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I hope Connor...

Willin

All-Conference
Dec 22, 2014
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...drops basketball to focus on his baseball career. I really mean no disrespect to him as I believe he gave his all and helped us in certain situations. But next year's team (if all frosh return) is gonna be long, able to run in transition and overall quicker than this year's team, and still able to score a lot. Connor just doesn't fit that and will slow us down.
 
...drops basketball to focus on his baseball career. I really mean no disrespect to him as I believe he gave his all and helped us in certain situations. But next year's team (if all frosh return) is gonna be long, able to run in transition and overall quicker than this year's team, and still able to score a lot. Connor just doesn't fit that and will slow us down.
If he’s physically not the same player then it’s probably best to move on especially with his potential in baseball.
 
...drops basketball to focus on his baseball career. I really mean no disrespect to him as I believe he gave his all and helped us in certain situations. But next year's team (if all frosh return) is gonna be long, able to run in transition and overall quicker than this year's team, and still able to score a lot. Connor just doesn't fit that and will slow us down.
Can’t hit a basket so why not try and hit a baseball
 
Good lord guys. We lost. If you’re taking this out on the kids who give everything they have to this program, that speaks loudly about yourselves. Shame on you for investing your entire happiness in the success or failure of a college athletics program of 18-22 year old kids.
 
Good lord guys. We lost. If you’re taking this out on the kids who give everything they have to this program, that speaks loudly about yourselves. Shame on you for investing your entire happiness in the success or failure of a college athletics program of 18-22 year old kids.
My happiness isn't contingent on the Hawks winning or losing. I was just making an observation. And IMO Connor doesn't fit with the group Iowa will have next year. I clearly commented that I believe he's given his best to the team. Just making an observation.
 
My happiness isn't contingent on the Hawks winning or losing. I was just making an observation. And IMO Connor doesn't fit with the group Iowa will have next year. I clearly commented that I believe he's given his best to the team. Just making an observation.

You just sound like an asshole. Let the kid make that decision. He’s a hell of a basketball player and leader.
 
You just sound like an asshole. Let the kid make that decision. He’s a hell of a basketball player and leader.
I'll lay odds that they're more Iowa fans out there that begs to differ with you on "He's a hell of a basketball player" quote
It's a too way street, basketball is a game of playing defense, offensive and the intangibles which in Connors case was feeding the ball to Luka.
An occasional rebound, layup, or 3 point shot is hardly reason to anointed a player as "a hell of a player".
As someone has said earlier. next year Connor will not be a good fit for this team, there will be no Luka to pass to.
And if the same Connor does come back and continues to throw up bricks, next season will be painful to watch..
 
Look for him to be a our starter next season. Book it. He’s the best floor general Iowa has had in years.

LOL. Your posts are instant classics. Fortunately for you this site does not require pre-post drug screens because you are tripping. I mean this is in all sincerity--not being snarky. Connor would be fine if Fran had 4 lottery picks playing with him. What team in the tourney would Connor start and play major minutes for? Answer: 0.
 
I'll lay odds that they're more Iowa fans out there that begs to differ with you on "He's a hell of a basketball player" quote
It's a too way street, basketball is a game of playing defense, offensive and the intangibles which in Connors case was feeding the ball to Luka.
An occasional rebound, layup, or 3 point shot is hardly reason to anointed a player as "a hell of a player".
As someone has said earlier. next year Connor will not be a good fit for this team, there will be no Luka to pass to.
And if the same Connor does come back and continues to throw up bricks, next season will be painful to watch..
I too want him to concentrate on Baseball. He's overmatched in just about every facet of DI Basketball.

I'm not really trying to bash him either, I'm giving my honest opinion of his skill set, which I think is mid-major on a good day. If you want to keep him around as a 5 minute guy off the bench, fine. He can be a leader on the bench and in the locker room if that's what they're looking for. He's been around long enough to see what he brings, and it's not near enough IMO.

Compare him to Patrick, who at least has some size, some hops and a chance to get better, maybe a lot better. I don't see any chance of improvement in Connor's game, you've seen his ceiling already and it's not Power 5 starter worthy IMO.
 
Look for him to be a our starter next season. Book it. He’s the best floor general Iowa has had in years.
You are aware he plays the 4, right? If you are expecting your 4 to be a floor general that's a pretty bad indictment on the guard play and a big reason fran has never made a sweet 16 at Iowa in my opinion. He's really only a good feeder of the post when he picks up his dribble and he wasn't even that good at that towards the end of year.

I didn't realize he was injured so not making a fg his last 5 games makes more sense but I do agree with the first part....he will start pretty much no matter what. Already booked it
 
Wow, it's been over 10 minutes with no responses. Guess everyone is busy looking it up. 😂
 
Its kind of a complex team problem, both skill and chemistry. The nepotism complaints are childish and should be largely ignored.

Team chemistry is important. Remember when Iowa lost to DePaul and Nunge had his first season ending knee injury? Everyone predicted disaster. Gonna lose 6 in a row (I think Texas Tech and the Clowns were going to be the first two losses). People saying they'd settle for 2-4 over the next games. All chance of NCAAs gone?

Connor entered the line up and what happened. Defense improved immediately because Jack playing defense outside the lane was appalling. The team became mentally much tougher. We picked up another three point shooter, albeit that disappeared this season just ended. Ran much better and got back on defense better.

Having someone to bring the team under control when things went bad, to stand up to the tough guys in the league. Oh, in case I did not mention it, someone great at team need #1: feed Luka.

BUT, in the immortal words of George Harrison, all things must pass.

Iowa won't need a great post feeder because the points are coming from everywhere with no clear first choice to feed. Joe T is plenty tough and has been around 3 seasons now. CJ might be fragile but he doesn't back down. We don't need someone to toughen up Iowa, its already been done.

It was possible for the team with the best scorer in the country to have a corresponding spot that did not produce many points. Looking at the roster Iowa will need every starter to be a scoring threat, unless we sign a big man that mostly rebounds and defends the rim and does so very well.

As a consistent defender I'd love to see CJ have one of those lights all come on senior years. He's a big strong kid, and a lefty so you'd think he could score some inside. His jump shot and free throws look terrible and they are terrible. Love to see them drop but, after 4 years of college ball an outside player shooting 20% from three is a big liability and not likely to improve enough to be net positive.

Joey, P McC, CJ and Ke Murray seem like a natural starting foursome, don't they? Clearly the four best returning players. Their sort of natural positions on the court, or more like their games regardless of position seem very complimentary-almost the way a coach might design a lineup. Since Keegan and Patrick really need to start and since Kris plays more like both Patrick and Keegan than does Connor Kris will probably be the reserve for both guys Connor's game becomes more marginalized in light of the team needs.

Since Connor is a smart player, grew up Dad a basketball head coach in the NCAAs and Mom was just a college starter why would people think the kid would not have coaching skills. He's learned a lot from Fran but like all young men surely has some ideas of his own. I don't know if they have graduate assistants anymore but I'd like to see him as a grad asst with a single assignment: new defensive game plans and coaching it into the players.
 
You just sound like an asshole. Let the kid make that decision. He’s a hell of a basketball player and leader.

Man if shooting 32% from the floor, 27% from 3, and averaging 3 points a game on 23 minutes as a Big Ten Guard counts as a hell of a basketball player, sign me up.

Remove your blinders...if Connor had a different last name he probably wouldn't be starting for Upper Iowa.
 
You just sound like an asshole. Let the kid make that decision. He’s a hell of a basketball player and leader.


ChiHawk21 You are either a liar, foolish, or family member, Since it is okay for you to call people asshole,
lets call you one too.

CMAC might be a great young man and he certainly is accomplished athlete, that doesn't mean he is a starter on
a P5 basketball team.

CMAC is at best a role player, a bench player. He was hurt and maybe that explains why he couldn't shoot very well. His Father had blinders and rolled him out in the starting lineup every game even though the kid was hurt. That put CMAC in a position where it looks like he played because he'd Daddy's son. How stupid of Fran. HIs son take the brunt of the Father's failings.

The team fell flat, bombed, disappointed in NCAA---there is no sugar coating it. They were not the 5th best team in USA an not not even top16. They flopped because t hey were poorly coached. Garza was Garza. Fran was Fran.

ChiHawk
"Look for him to be a our starter next season. Book it. He’s the best floor general Iowa has had in years."
 
He isn t quitting basketball look for him to be a asst. In 4 yrs book it


He'll be on the bench in 4 years. One of our coaches will be retired by then. Connor would make a good one, IMHO.
Bringing some younger assistants would not be a bad idea. Phase them in over then next 3-5 years.
 
I wish Connor the best of luck with his upcoming operation.

That being said, this could lead to a fork in the road. He may still have a future with baseball, but if he has any future with hoops, it lies with coaching. He doesn't have the size or skills to effectively play any position (closest would be PG due to his ballhandling skills, but he is not a scoring threat whatsoever nor is he a particularly effective defender).

That being said, I don't blame Connor for not getting Iowa past the second round. Iowa has the personnel, but I don't think they're being used as efficiently and effectively as they can be. JT and Perkins could potentially give Iowa a truly lethal backcourt.
 
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You just sound like an asshole. Let the kid make that decision. He’s a hell of a basketball player and leader.

But he's actually not a hell of a basketball player at least in terms of Big Ten basketball and that's ok. Why pretend otherwise? By all accounts he is better at baseball and it's far less punishing physically so why wouldn't it be a good idea to focus on that? It's not bashing by simply stating the truth. It's not like he's suggesting that Connor isn't a good kid or hasn't given his all for the team. He simply lacks the talent and every individual and team metric confirms it. I don't understand why some people take this kind of thing as some sort of sacrilege.
 
Jesus are you guys serious? Go get some sleep.

Someone has literally made this same post at the end of the season each of the last three years.

We get it. Connor's not a dynamic athlete. He's not a good shooter. He lacks foot speed on defense. But he is a conservative ball-handler who is an excellent passer and doesn't turn the ball over. Do his cons outweigh his pros? Probably. Is he going to quit basketball? No.

Crapping on connor for the same flaws three straight years knowing he's not going to quit is getting to the point of masochism.
 
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