I am convinced Fran will get it done.

[Ronnie Lester]

Many of our fans believed we were a top 5 team at mid season. That was on Fran. He did his best to hide the many deficiencies this team had. We were picked preseason for 9th in the Big Ten because of our roster. Our shortcomings could not be covered up forever and the inevitable collapse happened. This team finished 3rd in the conference with middle of the pack talent. But because we had veteran talent we were ahead of most teams early in the year. How many of the teams still in the tournament would swap rosters with us?

I would love to have seen Fran come into this job and start signing top twenty talent from all over the country just because we are Iowa and we deserve it. Wish it were that easy. Fran knows what this team really needed. He worked tirelessly on getting Marcus Paige and Tyler Ulis. A dual threat point guard makes a high scoring center unnecessary. What he has done since Marcus Paige is control the state of Iowa recruits. They are the heart and soul of this program. We have come a long way talent wise from the Lickliter years but it is much much easier to climb the bottom half of the conference than the top half. The top out of state recruits need to see sustained success before committing here. Tyler Cook is a terrific step in that direction and I believe more will come.

Recruiting is about hard work and luck (besides the $). Some players develop into All Big Ten players and others peak in high school. No one has a 100% prediction rate. Nobody is satisfied with the current results and that includes Fran. Tom Davis was here 13 years and we realized that was as high as he could take the program. Maybe that is as high as this program can go unless we start paying players like the big boys. I would rather see how high Fran can take us.

 

[Hawk_4shur]

Fran IS getting it done IMO. He has taken possibly the worst program in the Power 5 and has taken it to the Dance 3 years in a row. The last two to the Round of 32. Now we have a stable full of new players chomping at the bit for their turn. He has brought us back to the dizzying heights of most of the Tom Davis era.

Iowa basketball does not have a history of greatness - they have a history of pretty good. Fran has at least brought them back to that level - let's see if he can continue the climb.

 

[Suterman]

Our program has progressed at a very solid, sustainable pace. A slight dip this coming year and then back to the dance regularly.

 

[djwoody]

We are a 22-11, top half of the B1G, round of 32 program. Occasionally better, occasionally Lick'd.

 

[hawkifann]

This is kind of the flip side of the "accepting mediocrity" argument -- there's not a clear definition of either "mediocrity" or what exactly "will get it done" means.

I'm a Fran fan. He came into a dead-in-the-water program without very much talent and he's now been to 4 straight post-seasons and 3 straight NCAA tournaments...and a tourney win in each of the past two years. That doesn't make Iowa Duke, but the fact that we're all pissed off after the way this season finished tells me that he's restored some relevance to Iowa's program and re-established some winning expectations.

I think it's fair to take a step back now and make some assessments, but I think there has to be space in between "I do not accept mediocrity" (inferring boycotts or heads rolling) and complete blind faith that it'll all work out. We've seen Fran long enough now to have some idea on some trends. He certainly does not deserve to be fired and any fans that look at this season in its entirety and decide it was all garbage to the point that they're done with Iowa hoops under Fran can go enjoy all their free winter evenings next year.

If Fran has Iowa back in the NCAA tournament next year or the year after, I think it'll be safe to say that he'd have re-established the program to where it was when Dr. Tom was shoved out. I don't want to play into all the "we have disadvantages" talk, but you can't become a big winner just by wanting it. On one hand, there's no reason why we can't/shouldn't be where Wisconsin is, but you need the right coach/player combinations to get there, and then you have to do it again. Then, over time, you improve your profile. One could argue that Iowa's last "great" coach was Lute -- and he took Iowa to a Final Four. I think Fran and Dr. Tom fall into the "very good" category. Thing is, by moving on, you don't guarantee yourself anything. I think Iowa took a shot at great and landed on mediocre with Alford and then fell into the toilet with Lickliter. I'm not tied to Fran forever, necessarily, but if you spend all your time scanning the dance floor for a prettier girl, you may not like what you end up with.

 

[hawkifann]

Iowa basketball does not have a history of greatness - they have a history of pretty good. Fran has at least brought them back to that level - let's see if he can continue the climb.

This is a key point. It's not an obstacle in the sense that it locks Iowa in forever, but you need a major bump or a great coaching hire/recruiting coup to significantly come off your 30 year trend line. Iowa seems to be back on trend now under Fran. We'll see if he can keep building.....but those who are just assuming you can stop "accepting mediocrity" (whatever that is) and win out of sheer force of will just don't see the big picture.

 

[kzoohawk80]

I like Fran and I like where the program is at and where it's going. That said some concerns have crept up this year. The collapse again can't be ignored. Have to wonder if this is just dumb luck or is there something to it? Also the effort against Nova was just awful. Looked like a team that didn't care or wanted the season to be over. Have to ask why a team wouldn't care about an NCAA tournament game? I'm not going to speculate on these things. I let the other people on here do it. I'm also concerned about playing time. I thought Fran did a very piss poor job with playing time this year. I've seen this with Ferentz, it doesn't matter if you have good players and they are sitting on the bench. One other negative I've seen is that Fran plays defense over offense. He doesn't throw his best offensive lineup out there and see if the other team can stop it.

Like I said I like where the program is heading though. Recruiting has picked up and I think it will continue to improve. Fran has selling points now. He can offer the NBA and NCAA tournament. Love the style of play. Like the development of players under Fran. Fran's got his system in place and it's worked. Getting veteran players to install the system to young players has worked well.

 

[War Hawkeye]

I like Mike and Woody, but I'm not sold that they ever really fit into Fran's style. My opinion is that Fran felt he had to get those guys no matter what for perception and to kick start the program/fanbase. They were basically in state guys (Mike played for Iowa's AAU team) that were highly rated by recruiting services. Their commitments really helped boost interest in a program that was all but dead.

Fran has not recruited another big like Woody. He clearly has a type that he is going after, athletic tweeners like Williams/Hutton/Moss/Wagner/Cook/Pemsl, and stretch 4's like White/JU/Jones/Uhl/Kriener.

I'm not saying that we are going to have the Golden State Warriors going forward, but I think we are going to have a similar playing style, and that is exciting. What I see left on the roster, and coming in are a bunch of long and athletic guys that could run and defend like crazy. Why couldn't this team play like "Press Virginia"? 100% in your face at all times. We will have the bodies to do so.

PG - Williams / Bohannon / (someone else needs to be an emergency PG - Moss?)
Wings - Jok / Flemming / Moss / Hutton / Ellingson / Baer
Bigs- Jones / Uhl / Wagner / Kriener / Pemsl / Cook

That's 14 guys that could potentially see minutes next year. Obviously there is a chance someone leaves, or one of the frosh RS, but as of today I see a very deep, athletic, young team.

 

[Hawk_4shur]

Lute Olsen was 102-68 in his first 6 years at Iowa for a winning % of 60%. Lute established high expectations and often times disappointed the fans at the end of the seasons, but acquired legend status with a FF run. That team was 23-10, but caught fire at just the right time.

Fran is 118-86 in 6 years (57.8%). He has established high expectations and has disappointed the fans in 2 of the last 3 years, but hasn't had a signature run in the Dance. This years team was 22-11 and went into the Dance on a downer.

Lute was impatient with the media. Fran is impatient with the media. Lute chased a referee off the floor. Fran smashed a chair.

Both have hair that refuses to move.

My point? Uh .... beats me. I lost my train of thought.

 

[doughawk]

I'm happy for you guys who think Iowa basketball is just fine. Have you ever won anything ? Do you ever aspire for better ? I didn't think so.

 

[Scott559]

I'm happy for you guys who think Iowa basketball is just fine. Have you ever won anything ? Do you ever aspire for better ? I didn't think so.

I just wish all you guys that keep telling us all what losers we are because we don't demand greatness (whatever that actually means) would all pool your resources and build the perfect facilities, Hire the perfect coach and keep the money rolling into the program so it can continue to reach unparalleled heights, It really shouldn't be hard for the select few of you since you all are obviously at the top of your field in your chosen endeavors and living a successful life that only few of us could ever dream of because of your inner drive. Please make it happen, Consider it your next great challenge in life, We can even name the new basketball and football stadiums after you. We can all aspire to be better, We just need your great leadership to lead the way. Please bestow some of your greatness upon us all.

 

[Herkuleez]

Iowa is the best gig in the country; $2.2M/yr and long term security, don't have to accomplish a damn thing to earn it....just as long as you lock down the border in recruiting.

 

[Ronnie Lester]

I'm happy for you guys who think Iowa basketball is just fine. Have you ever won anything ? Do you ever aspire for better ? I didn't think so.

Anyone can aspire for better. But what is the plan to get there. Is it hiring away the Kentucky coach? Is it paying big money to AAU coaches and top recruits from inner cities so they will come to a place they have never heard of? Or is it to keep hiring a new coach every 3 years because he hasn't taken us to the final four? Rather than criticize other fans, please be more specific with your vision of how an NCAA championship would be coming to Iowa City?

 

[Mohawkeye]

I think Fran is a ways from reaching his peak, but even if he has maxed out I'm pretty happy with that given where we were under Lick and Alford. I'll take NCAA bids every year.

Agree with the comment about Fran recruiting Woody and Gesell because he had to. They were in his back yard and he wanted to make a statement. He had to take whatever kind of talent he could get. Next year the roster will be dramatically different and I think you will see the true style of ball Fran wants to play.

 

[Suterman]

I'm happy for you guys who think Iowa basketball is just fine. Have you ever won anything ? Do you ever aspire for better ? I didn't think so.

I think Iowa Basketball has room for improvement and I think any reasonable human being would agree. On balance, a 22 win season is well above average for Iowa Basketball. Could we have done better? Probably, but we didn't. Maybe we did the best that this group of guys could do? I don't know and you Doughawk sure as hell don't know. The Hawkeyes goals were winning the league, winning the B1G tournament and winning the NCAA's. They didn't get any of those but it wasn't because they didn't work towards their goals, they just didn't get there. All 68 teams in the tournament thought they had a chance to win it. 67 of those 68 teams are going to come up short. Are they all settling for mediocrity?

 

[hawkifann]

Also the effort against Nova was just awful. Looked like a team that didn't care or wanted the season to be over. Have to ask why a team wouldn't care about an NCAA tournament game?

I actually disagree with this assessment. I thought Iowa came out focused early and had some really good ball movement on offense. They were playing hard and they were keeping pace with Villanova and had the game tied at 13 before Nova took off. What I really think happened was that Nova started hitting everything and got some stops, then Iowa started pressing and trying to play even faster and between Nova's D and what turned into sloppiness, Iowa started getting buried. I thought they were pressing and tight more than showing a "don't care" attitude. I think they just ran into a buzzsaw and wound up playing right into it.

 

[markfromj]

What is "it"?

 

[kzoohawk80]

I actually disagree with this assessment. I thought Iowa came out focused early and had some really good ball movement on offense. They were playing hard and they were keeping pace with Villanova and had the game tied at 13 before Nova took off. What I really think happened was that Nova started hitting everything and got some stops, then Iowa started pressing and trying to play even faster and between Nova's D and what turned into sloppiness, Iowa started getting buried. I thought they were pressing and tight more than showing a "don't care" attitude. I think they just ran into a buzzsaw and wound up playing right into it.

Their defensive effort was pathetic. No close outs on shooters. No hands up in shooters faces. No ball pressure. No hustle on loose balls. Even Clark Kellogg and Kenny Smith pointed these things out.

 

[hawkifann]

Their defensive effort was pathetic. No close outs on shooters. No hands up in shooters faces. No ball pressure. No hustle on loose balls. Even Clark Kellogg and Kenny Smith pointed these things out.

I'll grant the defensive intensity was missing, but I probably just agree to disagree that they were showing a "don't care" attitude.

 

[Chewback]

hose who are just assuming you can stop "accepting mediocrity" (whatever that is) and win out of sheer force of will just don't see the big picture.

Yup. We stopped "accepting mediocrity" in 1998.

 

[hooper56]

Lute Olsen was 102-68 in his first 6 years at Iowa for a winning % of 60%. Lute established high expectations and often times disappointed the fans at the end of the seasons, but acquired legend status with a FF run. That team was 23-10, but caught fire at just the right time.

Fran is 118-86 in 6 years (57.8%). He has established high expectations and has disappointed the fans in 2 of the last 3 years, but hasn't had a signature run in the Dance. This years team was 22-11 and went into the Dance on a downer.

Lute was impatient with the media. Fran is impatient with the media. Lute chased a referee off the floor. Fran smashed a chair.

Both have hair that refuses to move.

My point? Uh .... beats me. I lost my train of thought.

This is actually a really intriguing post. I do agree that Fran has a lot of similarities to Lute, and that is a good thing.

 

[The Sleeping Dog]

I don't remember the Ralph Miller teams, that's how long ago those guys played. I was 11 when Ralph left. So I've got

McC is getting it done by the standards of any reasonable Iowa fan. God I'd like to see another FF or conference champion in my lifetime, but that is looking unlikely at best. So what do we have?

Iowa is a small school that is very net negative to our conference and the NCAA. No one outside of Iowa or our small alum base care (at best). At worst we're viewed as a necessary evil. While no one is cheering for Sparty or that ugly effin mega rodent in Ann Arbor or Brutus, everyone in the B!G office knows who butters everyone else's bread. Its not a conspiracy, its a mentality.

This is about what you get if you're an Iowa fan. To change the dynamics for Iowa the boys have to win big and over a sustained period of time. The problem is you cannot win big over a sustained period of time if you cannot get the top flight recruits. The last couple seasons have already born fruit but it needs to keep going. ESPN doesn't run programing about our recruits so the Tyler Ulis' of the world will usually dump us when someone with a higher profile comes calling.

The only knock I have on McC is he's obviously very uptight and that, perhaps, makes the team play tight and tighter still in close games. There's no question that the boys have choked in the clutch.

 

[Hawkgaylover]

I'm happy for you guys who think Iowa basketball is just fine. Have you ever won anything ? Do you ever aspire for better ? I didn't think so.

I agree when was the last time we won the big ten title? Locking down Iowa isn't working we need to recruit more Illinois and surrounding area's talent to make the program better.