Connor. What did you do???

[The Deplorable Sleeping Dog]

Except nobody recruited for Iowa the year of the Sweet 16. That was a huge problem. Alford came in and had to grab Rob Griffin and Joe Fermino to fill a roster after losing Range, Rucker, McCausland, Settles, and Koch. Anyone suggesting that the lame duck year was a good thing for Iowa is wrong.

I’m not saying Fran walked into a great situation or Lickliter should be praised for anything, but Fran was given a hand of: Marble (FR), Gatens (JR), Cole (SR), May (SO), McCabe (FR), Brommer and Archie (JRs). Fran brought in Basabe and Cartwright.

I’m not going to argue which roster is better walking into. Neither was good. Just pointing out a Sweet 16 run with no recruiting is pretty pointless.

Missing the big point. Alford's first year of Iowa allowed him to say, we were in the Sweet 16 last season. Recruits are more attracted to winning programs and probably not entirely sophisticated on the effect of changing coaches.

Alford's successor could say "we finished fourth in the Big Ten and missed the NCAA and the NIT." Lickliter's successor could say "we lost 20 games last season, haven't made the tournament for 5 years and were last in the Sweet 16 12 years ago.

Who's got the easier product to sell.

That's without the negative impact of all the drama, complete instability (ran off two coaches in 11 years), the large number of roster transfers, the criminals, the almost complete lack of talent that remained. Do you think that made Iowa an easy sell?

The reality is simple. Iowa is and always will be, a midlevel program in the Big Ten. We usually go to the tournament and when we go usually win the first game. How many times has Iowa won more than 1 NCAA game in the last 60 years? That's a long sample time. We aren't a blue blood. Even when we have the best talent in the league success is difficult in conference. Not going to change. Indeed, every social development in the last twenty years has made success at Iowa more difficult.

Enjoy those rare years where Iowa gets to the Sweet 16 and even more rare, beyond. They're so special because they're so rare.​

 

[iahawks10]

Missing the big point. Alford's first year of Iowa allowed him to say, we were in the Sweet 16 last season. Recruits are more attracted to winning programs and probably not entirely sophisticated on the effect of changing coaches.

Alford's successor could say "we finished fourth in the Big Ten and missed the NCAA and the NIT." Lickliter's successor could say "we lost 20 games last season, haven't made the tournament for 5 years and were last in the Sweet 16 12 years ago.

Who's got the easier product to sell.

That's without the negative impact of all the drama, complete instability (ran off two coaches in 11 years), the large number of roster transfers, the criminals, the almost complete lack of talent that remained. Do you think that made Iowa an easy sell?

The reality is simple. Iowa is and always will be, a midlevel program in the Big Ten. We usually go to the tournament and when we go usually win the first game. How many times has Iowa won more than 1 NCAA game in the last 60 years? That's a long sample time. We aren't a blue blood. Even when we have the best talent in the league success is difficult in conference. Not going to change. Indeed, every social development in the last twenty years has made success at Iowa more difficult.

Enjoy those rare years where Iowa gets to the Sweet 16 and even more rare, beyond. They're so special because they're so rare.​

I’m sure the sales pitch of “the last guy got to the sweet 16 with Deano and Duez” was a huge selling point.

 

[Bank of Hawk]

The one reason Fran will continue to have average year after average year and not get too far in the gutter is simply his eye for talent, Iowa will always have some high level talent.

Yes he may have a greater IQ run Alford and be a much better overall person as well, but Fran has blind spots he can’t manage out.