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Dickinson’s comment

Not really similar teams. Villanova doesn’t run a motion offense. Neither team runs a lot of sets, but nothing is similar beyond that.

Defensively you’d obviously give them the edge, but Iowa changes defense much more.

Tempo wise they’re slower.

Sure we’re less disciplined overall I’d say, but Jay Wright is arguably a top 5 coach so I don’t really see the controversy. Other than his comparison is kinda lazy.
 
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He was specifically asked what team in the Big Ten does Villanova look like. And the laughs were more from the way the players at the presser table each looked to their left until the question landed on Dickenson to answer. It wasn't at all a negative jab at Iowa. In fact, he even complimented Iowa as a very talented team.
 
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HawkAssassin said:
Not really similar teams. Villanova doesn’t run a motion offense. Neither team runs a lot of sets, but nothing is similar beyond that.

Defensively you’d obviously give them the edge, but Iowa changes defense much more.

Tempo wise they’re slower.

Sure we’re less disciplined overall I’d say, but Jay Wright is arguably a top 5 coach so I don’t really see the controversy. Other than his comparison is kinda lazy.
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Yes I didn't read anything offensive in Dickinson comments and I would be surprised if any board members know more about basketball than Dickinson.

Villanova is more disciplined because they do have at Top5 coach that has a system/program that delivers outperformance such as a national title. Iowa has a system/program that is not as good and so far at most 1 win in NCAA tourney and I think Fran is 0-fer vs Jay Wright head to head.

It is true that Fran at his worst only accuses Refs of being "m'efer cheating refs" whereas Howard at his worst will choke a guy out.

Villanova does run some form of motion offense

team.fastmodelsports.com

Villanova Wildcats - Four-Out Motion Offense - FastModel Sports

The Villanova Wildcats enter the NCAA Tournament as the #2 seed in the South Region behind the beautiful spacing and symmetry of their four-out ball
team.fastmodelsports.com team.fastmodelsports.com

 
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HawkLogic said:
Yes I didn't read anything offensive in Dickinson comments and I would be surprised if any board members know more about basketball than Dickinson.

Villanova is more disciplined because they do have at Top5 coach that has a system/program that delivers outperformance such as a national title. Iowa has a system/program that is not as good and so far at most 1 win in NCAA tourney and I think Fran is 0-fer vs Jay Wright head to head.

It is true that Fran at his worst only accuses Refs of being "m'efer cheating refs" whereas Howard at his worst will choke a guy out.

Villanova does run some form of motion offense

team.fastmodelsports.com

Villanova Wildcats - Four-Out Motion Offense - FastModel Sports

The Villanova Wildcats enter the NCAA Tournament as the #2 seed in the South Region behind the beautiful spacing and symmetry of their four-out ball
team.fastmodelsports.com team.fastmodelsports.com

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Here you see another Poster who doesn't like the Iowa Basketball Coach. People that take every opportunity to trash an Iowa coach anger me.
 
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The whole quote was not included the first time it was sent:



It shows how easy it can be to twist something someone says out of context and get people riled up. You can see some on here using the original quote to pile on Fran without understanding what was actually said.
 
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WadeLookingbill said:
Ok. Our "tenured below average coaches" in basketball (men's and women's) and football made the conference championship game this year. Our wrestling team finished #3 nationally. It appears you are the only thing below average here. lol indeed.
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I'm only referencing mens basketball.
 
Hunter mentioning Iowa in the presser is otherwise the only way anyone is talking about us in the tournament right now… that sucks and he was clearly just shooting from the hip and maybe even reaching somewhat.. smh
 
Rudolph said:
Villanova. I've been hooked ever since I watched their open practice in Brooklyn a few years back. It was an incredible exhibition of how a program has been built.
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Rudolph said:
Everything Villanova did, everything, was so rooted in reinforcing well-executed fundamentals — with great emphasis on footwork (both offensive and defensive).

Everything they did was with such purpose, such efficiency. I also left impressed by how everybody in their program seemed so committed to what they were doing, and that they 100% believed in what they were doing.

It was a clinic.

I also left incredibly surprised by how little the Iowa coaching staff paid attention to what they were doing and how they were doing it.
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Rudolph said:
No.

Only thing that will fix this is a total change in program philosophy. Sustained winning programs start with defense and toughness, period.

Why?

Because when defense and toughness are the cornerstones of your program, each and every day of practice the team itself has to work against defense and toughness.

As a result, offensive fundamentals like how to catch the ball, how to hold the ball, how to create space versus pressure to shoot it or move it, how to drive & probe and get to spots, how to cut, how to finish — all these and more become finely honed by going against strong, tough, competitive defense. They don't get honed going 5-on-0, going against cones or coaches, or even going against relatively poor, weak defense. I suspect Iowa gets only bad habits going against themselves in practice.

Defense and toughness also provides a sturdy base confidence both individually and collectively. If I know that good day or bad day I'm going to have a chance to win because I'm going to make life difficult for you on your offensive end, well I'm feeling pretty good.

Great defense also takes a lot of pressure off of your offense. Make no mistake, part of the reason Purdue shot that insane percentage today is because they don't care if they miss. They don't care because they know they have a strong likelihood of turning around and getting a stop.

Iowa kids came out and played hard, and yet, before Dakich could get his larynx loose, they were down 20. Sure, Purdue couldn't miss. But, also, Iowa couldn't score. Iowa appears totally unprepared — mentally, physically, fundamentally — to play against good defense. Why? Going back to my earlier point — it is, I have to believe, because they don't face it day in and day out in practice. They don't face it over the summer or early fall or late fall when a team's (and program's) foundation is set.

Fran has to change how he does things.

Fvck it I'm rambling. A few years ago when Iowa was sent to Brooklyn I went to the day of open practices. Watched Temple, SF Austin, ND, Villanova and Iowa. I'll never forget it. Villanova is the 2 seed and Iowa's likely opponent should both win. Iowa coaches are in the gym just a section over from me. As I'm watching Villanova, who is putting on an absolute clinic on how to prepare, I occasionally look over to see what Iowa's staff is doing. The Iowa staff might as well have been in Iowa. They paid little to no attention, not even the younger coaches. I was a little shocked and a lot concerned. Not even the younger coaches appeared interested in what one of the best programs (and coaches) in the country might have to offer.

Of course they found out a few nights later what Villanova offered.
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Rudolph said:
Consistently good to great defense requires total commitment programmatically, from the top down. This means teaching and training and drilling from the most basic individual fundamentals to the more complex team concepts (which only work if the fundamental base is successfully laid), ad nauseam, daily. Everyone is held accountable when one person errors, be it effort or technical or mental, no exceptions.

I've been to a few of Fran's practices. Took my high school team to one three years ago, went to one his second year, and then one two years ago, plus the open practice in Brooklyn before the Temple game. Having been lucky to play for some really good coaches, I'm not impressed. I like Fran, and if I didn't know better I imagine I would enjoy playing for him, but he's an enabler. He's not a stickler for details — fundamental details — like proper body position, footwork, the basic "vegetables" of what makes individual players able to execute team concepts. Fran will correct a guy, but won't hold him accountable (as far as I can tell). He can see the bad habit(s) a guy might have, he'll point it out, but there is little in place (that I've seen) to nip bad habits in the bud and create — programmatically — good habits.

I've opined about this stuff several times here. I almost always bring up Villanova to contrast Iowa. Villanova drills and drills and drills, with precision, basic basic basic fundamental skills — how to get open, how to pass and catch, how to sit down and pivot to face the basket once receiving the ball, how to attack the paint off the dribble, how to come to a controlled, strong, low stop to make the next play — be it move it or score it. Every guy is able to catch, face, rip, drive and make a play without turning it over. Now, given each guy has this base, any team concept becomes imminently executable.

Who can do this for Iowa? Anybody? Moss has the talent, is late in his third year, and is a total mess out there trying to do anything off the dribble. As good a career as White had, he never developed much. He sort of left with the same game he came in with, albeit a little more savvy with all the experience.

I realize I talked offensive skill just now, but the same approach is taken on the defensive end for Villanova. Maybe the best example is that they actually practice talking during their dynamic stretching routine. I've been around a little in the basketball world and I had never, ever seen that or even heard of it. Many if not most teams do some sort of exaggerated defensive slide to warm up their hips and groin. Villanova does it and while doing so, all their guys are gesturing and pointing with their hands and arms, barking out defensive calls and talk, simply using their imagination. Like I said, they actually practice talking, pointing, having active hands and it's one of the very first things they do to begin practice. Immediately the gym is loud, everyone is mentally engaged (given it requires imagination), and energy is created. Guys were having fun with it, competing with each other to see who could be the loudest. Imagine 15 guys doing slow, exaggerated zig-zag slides, staying low with perfect body position and footwork, screaming out various defensive calls, filling the gym with noise, energy, intensity. From the get-go. There was no easing into practice. And the entire practice was reflective of this.

I could go on and on and on about Villanova.
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Rudolph said:
I walked away from that practice with the terms "layered purposing" and "skill layering".

Going back to the practicing verbalizations during the first exercise of the damn dynamic warm-up, literally the first organized team activity of the day, I was struck by how more was accomplished with less. Always more with less, always layering of skills, of purposes. Every drill was designed to build/reinforce fundamental skills but also to "rehearse" their philosophy.

I think of something many of us may have seen Iowa do pregame — the close-out drill up the lane line, then slide toward the baseline. They do this before every game, and I would guess in most practices (I remember them doing it in at least two of the four I attended). They do this, yet as I watch I notice bad habit after bad habit, and then I have a very hard time imagining this drill translating to their games. Whereas watching that Villanova workout, then watching their round of 64 and round of 32 games live, then the rest on TV, pretty much everything they did in that workout translated directly to what I saw them do in their games.

Sometimes I think I've mythologized in my mind that experience watching Villanova practice. I'm glad you were there, too, and left with similar impressions.

As a basketball geek, it was a cool day. I would recommend doing that open practice day for anyone either attending NCAA games, or even if they don't but live near one of the sites. I took my laptop and my sketchbook to get some work done during dead times, packed a couple Clif bars, watched almost every damn team. It's free and damn near the entire arena is yours.
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