Is Dix the only player we want back next year with the new coach?

[Nagarunja]

Freeman is the only other possible one but he’s kind of a loser, I hate to say. Those comments after the Indiana game about how he should have been the only big ten freshman of the year speaks volumes about who he is IMO.

Just not a guy you want to build a team around because he lacks physical and mental toughness. He should leave.

 

[IllQChawk]

The other possibility is that you take a hike and go follow Iowa State or Northern Iowa, that's a strong possibility. The players are not the problem, Fran and his staff need to go.....it's time and if some or all of the players decide to go elsewhere after Fran leaves, so be it, but blaming the players because of poor coaching is not right, it shows how incredible dumb you are.

 

[IChawkeye45]

Freeman is the only other possible one but he’s kind of a loser, I hate to say. Those comments after the Indiana game about how he should have been the only big ten freshman of the year speaks volumes about who he is IMO.

Just not a guy you want to build a team around because he lacks physical and mental toughness. He should leave.

I think you want Freeman but if he’s your one or two guy like this year, Iowa will be in trouble. He needs help on the floor.

 

[ozzie8]

I think you want Freeman but if he’s your one or two guy like this year, Iowa will be in trouble. He needs help.

That kid needs to be broken down and built up again by a staff who knows how to get the best out of him. Could use some humility too

 

[HawkLogic]

I'm sure we'll have enough guys heading for exits on their own that we will mostly have to worry about what we have left.

IF the revenue sharing NIL for mens's basketball emerges, then I'd spend NIL money on Freeman, Dix. I don't think it would take much money to keep Pryce and Harding. . Supposedly foreign born athletes like Dembele, Tadjo, Traore don't get NIL---I'd try to keep them, but Dimbele doesn't seem to be improving at the trajectory you would hope. New coach might do wonders for some of these guys.

 

[RocknRollface]

Dix and Freeman can go just about anywhere so you can assume they're probably gone.

I would probably just assume everyone not born in Iowa is gone.

 

[ichawk24]

I assume all players will leave when Fran gets fired in March. Start over.

 

[Nagarunja]

The other possibility is that you take a hike and go follow Iowa State or Northern Iowa, that's a strong possibility. The players are not the problem, Fran and his staff need to go.....it's time and if some or all of the players decide to go elsewhere after Fran leaves, so be it, but blaming the players because of poor coaching is not right, it shows how incredible dumb you are.

Yeah, coaching, lol. Willingness to play defense and rebound is individual. It should be a pride thing.

 

[Nagarunja]

I assume all players will leave when Fran gets fired in March. Start over.

Didn’t think I’d think this way but it’s just the way it has to be.

 

[the24fan]

Keep Dix, and the portal guy coming from Miami. Maybe Thelwell
Everyone else can bugger off. Soft as Charmin.

 

[CookyMonster]

Freeman is the only other possible one but he’s kind of a loser, I hate to say. Those comments after the Indiana game about how he should have been the only big ten freshman of the year speaks volumes about who he is IMO.

Just not a guy you want to build a team around because he lacks physical and mental toughness. He should leave.

That's was so bizarre. First off, you're both sophomores now so not sure what an award from last season had to do with how you performed tonight. Second, you just gave up 120 at wisconsin. Put your head down, have some humility, and go to work. You haven't accomplished anything.

 

[ozzie8]

Yeah, coaching, lol. Willingness to play defense and rebound is individual. It should be a pride thing.

This is the culture Fran has built at Iowa. It's 100% on Fran for allowing it to happen. You can have all the pride in the world, but if you are not challenged everyday in practice to defending the right way and be disciplined in it, it's not gonna happen.

 

[jonesy5960]

Dumb thread. Fran isn't going anywhere unless he leaves of his own accord. Of course that's not out of the realm of possibilities. He's seems pretty disinterested this year.

 

[TampaHawkfan]

Dumb thread. Fran isn't going anywhere unless he leaves of his own accord. Of course that's not out of the realm of possibilities. He's seems pretty disinterested this year.

So, lifetime contract?

 

[jonesy5960]

So, lifetime contract?

It's Iowa. Don't get sued for sexual harassment or convicted of a felony. Don't lose more games than you win. Then yeah. Basically.

 

[DropitlikeitsHawk]

That kid needs to be broken down and built up again by a staff who knows how to get the best out of him. Could use some humility too

Care to elaborate on the humility thing? Not questioning your take but first I’ve heard of this. Thanks!

 

[ozzie8]

Care to elaborate on the humility thing? Not questioning your take but first I’ve heard of this. Thanks!

The comment after Indiana is all I needed

 

[intrepodor]

I assume all players will leave when Fran gets fired in March. Start over.

Not necessarily

 

[intrepodor]

Keep Dix, and the portal guy coming from Miami. Maybe Thelwell
Everyone else can bugger off. Soft as Charmin.

Think the guy from Miami will still come?

 

[QChawks]

burn it down and start over, if that means the new coach gets 50% from the portal so be it

 

[the24fan]

Think the guy from Miami will still come?

I was wondering that myself😐

 

[HawkLogic]

Dix and Freeman can go just about anywhere so you can assume they're probably gone.

I would probably just assume everyone not born in Iowa is gone.

The Quad City guys are Iowa adjacent.

We were Harding's only P5 offer and he's been getting a lot of PT. He probably has to either move down a level or accept a backup role.
It is a little bit like Lickliter's Cully Payne situation. Fran took 1 look at Cully and decided to bring in his own PG. I think any new guy would want a new PG that is better all around on offense and defense.

Freeman has decent quickness and capable of playing defense. He fouls so much that he can't stay in the game if he plays defense. I think he's a good player, but Iowa really needs another quality center that is bigger to share the center position.

Dix is pretty good, but will take $600K in NIL to keep him since I think his market value is probably at least that.

We have a few good offensive pieces. Just need to retain them and new coach bring in 5 guys that are his own type of
player and a team like Iowa can go from bottom feeder to contender in single year. If we stick with Fran another year, Bottom feeder next
year is guaranteed imho.

 

[HawkLogic]

The comment after Indiana is all I needed

I think Freeman's comment was in poor taste, but winners are often assholes and confident in their abilities. I'd like to see Freeman rebound more and block more shots before he says something like that again. I do think he plays hard and he's a good player and he's a hawk, and we can keep him---but Fran needs to go.

 

[doughuddl2]

Freeman is the only other possible one but he’s kind of a loser, I hate to say. Those comments after the Indiana game about how he should have been the only big ten freshman of the year speaks volumes about who he is IMO.

Just not a guy you want to build a team around because he lacks physical and mental toughness. He should leave.

I use to worry about who would leave if this happened. Not this year.

 

[DropitlikeitsHawk]

The comment after Indiana is all I needed

Care to share? I can’t find. Sorry.

 

[Nagarunja]

The new coach should do what Otzelberger did his first year at ISU and clean house. I remember being surprised when he told their most talented returning player, Rasir Bolton, that he wouldn't be on the team. This guy was a pretty talented player who ultimately got picked up by Gonzaga, but he was soft and didn't play tough defense.

Same thing with Freeman, IMO. He should go somewhere where sandbagging and beating the other team's center down the floor because you didn't box him out translates into wins. It doesn't in the big ten.

 

[Nagarunja]

I use to worry about who would leave if this happened. Not this year.

same

 

[IChawkeye45]

Seriously, who on this roster with any eligibility left next year is a real Power 5 talent that schools would go after?? Dix, Freeman, and literally no one else. It’s just like Fran to get a good guard like Thelwell but we only have him this year.

 

[combes]

Freeman is the only other possible one but he’s kind of a loser, I hate to say. Those comments after the Indiana game about how he should have been the only big ten freshman of the year speaks volumes about who he is IMO.

Just not a guy you want to build a team around because he lacks physical and mental toughness. He should leave.

Interesting Freeman would say that. I was watching a podcast (Field of 68, I think) and they said that last year’s freshmen winners would not be in the top 5 of this years class: Harper, Bailey, Jakucionis, Queen, etc.

Doesn’t mean that Freeman isn’t good. He is. But this years freshman class is amazing.

 

[HawkeyeGenius]

Think the guy from Miami will still come?

He's already on campus, with the team. I guess he could always leave if Fran leaves or gets fired.

 

[RocknRollface]

The Quad City guys are Iowa adjacent.

We were Harding's only P5 offer and he's been getting a lot of PT. He probably has to either move down a level or accept a backup role.
It is a little bit like Lickliter's Cully Payne situation. Fran took 1 look at Cully and decided to bring in his own PG. I think any new guy would want a new PG that is better all around on offense and defense.

Freeman has decent quickness and capable of playing defense. He fouls so much that he can't stay in the game if he plays defense. I think he's a good player, but Iowa really needs another quality center that is bigger to share the center position.

Dix is pretty good, but will take $600K in NIL to keep him since I think his market value is probably at least that.

We have a few good offensive pieces. Just need to retain them and new coach bring in 5 guys that are his own type of
player and a team like Iowa can go from bottom feeder to contender in single year. If we stick with Fran another year, Bottom feeder next
year is guaranteed imho.

It'll be interesting to see how this goes with the school being able to spend money now.

It's all new territory.

I'm pretty confident that Dix and Freeman will get a big pay day one way or the other.

 

[RocknRollface]

Seriously, who on this roster with any eligibility left next year is a real Power 5 talent that schools would go after?? Dix, Freeman, and literally no one else. It’s just like Fran to get a good guard like Thelwell but we only have him this year.

Traore will end up at a p5 too. He's not a good fit for Frans softie jump shooting style of ball but he would fit pretty well on most normal style teams that like to win with D.

 

[SDHawkDoc]

Dix (despite the current slump) is priority 1. Freeman is clearly priority 2. Spend money to keep both those guys.
After that, I would not be opposed to a complete roster turnover with a new coach. My consistent position has been for the new hire to be a younger coach (mid 30s to mid 4Os) who has been a winner at a lower level D1 for at least a few seasons. And who brings 3 or 4 of his own players with him. Then hit the free agent market and hire some mercenaries. Lastly, look at the rest of the current roster and consider some very minimal dollars to a select few of them. Harding as a back up would be fine if he costs essentially nothing. Traore would be OK to hang on to if he costs little to nothing.

 

[beavis63]

I was wondering that myself😐

Was at the game last night came in on new semester but can't play this year

 

[HawkLogic]

Dix (despite the current slump) is priority 1. Freeman is clearly priority 2. Spend money to keep both those guys.
After that, I would not be opposed to a complete roster turnover with a new coach. My consistent position has been for the new hire to be a younger coach (mid 30s to mid 4Os) who has been a winner at a lower level D1 for at least a few seasons. And who brings 3 or 4 of his own players with him. Then hit the free agent market and hire some mercenaries. Lastly, look at the rest of the current roster and consider some very minimal dollars to a select few of them. Harding as a back up would be fine if he costs essentially nothing. Traore would be OK to hang on to if he costs little to nothing.

100%..

My Addition: Make sure we don't break the bank with guaranteed money on next guy and keep Athletic Department solvent to pay for upgrades in facilities/NIL and be able to fire a guy after 3 years if he's another disaster. Fran's last contract in 2021 gave him 6 more years at 60% buyout. We still owe him around $6 million--puts the Athletic Department in financial hole.

 

[LetsGoHawks83]

I like Dix.... (Insert joke here).

But as long as Fran is gone, I don't care who comes back. With the portal and NIL, it's much different from when we hired Fran. With the right hire, you should be able to retain Dix and Freeman anyway.... Heck, if you keep Fran, you might lose Dix and Freeman, because this has turned into a damn dumpster fire.

Shouldn't take a coach long to get his guys and have an idea if they are up for the task.

Hire a hungry young coach from a lower level school, paying them half of what we are currently overpaying for Fran.

 

[SDHawkDoc]

100%..

My Addition: Make sure we don't break the bank with guaranteed money on next guy and keep Athletic Department solvent to pay for upgrades in facilities/NIL and be able to fire a guy after 3 years if he's another disaster. Fran's last contract in 2021 gave him 6 more years at 60% buyout. We still owe him around $6 million--puts the Athletic Department in financial hole.

This is critical.
Beth has to completely step away from the incompetence of her predecessor.
A long term guaranteed deal is the last thing they want to get locked into.
I would, and I'm absolutely not joking, much rather have a new coach come in and have enough NCAA tourney success that another school with more dollars and a better basketball reputation tries to hire him away. Then decide if he's worth the money to keep.

 

[Rambler Hawk]

I'm sure we'll have enough guys heading for exits on their own that we will mostly have to worry about what we have left.

IF the revenue sharing NIL for mens's basketball emerges, then I'd spend NIL money on Freeman, Dix. I don't think it would take much money to keep Pryce and Harding. . Supposedly foreign born athletes like Dembele, Tadjo, Traore don't get NIL---I'd try to keep them, but Dimbele doesn't seem to be improving at the trajectory you would hope. New coach might do wonders for some of these guys.

Agreed - Freeman and Harding seemed to be joined at the hip (reference A Few Good Men), so either they both stick it out or both stay. Pryce definitely would not leave, but I wouldn’t pay him any NIL…😎

 

[RocknRollface]

Think the guy from Miami will still come?

Very unlikely.

I would assume close to complete roster turnover, which is not a bad thing.