Anyone else see this?

[iabcuda]

Every once in awhile I try to entertain myself, but at my age it is a joke.

 

[LaQuintaHawkeye]

Great! Now we just need to find some players who remind us of Kevin Boyle, Kenny Arnold, Bobby Hansen, Steve Krafcisin, and Vince Brookins.

The 1979-80 Iowa basketball team was the last Hawkeyes team to advance to the Final Four. Standing, from left, are Randy Norton, Greg Boyle, Mike Arens, Jon Darsee, Bob Hansen, Ronnie Lester, Kenny Arnold, graduate assistant Kirk Speraw and manager Tom Cummings. Middle row: Kevin Boyle, Mark Gannon, Mike Henry, Steve Waite, Steve Krafcisin, Mike Heller and Vince Brookins. Front row: manager Sandy Blom, assistant coach Ken Burmeister, assistant coach Jim Rosborough, head coach Lute Olson, assistant coach Tony McAndrews and manager Wade Jones.

 

[HoustonREDHawk]

Maybe no one gets the joke but me. I entertain myself.

I see that the last thing mentioned was the knee injury, but amusing yourself by dissing a post about a great Hawkeye BB player, who had his future stardom taken from him by a horrible injury??? Ok.

 

[HoustonREDHawk]

Is he Ryan Bowen’s kid?

Uncanny resemblance.

 

[seer_hawk]

I hope I'm right! My brother and I remember Lester well, and we agree Bowen has many similarities. Lester could get in the lane at will and score with his shot or free throws. We'll see if Bowen has the shot to match his quickness. Lester was the best since I started following Iowa BBall around 1974. Luka is a close second.

 

[Hawkeye Marching Band]

Great! Now we just need to find some players who remind us of Kevin Boyle, Kenny Arnold, Bobby Hansen, Steve Krafcisin, and Vince Brookins.

The 1979-80 Iowa basketball team was the last Hawkeyes team to advance to the Final Four. Standing, from left, are Randy Norton, Greg Boyle, Mike Arens, Jon Darsee, Bob Hansen, Ronnie Lester, Kenny Arnold, graduate assistant Kirk Speraw and manager Tom Cummings. Middle row: Kevin Boyle, Mark Gannon, Mike Henry, Steve Waite, Steve Krafcisin, Mike Heller and Vince Brookins. Front row: manager Sandy Blom, assistant coach Ken Burmeister, assistant coach Jim Rosborough, head coach Lute Olson, assistant coach Tony McAndrews and manager Wade Jones.

Randy Norton was a fine PG in his own right, but unfortunately had his own knee injury and never got a chance to develop his potential at the college level.

 

[Suterman]

I get the Lester comparison. He has got a long way to go, but his build is similar, his quick moves and his speed. If he develops Ronnie's ability to spread the ball around and the ability to get wherever he wants on the court, then we will have a great one. Ronnie was not a scoring machine as I recall but he had a great little shot in the lane that was unstoppable.

 

[HoustonREDHawk]

I hope I'm right! My brother and I remember Lester well, and we agree Bowen has many similarities. Lester could get in the lane at will and score with his shot or free throws. We'll see if Bowen has the shot to match his quickness. Lester was the best since I started following Iowa BBall around 1974. Luka is a close second.

I think Keegan might have had the best single season of any player I have seen in an Iowa BB uniform. I think Ronnie was the best over four years. Luka was incredible on the offensive end, but was not a great defender, although he was much better his last year. I go back to 1976, I think.

I was blessed that both Lute and Hayden showed up at Iowa soon after I started grad school at Iowa.

 

[HoustonREDHawk]

I get the Lester comparison. He has got a long way to go, but his build is similar, his quick moves and his speed. If he develops Ronnie's ability to spread the ball around and the ability to get wherever he wants on the court, then we will have a great one. Ronnie was not a scoring machine as I recall but he had a great little shot in the lane that was unstoppable.

Ronnie was a team player first, and easily could have averaged a lot more than he did. Lute allowed Ronnie to control the game, and without a shot clock, scoring was a lot lower than what we are seeing under Fran.

 

[hawksense]

I see that the last thing mentioned was the knee injury, but amusing yourself by dissing a post about a great Hawkeye BB player, who had his future stardom taken from him by a horrible injury??? Ok.

You’ve completely misinterpreted it all and started writing your own narrative. But, no hard feelings. Happy Thanksgiving.

 

[Ronman]

To make matters even worse, I've heard that the pro team Ronnie landed with practiced on a very hard floor and even though Ronnie was still in the process of rehabbing the knee, the coach (Sloan?) worked him relentlessly and just made his situation harder.

 

[kceasthawk]

Yes, in those days at the FF, they played a consolation game first and I remember the opposing coach told his squad they would be benched if they in anyway, aggravated Ronnie's injury.

I'm confused by your comment. The issue was Ronnie reinjured the knee when the Louisville coach, (Denny Crumb I believe), sent a goon out specifically to go after his knee and get him out of the game. To that point Ronnie and Darrell Griffith were trading baskets like the two All Americans they were. This was in the round before the finals, not the consolation game.

 

[BBHawk]

I get the Lester comparison. He has got a long way to go, but his build is similar, his quick moves and his speed. If he develops Ronnie's ability to spread the ball around and the ability to get wherever he wants on the court, then we will have a great one. Ronnie was not a scoring machine as I recall but he had a great little shot in the lane that was unstoppable.

I can still see him elevating for that 10' - 12' jump shot, just floating, with an absolutely perfect release. Effortless.