Totally different environment. Not an excuse, it's just the way it is.
Superstardom starts at year round elementary school age AAU schedules and keeps on ratcheting up from there. Iowa isn't in the running for these players. The gap between the top 15 basketball schools and everyone else is light years bigger than what it was in the 80s. There's a reason why Iowa doesn't crack the top 60 in recruiting and it isn't Fran's fault. How to you compete with the one-and-done factory schools of today's age? Hell we had the best player in basketball two years in a row, a Wooden consideree right now, and we can't even come close to placing in our own conference, let a lone making it past the 2nd day of the tournament because we can't get anyone to put around those players. Leading scorer in all of P6 basketball and we're currently debating on this board whether we'll make the dance.
A magical season was possible in the 80s because the playing field was a lot more level than it is now. It ain't possible anymore and won't ever be.