The truth about CJ injury and the silver lining

[Northside Hawk]

I actually like the '87 team better.

The trio of Marble, Horton and Armstrong were finding their games. Lohaus had developed into a solid front-court player along with Lorenzen and Wright. Gamble was a defensive liability but was deadly offensively, and, if we needed better defense, we had Bill Jones available. Jeff Moe and Kent Hill were very good role players as well.

That melt-down against UNLV to this day still gives me pain in the pit of my stomach.

I started that UNLV game in full baseball uniform, having just gotten home from shagging flies for a Loras College batting practice session while on spring break.

I ended that game down to my baseball pants and cup, having whipped everything else at the TV as I watched Iowa drown before my eyes.

 

[#1DieHardHawk]

I started that UNLV game in full baseball uniform, having just gotten home from shagging flies for a Loras College batting practice session while on spring break.

I ended that game down to my baseball pants and cup, having whipped everything else at the TV as I watched Iowa drown before my eyes.

Well, thank God you still had the cup on.....

 

[Northside Hawk]

Well, thank God you still had the cup on.....

If that game had gone overtime.....

 

[#1DieHardHawk]

Davis deserves a ton of credit for giving Lohaus and Gamble a clean slate. Neither would have had a ten year NBA career without Davis, as they both had slid farther and farther down Raveling's bench.

With both hands on deck both teams were obviously very talented and deep. We never saw the full potential of the 1989 team and don't forget Acie Earl redshirted that hear. The only significant injury the 1987 team endured was Gerry Wright's broken hand, rumored to be from punching a wall when he found out it was too late to drop a class.

The 1989 team, if healthy, would have had better interior defense than 1987. The 1987 team was probably a better team at scoring inside, thanks in large part to Marble and Gamble around the rim.

Both very good teams, probably in the top 5 in the history of the program. We have to remember that '87 team started the season 18-0 and was ranked #1 in the country for a portion of the season. It had all the elements, including a solid bench.

I can't quite put a finger on it, but that '89 team lacked something beyond just injuries. In retrospect, I question the leadership. The big three of Marble, Horton and Armstrong were great players but I don't think any of them relished the senior leadership role, whereas the '87 team had some solid leaders, including Lohaus, Lorenzen and Jones. The '89 team just lacked that cohesiveness you want to see. Thompson and Moses languished at times and the upperclassmen seemed disinterested. Then, of course, we all know how it turned out with Thompson....

 

[Northside Hawk]

Both very good teams, probably in the top 5 in the history of the program. We have to remember that '87 team started the season 18-0 and was ranked #1 in the country for a portion of the season. It had all the elements, including a solid bench.

I can't quite put a finger on it, but that '89 team lacked something beyond just injuries. In retrospect, I question the leadership. The big three of Marble, Horton and Armstrong were great players but I don't think any of them relished the senior leadership role, whereas the '87 team had some solid leaders, including Lohaus, Lorenzen and Jones. The '89 team just lacked that cohesiveness you want to see. Thompson and Moses languished at times and the upperclassmen seemed disinterested. Then, of course, we all know how it turned out with Thompson....

Great post! I remember a column by longtime Des Moines Register sportswriter Marc Hansen. He said the exact same thing about the leadership void. He noted that the Illinois team seemed like a united family that was as close off the court as on while Iowa's players seemed like the type that went their separate ways when not required to be together.

We lost six seniors from the 1988 team. Regardless of our returning high end talent that had to affect us in conference games. We had a lot of freshman playing key roles in 1989. Again, injuries forced our hand in that regard.

 

[Xerxes]

Davis deserves a ton of credit for giving Lohaus and Gamble a clean slate. Neither would have had a ten year NBA career without Davis, as they both had slid farther and farther down Raveling's bench.

With both hands on deck both teams were obviously very talented and deep. We never saw the full potential of the 1989 team and don't forget Acie Earl redshirted that hear. The only significant injury the 1987 team endured was Gerry Wright's broken hand, rumored to be from punching a wall when he found out it was too late to drop a class.

The 1989 team, if healthy, would have had better interior defense than 1987. The 1987 team was probably a better team at scoring inside, thanks in large part to Marble and Gamble around the rim.

Gerry Wright. What a ridiculous athlete at 6-7'. And he's gone on to have one of the more interesting lives of any former Hawkeyes

 

[Northside Hawk]

Gerry Wright. What a ridiculous athlete at 6-7'. And he's gone on to have one of the more interesting lives of any former Hawkeyes

Best athlete I have seen in 44 years of watching Iowa basketball, obviously not the best player I've ever seen.

Best finisher on the break I've seen in 44 years of watching Big Ten basketball, and maybe the best outlet passer.

He threw down a one handed alley oop reminiscent of the one Tyler Cook made in the conference tournament last year (both against Illinois). Cook's was off an inbounds. Wright was filling the lane on the break and Andre Banks hit him from near half court.

By seasons end he and Ed Horton were roughly splitting time. Teams would challenge Horton if he was the only one back in transition. They were more apt to put on the brakes and set up the offense if Sir Jamalot was protecting the rim.

 

[PCHawk]

Heard an announcer talking about a player that missed 2 weeks with a stress reaction in his leg. Hopefully that's all CJ misses.

 

[Northside Hawk]

I'm sure there were plenty of players that peaked early under Davis. Just like there have been plenty of players that played their best ball as seniors under Fran.

Oh sure! In thirteen years you will have a few.

Best example may have been Guy Rucker. He got thrown into the fire when Jess Settles couldn't answer the bell and easily had his best year as a freshman.

Matt Gatens and Peter Jok were examples of players who at their best under Fran as seniors.

 

[racerhawk]

Because we are Hawkeye fans, probably more invested in the program than some (those who spend time on message boards anyway compared to the casual fan). I would like to see the program more than just taking 2-3 years to become an NCAA tournament team that is just fodder for a Top Seed in the first or 2nd round. And, I loved seeing the team beat those Twerps last night.....but it amuses me when I see the talks of "championship and maybe among Iowa's best teams ever" over a a few good wins when we struggle to even get out of the first round of the BTT tournament or first couple of rounds of the NCAAs.

I have seen far better years for the Iowa basketball program and a more consistent program. I hope we can get back there some day. I want this program to have moments like the football program has had over the last 30 years or so.

I agree with most of what you said, but last year was actually pretty exciting, and the depleted team this year is pretty exciting as well. A championship isn't happening this year of course, but the team is much more mentally strong than some previous editions of Fran's teams, and I'm relatively optimistic. Maybe that's because I'm a hawkeye fan. Message board posters are representative of just that. Oftentimes, that's a very vocal negative or positive group.

 

[racerhawk]

Provocative question: If Mr. Davis took over for Lickliter, would he have been successful?

 

[hawkeyebob62]

Provocative question: If Mr. Davis took over for Lickliter, would he have been successful?

He would have had to bring a recruit or two with him (like Basabe did with FranMac). Question becomes, does he get a Cartwright, plus a class of Clemmons, Gesell, and Woodbury?

 

[PCHawk]

Provocative question: If Mr. Davis took over for Lickliter, would he have been successful?

I think his career would be similar to Fran's career. Which is a half step behind where his actual career was (after his first 2 years). Kinda like Gard at Wisconsin. He still has the benefits of recruiting with the prestige that Ryan built. Without that, he would be at least a half step behind.

Flip that around and ask what Fran could have done taking over after Raveling. I think he would have been at least half a step better than Davis. I think they're at least equal coaches, so the half step is from the program name at the time. I say "at least" because I think Fran is probably slightly better and could do even more with that name brand.

 

[HaydenHawk56]

Provocative question: If Mr. Davis took over for Lickliter, would he have been successful?

Yes I believe he would. If he could make Drake into a winner, then I believe it would be possible.