what happens in the post-Tucker era?

[NewMexHawk]

"Hell if I know, they don't pay me to recruit..........

But I am sure there are players better than him out there"

Heck the coaches they are paying to recruit aren't doing a very good job...

 

[JonDMiller]

Do you think he is a top 3 PG in the Big 10?

Name the last time Iowa had a top 3 PG in the league....perhaps Horner for one year, but I would have to look at the rest of the league in those years...perhaps you have to go back to Woolridge

 

[ICHAWK]

Name the last time Iowa had a top 3 PG in the league....perhaps Horner for one year, but I would have to look at the rest of the league in those years...perhaps you have to go back to Woolridge

Woolridge was the last great PG Iowa has had. Pierre Pierce was not a great pure PG but he was a very good PG when it came to dribble drive penetration and consistently beating guys off the bounce.

I guess Iowa BB has gotten so bad everyone is just going to be happy with Iowa being an 8th place caliber Big 10 team.

Iowa can get good players, this staff has not done the job on the recruiting front but it can happen. Also guess what this late in the game you may have to take a risk on a kid. Maybe there is a kid who has a past history but is a good kid and can change with a little direction. No you are not going to get your first pick but there are still guys out there who can be difference makers.

 

[chadfrey]

It's not hard to rebuild a basketball program. You need 2 difference makers and put some solid players around them. You have a solid player in Gatens, you have a nice athletic guy in May who can improve based on his athleticism.

It should not be that hard to find two guys who are legit threats off the bounce if you are a BCS conference school.

It's much harder than you make it sound.

Schools like South Carolina, Baylor, Notre Dame, Georgia Tech, LSU and Ole Miss are a testament of how tough it can be to move up the standings within big-time conferences.

My patience with Lick is being tested. Iowa made quite a directional change when he came into the fold. With the exodus of players, and now a much-needed suspension of another, this program is being rebuilt from the bottom up.

However, to think for one second a program can be turned around with two recruits is incredibly naive.

Iowa could look to JUCO to find a player or two, but if you are ready to dance with the devil be ready to get burned. JUCO players are not magic bullets. For every stud who comes out of junior college, there are dozens of guys who don't pan out. For years one my best friends was an NAIA basketball coach. He very rarely recruited juco players - knowing that often they were more trouble than they were worth.

 

[ICHAWK]

It's much harder than you make it sound.

Schools like South Carolina, Baylor, Notre Dame, Georgia Tech, LSU and Ole Miss are a testament of how tough it can be to move up the standings within big-time conferences.

My patience with Lick is being tested. Iowa made quite a directional change when he came into the fold. With the exodus of players, and now a much-needed suspension of another, this program is being rebuilt from the bottom up.

However, to think for one second a program can be turned around with two recruits is incredibly naive.

Iowa could look to JUCO to find a player or two, but if you are ready to dance with the devil be ready to get burned. JUCO players are not magic bullets. For every stud who comes out of junior college, there are dozens of guys who don't pan out. For years one my best friends was an NAIA basketball coach. He very rarely recruited juco players - knowing that often they were more trouble than they were worth.

JUCO guys are a hassle, but at this point Iowa is nearing despiration and you have to go outside the comfort zone to find guys.

I thought Gatens, Tucker (not playing as many minutes), Cole, May (athleticism) are all very good players to have around a couple play making wing players. I would like to see a better big man in the fold as well. Iowa has some nice pieces where if you added two very dynamic players they could actually jump to being an 8th place caliber team in the Big 10. As you win more games you entice better players to come to your program and it builds slowly. Right now all Iowa is doing is replacing guys with average guys so Iowa really gets no better.

 

[storminspank]

I know it's old news and tired, but it sure would have been sweet to land Armstead this last spring. He could have really sparked this team. He's playing very well for Oregon.

 

[TChawk]

Hopefully it means an END to the Lick era!

+100

 

[1977Hawkeye]

Name the last time Iowa had a top 3 PG in the league....perhaps Horner for one year, but I would have to look at the rest of the league in those years...perhaps you have to go back to Woolridge

Coincidence then that the same time period you refer to has basically been one of the darkest periods in our history?

 

[vbeachawk]

I think Dean Oliver was pretty darn good and I think he was after Woolridge who was really special.

Imo, Kaylon Williams would be a big help next year both at practice and in games and would help tide Lickliter over to the following recruiting season when he hopefully can land an even better pg. I also think everyone is going to be surprised at just how good Devyn Marble is going to be. And along with Larson and McCabe, if Lick can just get a good pg for next year, he just might be able to save his job.