That might be true to an extent but our major problem at the end of the year was defense. Getting a handful of transition baskets per game was not the difference between beating northwestern by 26 twice and losing to them.
Think First Before Criticizing McCaffery
- Thread starter SheagleHawk
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That might be true to an extent but our major problem at the end of the year was defense. Getting a handful of transition baskets per game was not the difference between beating northwestern by 26 twice and losing to them.
WindsorHawk
Well-Known Member
Basabe got sick and was never the same...not even close. It may just be that he was far more important to what we were doing than any of us thought. We all knew he was contributing and doing good things but his importance may have been greater than we ever realized. He did a lot of dirty work especially on the defensive end...defensive rebounds, blocking shots, etc.
volhawk50
Well-Known Member
Note: at the time Fran took over. The SEC was stronger then than it is now. BC had just hired Donahue and had reason to be optimistic, but it went downhill from there. VT was in a decent situation until they fired Greenberg. You may have a point about the other 3, though.
I have no issues with Fran's recruiting efforts and the way he is running the program. He has brought it back to life and his work ethic is second to none. The only thing I think he needs to improve on is his in-game coaching if he wants to consistently beat the Ryans/Izzos/Mattas/Bieliens (sp? sorry didn't want to look it up) of the world. Lot of head scratchers this year that most pointed out on this board with in game decisions.
The bottom of the SEC wasnt. Auburn, Georgia, Ole Miss, Mississippi State are all schools that couldnt give 2 craps about their basketball programs. Even in the darkest period of Iowa hoops, the Iowa job is still better than those programs.
Hell the Iowa job was even better than Nebraska when Fran was hired. Miles has done a great job there and the facility upgrades have helped a ton too.
You said Iowa was the WORST job of any job in a power 6 conference just 4 years ago. That statement is asinine. How do you need any further explanation?
BirdsOfPrey
Well-Known Member
Iowa may not have been the WORST job, but from a coaching perspective, it was pretty close. Carver Hawkeye Arena is not the best, student seating is poor, we had no practice facility or anything like Kentucky's team palace. We fired a successful coach (Davis) & then Alford fled town after the Pierce saga & Lickliter was fired after a couple seasons. Fan support was poor and the program's reputation among todays youth (recruits) was a non-memory. The players left on the team lacked talent & athleticism. Other than the program's potential, not a lot of positive going on.
seepig
Well-Known Member
I think BOP post is too critical but he is pretty accurate tracing the history of the bball program. Having said that all the progress made Woody having some great games at the end of the year etc. If you had to grade Fran's coaching across several parameters what would you give him:
Motivation- B the fiery Fran was all but extinguished the last month of the season
Player Development- C (Some people that needed to move didn't)
Game situation- C (Fran clearly didn't know what to do with his rotation and for some reason some folks got a pass on making mistakes while others were yanked immediately & in some games he had bad match ups that he seemed to ignore)
Adversity Management- F- (When things went south he had NO answers and NO ability to right the ship...this aspect is very disturbing)
I am NOT in favor of giving Fran any grief at this point. The brand of bball is simply better than it has been in awhile....I think if Jok comes along and he can reel in Atwood & the missing Mike Gesell returns we could be a tough team next year. This year ended in a colossal THUD and Fran & Players need to be held accountable. White and others have simply pointed to TEAM play..ok Aaron you are responsible for that and so is the coaching staff.
Motivation- B the fiery Fran was all but extinguished the last month of the season
Player Development- C (Some people that needed to move didn't)
Game situation- C (Fran clearly didn't know what to do with his rotation and for some reason some folks got a pass on making mistakes while others were yanked immediately & in some games he had bad match ups that he seemed to ignore)
Adversity Management- F- (When things went south he had NO answers and NO ability to right the ship...this aspect is very disturbing)
I am NOT in favor of giving Fran any grief at this point. The brand of bball is simply better than it has been in awhile....I think if Jok comes along and he can reel in Atwood & the missing Mike Gesell returns we could be a tough team next year. This year ended in a colossal THUD and Fran & Players need to be held accountable. White and others have simply pointed to TEAM play..ok Aaron you are responsible for that and so is the coaching staff.
1977Hawkeye
Well-Known Member
Ok, here are my thoughts.
The Good - As someone just pointed out, Iowa's basketball program was in shambles when Fran was hired, and he has done a nice job of pulling it up out of the gutter. 20+ wins the last two years, and an NCAA appearance this year, regardless of where you stand on the "play in game" vs "NCAA game" argument. For these reasons alone, I think Fran deserves at least a couple more years of patience from us fans and the Athletic Department to see what he can do. If after 2-3 year more years, the program has basically stagnated and we're still more of an NIT program, then go ahead and fire away. Until then, I'm not going to roast the guy.
The Bad - There really was very little "bad" up until the final month of this season. Last year, the team was horrendous in close games. I was OK with chalking that up as a team that was competitive but hadn't yet learned how to win. But, we had the same problem this year despite an extra year's experience and having "been there". I'm not sure if it's this particular set of players, the coaching, a little of both, or what, but this is something that concerns me a bit, seeing the team consistently coughing up late leads and losing the last 2 years. Then regarding this year's meltdown - It felt very Alfordesque in the sense that we had a talented team that was Top 10-15, and then totally folded (2001-02). The Alford era didn't go well after that season - let's hope the McCaffery era is better and this year was just an aberration.
So yeah.. I like Fran and think he's done a nice job overall, but I'm not 100% sold that he's going to meet/exceed the success we had under Davis yet either (i.e. being in the NCAA Tournament 2 out of every 3 years, winning a game or two, etc.).
It's tougher to get to the "next level" than it is going from bad to OK. It's hard not to improve on the Lickliter era... The jury's still out.
The Good - As someone just pointed out, Iowa's basketball program was in shambles when Fran was hired, and he has done a nice job of pulling it up out of the gutter. 20+ wins the last two years, and an NCAA appearance this year, regardless of where you stand on the "play in game" vs "NCAA game" argument. For these reasons alone, I think Fran deserves at least a couple more years of patience from us fans and the Athletic Department to see what he can do. If after 2-3 year more years, the program has basically stagnated and we're still more of an NIT program, then go ahead and fire away. Until then, I'm not going to roast the guy.
The Bad - There really was very little "bad" up until the final month of this season. Last year, the team was horrendous in close games. I was OK with chalking that up as a team that was competitive but hadn't yet learned how to win. But, we had the same problem this year despite an extra year's experience and having "been there". I'm not sure if it's this particular set of players, the coaching, a little of both, or what, but this is something that concerns me a bit, seeing the team consistently coughing up late leads and losing the last 2 years. Then regarding this year's meltdown - It felt very Alfordesque in the sense that we had a talented team that was Top 10-15, and then totally folded (2001-02). The Alford era didn't go well after that season - let's hope the McCaffery era is better and this year was just an aberration.
So yeah.. I like Fran and think he's done a nice job overall, but I'm not 100% sold that he's going to meet/exceed the success we had under Davis yet either (i.e. being in the NCAA Tournament 2 out of every 3 years, winning a game or two, etc.).
It's tougher to get to the "next level" than it is going from bad to OK. It's hard not to improve on the Lickliter era... The jury's still out.
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lightning1
Well-Known Member
No offense to anyone here but I don't consider "the brand of basketball is more entertaining" as a viable argument to engage in over wins/losses. This is a sport. A competition. Not a beauty pageant. The ultimate goal here is to win conference titles and national titles. I could lace up sneakers on 13 Ringling Brothers' clowns and it would be entertaining. Don't get me wrong. Entertainment is a good thing but I don't appreciate losing in an entertaining fashion, any more than I appreciate losing in Lickliter fashion. Losing 9 conference games by 2 pts a piece is just as unsatisfying as losing 9 conference games by 10 pts a piece.
I'm sick of mediocre sports at the University of Iowa. Period. I'm sick of excuses. I'm sick of seeing the Directors Cup standings and seeing Iowa Hawkeyes sitting at the bottom of the conference. Where is the competitive spirit? Where's the pride? When did the Iowa fan base decide that we didn't need to actively pursue coaches like Dan Gable, for all of our sports? When did it become acceptable to pay the most money for the minimum results?
It's embarrassing.
I'm sick of mediocre sports at the University of Iowa. Period. I'm sick of excuses. I'm sick of seeing the Directors Cup standings and seeing Iowa Hawkeyes sitting at the bottom of the conference. Where is the competitive spirit? Where's the pride? When did the Iowa fan base decide that we didn't need to actively pursue coaches like Dan Gable, for all of our sports? When did it become acceptable to pay the most money for the minimum results?
It's embarrassing.
WindsorHawk
Well-Known Member
Motivation - B...The guys play hard the vast majority of the time
Player Development - A...Can't think of a player that isn't better now than when they arrived
Game Situation - B...Love the transition offense, 3/4 court press and out of bounds plays in particular
Player Development - A...Can't think of a player that isn't better now than when they arrived
Game Situation - B...Love the transition offense, 3/4 court press and out of bounds plays in particular
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sportstalent
Well-Known Member
I don't know how old you are, but if these are your thoughts, root for MSU.
1977Hawkeye
Well-Known Member
I tend to agree with lightning...
Losing is losing, and to me, that is never "entertaining". I would rather be Wisconsin and play their style of ball, and be in the Final Four right now, than to lead the conference in scoring and not even having made the field of 64. I would rather be ISU and "not do it the right way" and make the Sweet 16. (yeah, I just called down the thunder)
"Go root for another team" isn't really helpful advice. So my choice as an IOWA fan is to either just be ticked off about it, or stop caring as much... One or the other.
I'll save you the trouble of asking: I'm 37.
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ibahawkeye
Well-Known Member
Won't argue motivation... I wouldn't say I've ever seen the team quit.
Player Development?? A? Really, because every player has improved? It's fricking college basketball... they play basketball day in and day out, of course they are going to get better but I think throwing an A to him here is over the top.
Game Situation- B- Sounds like you are describing style... not grading him on how he handles game situations
Adversity Management- your stupidity of putting an A here makes me seem like an *** so I blame you for having to point out that we bombed the end of the season while dealing with the Patrick sitaution.
WindsorHawk
Well-Known Member
I really don't have a problem as it relates to differing opinions. But coded expletives and name calling... Are you a two-year-old? I wish I could say the last conversation we ever had was productive and intelligent but I wouldn't really be honest if I did.
I will edit my post...not trying to do anything in poor taste and I can see how some might take it that way.
Seth53
Well-Known Member
Look at the Iowa coaches from the "modern" era up to present, first four years (or as appropriate):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iowa_Hawkeyes_men's_basketball
LO: Nothing spectacular, but general upward trend. Best years came later. Took over a mess.
GR: Fair. Slight bump up, small sample size. Competitive. Took over a stable program.
TD: Started hot, slipped. Always competitive. Took over some dynamite talent.
SA: Nothing really to note the first four years. Took over a very decent program.
TL: Awful from the get-go. Crushed a program.
FM: IMO, still too early to judge FM's entire body of work. Took over the worst mess ever in the history of Iowa BB. Definite upward trend.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iowa_Hawkeyes_men's_basketball
LO: Nothing spectacular, but general upward trend. Best years came later. Took over a mess.
GR: Fair. Slight bump up, small sample size. Competitive. Took over a stable program.
TD: Started hot, slipped. Always competitive. Took over some dynamite talent.
SA: Nothing really to note the first four years. Took over a very decent program.
TL: Awful from the get-go. Crushed a program.
FM: IMO, still too early to judge FM's entire body of work. Took over the worst mess ever in the history of Iowa BB. Definite upward trend.
HawkeyeMike23
Banned
Can you imagine how Davis would be talked about after his 4th year if he was the coach today? There's no way he's not on his way out after having a worse record each year he's been here.
hawkforlife9
Well-Known Member
I think Fran is right on track. Next year he gets us past the play in game as a 10 or 11 seed. The following year we get to 4 or 5. and make Sweet 16. It takes time to rebuild something as screwed up as the program was. I do agree, if it took any other coach Iowa has hired in the past 6 or 7 years to get to Sweet 16 they would of been long canned. But we are starting from a different place.
ibahawkeye
Well-Known Member
1) There was no name calling in my post
2) The expletive was referring to how my point of view would reflect on me
In my opinon, your opinion is worse than the ones that are always negative. Your opinion is in fact the exact opposite. You never have a bad thing to say about the hawks.... which is great Mr. Super Fan but makes me realize your opinion is too biased to even be realistic and worth nothing.
Good day to you sir.
tm3308
Well-Known Member
Asinine might be going too far. Is he wrong? Maybe. But when you're talking about the worst 10-15 programs in the country, it's tough to go wrong picking one of them as the worst. The gap between the worst and 15th worst isn't THAT big.
