Completely agree with your analysis of the starting 5 and rotations. They are getting abused when Thelwell and Brock are both in the game. Thelwell is the better option for sure. Brock handles the ball a lot but doesn't have the same ability to get to the rim and score or make 3's. It's very clear that it needs to be switched up to everyone except Fran. Staring Traore would set the tone on defense out of the gate and would also help rebounding.
Despite a recent uptick in recruiting, it’s time for Fran to go…
- Thread starter RagnarLothbrok
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Fran's insistence on starting Brock is similar to Kirk and Petras, except much more egregious.
Fran at least has options. We've seen Thelwell at PG.
In football we all assumed the QB backups were better than Petras until we actually got to see them play.
Fran at least has options. We've seen Thelwell at PG.
In football we all assumed the QB backups were better than Petras until we actually got to see them play.
The bolded paragraph is 100% true. I know plenty of people that use to live and die Iowa BB that have basically quit being a fan until they get a new coach. I don't think they can make any drastic changes with the arena or fan support campaigns until he is gone as it would be a waste of resources.
If not she's has no business being in the job.
Brock is a really nice passer but that's about all he can do at this level.
He's not a consistent 3pt threat coming off ball screens, (which you have to be at his size) and he can't finish at the rim even when he gets by his defnder. Both of these issues severely limit what he can do with his passing.
He may eventually get there but he isn't close to a starting caliber pg today.
Traore wouldn't last 5 minutes in the starting lineup without getting his second foul and getting his butt moved to the bench. Fran knows that....
The game has changed so much since the PORTAL and unlimited transfers.
Players getting better every year was once normal, now everyone wants instant gratification, Frans coaching style is hurting Iowa and it's setting Iowa back to levels not seen at Iowa in a while.
I suppose that Thelwell, Dix, Traore, Payton (if he hitting his first few shots) and Freeman would be the strongest lineup. But unfortunately, what should have begun at the start of the season is now a mute point and too late to the party.
Most everyone on this forum knows it's time for Fran to give way to a younger, more savvy, more energic, more entuned to the portal, to transfers, a coach that can bring in increased ticket sales, and a coach that can energize the students and get them to return to Carver where they belong next to the court, and best of all make Iowa a contender in the Big Ten, not just an afterthought. Make it happen Beth, PLEASE, PLEASE....
At least he wasn't afraid to make a change
Brock's offense isn't the problem. It's that having neither length nor strength at PG is a tremendous handicap for your team defense.
By your response, is it your opinion that she is “afraid“ to make a change?
Up to this point since she has been hired, what change do you think she should have made that has not been made?
IMO, it's too early to answer this. Beth has been the AD officially for what, a year?
At the time Beth was made permanent AD.. Even if it was a bit of smoke and mirrors against an easy schedule, KF had just come off a Big Ten title appearance. She did ensure BF was out the door, at least. Fran had just snapped a string of NCAA tournament appearances. I wouldn't necessarily have expected her to make a move to replace either Kirk or Fran right off the bat.
Now if this basketball season continues to go down the tubes, and no change is made, or worse yet, Fran gets an extension, then I will change my tune.
Oh, it's definitely a problem but yeah his defense is an even bigger issue.
I agree with all of that. The other guy charged her with just collecting a paycheck and doing nothing. My question is given the time she’s been here, what is she supposed to have done that hasn’t been done already?
And then to compare her performance to Pollard, who has been in Iowa State for 20 years makes no sense. It’s a false comparison. My point is that he was not perfect in his coaching hires. And if Beth makes some bad coaching hires, I would expect that she would make changes. But, it's all much too early to be casting judgment about her performance to date.
Fran had three NBA players on the roster and couldn't win.
Let’s face it Brock is one of many mid major/NAIA point guards that Fran continues to recruit. That’s just the way he rolls. The good Iowa teams of old always had an all conference pg Lester, BJ, Dre W, Deano, Horner
He struck the lottery with how the Murray twins developed. Very critical of the recruiting of these two but it might have saved his job at that time or at least another extension. Garza was a 4 star who really took the next step as well. Since then he hasn’t had many guys to bail him out!
When its worth watching and following, I have always preferred MBB over FB.
But now?
I honestly don't give much of a fvck about either program and haven't for at least a couple years now, for MBB, and longer in terms of FB.
A change at the very top is so badly desperately needed for both.
My argument(perhaps poorly made or misunderstood by you) is that to this point she has made zero difference to the sports programs and has only collected a paycheck. I don't think she had a real decision in the women's coaching change and BF was a punt.
I think the luxury of doing nothing has ended, and we will all see if she is capable of making a change or if she is content on simply collecting a paycheck.
Are you asserting it as a pejorative that she's "only collecting a paycheck" and she should have done more up to this point, or is it your opinion that it's okay that she's "only collecting a paycheck" as up to now she hasn't had to do anything except a couple a ministerial matters, the hiring of Jan and essentially the firing of Brian, but those don't count as making a "difference"?
If it's the former, what should she have done that she hasn't done?
If it's the latter, I disagree that she has made "zero difference". Not only is hiring Jan and firing Brian making a difference, but she has been a vocal supporter of NIL and put her imprimatur behind NIL, as verified and supported by a thankful Brad Heinrichs on many occasions, something Barta avoided at every turn. And those are just the public actions she's taken since being hired. But, so be it if you think those total a "zero difference."
She wasn't the one who fired Brian, the Pres and Administration made that call. You think differently? OK. And she had no choice but hire Jan as Bluder's timing wouldn't allow much of a search. Now hiring Kirk & Fran's replacements will be the decisions that will define her career going forward. This is undisputable.
I do think differently on the Brian firing. But even if we disagree on that, I too think that's ok. And, given the timing, it makes some sense to me that hiring Jan was put upon her, but I don't know if it was a mandate, could have been, but I don't really know . And finally, Yes, she has bigger decisions to make, I agree with that, and we won't know for a few years if those were good decisions or not, but in the meantime, she's doing more that just "collecting a paycheck".
Exactly right.
Fran had the NPOTY, a future lottery pick, and two more draft picks and still couldn’t do shit in March.
I have a different perspective….. I think you HAVE TO BE A DEVELOPMENTAL coach.
When you can’t compete with the big boys in NIL you do the best you can in the portal and then develop players as best you can. I think IJA and Lewis can play and contribute next year.
With 15 scholarships starting next year, having 2 or 3 players redshirting and working hard is ideal.
Badara D seems like just that type of player…..good height, length, athleticism but desperately needs to add strength and good weight.
In two or3 years he has the potential to be a difference maker.
I typically agree with your posts. But In 2 or 3 years they could transfer. This does not work in a win now at all cost situations. With the money Iowa makes and revenue they will share, they should be able to get plenty of ready now players. But Fran doesn't know how to utilize the talent he has. Just need to drive west about 2.5 hours and see how it works.
Considering Fran's length of stay in Iowa City, nobody gives a sh*t about 2 or 3 years from now.
The University of Iowa and it's fans deserve some satisfaction and excitement right now.
LOL at 2 or 3 years for "potential"
Thats fine.
Losing two three-star recruits means nothing. Losing Lewis will stink, but it only seems like a big deal to people because we have been so bereft of talented recruits for so long. ISU is able to sign a kid like that every class.
With a better coach and better interest in the program, we would be able to sign talented players like Lewis with more regularity.
Agreed. There will always be some roster turnover whenever there's a coaching change. It's unavoidable and is not really an argument for retaining a coach IMO, unless maybe you've got something like the Fab 5 coming in, which we do not.
Heck, some people wanted to keep Lickliter on even in his 22-loss year 3, for this same reason.
Boy that is loser talk.
Your mentality is soft as baby sh*t. I only hope our AD has more backbone than to think like that.
I would be fine with turnover of nearly the entire roster with a new coach. Dix would be priority 1 to keep, Freeman second. After that I wouldn't spend more than a token amount of the payroll to keep one or two players like Harding as a backup, spot player at 1 or Traore at 3. The new coach should bring 3 or 4 guys with him to play half or so of the 200 minutes then let him spend the rest of the payroll in the portal on players he wants. The rest of the current roster can find other places to play.
Normally coaches are at least having their jobs called for by people who watch the games
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