Great Fight

[RocknRollface]

You used Michigan as your prime example, not me.

There is some truth in what you say, but every program is different, too. Until Iowa gets better NIL for basketball, hiring a new coach won’t do squat.

I used Michigan as an example of what a year one coach can do with the portal.

Um was basically crap the last few seasons because their coach was not bringing in good transfers and it was the same place.

Sure NIL is a big part but that requires fan excitement and they have currently dug themselves a hole there by staying the old corse too long. Fan interest is very low currently and that has to change before nIL will get better.

A new coach could absolutely do better in the portal just by virtue of having an open roster.

We all know Fran isn't going to be around much longer no matter what so my point was in reference to a paradigm shift going forward.

They need to stop thinking about long term solutions and start thinking in shorter time spans.

 

[IChawkeye45]

Lolol. Really? I'll take some of that action. We don't have a true 4 on this team that can play offense or defense at the B1G level. Freeman can't stay out of foul trouble, (as I predicted he was off the floor in just over TWO minutes) and we don't really have a D1 level center to play behind him. We have MAYBE 3 or 4 guys on the team who can defend against a Team with good athletes. So far this is the worst free throw shooting team that Frans put on the floor.

It might be one of the best defensive teams. Fran’s never really had a good “team.” It’s always been like two studs (Luka and Joe W) or one (Keegan Murray) and then just awful guard play in the tournament and no defense. Rinse and repeat. Fran’s never really had an average or above big ten guard in the past decade, excluding Tony and now Josh.

 

[GunnerHawk]

If Fran figures out who to start and how to substitute, Hawks could be competitive.

Big IF

 

[kceasthawk]

It might be one of the best defensive teams. Fran’s never really had a good “team.” It’s always been like two studs (Luka and Joe W) or one (Keegan Murray) and then just awful guard play in the tournament and no defense. Rinse and repeat. Fran’s never really had an average or above big ten guard in the past decade, excluding Tony and now Josh.

I would certainly rate Dix as at least an average guard. Can score from three, slash, and finish at the rim. At least a decent defender as well. Tony had some really good games and then he would disappear. Biggest problem for him was Fran trying to pay him at the point out of necessity.

 

[kceasthawk]

If Fran figures out who to start and how to substitute, Hawks could be competitive.

Not against better then average teams. Just too many holes in the top 8-9 guys to compete every night against the top teams in the league. An Absolute hole at the 4 spot, and no solid back up post player is absolutely glaring.....

 

[icwesthawk]

C. Do shorter contracts that don't have huge buyouts

All the good candidates are lining up for this

 

[Hawksfinal4]

Not against better then average teams. Just too many holes in the top 8-9 guys to compete every night against the top teams in the league. An Absolute hole at the 4 spot, and no solid back up post player is absolutely glaring.....

Agree to disagree , haven’t had a game this season so far where we have not competed!

 

[RocknRollface]

All the good candidates are lining up for this

Easier said than done, I get it. But at the least don't do the length of contracts Barta was handing out. Balance that out with more money up front.

I'd rather good coaches that can recruit use Iowa as a stepping stone than mediocre coaches using it as a retirement plan.

 

[kceasthawk]

Agree to disagree , haven’t had a game this season so far where we have not competed!

I wouldn't be fooled because we hung with Michigan at their place and they're the first good team we've played really. They turned the ball over alot, which helped us stay in the game. NW is okay. IF We shoot well from three we can hang. If not, (and that comes and goes) we'll struggle, badly. Dispute what I said about our frontcourt weaknesses. Show me another good team in our league who has a major hole at power forward and no back up post player that contributes. Brock and Thelwell are decent players, but not top of the league type players. The offense is the same thing as always. Our wings can score, but other then Dix are sub par defenders. Freeman could be maybe second team all B1G IF he learns to stop picking up stupid fouls, which of course leads us right back to not having a sold player behind him.

 

[SI_NYC]

A decade and half into the McCaffery regime and people are hanging onto moral victories.

and yet it's still more enjoyable than watching Iowa FB's offense.

 

[IChawkeye45]

I would certainly rate Dix as at least an average guard. Can score from three, slash, and finish at the rim. At least a decent defender as well. Tony had some really good games and then he would disappear. Biggest problem for him was Fran trying to pay him at the point out of necessity.

I definitely agree on Dix. Might be the best all around guard Fran has had. Fran seems to either get guards like Bohannon who can shoot but can’t defend or create. Or guards like Gesell and Clemmons who can create and defend but couldn’t shoot at all. Or guards like Connor who can just feed the post position pretty well, but that’s it. It’s kind of fascinating.

 

[ISUBryce]

Go hawks...just a different perspecive.

How is Carver a dump compared to Mackey Arena?

Have you been to Mackey? Great arena.

 

[icwesthawk]

Easier said than done, I get it. But at the least don't do the length of contracts Barta was handing out. Balance that out with more money up front.

I'd rather good coaches that can recruit use Iowa as a stepping stone than mediocre coaches using it as a retirement plan.

Iowa, Big Ten jobs as a whole, are not stepping stone jobs. This is an end all job. Barta's gone, unfortunately, big contracts with big buyouts are here to stay. Don't like it but it's a fact.

 

[HoustonREDHawk]

Just get a call on the hip check during Pryce's last sec shot, and the fight could have counted.

 

[AmericaNeedsMe]

This is Fran's best team, bar none.

 

[MAXIMUSHAWKEYE]

That's why, as long as the portal is a thing, we should be changing coached every 3-4 years until they get the right combo of coache and transfers.

Your best odds of landing good transfers is year 1. So having more year ones is a good thing.

Keeping coaches long term is the worst possible strategy and it's Iowas only strategy to date.

Our coaches get rewarded for mediocrity. Look at all the coaches ISU has gone thru. Their fan base gets entergized with new hope from those hires. Iowa is too afraid of change and is stuck.

 

[Fan In Black]

how do you know this is a great fight at this point? Michigan could be terrible.

 

[RocknRollface]

Iowa, Big Ten jobs as a whole, are not stepping stone jobs. This is an end all job. Barta's gone, unfortunately, big contracts with big buyouts are here to stay. Don't like it but it's a fact.

If Iowa basketball was an "end all job" they would have been able to hire better coaches the last 3 decades.

It's obviously not and thinking that it is part of the problem. Iowa should be looking for guys who have higher aspirations.

Young up and comers ate not interested in making Iowa their final stop.

And if the NIL situation doesn't get changed soon Iowa is going to really be a tough sell to any decent coach.

 

[Hawksfinal4]

IMO this year the league is going to be more Uber competitive than ever. 2 games into the season and only 4 teams out of 18 haven’t lost a game yet and one of those 4 has only played 1 game. Hang onto your hats, it’s gonna be a wild ride

 

[Rifler]

how do you know this is a great fight at this point? Michigan could be terrible.

Michigan is not terrible,.. and they will improve.

 

[TampaHawkfan]

This is Fran's best team, bar none.

Not even close.

 

[tumorboy]

We are not Michigan. They always recruit well for a variety of reasons not applicable to Iowa.

$$$$$$$$$$

 

[tumorboy]

Not against better then average teams. Just too many holes in the top 8-9 guys to compete every night against the top teams in the league. An Absolute hole at the 4 spot, and no solid back up post player is absolutely glaring.....

Iowa State is going to be painful. They have a lot of good bigs to go with great guards.

 

[tumorboy]

If Iowa basketball was an "end all job" they would have been able to hire better coaches the last 3 decades.

It's obviously not and thinking that it is part of the problem. Iowa should be looking for guys who have higher aspirations.

Young up and comers ate not interested in making Iowa their final stop.

And if the NIL situation doesn't get changed soon Iowa is going to really be a tough sell to any decent coach.

How many years left on Fran? 3. Any idea on the buyout.

 

[CyberJJ]

Have you been to Mackey? Great arena.

Close to the court is great, but the seats on the corners are REALLY narrow. Felt shoe-horned in.

 

[ISUBryce]

Close to the court is great, but the seats on the corners are REALLY narrow. Felt shoe-horned in.

Maybe, but I don’t see why recruits would care about that.

I thought it was a beautiful arena that had a very cool layout. If I’m being honest just structurally it’s better than Hilton and I don’t think that could be argued.

 

[the notorious r.d.m.]

how do you know this is a great fight at this point? Michigan could be terrible.

I'm very confident in saying Michigan will finish top 3. And won't be surprised if they win it.

 

[LukaDuka]

Lolol. Really? I'll take some of that action. We don't have a true 4 on this team that can play offense or defense at the B1G level. Freeman can't stay out of foul trouble, (as I predicted he was off the floor in just over TWO minutes) and we don't really have a D1 level center to play behind him. We have MAYBE 3 or 4 guys on the team who can defend against a Team with good athletes. So far this is the worst free throw shooting team that Frans put on the floor.

and maybe the worst rebounding team as well

 

[LukaDuka]

It might be one of the best defensive teams. Fran’s never really had a good “team.” It’s always been like two studs (Luka and Joe W) or one (Keegan Murray) and then just awful guard play in the tournament and no defense. Rinse and repeat. Fran’s never really had an average or above big ten guard in the past decade, excluding Tony and now Josh.

The Woodbury & Gessel teams were probably the best defensively for Fran

 

[LukaDuka]

I wouldn't be fooled because we hung with Michigan at their place and they're the first good team we've played really. They turned the ball over alot, which helped us stay in the game. NW is okay. IF We shoot well from three we can hang. If not, (and that comes and goes) we'll struggle, badly. Dispute what I said about our frontcourt weaknesses. Show me another good team in our league who has a major hole at power forward and no back up post player that contributes. Brock and Thelwell are decent players, but not top of the league type players. The offense is the same thing as always. Our wings can score, but other then Dix are sub par defenders. Freeman could be maybe second team all B1G IF he learns to stop picking up stupid fouls, which of course leads us right back to not having a sold player behind him.

So let's bench Freeman & start Mulvey. Let him pick up the cheap early fouls & then bring in Freeman... lol

 

[Ronman]

Go hawks...just a different perspecive.

How is Carver a dump compared to Mackey Arena? Carver is designed for fan comfort and leisure, not to maximize noise. They can close off the top of the arena to reflect back noise and they could install bleachers like the old field house. The old Field house was a Dump, yet it was much noiser/nostile. Fran is in year 15 and just now talking about moving students next to court? There is no leadership/salesmenship of the program out of Fran. He's been happy collecting his $30 million Iowa paychecks and running a family and friends program that just meets minimum expectations. When the Portal first became a thing, it was Hoiberg at ISU making moves---Fran ingored portal and this is really the 1st year he went out and got two difference makers in off season. NIL is now name of game---Iowa probably is in bottom 1/3 of B1G if I had to guess. The money Swarm has pulled in has been tiny. TJ Otzelberg success while being paid less salary than Fran shows you don't need high paid coach or 15 years of experience to turnaround a program. Fran is the poster for Old Man syndrome, my way or the highway, stuck in a rut.

I would agree the Hawks didn't fold when they could have. If not for some Payton hero ball that went unchecked by Fran and some odd playing time choices, maybe it would have been a win. It was close, just like we were very close to losing vs NW. Yes I feel, much, much better than getting run out of the building and we are right on schedule for 10-10 in conference play.

I'm not positive, but I seriously doubt McCaffery is making anywhere near $30 million.

 

[twindman]

I'm not positive, but I seriously doubt McCaffery is making anywhere near $30 million.

I added it up (approximately and he has earned about 27 million so far including bonus's. Another year and it will be 30 million. Cost of living in Iowa is pretty cheap compared to Minny, Chicago, and several other B1G locations.

 

[EvilMonkeyInTheCloset]

A decade and half into the McCaffery regime and people are hanging onto moral victories.

Which people?

I haven't watched a whole game yet this year.

 

[perryhawk]

A, Who cares, it's peanuts in the scope of things anymore.

B, If you make good hires a lot of them will move on to better things sooner than latter because Iowa is a lesser tier job.

C. Do shorter contracts that don't have huge buyouts.

The longer it takes for Iowa to wrap their minds around the new landscape the more fan interest they will lose.

They cannot continue in the old "build a program with stability" mind set.

Yeah it’s MILLIONS OF DOLLARS, not peanuts.

Good coaches aren’t coming to Iowa for short contracts and no buyout….

 

[TailgateTom]

If Fran figures out who to start and how to substitute, Hawks could be competitive.

Haha, might as well throw in:

1. Play defense
2. use a timeout
3. Recruit a PG

 

[OutbackBowl2017]

Iowa State is going to be painful. They have a lot of good bigs to go with great guards.

Their guards are going to destroy our guards on dribble drive then dish to their bigs, which Iowa doesn’t have the horses to compete down low. It’s going to be a name your score kinda game. Think the donors will push Beth to come up with a mutual buy out after this season.

 

[IChawkeye45]

Haha, might as well throw in:

1. Play defense
2. use a timeout
3. Recruit a PG

This made me chuckle and is really spot on.

 

[tumorboy]

Their guards are going to destroy our guards on dribble drive then dish to their bigs, which Iowa doesn’t have the horses to compete down low. It’s going to be a name your score kinda game. Think the donors will push Beth to come up with a mutual buy out after this season.

If they do hopefully donors will come to the table with NIL commitments as well.

 

[Hawksfinal4]

Guess we’ll see

 

[jonesy5960]

Their guards are going to destroy our guards on dribble drive then dish to their bigs, which Iowa doesn’t have the horses to compete down low. It’s going to be a name your score kinda game. Think the donors will push Beth to come up with a mutual buy out after this season.

I highly doubt any one game has any bearing on Fran's future. The year and attendance figures will drive those decisions assuming Fran doesn't make some move on his own. If Carver attendance keeps cratering then something will need to change.