what in the hell was that?

[sportstalent]

1977 I agree. Anyone blaming Alford is just doing so because they hate the guy. Bottomline is this is ALL on Lickliter and it's not even close. Still have no clue what the hell he was doing. Lickliter was not even remotely ready..

I don't like Alford or Lickliter, but here is my problem with the Alford time. Was Iowa a better program when he left, that answer is clearly no. I loved the winning that was going on, but I did not like all the drama that went with Alford as coach.
Why did Iowa fall apart the last 3 years? Lickliter was just the wrong guy to pick up a broken program.
The huge problem with Iowa when Alford left was the perception that the inmates ran the asylum, at least that is the impression I got.
When Lickliter came in, he was not that way at all and when there is a mentality that has been enstilled, it takes time to change that.
I don't understand the players that said "yes" to Lickliter that left, most of them couldn't play anyway, but it was left Iowa in a hole every year and had to start over.
The arrests and academic issues that were common place under Alford were just the beginning of the eroding of Iowa Basketball, but the dam broke under Lickliter.
A lot of the blame does go to Lickliter, but the mentality and perception of the program when he got there is on Alford. Lickliter was just not the guy to change it, I agree that he appeared to have no idea what he was doing.
It took his third recruiting class to get a class that people didn't think was a joke and he got fired. Thankfully, Marble and McCabe still ended up on campus.

In regards to today's game, I didn't feel like the effort was there, but Purdue is the best team Iowa has played, IMO and will win the BT. Think about it, the one thing they were missing is a consistent 3-pt shooter and now they have one and get this, they run plays to get him open because he is that good of a shooter.
I was most disappointed in Cartwright/McCabe today, each was a turnover-in-waiting today. It really showed that we miss Payne today, we need a PG that doesn't get out of control. Don't get me wrong, I really like Cartwright, he just played out of control today and when Iowa had to sit him it wasn't pretty. Marble did a nice job, but he isn't quite ready to be the PG that Iowa needs him to be when Cartwright is off.
The other thing that disappointed me was how many wide open looks Iowa missed today. Iowa had been shooting better, but didn't today. Defensively, it is the same thing, quit leaving the shooters and nothing more. I can live with Moore/Byrd hitting 3's, but not the guy that is relied on so heavily on to make them, we all know he can shoot, so don't leave him.
Iowa is a program in transition and I didn't feel like they would compete against the top five in the BT, even at home, I have been proved wrong at this point. Chalk this one up to whatever you want, but a program in transition is going to have days like this.
Fran is the right coach for Iowa and year two is going to be really, really fun. I know we are only 3 games into BT play and I am talking about next season, but that is not a write off of this season, just an excitement that I have based on what I have seen from this season.

 

[SheagleHawk]

1977 I agree. Anyone blaming Alford is just doing so because they hate the guy. Bottomline is this is ALL on Lickliter and it's not even close. Still have no clue what the hell he was doing. Lickliter was not even remotely ready..

Agreed. There's a reason Lackluster is still unemployed.

 

[TalkHawk]

I don't get why Gatens only has two shots when we someone to spark us. Or someone trying to get themselves going.

We definitely got punched in the mouth and had no idea how to respond.

Far better Iowa teams have gone on the road in this league and gotten spanked by ranked teams though. lol

I posted this elsewhere- but it's so frustrating because so many teams in the big 10 have progressed so rapidly....and gotten so far ahead of Iowa's program..... it's hard to take lumps like this and find positives.
We need a few other programs in the big 10 to go through a Lickliter era.

I love having Fran as our coach. I love watching Iowa basketball again. I don't have enough optimism seeing it work until some of the other programs come back to earth with there programs though. lol

It will be fun to watch though! One thing Lickliter did was make me a fan again. I don't get too worked up about it- I don't overanalyze anything- I just watch the games, cheer for the kids, and hope we can pull an upset once this year!

 

[HawkPrdatr40]

I don't like Alford or Lickliter, but here is my problem with the Alford time. Was Iowa a better program when he left, that answer is clearly no. I loved the winning that was going on, but I did not like all the drama that went with Alford as coach.
Why did Iowa fall apart the last 3 years? Lickliter was just the wrong guy to pick up a broken program.
The huge problem with Iowa when Alford left was the perception that the inmates ran the asylum, at least that is the impression I got.
When Lickliter came in, he was not that way at all and when there is a mentality that has been enstilled, it takes time to change that.
I don't understand the players that said "yes" to Lickliter that left, most of them couldn't play anyway, but it was left Iowa in a hole every year and had to start over.
The arrests and academic issues that were common place under Alford were just the beginning of the eroding of Iowa Basketball, but the dam broke under Lickliter.
A lot of the blame does go to Lickliter, but the mentality and perception of the program when he got there is on Alford. Lickliter was just not the guy to change it, I agree that he appeared to have no idea what he was doing.
It took his third recruiting class to get a class that people didn't think was a joke and he got fired. Thankfully, Marble and McCabe still ended up on campus.

In regards to today's game, I didn't feel like the effort was there, but Purdue is the best team Iowa has played, IMO and will win the BT. Think about it, the one thing they were missing is a consistent 3-pt shooter and now they have one and get this, they run plays to get him open because he is that good of a shooter.
I was most disappointed in Cartwright/McCabe today, each was a turnover-in-waiting today. It really showed that we miss Payne today, we need a PG that doesn't get out of control. Don't get me wrong, I really like Cartwright, he just played out of control today and when Iowa had to sit him it wasn't pretty. Marble did a nice job, but he isn't quite ready to be the PG that Iowa needs him to be when Cartwright is off.
The other thing that disappointed me was how many wide open looks Iowa missed today. Iowa had been shooting better, but didn't today. Defensively, it is the same thing, quit leaving the shooters and nothing more. I can live with Moore/Byrd hitting 3's, but not the guy that is relied on so heavily on to make them, we all know he can shoot, so don't leave him.
Iowa is a program in transition and I didn't feel like they would compete against the top five in the BT, even at home, I have been proved wrong at this point. Chalk this one up to whatever you want, but a program in transition is going to have days like this.
Fran is the right coach for Iowa and year two is going to be really, really fun. I know we are only 3 games into BT play and I am talking about next season, but that is not a write off of this season, just an excitement that I have based on what I have seen from this season.

Give me a break with the mentality crap. If what you say is true then Lickliter is even more to blame.. A good leader would have nip that in the bud pronto.. Lickliter was paid a lot of money to coach at Iowa and he knew exactly what he was stepping into.

 

[EddyP]

I don't like Alford or Lickliter, but here is my problem with the Alford time. Was Iowa a better program when he left, that answer is clearly no. I loved the winning that was going on, but I did not like all the drama that went with Alford as coach.
Why did Iowa fall apart the last 3 years? Lickliter was just the wrong guy to pick up a broken program.
The huge problem with Iowa when Alford left was the perception that the inmates ran the asylum, at least that is the impression I got.
When Lickliter came in, he was not that way at all and when there is a mentality that has been enstilled, it takes time to change that.
I don't understand the players that said "yes" to Lickliter that left, most of them couldn't play anyway, but it was left Iowa in a hole every year and had to start over.
The arrests and academic issues that were common place under Alford were just the beginning of the eroding of Iowa Basketball, but the dam broke under Lickliter.
A lot of the blame does go to Lickliter, but the mentality and perception of the program when he got there is on Alford. Lickliter was just not the guy to change it, I agree that he appeared to have no idea what he was doing.
It took his third recruiting class to get a class that people didn't think was a joke and he got fired. Thankfully, Marble and McCabe still ended up on campus.

In regards to today's game, I didn't feel like the effort was there, but Purdue is the best team Iowa has played, IMO and will win the BT. Think about it, the one thing they were missing is a consistent 3-pt shooter and now they have one and get this, they run plays to get him open because he is that good of a shooter.
I was most disappointed in Cartwright/McCabe today, each was a turnover-in-waiting today. It really showed that we miss Payne today, we need a PG that doesn't get out of control. Don't get me wrong, I really like Cartwright, he just played out of control today and when Iowa had to sit him it wasn't pretty. Marble did a nice job, but he isn't quite ready to be the PG that Iowa needs him to be when Cartwright is off.
The other thing that disappointed me was how many wide open looks Iowa missed today. Iowa had been shooting better, but didn't today. Defensively, it is the same thing, quit leaving the shooters and nothing more. I can live with Moore/Byrd hitting 3's, but not the guy that is relied on so heavily on to make them, we all know he can shoot, so don't leave him.
Iowa is a program in transition and I didn't feel like they would compete against the top five in the BT, even at home, I have been proved wrong at this point. Chalk this one up to whatever you want, but a program in transition is going to have days like this.
Fran is the right coach for Iowa and year two is going to be really, really fun. I know we are only 3 games into BT play and I am talking about next season, but that is not a write off of this season, just an excitement that I have based on what I have seen from this season.

Purdue is NOT the best team in the Big 10 and we don't miss Cully, sorry. I agree that Marble isn't a pg but I have never liked Cully at this level.

 

[WindsorHawk]

They were due to lay an egg. I'm glad it was today...a game we couldn't win...rather than Wednesday at home against NW. I didn't expect to beat Purdue. I think we will beat NW...won't if we play like we did today.

 

[HaydenHawk56]

I'm still of the opinion that Alford killed the program and Lickliter buried it. But, I would tend to agree, Alford was more successful at Iowa than Lickliter was. Though, Alford inherited a program in much better shape than Lickliter and he had more years at Iowa than Lickliter did to show his stuff (which was not all that great).

Bowlsby's biggest mistake was letting Mr. Davis go. If he retires at Iowa, we may
not have won a given title, but the program would have been a top 25 program,
respectable, and Keno probably would have took over.

We are far better off without Alford and Lick. Fran is certainly an upgrade over these
guys. But, he is going to have to recruit his behind off to fix this program. And,
he is going to need improve in his win totals each year assuming he is here at
least 5 years to prove his stuff.

 

[Auggie]

Alford was a hell of a lot better than Lick. I mean he won two big ten titles and was a year removed before he bounced.

You do realize that the Big Ten does not recognize the conference tournament champion as the conference champion don't you. Maybe your being sarcastic and I just didn't catch it.

 

[alexzelada]

Pathetic effort from the start. They give that kind of effort and they won't win any Big 10 games. Where is the leadership from Gatens, Cole, and May? Gatens with 2 shot attempts in the first half? This is just a complete 180 from the Illinois/OSU games. I don't get it. You have to bring it every minute of every game if you are this team to have a chance. Disappointing.

Tom Davis paid a witch mucho dinero to put a curse on Iowa back in 1999. The curse is automatically lifted upon Bowlsby's death.

 

[9YRPLAN]

i didnt think we looked horrible except with identifying Smith.

we had like a half dozen shots go in and out early in the game and i think the guys were a little exasperated.

 

[tm3308]

Give me a break with the mentality crap. If what you say is true then Lickliter is even more to blame.. A good leader would have nip that in the bud pronto.. Lickliter was paid a lot of money to coach at Iowa and he knew exactly what he was stepping into.

Who says he didn't try to? Tyler Smith and Tony Freeman were both gone within a year of Lickliter taking the job. Who's to say they didn't want out because things weren't so lax anymore? That's our two best players at the time right there. Then Lick is left with, well, not much. And then his inability to recruit does the rest.

I swear, we got a bunch of chicken littles. Yes, today was disappointing. But it was one game, against a top-10 team (Purdue will win the conference, IMO), on the road in one of the toughest places to play in the Big Ten. It was a drubbing. But we've got NOBODY who can match up with JaJuan Johnson, Purdue's defense is smothering, and Smith being open for threes is something we've seen in every game so far, so that's nothing new (and we were competitive in our other games).

This wasn't going to happen overnight.

 

[sportstalent]

Give me a break with the mentality crap. If what you say is true then Lickliter is even more to blame.. A good leader would have nip that in the bud pronto.. Lickliter was paid a lot of money to coach at Iowa and he knew exactly what he was stepping into.

I agree with part of what you say, but why is this same thing happening at other programs? UNC went from Smith-Guthridge-Daugherty-Williams. UNC won no titles until Roy got there after Smith left. Programs like St. Johns, Georgetown, Villanova went through it, Seton Hall and Wake Forest are programs in transition as Iowa is, it just isn't us, look at how long it has taken K-State. It takes the right coach and I said Lickliter wasn't the right guy to pick up from Alford as I don't believe Alford was the right guy when Davis was let go. I don't think Lickliter knew what he was getting into on the outside the program looked to be in better shape than it was. Lickliter was simply not the right guy for the Iowa job plain and simple no matter what.

 

[homes]

I agree with part of what you say, but why is this same thing happening at other programs? UNC went from Smith-Guthridge-Daugherty-Williams. UNC won no titles until Roy got there after Smith left. Programs like St. Johns, Georgetown, Villanova went through it, Seton Hall and Wake Forest are programs in transition as Iowa is, it just isn't us, look at how long it has taken K-State. It takes the right coach and I said Lickliter wasn't the right guy to pick up from Alford as I don't believe Alford was the right guy when Davis was let go. I don't think Lickliter knew what he was getting into on the outside the program looked to be in better shape than it was. Lickliter was simply not the right guy for the Iowa job plain and simple no matter what.

I believe Lickliter was hired because he was the anti-Alford - quiet, unassuming, not a whiff of arrogance. Unfortunately, those are better qualities for a CPA than a Big Ten coach. Looking back, I think that was welcomed at Iowa, but it has a short shelf life (about 1 1/2 years) if it's not backed up by winning.

 

[Row55]

I believe Lickliter was hired because he was the anti-Alford - quiet, unassuming, not a whiff of arrogance. Unfortunately, those are better qualities for a CPA than a Big Ten coach. Looking back, I think that was welcomed at Iowa, but it has a short shelf life (about 1 1/2 years) if it's not backed up by winning.

I think Barta thought he was getting the basketball equivalent of KF - no ego problems, and could win with lesser talent. Now sadder but wiser.

 

[DuffMan]

Did anyone honsetly think we would not see a game like that this season. Purdue is a legitimate top 10 team with a few NBA players on there. We got rolled on the road by a much more talented team.

 

[sioux34]

Bowlsby's biggest mistake was letting Mr. Davis go. If he retires at Iowa, we may
not have won a given title, but the program would have been a top 25 program,
respectable, and Keno probably would have took over.

Just a note to the Keno fans. Providence is locked in the cellar of the Big East. They are 0-4 in conference play so far. Mr. Davis did a great job of setting up Keno for a chance at a big payday, and Keno smartly took advantage of it.

Back to analysis of the Purdue game. I was a little confused by our refusal to take open jump shots. It was clear to me that during preparation for the Purdue game, the need to drive into the paint must have been drummed into the heads of our players. Time after time, we refused to shoot open 3's and midrange jumpers in favor of driving into the lane and getting stuffed. We need to shoot the open jumper when it is available.

 

[Sirhouseman]

I understand the frustration, because I am too, but what the heck to people expect? Road games are ridiculous in college basketball. I think road games in college basketball are tougher than in any other sport.
This is a young, inexperience team playing it's first conference road game against a top 10 opponent. I expected them to struggle.
Don't give up.

 

[SirJamaLot]

Alford learned some hard lessons while he was at Iowa, he did not improve his staff until it was too late, this was the first job where he wasnt the golden boy and could not handle it, he was not ready to run a D1 program regardless of his success in the MVC, he had a good tourney record but overall was just average in a short term, throw in Pierre Pierce and enough said

Lick had no clue how to win in the Big Ten, he brought his friends in to be his assistants and they recruited Horizen league talent, by the time Lick figured it out he was unemployed

Keno is a great guy who had one good year at Drake, he has proven he can recruit but he is getting killed in the Big East.

Bruce Pearl has lost some of his luster, maybe there was a reason he was winning all those games at Tennessee and tourney games

Fran is not going to turn this decade long disaster overnight but I love his style and his outlook, now we just need to steal the next Dwayne Wade, we need to catch a break and turn a 3 star recruit into a 5 star

 

[sportstalent]

Purdue is NOT the best team in the Big 10 and we don't miss Cully, sorry. I agree that Marble isn't a pg but I have never liked Cully at this level.

Well, we will see at the end of the season on Purdue, they just look like they are on a mission.
On to Cully, he is a good player...maybe you will see it one day. Anyway, Fran likes him and that is good enough for me. Payne was messed up from the start of the season. I am guessing that you were unimpressed with a freshman that came in at the PG position for Iowa that actually had more assists than turnovers in well over a decade and was fourth in scoring last season. This is all after having to play about 36+ minutes a games as Iowa had no backup PG as they don't now. I have no issues with Cartwright other than Iowa has nobody to turn to with Payne out. Remember this, an injured Payne still was starting over Cartwright at the start of the season. Payne will be a very good player for Iowa, he fits into what Fran wants to do very well, he is a very smart player and makes good choices. If he wasn't hurt, you would have a different opinion.

 

[HaydenHawk56]

Keno maybe 0-4, but they did knock off some ranked teams in this first year there (I think even the number 1 team in the country). He did have that great year at Drake. I think his transition into the head coaching job at Iowa would have been a smooth one had Mr. Davis retired here. But, alas, it did not happen that way.

I do wish Fran would mix some Full Court Zone Pressing like the Davis's do to complement his 3/4 Zone press.