The Mayor picks off another transfer

[HawkeyeMike23]

What guard transfers did Fran go after? Did he even try to replace Marble at the SG which was the biggest need position we had going into this year? Name me one guard transfer Iowa targeted. Fran wasted his time trying to grab PF's when we have a good front court and pathetic guards. Dickerson is a longer term play, and it was shortsighted when we had/have immediate needs at any and every guard position.

They went after Jordan Baker from Pepperdine two years ago, they reach out to Matt Carlino from BYU. There isn't a long list of immediately eligible difference making guards like you seem to think. We were a finalist for EC Matthews two years ago, we almost landed RJ Hunter before he chose to play for his dad. We missed on a bunch of combo guards last year recruiting as well. It sucks that Iowa couldn't land one of those but claiming it's just a "mid-major mindset" is such a dumb comment.

 

[CyChamp]

If BJ gets hired and is successful I give Barta even less credit than JP, (who I give very little credit). I see your point, but I think it was an act of desperation that worked.

I agree with you there. ISU was desperate at that point. Sometimes Hail Mary passes are caught, but those do have some skill involved...you have to have the ability to throw it deep.

 

[CyChamp]

Back on topic (thanks for helping me waste time at work, BTW) I don't know that Deonte Burton will be the kind of difference maker like BDJ or Kane was. He is kind of an player without a position, short and stocky, had trouble finding his niche at Marquette.

Nice player, though, and can really throw down some spectacular dunks.

 

[DJL]

I agree with you there. ISU was desperate at that point. Sometimes Hail Mary passes are caught, but those do have some skill involved...you have to have the ability to throw it deep.

and that's the only reason I give him the slightest bit of credit

 

[deanvogs]

They went after Jordan Baker from Pepperdine two years ago, they reach out to Matt Carlino from BYU. There isn't a long list of immediately eligible difference making guards like you seem to think. We were a finalist for EC Matthews two years ago, we almost landed RJ Hunter before he chose to play for his dad. We missed on a bunch of combo guards last year recruiting as well. It sucks that Iowa couldn't land one of those but claiming it's just a "mid-major mindset" is such a dumb comment.

I was refering to Fran's recruiting strategy once Ulis and LaChance were off the board last year. I didn't see him go after one transfer guard, when it is painfully obvious to everyone that we needed Fran to recruit over our guards.

I know Fran is trying to get us good guards, and he has a pretty good eye for them (his top one or two targets anyway). It is when he misses his top targets and starts reaching for a Clemmons, Ingram type that he isn't so good at.....that doesn't bode well for a Dickerson and Ellingson either then, as they were also fall backs to fall backs.

 

[HawkeyeMike23]

I was refering to Fran's recruiting strategy once Ulis and LaChance were off the board last year. I didn't see him go after one transfer guard, when it is painfully obvious to everyone that we needed Fran to recruit over our guards.

I know Fran is trying to get us good guards, and he has a pretty good eye for them (his top one or two targets anyway). It is when he misses his top targets and starts reaching for a Clemmons, Ingram type that he isn't so good at.....that doesn't bode well for a Dickerson and Ellingson either then, as they were also fall backs to fall backs.

Here's a list of 5th year transfers who could have helped this year:

http://www.vuhoops.com/2014/4/1/5570744/2014-15-college-basketball-5th-year-transfer-list

Who from that list, aside from BDJ, would have significantly improved this team?

 

[deanvogs]

Here's a list of 5th year transfers who could have helped this year:

http://www.vuhoops.com/2014/4/1/5570744/2014-15-college-basketball-5th-year-transfer-list

Who from that list, aside from BDJ, would have significantly improved this team?

Here is the list of transfers:
http://espn.go.com/mens-college-bas...ry-transfer-2014-offseason-college-basketball

I am saying that if you can't get your top guys, you don't need to go to your 3rd/4th options if they can't play......save it for a guy who can play. Plus this is freaking Fran's roster, why you making excuses for him? He wanted Gesell, Clemmons, Ogs, Jok, Dickerson and Ellingson as his guards that is who he is saying he can build a B1G winner around. You don't see a problem with that?

 

[CyChamp]

Maybe this is for another thread, but do you guys think that the recent issues with Iowa MBB are more a problem with talent, coaching, equal parts both, or something else?

I think, while it isn't overly talented, there are enough pieces on the roster to be successful. With the team that is in place, they could hang their hat on defense, turn teams over and cause easy baskets, and win. Play inside out with Woody, play Jok/Olaseni more, park White on the block, and spread the floor more so Gesell/Dickerson only have to drive and dish. I really think the pieces are there.

 

[HawkeyeMike23]

Here is the list of transfers:
http://espn.go.com/mens-college-bas...ry-transfer-2014-offseason-college-basketball

I am saying that if you can't get your top guys, you don't need to go to your 3rd/4th options if they can't play......save it for a guy who can play. Plus this is freaking Fran's roster, why you making excuses for him? He wanted Gesell, Clemmons, Ogs, Jok, Dickerson and Ellingson as his guards that is who he is saying he can build a B1G winner around. You don't see a problem with that?

I'm not making excuses for him, I'm just pointing out that saying he has a "mid-major mindset" makes absolutely no sense. You can't just keep banking scholarships if you don't get who you want. Gesell was a top 100 recruit, Oglesby was a Top 150 recruit, Dickerson was the top ranked juco point guard. He knew he needed to upgrade his backcourt for this coming year, you just said as much, and he brought in the best available juco point guard.

Iowa has improved each of the first four years under Fran and this year is far from over. I'm not freaking out and saying he needs to be fired and that it's clear he's in over his head like you and most of the other posters on here. Plus all this is pretty funny coming from you, the guy who talks up Iowa non-stop over on CF then runs away when they start losing, are you going to go on a self-imposed ban over here too? LOL

 

[DJL]

I'm not making excuses for him, I'm just pointing out that saying he has a "mid-major mindset" makes absolutely no sense. You can't just keep banking scholarships if you don't get who you want. Gesell was a top 100 recruit, Oglesby was a Top 150 recruit, Dickerson was the top ranked juco point guard. He knew he needed to upgrade his backcourt for this coming year, you just said as much, and he brought in the best available juco point guard.

Iowa has improved each of the first four years under Fran and this year is far from over. I'm not freaking out and saying he needs to be fired and that it's clear he's in over his head like you and most of the other posters on here. Plus all this is pretty funny coming from you, the guy who talks up Iowa non-stop over on CF then runs away when they start losing, are you going to go on a self-imposed ban over here too? LOL

So is the problem player development? Because our back court flat out sucks right now.

 

[HawkeyeMike23]

So is the problem player development? Because our back court flat out sucks right now.

Gesell's lack of development is far and away the number one problem on this team right now, and what part coaching that is and what part is on Mike, I don't know. He was the guy who was brought in to be an all B10 caliber pg and that just hasn't happened. Even after his freshman year, it seemed very reasonable to think he could be a 12-15 ppg scorer going forward, but instead he's regressed.

 

[eveningnewsteam]

Hoiberg's making the NCAA look like the dicks they are. He runs his college program like an NBA franchise signing free agents. And hes doing it all under the rules of the NCAA. It's not like what he's doing is illegal, he's exploiting some of the ridiculous rules in place and running with it. He said from day one, he would not take the Iowa State job if he couldnt compete with Kansas and he cant just signing high school kids and a few JCs. He laid this plan out from day one and Iowa State agreed to it.

 

[FRANAMANIAC]

Hoiberg's making the NCAA look like the dicks they are. He runs his college program like an NBA franchise signing free agents. And hes doing it all under the rules of the NCAA. It's not like what he's doing is illegal, he's exploiting some of the ridiculous rules in place and running with it. He said from day one, he would not take the Iowa State job if he couldnt compete with Kansas and he cant just signing high school kids and a few JCs. He laid this plan out from day one and Iowa State agreed to it.

It's almost like the institution of college sports and the idea of a student-athlete are dying...

 

[AdamHawk]

Gesell's lack of development is far and away the number one problem on this team right now, and what part coaching that is and what part is on Mike, I don't know. He was the guy who was brought in to be an all B10 caliber pg and that just hasn't happened. Even after his freshman year, it seemed very reasonable to think he could be a 12-15 ppg scorer going forward, but instead he's regressed.

I think this is exactly right. I think one of Fran's major flaws is he is too loyal to his guys. We saw it with McCabe and Oglesby and we are currently seeing it with MG and Clemmons. Like Dean said earlier in the thread though, you have to recruit over guys who just aren't getting it done. Problem is, if he wasn't willing to do it with Zach and Josh, I think we are in for the long haul with Mike and Sapp good, bad or otherwise. I hope I'm wrong but all the signs on the wall say the cavalry isn't coming.

 

[1977Hawkeye]

It's almost like the institution of college sports and the idea of a student-athlete are dying...

It cracks me up. Unless they ban students from transferring, there's nothing to be said about it. It's all within the rules. Just as long as these players are doing their own homework and making the grades to stay eligible (unlike UNC, Minnesota under Clem Haskins, etc.)

If the UofI wants everything to be old-fashioned and cling to the concept that college athletes MUST be recruited directly out of high school, and from no other place, then we're missing out on a strategy that other schools are starting to get wise to. Be prepared to fall farther and farther behind the curve unless you adapt to current times. Do all of our players have to have crew cuts, socks up to their knees, and wear short shorts, too?

Besides, can anyone sit here and tell me with a straight face that you wish Iowa had never had players like Andre Woolridge, Matt Bullard or Adam Haluska? Those guys were transfers, too.

 

[deanvogs]

I'm not making excuses for him, I'm just pointing out that saying he has a "mid-major mindset" makes absolutely no sense. You can't just keep banking scholarships if you don't get who you want. Gesell was a top 100 recruit, Oglesby was a Top 150 recruit, Dickerson was the top ranked juco point guard. He knew he needed to upgrade his backcourt for this coming year, you just said as much, and he brought in the best available juco point guard.

Iowa has improved each of the first four years under Fran and this year is far from over. I'm not freaking out and saying he needs to be fired and that it's clear he's in over his head like you and most of the other posters on here. Plus all this is pretty funny coming from you, the guy who talks up Iowa non-stop over on CF then runs away when they start losing, are you going to go on a self-imposed ban over here too? LOL

Self imposed ban???? I got da permaban over there. You are right though, last year at this time I did defend Iowa and say they were a good team and were a 4-6 seed type team. It sucks that Clown fans were correct and I was wrong.

I'm not sure how people can't look at see that Fran is totally underachieving with the talent he has. Last year was an epic failure and collapse, as that was a 4-6 seed talented team. This years team is a NCAA talented team, the N. Florida and any other coach that scouts us can see that. The issue is we are not getting the coaching to take advantage of what we have.

It sucks that this is my opinion now, just one short year removed from looking at a team that was a good seed in the NCAA, and looked like they have the pieces in the pipeline to keep those NCAA appearances coming year after year. Yet last year was what it was, and this year is looking like a huge uphill battle to make the NCAA tourney with 4 non con losses.

 

[HawkeyeMike23]

Self imposed ban???? I got da permaban over there. You are right though, last year at this time I did defend Iowa and say they were a good team and were a 4-6 seed type team. It sucks that Clown fans were correct and I was wrong.

I'm not sure how people can't look at see that Fran is totally underachieving with the talent he has. Last year was an epic failure and collapse, as that was a 4-6 seed talented team. This years team is a NCAA talented team, the N. Florida and any other coach that scouts us can see that. The issue is we are not getting the coaching to take advantage of what we have.

It sucks that this is my opinion now, just one short year removed from looking at a team that was a good seed in the NCAA, and looked like they have the pieces in the pipeline to keep those NCAA appearances coming year after year. Yet last year was what it was, and this year is looking like a huge uphill battle to make the NCAA tourney with 4 non con losses.

Talent wise, we're a middle of the pack B10 team, just like we were last year. What team that finished ahead of us last year were we more talented than? Lots of B10 teams have a couple top 100 players on them, our roster is nothing special compared to the rest of the conference, if anything, we had overachieved through the first 25 games last year.

 

[deanvogs]

Talent wise, we're a middle of the pack B10 team, just like we were last year. What team that finished ahead of us last year were we more talented than? Lots of B10 teams have a couple top 100 players on them, our roster is nothing special compared to the rest of the conference, if anything, we had overachieved through the first 25 games last year.

I guess you and I just have a big difference of opinion then. Jay Bilas and many others saw Iowa multiple times at the beginning of the year and picked them as final 4 dark horses. That wasn't a pre season pick, but a pick after watching them play multiple times, win games, lose games etc. Iowa didn't "overachieve" in the first 25 games....they just didn't sh!t the bed and lose to awful teams that they should have never, ever, ever lost to. Through 25 games they were 19-6 losses to ISU, Villanova, Wisky, Michigan, MSU, OSU. The thing was, they beat the teams they should have in that time, they really only had 1 great win at OSU a good win against Nebby and ND. How in the world is that "overachieving"?

The problem was they sh!t the bed the rest of the way. Losing to completely inferior teams in Minny, Indiana, Ill. and jNW. All they had to do was beat the teams they were clearly superior to. Last year they clearly underachieved when you lose that often to inferior teams.

 

[Shivetts]

It cracks me up. Unless they ban students from transferring, there's nothing to be said about it. It's all within the rules. Just as long as these players are doing their own homework and making the grades to stay eligible (unlike UNC, Minnesota under Clem Haskins, etc.)

If the UofI wants everything to be old-fashioned and cling to the concept that college athletes MUST be recruited directly out of high school, and from no other place, then we're missing out on a strategy that other schools are starting to get wise to. Be prepared to fall farther and farther behind the curve unless you adapt to current times. Do all of our players have to have crew cuts, socks up to their knees, and wear short shorts, too?

Besides, can anyone sit here and tell me with a straight face that you wish Iowa had never had players like Andre Woolridge, Matt Bullard or Adam Haluska? Those guys were transfers, too.

Reggie Evans, Luke Recker also

 

[Knight78]

It has panned out beyond my wildest dreams, but it is not all luck. Pollard knew that Fred was smart, well-tutored, personable, and knows basketball. It took some big cajones to pull the trigger on the hire with Fred having no coaching experience, but hiring is a lot of "gut feeling" anyway.

What blows me away is that the original knock on Hoiberg was poor in-game, Xs and Os kind of stuff, and in a short time, he has become great at that.

Hoiberg was an excellent college player, a good pro and then an NBA front-office guy. Zero coaching experience, which you stated. How is it not winning the lottery that he turns out to be a good coach? And PLEASE do NOT tell me that the best players make the best coaches! I'll throw out a ton of examples of how that is a load of..... well, it's a fallacy.