We are back?

W

WindsorHawk

Well-Known Member
I'm not sure I even know what "We are back" means. Fran's 2nd team was better than his 1st team. Fran's 3rd team was better than his 2nd team. This year's team is better than last year's team.

We have gotten better every year. We made the postseason in year 2. We made it to the NIT finals in year 3. We are almost a lock to make it to the NCAA in year 4...and are ranked. This is steady and consistent improvement.

I wasn't sure what we were getting with Fran. I have liked what he has said in every single interview I have heard or read. I like his approach to pretty much all things basketball...recruiting, coaching, relationship with his players, etc. I like that he doesn't care how many stars a recruit has. He cares about how good they are; if they will fit his system; if they will accept their role; and if they will make the Iowa Hawkeye basketball team better in the future.

Some say Fran can't recruit. IMO he can. Some say Fran can't coach in game. IMO he can. Some say Fran doesn't know how to close out games. IMO he does. Fran's way has worked everywhere he's been up until now and sure appears to be working at Iowa.

Are we back? I have no idea. Are we where I want us to be presently and moving forward? Absolutely!

When pressed to answer the question are we back I would answer with a resounding YES. The clincher for me is countless posts complaining about and questioning a WIN in the conference opener because we didn't win by enough. If that's how far we have to dig to find something to complain about then I guess "We are back."
 
WindsorHawk said:
I'm not sure I even know what "We are back" means. Fran's 2nd team was better than his 1st team. Fran's 3rd team was better than his 2nd team. This year's team is better than last year's team.

We have gotten better every year. We made the postseason in year 2. We made it to the NIT finals in year 3. We are almost a lock to make it to the NCAA in year 4...and are ranked. This is steady and consistent improvement.

I wasn't sure what we were getting with Fran. I have liked what he has said in every single interview I have heard or read. I like his approach to pretty much all things basketball...recruiting, coaching, relationship with his players, etc. I like that he doesn't care how many stars a recruit has. He cares about how good they are; if they will fit his system; if they will accept their role; and if they will make the Iowa Hawkeye basketball team better in the future.

Some say Fran can't recruit. IMO he can. Some say Fran can't coach in game. IMO he can. Some say Fran doesn't know how to close out games. IMO he does. Fran's way has worked everywhere he's been up until now and sure appears to be working at Iowa.

Are we back? I have no idea. Are we where I want us to be presently and moving forward? Absolutely!

When pressed to answer the question are we back I would answer with a resounding YES. The clincher for me is countless posts complaining about and questioning a WIN in the conference opener because we didn't win by enough. If that's how far we have to dig to find something to complain about then I guess "We are back."
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How can you make that statement? There is little evidence that Fran's teams can close out games against good competition.
 
The answer is actually a resounding NO. When our name is called on Selection Sunday then we're officially, 100%, no debate back.
 
I swear someone has hacked cliche's user name as I find myself agreeing with him more and more. I have always thought the "we are back" meant back as a tournament team, it originally started when Woodbury committed (in fact I may have triggered it) as we were all pretty excited to land him over North Carolina. I want to see Iowa get "back" as a consistent 20 win team that is in the NCAA tournament year over year, "back" to where Tom Davis had this team before his contract was not renewed.
 
ssckelley said:
I swear someone has hacked cliche's user name as I find myself agreeing with him more and more. I have always thought the "we are back" meant back as a tournament team, it originally started when Woodbury committed (in fact I may have triggered it) as we were all pretty excited to land him over North Carolina. I want to see Iowa get "back" as a consistent 20 win team that is in the NCAA tournament year over year, "back" to where Tom Davis had this team before his contract was not renewed.
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Not sure I will ever forgive the Iowa administration for that.
 
SonofaSailor said:
Not sure I will ever forgive the Iowa administration for that.
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I will admit I was one that was fooled into thinking Alford would take Iowa to the next level. But I thought the next level was final four appearances not NIT bids and 1st round exits.
 
SonofaSailor said:
How can you make that statement? There is little evidence that Fran's teams can close out games against good competition.
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Well it's my opinion...one I know many don't agree with. Also, I addressed this in another thread. We have won close games under Fran. We swept Wisconsin 2 years ago and both went down to the wire and Wisconsin was ranked...thus a good team.

Fran's overall ability to close out games does not hinge solely on the 2012-2013 season. This year alone we have split games of this nature against good competition...Xavier, Villanova, Notre Dame and Iowa State.
 
clicheusername3 said:
The answer is actually a resounding NO. When our name is called on Selection Sunday then we're officially, 100%, no debate back.
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You're so predictable it's sad. It absolutely does not matter what the topic is I know 99% of your posts...probably closer to 100% will be negative.

This is a rhetorical question to generate varying opinions. Google rhetorical to get the meaning before responding to this. While on Google go ahead and get the meaning of opinion. Your opinion is not fact but rather an opinion...so there is no resounding "NO" answer to this rhetorical question.

I can't even begin to imagine how miserable you have to be in every aspect of your life. I really do hope that you're not like this everywhere you go and in everything you do.
 
WindsorHawk said:
You're so predictable it's sad. It absolutely does not matter what the topic is I know 99% of your posts...probably closer to 100% will be negative.

This is a rhetorical question to generate varying opinions. Google rhetorical to get the meaning before responding to this. While on Google go ahead and get the meaning of opinion. Your opinion is not fact but rather an opinion...so there is no resounding "NO" answer to this rhetorical question.

I can't even begin to imagine how miserable you have to be in every aspect of your life. I really do hope that you're not like this everywhere you go and in everything you do.
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If it was a rhetorical question, I request permission to withdraw my response.
 
ssckelley said:
I swear someone has hacked cliche's user name as I find myself agreeing with him more and more. I have always thought the "we are back" meant back as a tournament team, it originally started when Woodbury committed (in fact I may have triggered it) as we were all pretty excited to land him over North Carolina. I want to see Iowa get "back" as a consistent 20 win team that is in the NCAA tournament year over year, "back" to where Tom Davis had this team before his contract was not renewed.
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I'm going to have to disagree with you here Kelley. You and User are nothing alike. IMO this post doesn't even agree with his post. Your post is clearly giving your opinion and stating it in a pleasant manner.
 
People have short memories. They're only remembering the recent games that we haven't closed and somehow that morphs into Fran's teams never having (or had) the ability to close. Some people also see sloppy luck (see Wisconsin banking in 3 or whichever team it was the threw up a prayer 3-pointer that went in) as us not being to able to close. Like somebody already pointed out, we closed out Wisconsin just fine and swept them a couple of seasons ago, and what about beating a top-10 ranked Purdue team at home to close out the season before? I'm sure there are other examples as well. I say let's wait and see what happens this season. If the ability to not close out continues, then the criticism is warranted, but I wouldn't call Iowa not being able to close out games lately a "trend" quite yet.
 
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WindsorHawk said:
You're so predictable it's sad. It absolutely does not matter what the topic is I know 99% of your posts...probably closer to 100% will be negative.

This is a rhetorical question to generate varying opinions. Google rhetorical to get the meaning before responding to this. While on Google go ahead and get the meaning of opinion. Your opinion is not fact but rather an opinion...so there is no resounding "NO" answer to this rhetorical question.

I can't even begin to imagine how miserable you have to be in every aspect of your life. I really do hope that you're not like this everywhere you go and in everything you do.
Click to expand...

YouMad.jpg
 
ssckelley said:
I will admit I was one that was fooled into thinking Alford would take Iowa to the next level. But I thought the next level was final four appearances not NIT bids and 1st round exits.
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I was another one who was fooled, or I simply fooled myself, into believing the same "next level" nonsense thing. Either way, brutal.
 
GoHawks24 said:
People have short memories.
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^ this

Anytime I find myself complaining about the job Fran is doing here I remind myself how miserable I was during the Lick years and I find myself loving Fran all over again. I honestly do not think Iowa is going to win this Sunday but I cannot wait to watch the game to see how well Iowa plays, what will probably be, their toughest road test of the season. Because I know Fran will have them fighting and competing hard, during the Lick years I might have watched the game but would have fell asleep by halftime.
 
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