Who is your favorite player in the Fran Era? Criteria is the player must have PLAYED for Fran (didn't have to be recruited by Fran).
Favorite Player in Fran Era
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Probably White over Uthoff just because I got to enjoy his play for one more year.
However, I always appreciated Gatens. Dude just wanted to follow his dream and be a Hawk and was stuck with Lickliter for two years. Glad we at least got him a taste of the postseason, even if it was the NIT.
However, I always appreciated Gatens. Dude just wanted to follow his dream and be a Hawk and was stuck with Lickliter for two years. Glad we at least got him a taste of the postseason, even if it was the NIT.
There have been some spectacular Senior performances during Fran's time. Gaten carried the team at times, White carried the team, Marble was little bit unlucky with supporting cast, but he carried the team at times. Cole was star with no talent around him.
I would say senior Uthoff is the most spectacular player I have ever seen in Iowa uniform. I would put him up there with Ronnie Lester in ability to carry a team.
Some really good candidates and tough choices.
1) Aaron White (best, most prolific dunker in Big10 in last ?? years)
2) Eric May awesome athlete
3) Matt Gatens awesome shooter and Hawkeye
4) Jarrod Uthoff
5) Tie - M Gesell and Woody
Honorable mention: RDM, Cole, Sapp, Pete, Nicholas Baer
1) Aaron White (best, most prolific dunker in Big10 in last ?? years)
2) Eric May awesome athlete
3) Matt Gatens awesome shooter and Hawkeye
4) Jarrod Uthoff
5) Tie - M Gesell and Woody
Honorable mention: RDM, Cole, Sapp, Pete, Nicholas Baer
My memory is probably tainted by my dislike of Alford, but it seems to me Fran has been getting a lot good kids on campus. Jarrod Cole would get my vote.
Hard to answer this one.
Part of me wants to say Dev bc of how he handled being a legacy player of one of Iowa's all time greats (if not the greatest player) and how he was able to step out of his dad's enormous shadow and carve out his own legacy. Also, my son really started watching Iowa hoops with me around the time when Dev was rising up. Also, if we are being honest Dev was a big part of bringing back those good time feelings of Iowa hoops (Gatens/Cole gave us a glimpse but Dev made it real).
Hard not to say Aaron White either, I mean who doesn't like lots and lots of thunder dunks. Also the last half of his senior season was magical. Whitey is cemented as an Iowa all-time great IMO (I tie him and Dev pretty closely together).
The next group would be a combo of Woody/Mike. Those two bleed Iowa hoops and once recruited it showed Iowa was going to be a player for years to come. I have been looking forward to this season (their senior season) for a few years as I felt the hoops program would be in a special place by this time. These two haven't disappointed.
SAP has a great story from the time he was a kid, to his frosh year at Iowa, a soph slump filled with transfer doubt to coming out of it as a JR and maybe being the best team leader on the floor this season. That guy is a glue guy and is impossible not to love.
Jarrod Uthoff: Best all around player of the Fran era hands down. But I am not sure I would put him in my favorite category. Maybe if he had that extra year but for some reason he doesn't hit that high watermark for me (nothing to do with his play bc the kid is unreal).
Pete is that transition player that sits between the now present and the future hawks that Fran has brought in. Love watching him play bc you know he can go microwave at any point in time. Frustrating at times but the kid has gotten better and better every season. It will be interesting to see how he leads the young guys next season.
My favorite Hawkeye during the Fran era is probably Fran himself. That guy is dynamite.
Part of me wants to say Dev bc of how he handled being a legacy player of one of Iowa's all time greats (if not the greatest player) and how he was able to step out of his dad's enormous shadow and carve out his own legacy. Also, my son really started watching Iowa hoops with me around the time when Dev was rising up. Also, if we are being honest Dev was a big part of bringing back those good time feelings of Iowa hoops (Gatens/Cole gave us a glimpse but Dev made it real).
Hard not to say Aaron White either, I mean who doesn't like lots and lots of thunder dunks. Also the last half of his senior season was magical. Whitey is cemented as an Iowa all-time great IMO (I tie him and Dev pretty closely together).
The next group would be a combo of Woody/Mike. Those two bleed Iowa hoops and once recruited it showed Iowa was going to be a player for years to come. I have been looking forward to this season (their senior season) for a few years as I felt the hoops program would be in a special place by this time. These two haven't disappointed.
SAP has a great story from the time he was a kid, to his frosh year at Iowa, a soph slump filled with transfer doubt to coming out of it as a JR and maybe being the best team leader on the floor this season. That guy is a glue guy and is impossible not to love.
Jarrod Uthoff: Best all around player of the Fran era hands down. But I am not sure I would put him in my favorite category. Maybe if he had that extra year but for some reason he doesn't hit that high watermark for me (nothing to do with his play bc the kid is unreal).
Pete is that transition player that sits between the now present and the future hawks that Fran has brought in. Love watching him play bc you know he can go microwave at any point in time. Frustrating at times but the kid has gotten better and better every season. It will be interesting to see how he leads the young guys next season.
My favorite Hawkeye during the Fran era is probably Fran himself. That guy is dynamite.
Uthoff x a billion...not only one of the all time great Hawkeyes already...but best yet...he left Bo Ryan...
1. Gatens
2. Marble
3. Uthoff
4. White
5. Gesell/Clemmons/May
2. Marble
3. Uthoff
4. White
5. Gesell/Clemmons/May
Hard not to say Gatens, stuck around through the hard times, was as responsible or more than any other player for returning us to relevance, won some big games almost single handedly by getting unconsciously hot, you could tell winning meant a lot to him, and he truly enjoyed being a Hawkeye and representing Iowa.
This. Super unique talent.
Don't know of another Hawkeye ever who could do so much. How about 30 pts in one half of play? (I know, he and the Hawks didn't finish but we won't talk about that) Love watching him play.
Jok is moving up the list fast. Didn't know he could be this good, as where with Uthoff you could see his immense game waiting to fully emerge.
Gatens would have been my clear cut favorite until this year. Wow he got hot his senior year!
Big props to Dev. He stayed the course and was nothing but a true Hawk.
I absolutely love the play of Uthoff, but Ronnie Lester is in a class by himself.
Hard to call a player who shows so little emotion one of my favorites. But don't care about what I think Jarrod, you keep doing what you're doing.
Marble would be my favorite to watch, so smooth and when he was on he was spectacular. Improved so much over his career. Fact that I saw his Dad play makes it extra special. Gatens senior year still gives me goosebumps, he took a terrible team and carried it with pure guts. stuck with the Hawks through thick and mostly thin. Love Uthoff's talent and White's moxie. I think Jok may be my Fran favorite and an all time great before he is done. So many great Hawks under Fran.
I'd have to say Gatens or Olaseni. Matt due to sticking with the Hawkeyes and that one game he just went off from three point land.
Gabe because he always came out with his best.
Uthoff is definitely great but he has a tendency to not want to take over a game. White went through the same thing. Big games and big moments and they sometimes fade into the background.
Gabe because he always came out with his best.
Uthoff is definitely great but he has a tendency to not want to take over a game. White went through the same thing. Big games and big moments and they sometimes fade into the background.
Uthoff and Jok both have that rare ability to keep shooting...even when they have missed a few...because they know they are scorers. That is why both would rate very high on my list.
This is different than someone who isn't afraid to keep shooting...but can't make a damn thing...
To have two fearless and talented shooters on the same team, both who can score 30 points pretty easily, makes Iowa a tough match up. Then filter in a scavenger like Baer, a resurgent Clemmons, Uhl to also pour in a few if needed...well, that is a nice place to be.
Taking the scoring burden off of MG and Woodie has made them and the team much better this year, much, better. The resurgent shooting as a team, puts them back in their comfort zones of being very good players on many levels, without needing to be scoring stars.
This is different than someone who isn't afraid to keep shooting...but can't make a damn thing...
To have two fearless and talented shooters on the same team, both who can score 30 points pretty easily, makes Iowa a tough match up. Then filter in a scavenger like Baer, a resurgent Clemmons, Uhl to also pour in a few if needed...well, that is a nice place to be.
Taking the scoring burden off of MG and Woodie has made them and the team much better this year, much, better. The resurgent shooting as a team, puts them back in their comfort zones of being very good players on many levels, without needing to be scoring stars.
Gatens because he stuck with the program through the Lick ineptitude. Wish he could have played on a team like this years
Many many great choices. ..it's great to be a Hawkeye. My sentimental pick is Cole. He had to fight through some tough injury and health issues but was always a class act..great guy.
A healthy Jarrod Cole was also a very good player.
I'm a guy who loves to see Iowa high school players do well as Hawkeyesome but Cole and Mike G. are 2 of my favorites.
A healthy Jarrod Cole was also a very good player.
I'm a guy who loves to see Iowa high school players do well as Hawkeyesome but Cole and Mike G. are 2 of my favorites.
I'm in the minority here, and expected this, but I'll go with Woody. Athletically limited, he continues to give us all he has and is presently having the best year of his career. I know the numbers don't add up, but I think he may be the most important recruit in Fran's tenure. Besides, he's an Iowa kid who always wanted to be a Hawk, and turned out to be a pretty damn good one. Good enough for me.
Woody is a blue collar worker...and I mean that in a good way...does lots of things that aren't fun to do, but are important...
Landing Woody brought legitimacy to the Fran era early in his tenure, for that I hold Adam in very high regard. However I cannot separate him and Mike and that is why I put them together in my post. To me, these two, committing to Iowa gave Fran the initial juice he needed to jump start the program (even if they are not the best 'players' under Fran).
I can't pick one. It's like I have my whole train set out and Mom says I can only bring one piece to go visit the relatives. Screw that! I need the tracks, the train, the junction box, everything. So I kill Mom and stay home and play with my train set. It's been too long since I had a toy as good as this!!! Nobody is dividing it up.
Woo woooo!!!
Woo woooo!!!Cole and then Gatens. Both were stuck with liclliter crap, but stuck it out and ended on great note as seniors. Think about how fortunate Fran is to have the senior leadership in his Iowa tenure and how that has helped build the program. Going from Cole to Gatens to May to Dev to White and now Mike/Sapp/Woody.
Jarryd Cole. Recruited by Alford, played most of his career with Lickliter and finished with Fran. A lot of opportunities to bail.
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