Izzo comments to Fran
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[QUOTE="CP84, post: 1748184, member: icomment.[/QUOTE]
I believe Izzo is not comfortable admitting that his team is not as good as he thinks...therefore he has a hard time giving credit where credit is do....saying things like Iowa is not athletic and just played hard and saying Clemmons is not a shooter or Iowa to him is known to play soft....although each statement might have fit the Iowa perception of years past, this is a different team that I'm not use to seeing and so far, they are a team that has a chance to be as good as any team that I have had a chance to witness in the last 25 plus years. Are they better then the teams in the mid 50's or the 69/70 team or the 86/87 team, probably not, but they are forging their own hardwood history, and what I'm seeing is pretty good to me.....
I believe Izzo is not comfortable admitting that his team is not as good as he thinks...therefore he has a hard time giving credit where credit is do....saying things like Iowa is not athletic and just played hard and saying Clemmons is not a shooter or Iowa to him is known to play soft....although each statement might have fit the Iowa perception of years past, this is a different team that I'm not use to seeing and so far, they are a team that has a chance to be as good as any team that I have had a chance to witness in the last 25 plus years. Are they better then the teams in the mid 50's or the 69/70 team or the 86/87 team, probably not, but they are forging their own hardwood history, and what I'm seeing is pretty good to me.....
Maybe Izzo thought some of Fran's prior Iowa teams did not possess the fire he tries to instill in his. Izzo probably expected his team to win the loose balls and rebound fights. He is seeing a different Iowa team this year, a lot like this year's football team.
Can't argue with Izzo's success...he's made it happen, but he can be a first class douche. Fran's tough, but his teams haven't been. I'm not saying he isn't right to an extent and I get what he's saying, but what's the point in bringing that up if you are a hall of fame coach. Bush and shows signs of pissing on someone's parade a bit out of spite and not allowing the moment to go to someone else. Why bring up the past in that way? I hope we play them in the B10 tourney and white wash them again.
Izzo is a pretty class act, so I'd take it like you've stated. I think he probably meant it as a compliment. Let's don't forget Iowa has had 2 games (in the last year or two) where Iowa had big leads and the team wilted in the 2nd half because they were mentally soft. This didn't happen in either game this year with MSU and I think Izzo figured it would. He's probably saying this team is now as tough as its coach. The Hawks just outhustled, outmuscled MSU in those 2 games, and I'm sure this came as a surprise to Izzo based on recent history vs Iowa.
Izzo was sincere when he said he was upset at Lackluster being fired because the years of steamrolling Iowa were over and he knew it. Yes, that was as backhanded a compliment that one can give. It would be nice to stomp them again in the BTT. The only thing that could make up for Iowa crapping their pants on the national stage against Stanford would be if the boys go to the Final Four and win a game...or TWO!!
I'm trying to convince Alvarez to hire Lickliter for the Wis job.
I think you're misconstruing. If he did say that it was intentional to be plural. This year Iowa's team is tough. Considering Iowa hasn't got past the first weekend of the NCAAs since 1999 Izzo probably thought he was talking historically. You have to remember a guy like Izzo expects to be in the Final 4 every year. Guys like him have Dan Gable's personality. We'll get more compliments from him when we demonstrate sustained success.
Izzo, I believe, was referring to the previous Fran coached Iowa teams that played MSU well - even building nice leads - but they just couldn't finish Sparty off.
Perhaps Iowa had played in the past, without toughness and leadership...although Fran personally has that, just couldn't quite inject it into the psyche of the team. He also said...Iowa didn't have that toughness...but now does. A compliment.
Yes...tough for him to lose...tough to admit a big loss at home, especially...winners don't take losing lightly, even if they are gracious, or try to be. My two cents...
Great win and start to the conference...!
Yes...tough for him to lose...tough to admit a big loss at home, especially...winners don't take losing lightly, even if they are gracious, or try to be. My two cents...
Great win and start to the conference...!
The guy even briefly complained about the refs. To go along with the Fran comments. If he was talking about past Iowa teams that lost big leads. It has had nothing to do with one sided calls after Izzo starting yelling and screaming.
How Izzo is considered classy is overblown by the media. When he's winning yeah he's classy. When he loses he gets snarky and the backhanded compliments flow.
How Izzo is considered classy is overblown by the media. When he's winning yeah he's classy. When he loses he gets snarky and the backhanded compliments flow.
You're working really hard to dislike Izzo. It's sports, you don't have to have a reason, you can just dislike him.
This is the same dude who said Iowa made a mistake in firing Lickliter and that he was doing a good job. He acts like a petulant child when he doesn't get his way and is an extremely poor loser, those "compliments" are about as backhanded of compliments as you'll get from a D-1 coach.
Completely agree. Its easy to be classy when you are winning, which he usually does. When he doesn't get what he wants he's just a big baby about it.
I don't really care what other teams' coaches say . . . after a defeat. I would like to hear a lot of bitter coaches saying that we aren't that good, or however they want to rationalize it, after Iowa beats them.
Izzo had to be intensely frustrated that MSU got punked at home worse than they did on the road. He had no answers, and his team looked lifeless in the first half. Both of those problems are rare for him.
Iowa had them rattled, to the point of a complete loss of composure, on the floor in the first half. They had no idea what to do on offense. They committed dumb turnovers. They didn't get back on defense, and were disorganized when they got back. Izzo had nothing to say--he stopped barking at his players and the refs, sat back and covered his eyes. You know the coaching staff worked them hard in practice. You know that they watched all the tape of things that they did wrong in the first game. And they did the same things (and more) that lost them the game the first time.
I would find it hard to be gracious if I you stuck a microphone in my face when I was that frustrated and angry.
Izzo had to be intensely frustrated that MSU got punked at home worse than they did on the road. He had no answers, and his team looked lifeless in the first half. Both of those problems are rare for him.
Iowa had them rattled, to the point of a complete loss of composure, on the floor in the first half. They had no idea what to do on offense. They committed dumb turnovers. They didn't get back on defense, and were disorganized when they got back. Izzo had nothing to say--he stopped barking at his players and the refs, sat back and covered his eyes. You know the coaching staff worked them hard in practice. You know that they watched all the tape of things that they did wrong in the first game. And they did the same things (and more) that lost them the game the first time.
I would find it hard to be gracious if I you stuck a microphone in my face when I was that frustrated and angry.
There have been many comments on this board the past three years about the lack of toughness/leadership on the court of Iowa
The previous losses, especially the one in B1G tourney had a lot to do with Ted Valentine/refs and some horrific calls. Also, I would agree with Izzo that Iowa wasn't tough...or at least they made key mistakes at ends of games.
This loss was probably a lot harder to handle for Izzo. Some of his comments were back handed...saying Clemmons wasn't a good shooter...guy has pretty good career 3pt percentage...not like Clemmons making 3pt shots is out of character for him.
IN the end, feels great. So glad Lickliter was thrown in trash can after 3 years...clearly a dumpster fire. Izzo made fool of himself saying Iowa should keep him and be happy.
In my opinion saying that Iowa is tougher than MSU is one of the biggest compliments that Izzo can give another team and it drives him nuts. He prides his teams on toughness and he just got taken to the wood shed twice in two weeks by Iowa. He was given Iowa the highest praise he could.
If I were Fran I'd take offense. He didn't coach toughness in his prior teams? I'd also never forget the rape job Izzo administered through his henchmen refs in the Big tourney a couple of years ago. THAT Iowa team was tough, they just got screwed.
yup. And I have to agree with Coach Izzo on this. Hell, people here have been calling these guys soft for the last 3.5 years. I'm very happy for these guys that they have turned that around. They are playing as well as anyone in the country right now.
Like it or not...Iowa has had a pretty well deserved history of being "soft"...at least in the minds of many. Choking leads, in spite of the calls, was a pattern.
The only way to change a reputation is to play differently...which Iowa has done. Izzo was voicing that visible change, albeit, perhaps reluctantly and in the immediate pain following a beat down at home.
Listen to the BTN, ESPN...Iowa is now "rising", tough to play, deep, experienced...and with wins at MSU and Purdue...well, lots of people are listening to the new "buzz" about town...perhaps an elite PG, or two, are out there listening! I would guess they are, listening, and watching. Wow...these guys can shoot and run the court...I could step right in there...and have some fun.
The only way to change a reputation is to play differently...which Iowa has done. Izzo was voicing that visible change, albeit, perhaps reluctantly and in the immediate pain following a beat down at home.
Listen to the BTN, ESPN...Iowa is now "rising", tough to play, deep, experienced...and with wins at MSU and Purdue...well, lots of people are listening to the new "buzz" about town...perhaps an elite PG, or two, are out there listening! I would guess they are, listening, and watching. Wow...these guys can shoot and run the court...I could step right in there...and have some fun.
Could've easily just said, "This is Fran's toughest team at Iowa yet," rather than the other way.
It isn't an insult if it's the truth. Mental toughness is probably the most important "team personality trait" required to succeed in big boy college basketball.
Look at MSU and Wisconsin against Iowa during the Fran era. Those three programs...which two were the toughest teams mentally on the floor pretty much every meeting?
It wasn't Iowa.
Izzo probably could have said it better, but I have nothing wrong with the line of thought of what he said. It's the truth. Iowa appears to have learned from the ISU debacle a way to actually BE tougher as opposed to recognizing they need to be tougher.
Look at MSU and Wisconsin against Iowa during the Fran era. Those three programs...which two were the toughest teams mentally on the floor pretty much every meeting?
It wasn't Iowa.
Izzo probably could have said it better, but I have nothing wrong with the line of thought of what he said. It's the truth. Iowa appears to have learned from the ISU debacle a way to actually BE tougher as opposed to recognizing they need to be tougher.
Izzo could have said a lot of things...but his comments came just moments after another beat down against a conference team, this time at home. Most people aren't going to be talking in linear and/or logical ways. He was visibly upset and wounded...he went "punk" for a bit... Listen to golfers after a tough loss in a major tournament...the press often try to get them to say "nice things" about the guy who just beat them. "Hey, what do you think of Spieth's long putts, that was something wasn't it...how he beat you in the U.S. Open?" For Izzo...That is pretty tough to do...for a competitor who is used to winning and being asked about how wonderful his team and he are after another, in a long string of beat downs vs Iowa at MSU...not now...
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anon_i8nzeu2gbf0ba
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Izzo said exactly what some of us have been saying: Iowa has a fiery, intense coach in Fran, but the Hawkeyes...until post-ISU...have too often played soft and wilted in the face of bullying by MSU and others. But now that the shoe is on the other foot, well, Izzo is shocked. He thought he could just send his boys out there in East Lansing and Iowa would roll over like they had for the last 18 games. Not so fast, my friend.
This Iowa team has now convinced me they have found the mental and physical toughness to be a top ten team, to be a Big Ten championship team, to be a final four team. No more soft serve from the Hawkeyes.
And things were so bad last night, that Izzo was complaining about the officiating! Oh, the irony. And it tastes great.
This Iowa team has now convinced me they have found the mental and physical toughness to be a top ten team, to be a Big Ten championship team, to be a final four team. No more soft serve from the Hawkeyes.
And things were so bad last night, that Izzo was complaining about the officiating! Oh, the irony. And it tastes great.
This. That was 3 major d*ck comments by Izzo (refs, toughness, Clemmons). And maybe 4 with the Franny comment. I lost a lot of respect for him after the game. He knew what he was doing and how he was saying it. He's a professional coach and post game is a big part of his job.
you don't go 12-6 in the B1G playing soft...but maybe the record doesn't mean anything. Losing against talented teams does not necessarily mean you played "soft"... it may mean the other team just played better (a little tougher for those of you that like Izzo's comment) ... its not all or nothing in athletics...you can play "tough" and lose.
if the record was reversed...6-12...I'd listen.
just because we have defeated MSU twice....doesn't mean they played 'soft' it meant we played better (tougher)....it also means our coach may have outcoached the little guy.
if the record was reversed...6-12...I'd listen.
just because we have defeated MSU twice....doesn't mean they played 'soft' it meant we played better (tougher)....it also means our coach may have outcoached the little guy.
I don't have a problem with Izzo saying that past Iowa teams haven't been that tough. He is right. I believe he gave Iowa a great compliment by saying that Iowa has punked his team. Usually, it is the other way around with MSU. I think that changed toward the end of last season, led mostly by White, and has carried forward this season with the senior leadership. 10 straight wins in the B1G is impressive.
It helps that Iowa has so much fire power on offense and experience, which keeps us from going through long dry spells on offense. I don't think enough is being said about Iowa's team defense, which has been outstanding most of this year. The cohesiveness and length is really making it tough for other teams to get into a rhythm on offense. Just when a player thinks he has beaten his defender, Uthoff, Baer, Sapp, Jok, or Mike are there swatting at the ball. Fran has done an excellent job in most games this season at mixing up defenses and finding which one works against a particular team.
It helps that Iowa has so much fire power on offense and experience, which keeps us from going through long dry spells on offense. I don't think enough is being said about Iowa's team defense, which has been outstanding most of this year. The cohesiveness and length is really making it tough for other teams to get into a rhythm on offense. Just when a player thinks he has beaten his defender, Uthoff, Baer, Sapp, Jok, or Mike are there swatting at the ball. Fran has done an excellent job in most games this season at mixing up defenses and finding which one works against a particular team.
Mohawkeye, liked your post. That game was my last straw in appreciating the "toughness" of MSU teams and their tough, yet likable coach. We got jobbed and Izzo's schtict had a lot to do with it. I have never forgot it and my admitted petty disdain for him has remained since.
I'm alone on this board I think. I like izzo. Calls it like he sees it. And him and Fran seem to get along fine.
It's easy to be the tougher team when you're playing with elite talent every year and the opponent is trying to build the program from the ground up.
Comments aside, we're now two games up on them with the tiebreaker.
Comments aside, we're now two games up on them with the tiebreaker.
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I like Izzo too. It's not his fault that refs generally allow his physical style. But someone as successful as he's been is going to have a little ego, which obviously got bruised a bit the last two meetings with Iowa.
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