Izzo hasn't figured out his team yet...due to early season injuries..then loses his leader for some games..he is loaded with highly ranked talent..sometimes he fights with himself in deciding playing time for more talented younger players (Davis) over less talented veterans....once he gets it figured out..MichST will go on a roll...especially come BTT & NCAA Tourney time.
Izzo comments to Fran
- Thread starter CP84
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Bob..."soft losses" for Iowa weren't inflicted by better teams..."soft losses" are described as Iowa having big leads, and losing them...giving them away in the final, tough stretch of a game...teams that in the W column, more often than not...for tougher teams.
Iowa seems to be really experiencing a good change in confidence and leadership. Big wins this year, even following the soft toss, to ISU are a great improvement.
Iowa seems to be really experiencing a good change in confidence and leadership. Big wins this year, even following the soft toss, to ISU are a great improvement.
Yeah a team is a reflection of their coach, that's a shot at Fran saying his teams weren't tough. The NIT runner up team that lost to MSU in the BTT, had one of the most locked in defensive halves I can ever remember in the first half of that game. That team wasn't tough just because they didn't beat MSU?
well Mr Brilliant lets use your expertise of "soft losses" as having big leads and losing them...(which of course you don't say what number you consider a big lead)...
6 B1G losses last year...we had but one lead at half time in a game that we lost...11 pts vs MichSt...that's one game out of 18...I suppose you think 11 pts is a big lead with 20 min left?
the other 5 losses..were behind at half...18, 10, 6, 4 & 3....of the close losses we never had a substantial lead...did we make some mistakes to lead to a loss...real sure....hot damn join the club called sport & competition. Did we also make plays to keep it close? In Fran words we didn't make enough plays, make enough shots & get enough stops...and oh yes unforced turnovers help lead to losses...that doesn't mean a team automatically played "soft". I actually prefer the word "stupid" (unforced turnovers) then "soft".
I'd be more concerned at being behind by 18 .... but that's just me.
If you want to go back to 2013...or further..go ahead & do the research...I'm focused on the recent games & moving forward.
some of you get your panties in a bunch about everything. What he said was the truth and people here have been saying for a long time; these guys have not played with toughness until the ISU loss. It's why AC even thanked ISU after the game. They knew it was time to step up.
Don't care for "Mr. Brilliant" Bob...it is inflammatory towards another fan.
Why do you think you need or have been placed in a position of defending all things positive about Iowa BB...they are big boys, have chosen to play, and coach...critical looks and second guessing goes with it, their own, and from the fans and press.
Be Big Bob...not Bob the Baiter... Enjoy the win, too.
Thank you...
Why do you think you need or have been placed in a position of defending all things positive about Iowa BB...they are big boys, have chosen to play, and coach...critical looks and second guessing goes with it, their own, and from the fans and press.
Be Big Bob...not Bob the Baiter... Enjoy the win, too.
Thank you...
what he said was not the truth..at least not in the last 22 B1G reg games...if you want to use the ISU game..thats A-OK but soft doesn't hold water when it comes to the B1G of recent.
guys like IZZO like to use the word tougher...I think it stems from their height.
I just pointed out your soft losses doesn't hold water & is not true..but when presented with facts...you don't even defend it.. Move out? .... I assume you meant move on.
sure thing Rev.
You're not alone; I like Izzo a lot. I've met him a few times through my parents (they're MSU grads and donors to the athletic department). He's genuinely a very nice guy in person (as is McCaffery). His players by and large don't cause trouble, the majority of them graduate, and he has a very successful program. I would love it if McCaffery were able to attain the level of success Izzo has achieved at MSU.
Equating losing games to automatically being soft is incredibly dumb and lazy. Iowa lost a lot of close games against teams who on paper were much better than Iowa, if Iowa was really soft they wouldn't be in those games. They've had trouble scoring in the half court a lot of times over the last couple of years, that automatically equates to them being soft? Soft teams don't go 12-6 in the B10 despite playing by far the toughest schedule of any top tier B10 team.
I can throw a bunch of tough ass football players out on the court and they will get their ass kicked by any B10 team, does that mean those guys are incredibly soft all of a sudden?
Or look at ISU, won a ton of close games and big comebacks the last couple years, definitely not a soft team right? They start losing close games this year, so those same guys are now soft? Is that how this works?
I can throw a bunch of tough ass football players out on the court and they will get their ass kicked by any B10 team, does that mean those guys are incredibly soft all of a sudden?
Or look at ISU, won a ton of close games and big comebacks the last couple years, definitely not a soft team right? They start losing close games this year, so those same guys are now soft? Is that how this works?
Izzo is irritating as a coach on the other side. He's obviously one of the better coaches in the NCAA given his track record.
I hope this game was the one that turns it around for them. They would do the Hawks a great service by taking it to the rest of the conference now that Iowa has swept them. Hope Hawks can say the same about purdue in a few weeks.
I hope this game was the one that turns it around for them. They would do the Hawks a great service by taking it to the rest of the conference now that Iowa has swept them. Hope Hawks can say the same about purdue in a few weeks.
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I thought you said move out?
...end of game results? its been pretty decent...basically won 2 out 3 since the start of 2012-2013 and its getting better & better especially from a B1G standpoint...12-6 last year 4-0 this year...OK so there is the two thirds win side of things. Can we file those away as playing tough?
...but since you want to discuss the losses (soft)....sure thing - we have lost some games we probably could or even should have won. When it comes to the B1G more times than not the other school played better (I know its not popular to credit the other guy instead of blaming it on your guys)...but it really is a big part of it. And it some cases we made some stupid mistakes...that helped lead to the loss...in some cases we played 40 minutes of good basketball just to come up short. Doesn't mean we played "soft" or lost this huge lead on a regular basis. Its basketball.
..as I pointed out (by researching) last year we were far from a soft team..are we even tougher this year? probably...but that doesn't take away last year...we were a tough team.
Actually, I'd say the Cyclones do look kinda soft right now.
"Soft" doesn't have to mean a lack of physical toughness. I think it can mean playing tight or not letting the game flow, but trying not to make mistakes rather than letting your abilities guide you. It stems in large part from the perception that Iowa players (and coaches, they're part of the equation as well) have had a tendency to lose focus as games get close, especially in the latter part of the 2nd half. Losing fairly big leads in the 2nd half of games has been a problem that's been commented by basketball reporters and not just internet banter.
The comments should not be considered a knock on McCaffery or the players of previous years. I took it to mean that in Izzo's opinion McCaffery finally has all the pieces of a team that matches his mentality. Just my take on Izzo's comments. I didn't read anything negative about them, personally.
I agree. They have had early problems in the B10 before but always seem to be able to put it together at the end. I almost think that Izzo did us a favor in what he said. We play Michigan next which has been a tough opponent for us for the last couple of years. He remark about Clemmons should surely spur him on as well as the rest of the team with regard to his point about toughness.
It's a lazy catch all that can be applied almost any time a team loses.
then really all we are doing is defining "soft"... your definition may be different then mine & that's OK.....but in defining soft we should include facts...we have not lost a big 2nd half lead (other than ISU in Ames) in the last 50 games....or are you referring to the prior 50 games? And of course one needs to define what is a fairly big lead in the 2nd half...10 pts? 12? 20? ...with the 3 sec shot clock & 3 pointers...I'm not sure what a fairly big lead is anymore.
The majority of the time a coaches post game comments are intended to affect "your" team not to just compliment the other team. Izzo was sending a message....and he needs to.
Yup, when your on a phone with auto correct sitting at a stop light.
Don't be that guy.
I guess to a certain extent, we all appreciate honesty; that is why Fran's press conferences are so enjoyable to read/listen to for me.
However, mentioning Clemmons is "not a good shooter" seemed be lacking much tact, especially when speaking about a person I assume he now personally knows (based on Clemmons playing their in the summertime).
You mean the guy who posts to a message board while driving. OK, I won't
We're going to differ on this, so this is probably pointless, but if one were to define it as let's say a 10+ point lead in the second half especially against a lesser ranked team I would say such a loss occurred in the Big Ten tournament this past March against Penn State. Iowa was up by 11 early in the second half and ended up losing by 9.
Playing "soft" (in my opinion) does not just mean losing a big lead. I believe it encompasses how teams perform at the end of close games. That's where Iowa has without a doubt lost several very winnable games in the past couple of years (I'm not counting the first years under McCaffery). Maybe (I hope) Iowa has turned the corner and will continue to keep on this path.
not pointless at all...at least you define a lost lead of 10+.. nope I don't consider 11 pt lead early in the 2nd half as a substantial lead...not with shot clock & 3's. I was nervous last night when MSU got it down to 14 in the 2nd half.
I don't think losing close games is directly related to just playing "soft"...way more than that encompasses how teams perform at the end of close games, including your opponent's ability, officials' decisions, making shots, getting stops, making plays, turnovers.
its well documented as Fran was growing the program we lost some close ones..maybe even more than our share...prior to that (him) we were trying just to get to halftime with a chance.
My take on it was... In the past, Iowa has had big leads over MSU and lost the game. One recent game, in the first half in Iowa City (Either last year or the year before...) Iowa was leading. In the 2nd half, MSU got very physical and the refs let them play. Iowa didn't handle that too well. This team seems more able to handle those things. Seemed to me that Iowa "Physicalled" MSU and this time the Spartans did not handle it very well.
Well put reply.
I think we're in complete agreement that each and every year has gotten better under Fran, and there's no reason to not be very optimistic about the future.
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.....[/QUOTE]
Of course they are better the teams of the 50s. The game has evolved to a point where if the 50's team played this current team, it would be the equivalent to watching iowa play City High
Rev- He is terrible, he gets in arguments with EVERYONE on here. It's beyond old. I have never seen a guy hell bent on arguing with every other poster he encounters. I thought it was just me. No, he fights with everyone. He must be a miserable human being. I just laugh at his posts anymore. Who is he fighting with now?
In fairness to Tom Izzo here is the whole quote.
"I told (Iowa coach Fran McCaffery) after the game, I thought for years that he's tough, but I didn't think his teams were as tough, personally," Spartans coach Tom Izzo said. "I just think they played harder."
"I told (Iowa coach Fran McCaffery) after the game, I thought for years that he's tough, but I didn't think his teams were as tough, personally," Spartans coach Tom Izzo said. "I just think they played harder."
I took your advice today at the office and it didn't turn out to be true.
"Hey Barb, you could stand to lose a few pounds"
People forget the kindship that most certainly is developed between coaches in a conference. They respect and spend a lot of time with each other, whether it be on the camp circuit or the recruiting trail. I'm sure Izzo just felt he was sticking up for a friend. I believe KF has made similar comments when it came to his fellow B10 coaches that have lost their jobs along the years. I think people are just trying to find excuses to hate on Izzo. He is pure class, and like a lot of other coaches, he wears his heart on his sleeve.
Well it is the one that they put in the paper. Reporters usually tape the quote so they get it correct. Or maybe you heard it correctly and the reporter misquoted?
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