During the post game show, Big Network experts cited Fran's insertion of Dix into the starting line-up as a turning point in Iowa's season. They also credited Pmac for accepting his new role. They also gave Fran credit for not pressing NW, believing that Buie would have carved it up. Another coaching move they cited was sending a double-team at Buie to get the ball out of his hands. Well done, Coach!
Big Network Experts Rave about Fran & Pmac
- Thread starter Willin
- Start date
Playing Dix over Pmac certainly has turned the season around, was it too late though?
Anyone who's ever coached for any length of time knows that playing time, role, and even positional decisions aren't always clear. As a college coach who had a lot of success (multiple conference championships, nationally-ranked teams, national tournament appearances, national COY, and a college's HOF inductee as a coach), I still look back on mistakes I made with these types of decisions. Coaching isn't an exact science. I like giving credit where and when it's due, and in the case of Fran making the switch to Dix in the line-up (and his coaching decisions vs. NW that the Big Network experts mentioned) he deserves credit whether or not some fans feel it was too late. If you recall, he tried Dix as starter earlier in the season and Josh struggled. To Fran's credit, he didn't give up on him or on the idea of him being a starter.
Now to be honest pmacs injury is what caused the insertion of Josh into the starting lineup but when PMac got healthy Fran did the right thing.
Fran is the calmest I have seen him overall this season.
Maybe he really trusts this team?
Or maybe the sad incident with Jack has given him a different perspective?
Whatever..it is working.
With 6 seasons of 10 wins in BIG and possibly 6 tourney bids Fran has guided the Hawks to a level of consistency that is very solid.
This has to be his best coaching job with no real NBA prospects on this team.
Owen, Josh, Payton, Tony are really solid college players who are a TEAM...beautiful to see it meld.
Fran is the calmest I have seen him overall this season.
Maybe he really trusts this team?
Or maybe the sad incident with Jack has given him a different perspective?
Whatever..it is working.
With 6 seasons of 10 wins in BIG and possibly 6 tourney bids Fran has guided the Hawks to a level of consistency that is very solid.
This has to be his best coaching job with no real NBA prospects on this team.
Owen, Josh, Payton, Tony are really solid college players who are a TEAM...beautiful to see it meld.
Exactly. Should have been done long ago, but as they say "better late then never" I guess.....
Well they say PS is getting some looks from the NBA now, but I find it hard to believe he would be more then a LATE 2nd round guy. No offense as he's stepped up big time as of late, but when you see Joe cool, and Kris scratching out 2 way contracts. and Utoff can't hang, don't see Payton actually "making it" either. I actually think this TEAM may actually succeed BECAUSE they don't have that ONE star, as in Luka, Keegan, or Kris. Different players have stepped into their roles the last month. Saucy T, Dix, Krikke, Big O, all have had 20 point games, and even the three freshman on the bench have had their moments.
Last edited:
My wife Margaret said that benching PMac was a Dix move.
Maybe…..just maybe, Fran knows a little more about coaching and this team’s personality than some posters here?
Fran is a solid coach whose team’s understand offense and full court pressure tactics……He’s got a whole bunch of first year players and inexperiences players and you just dont snap a finger and have them come around….It takes practice, hard work, some success and people supporting people to make a team better over a season. This Iowa team is head and shoulders better than the Iowa team that was playing in December….Give the devil his due……..KUDOs to Fran and his staff on a job well done This (back half) of the season.
Fran is a solid coach whose team’s understand offense and full court pressure tactics……He’s got a whole bunch of first year players and inexperiences players and you just dont snap a finger and have them come around….It takes practice, hard work, some success and people supporting people to make a team better over a season. This Iowa team is head and shoulders better than the Iowa team that was playing in December….Give the devil his due……..KUDOs to Fran and his staff on a job well done This (back half) of the season.
And however he put it together, I really enjoy watching this team. They're scrappy and tough, 2 things I felt were completely lacking last year. Yes it took a long time to get this team properly set up for success with all the young guys (maybe too long.. we'll know in 11 days). But no one wants to play this team now. I just hope we can get the wins we need (starting Sunday) to squeeze into the tourney.
I agree PS not likely to be able to stick in NBA and have a long career. However the money Joe Weiskamp has made while not making it has been eye opening. The G-league money is crap, but if you do manage to make a roster for a week or two during the season, the NBA minimum is huge.
I think Payton comes back because he will want a year to play with his Bro. I'm encouraged by Pryce having quickier feet on defense and better handles. Pryce sticking with the MSU guard Walker at Breslin and blocking his shot was very impressive. I think Payton seems to also be playing better defense this year, he's rebounding, and he's shown more of a midrange.
Coaching in general seems to be a heads I win, tails you lose job. All of the top coaches are making huge money, it is good ole buddy system where you have to know someone or be related to someone to break in, and if you do the right thing and play the guy that is way, way better statistically, you are coach of the year material. If you fail, you get a massive buyout.
I agree with everything you said, and this team has improved and are fun to watch. But what I think some just want is to get to the sweet 16 once. Not asking a lot. But then again some are going to bitch no matter what, even if we do get to the sweet 16. They just are not going to change until there is a change with Fran. They still will find something to bitch about.
Go Hawks!
Patrick has been playing really good coming off the bench. That was a ballsy 3 he made to ice the last game.
People forget that Fran started Dix against ISU and he had a terrible game, so he went back to the bench. Understanding that playing ISU at Hilton is a tough first assignment.
If you sat with any of those former players over a beer while watching iowa off camera, their comments on PMacs would be very very different. I coach hs basketball and several of my friends coach and/or had played college basketball. You won't hear one dissenting view on PMAC. His effort doesn't warrant his PT.
He is 3- 10 from three in his last 5 games. He is 7-18 from 2. He is 8 for 11 from the line. He has 10 rebounds, 1 steal, 3 assists and 2 turnovers (lets be honest many of his drives lead to turnovers) in the last 5 games while averaging 22 minutes. These are not great statistics, people are just assuming he's playing well. Take the michigan state game out, and it's well below average for a 6'9" college senior.
He is 3- 10 from three in his last 5 games. He is 7-18 from 2. He is 8 for 11 from the line. He has 10 rebounds, 1 steal, 3 assists and 2 turnovers (lets be honest many of his drives lead to turnovers) in the last 5 games while averaging 22 minutes. These are not great statistics, people are just assuming he's playing well. Take the michigan state game out, and it's well below average for a 6'9" college senior.
we don't see anyone that pressures guards like that. Which is why we can get by with Perkins at PG. As soon as you play against pressure our lack of a pg shows.
Yea. Fran starting him on the road in one of the most hostile and difficult environments in the country in a position he doesn’t play didn’t exactly do Josh any favors.
Agreed, and its a role that suits him better. He's not a high energy guy like say the Sandforts, so playing him in shorter spurts seems the way to go, plus its really allowed Dix to step forward which is what many here were hoping to see......
There aren't that many defenses that good, thankfully. Oklahoma and ISU probably are the two best I've seen us play against this year. I think in a rematch we'd fare a little better. Both Perkins and Dix have made progress in that respect.
Agree, but I think if Fran wouldv'e institued (practiced) a few press breaking plays, Iowa couldv'e handled the pressure much better. It seemed like some of the players had never played against a full court trapping press before in their lives.... deer in headlights.
Impressive resume... Tell what you think of our current pg situation. Seems to be a hot topic on here.
Give ISU some credit, they are a top defensive team and playing at Hilton is not easy.
I agree but almost all tournament teams can bring the pressure at the ends of games. That tends to be where we go into offensive funks when people ratchet up the pressure. We have no one that creates for their teammates in situations like those. At least no one that gets to be on the court.
There are definitely nba prospects on this team.
Owen probably won't stay 4 years and Dix will end up getting drafted too.
Thank you. Regarding our PG situation, if TP returns I think he and Brock, along with Dix, give us a pretty solid trio of dudes who can handle PG well. If TP doesn't return, we need one. Your thoughts?
He's mostly playing the upperclassman not the first year guys.
The only guy that has really come around while playing enough to matter is Dix.
Harding and Dembele are improving but they play like 5 minutes a game.
Owen has been good since day 1 and is really no more or less consistent than the start.
The two guys that needed to come around were Sandfort and Perkins. They were the ones playing way below their ability in December and early January. Wasn't really coaching thing it was a player thing.
Not me. I'd break dance and open some chips and salsa.
If Perkins returns Brock won’t get to play. It’s Joe t again.
lol. Name one thing he does well. Top of the press? Can’t finish. Can’t shoot can’t defend can’t rebound. Can’t stop driving to nowhere.
Not his fault. It’s his dad’s and that’s the reason he needs to move on. He meaning both of them.
Im saying I’ve sat with former players having a beer and they don’t say what you say they would. Matter of fact I text with 2 former players nearly every game. I won’t comment on the rest of your “expertise” coach. Coach lol. But you want me to name 1 thing he does well? 80% FT shooting.
lol. Clueless. No competitor who watches pmac thinks he gives the effort required to play. If they do they are clueless too.
Free throws that’s all you’ve got? He’s a career 3/4 guy and every team has guys at the end of the bench that would shoot that too but they ain’t playing.
You could accept a 30% % three point shooter at 6’9” if he would rebound and play remotely competent defense.
you need to start watching some big 12 or big east games to see some actual defense being played.
Find me a worse player in a power conference playing over 20 minutes.
Bulldog……If you wanna see “defense played” you ain’t gonna see it out of a Fran team…….then again those B12/BEast teams don’t play offense like Fran’s teams either…….Fran is Fran and he’s coached successfully for a long time…..he is what he is and its not really gonna change much.
I have never heard anyone ever say anything negative about Fran as a person……and I know a couple of folks who are really close to the football/basketball programs…..and they players LOVE playing for him, for the most part.
People doin’t like his temper….which he has done much better with this year, too date…..but his “temper” doesn’t register on a scale when compared to the two best coaches I remember in my life….Ralph Miller or Maury John…..(Maury went after fans into the stands on more than one occasion!)
Well, hopefully Owen is figuring out the not picking up cheap fouls thing......
Fran’s “Mexican stand-off” with the ref was pretty good……but Maury chasing the fans into the stands at Louisville was epic!
