So because Woody was so slow you believe they played man-to-man? Huh?
Devries Rumors Getting Louder
- Thread starter Mohawkeye
- Start date
Woody was the best defensive center on the best defensive teams we’ve had under Fran. I think your criticism is oddly inaccurate.
I tease about Woody and the pokes. Sounds like an old '50's group. But I really liked Woody. If you drove to him in the post, he was ready.
If DeVries is smart, he will work both sides. Until he signs an extension for more, the buyout is based on the current salary. Not sure what Fran's buyout would be if he is asked to leave, but I don't think Iowa wants to spend millions, just to buyout out contracts before you negotiate a new one. Finding a young up and comer could be the answer, although that is more risky.
I don't think his buyout is much, only 2 years left on his contract. Or is it 3? But a new coach could energize fans and put butts in seats. Which brings more revenue and a net positive in dollars. IDK
DeVries' lack of NCAA wins gives me more concern than anything.
But lets look at an example of another coach with a similar track record: TJ Otzelberger.
TJ never won an NCAA game before going to ISU. His first season at ISU? They went 20-11 in the regular season, 7-11 in conference play.
So I'm not gonna get too worried about DeVries' resume. He is easily the safest pick of the pool of candidates. No need to talk ourselves out of him
The biggest draw for Devries isn't because his brother played for Iowa football.
Its that if he gets hired to start next season, he'll bring Tucker along.
I never watched more than a couple odd minutes of WV basketball this season before Tucker was out for the rest of the year ..... for those who did watch, is Tucker a good P4 player?
If he is, then let's make this happen. If not, just take our chances on McCollum instead.
Its that if he gets hired to start next season, he'll bring Tucker along.
I never watched more than a couple odd minutes of WV basketball this season before Tucker was out for the rest of the year ..... for those who did watch, is Tucker a good P4 player?
If he is, then let's make this happen. If not, just take our chances on McCollum instead.
I don't really have the answer to your question, but put me in the camp of not wanting to make the next hire based on getting a single player. What happens beyond that one player? I just want whoever is best for the program in the long run. (If that's Devries, that's cool)
Beth has to fire Fran at seasons end, we have some decent pieces, some good recruits. Fran isn’t getting another job so they aren’t following him anywhere. Hopefully right hire can keep the best pieces and portal in some talent.
If you wait another year surely remainder of decent players are going to portal and Fran will be considered a lame duck unable to recruit dick.
If you wait another year surely remainder of decent players are going to portal and Fran will be considered a lame duck unable to recruit dick.
The recruits will more than likely go to another school, unless the new coach keeps the assistant(s) that recruited the players. If it were to be DeVries, I could see Gatens being retained. I would really like to see Spurlock stay as well. I think he is the main reason they are getting better recruits.
Fire Fran Now! Should have fired the worthless POS mid-season.
My guess would bet the "supposed" uptick in FRan recruiting is partly Spurlock and partly the Big10 revenue sharing plan which would free up somethign like $2.5 million in NIL for men's basketball.
The new coach will be able to make the same NIL offer and could keep Spurlock if he's the main recruiting guy.
DeVries might be an option...whether he wants to return to state of Iowa or not is unknown. I don't mind McCollum. Proram needs a change.
Tucker isn't a significant factor either way.
We want Devries because he can recuit and coach and being from Iowa he's a little less likely to leave if he gets better offers.
Yes, hopefully the new coach can retain Spurlock at least.
That’s my main question. Can he recruit?
If Devries is going to continue the tradition of filling the roster with 8-10 white guys, then I don’t see the change moving the needle much.
He recruited well for Drake and landed some good transfers at WVU but I guess we'll see.
We're talking about Iowa here so there absolutely will not be many if any proven candidates to choose from. Devries is probably the closest thing to a proven recruiter Iowa could realistically hope to get.
Or we could just stick with Fran, he has like 5 black guys and no white guys coming in if that's what really matters?
Yeah, it sounds like Devries is probably the best realistic option. I am willing to give Devries the opportunity if he wants to be here.
By now, we all know what Fran’s recruiting strategy is. There is too much preference given to tall, lanky white guys who are supposed to be good shooters but are absolutely atrocious defensively. Oh, and about the only black players he lands aren’t very good. Given the Murray twins were legacy recruits, about the only recruiting win Fran has had on that front was Tyler Cook.
That’s one in 15 years. Pathetic.
I have a white Cousin who was All American and would house nearly every Player currently in the B1G if not all , Frans problem is getting bad white Players in mass, Just because a Player has a certain skin color does not make Him automatically worse or better , the pool of elite white Players is smaller but they are out there , Your racial stick is old and as bad and as incorrect as the spelling of Your handle , there are no TH in Old Norse it is a P , so Thor is actually Por . . In Newer Scandinavian dialects Th became a D so anglicized Lodbruk is the correct translation Free lesson .
Couldn’t BF your last sentence but a fact of life: you make your own luck. Strongly doubt Fran can do that or even is interested at this point.
Frans only signed 1 white player in the last 2 classes. So if that's the fix then it's happening.
But I don't believe it will change much of anything. Defense is about coaching.
Yes, but it’s also about roster construction to an extent.
No amount of coaching will give the Sandforts the lateral quickness required to guard athletic wings. Coaching won’t add 3 inches to Brock or Freeman’s height.
It’s just really hard to play defense with a bunch of guys who are slow, undersized, or both. It’s about getting the right guys in as well as coaching them up.
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If you put an undersized PG on the floor in a power league, you are handicapping yourself from the jump. If he's a clutch shooter or cat quick or a lock down defender, or a wizard in ball screens or good at getting to the rim .or shot creation ...or very high IQ...
Or something ....anything....you can be ok.
Which of those compensating factors does Harding bring?
Exactly.
Woodbury was an outstanding defensive center. Just because you can't/don't block shots into the 2nd row does not mean you aren't effective.
Interesting note. One of DeVries' assistants is former Illini player and assistant coach, Chester Frazier. Frazier joined that staff this year and brought Amani Hansberry and Sincere Harris to WV from Illinois. He's a really good recruiter with good East Coast/DelMarVa ties (from Baltimore).
I wonder how he and his recruits would feel about coming to Iowa? I would guess not too good but $ talks. Might add a little juice to future Iowa/Illinois matchups....?
I wonder how he and his recruits would feel about coming to Iowa? I would guess not too good but $ talks. Might add a little juice to future Iowa/Illinois matchups....?
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Dude. Uncalled for.
FWIW DeVries pulled in the #1 rated portal PG last year in Javon Small. He'll be an immediate upgrade to unlikeable 65 year-old Fran McCaffrey in the recruiting department.
I can't imagine Morgantown, WV, is easier to recruit to than Iowa City.
I can't imagine Morgantown, WV, is easier to recruit to than Iowa City.
There's so much hate for Harding out there, there's nothing that can be said to change the narrative. Harding was not brought to Iowa because he was a 5 star player, He has qualities that every true point guard has except height and because Fran recruits players that need time to develop. By next year Harding will be a much better player, but this is now a different college basketball world then it was a few years ago.
Coaches like Fran are a dyeing breed, development coaches are being left behind and are frustrated with the system that is in place with NIL, the portal, and instant transfer eligibility. It's clear Fran can't handle it. That's why you're seeing some great coaches leaving the profession.
Fans now what instant gratification, something Fran cannot or can ever deliver to Iowa's fan base and with all the injuries that has beset the program this year it has reduced Iowa's chances to even be competitive.
Fran is not going to change and become a portal genus, He relies on recruiting high school players and development, so if Iowa fans want Iowa to ever become relevant again you better hope that the existing roster develops at a faster rate, or Fran is bought out and Iowa hires a coach that embraces the portal, NIL, and instant transfers.
Fran has been in the business of coaching for a long time, he knows the game, but he's now a stubborn old man that refuses to change his recruiting and coaching style, He tries to fit a square peg into a round hole and it's not working.
If he refuses to retire, then Beth has to do the right thing, fire him and make a new hire if Iowa men's basketball is to rise again to respectability. JMO.
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You all want DeVries.
Well, he's gonna have to want Iowa.
Chad is a long time beat writer for the Des Moines Register, of course.
Well, he's gonna have to want Iowa.
Chad is a long time beat writer for the Des Moines Register, of course.
Nobody hates Harding, you hysterical ninny.
Recognizing what he is and hating him are very, very different things.
"Upper half finishes"
Just the use of that phrase like it's supposed to be some kind of legitimate standard says everything that needs to be said about the state of the program.
If Iowa's NIL situation does not change, the Iowa job simply will be less attractive.
Beth has talked to DeVries evidently. We shall see what happens but a change needs to take place. 20% attendance at a Big Ten game is well beyond embarrassing. Program needs a real shot in the arm and I believe DeVries will provide that. Took a bad WV team and very quickly has a wining record and pulled off a major upset. Hell they are not even healthy. This has to turn around and waiting another year the games will resemble covid attendance....just add cardboard cutouts.Seems like a lot of open speculation.
West Virginia Head Coach Darian DeVries Linked to Potential Job Opening • The Voice Of Motown
The Voice of Motown (voiceofmotown.com) is an opinionated blog that provides up-to-date information and news on West Virginia University Athletics, with a focus on football and men's basketball. The site is the leading source for stats, game information, rumors, and more on your Mountaineers...voiceofmotown.com
Devries might leave at halftime of one of his WV games if the offer (assuming a good offer) was on the table...
Agree. Ascribing "hate" to those of us who think he doesn't have the tools to get it done as a regular starter on a B1G team that we want to be a contender the 2nd weekend of the NCAA tourney is off base.
I want to see guards on the roster getting the majority of the minutes that can make that second weekend in the NCAA tourney happen. It's as simple as that. I don't care where they come from. I don't care if they're one year paid mercenaries. As long as they aren't involved in anything criminal, it's all about getting the job done. And, at least in my mind, the job is very clear: NCAA TOURNEY RESULTS.
