SAME AS WHEN
ALFORD WAS HERE
When Alford was here? If you mean transfers, arrests for alcohol and drugs, players being ruled academically ineligible and then selling your soul for one player and a pathetic loss to Northwestern St...I would rather pass.
If the only black-eye on Fran's record in the first few years is Hubbard, I will take that 100% of the time.
Iowa won games under Alford, but there was no integrity in the program by the time he left. This carried over under Lickliter and he had no clue how to change that.
In just over a year, Fran has one of Iowa's best recruiting classes in a very, very long time. Connected with a fanbase that loves what he does and how he handles this program.
There are still issues with the Iowa program, but Fran can't make everything happen all at once. It takes time and the 2010 - 2012 classes along with the staff's ability to develop players is going to get Iowa back to respectability and the NCAA tournament. Here is the difference of what he is doing that the two previous coaches couldn't do, retain players and recruit good freshman and not try and rely on transfers. Iowa is being built for the long term, not a short run every two or three years.
The ticket sales being flat is not a real surprise, there should be a huge increase when the local kid Woodbury hits campus, that is the other thing this 2012 class will be doing, creating a lot of excitement.