading up on wings instead of quicker band-handlers. While there are a number of reasons (but let's be honest...Williams, Ellingson, Fleming were not the answer....and Dailey or Moss don't look to be either) the bottom line is this is a Big Ten team with one ball-handling guard.... Bohnannon. and he'd be better at the 2. PG for Fran has become like WR for KFz...it's a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Adam
Well-Known Member
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.
HaydenHawk56
Well-Known Member
Spot on. Well said.
Fryowa
Administrator
Fixed that.
Adam
Well-Known Member
Thanks man.
Adam
Well-Known Member
LOL maybe an expectation after the turd sandwich season Fran crammed down our throats this year.
However it is the norm around the country for a D1 ranked prospect to get a scholly, coaches kid or not.
Connor and Patrick may very well be worthy of scholarships, but Fran is lacking situational awareness here. You are struggling to keep your head above water and you use up 2 valuable scholarships on your children? The only way that works out is if they are undeniable performers or the team is so good that it doesn't matter. The latter is certainly not the case. Fran is banking a lot on the first. All this while you are in the midst of reasonable questioning of your future. Churning out your second worst season in your coaching career. All while being the highest paid Basketball coach in your employers history. I can't help but see the disaster scenario that this decision opens up.
MisterLucky
Well-Known Member
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?
Northside Hawk
Well-Known Member
Lordy, I hope he can guard threes.
Or that Baer shows his 2017 form.
Or were looking at another year of Nunge trying to do it, when his natural position is four.
If Tyler does not come back, the four is wide open and Ryan and Cordell can settle into backup roles behind Nunge and Garza.
In would love to see Baer/Weiscamp share the three, bit Joe will probably competed with Isiah for the two and we'll go big once again.
I would really love to see Nunge or Kreiner or Pemsl redshirt, especially if Tyler comes back.
So much is hanging on Cook's decision.
HaydenHawk56
Well-Known Member
I want to know one thing besides "Connor deserves it" from getting a scholarship from those who have no problem with this. How is this a tactically helpful position for the program? And remember, Fran does not have to play everyone, there is no rule because you have x amount of players on your team then you must play x amount of players in games. How does this make us better?
SpiderRico
Well-Known Member
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....
Adam
Well-Known Member
It's only an issue because we sucked so bad. I would have no problem with it if we were an NCAA team last year. Again for me the situation should have dictated Fran's actions. Instead he did what he wanted to and damn the perception apparently. Hope it works put for him because sayonara if it don't.
