Matt Mooney- potential grad transfer
- Thread starter Hawki45
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Anyone happy with the current back court doesn't have high expectations. We desperately need someone with a nasty streak, who can lead. Mooney would bring that with plenty of skills. Maybe it would rub off on Moss and Dailey, who both have talent, but play with the fire of a cold damp noodle.
And for the 1,000 time, he is not a high level PG when it comes to defending and breaking down the Defense off the dribble or creating his own shot when necessary.
Understand Tom, but when you finish 13th, win 4 conference games, and get blown out in 3/4 of them, is Fran in a position to act like we are some tropical paradise destination? It's pretty clear to me that it's time to act with some urgency, desperation, practicality...whatever you want to call it. Bringing back the same roster + 3 freshman essentially given CM's limited PT does not fill me with optimism for next season. (If Cook returns)
Well, how you feel in terms of optimism isn't Fran's job. That's something he cannot control. He apparently feels comfortable with the roster and says he is addressing issues like team defense. He seems to be focused on recruiting prospects in 2019 and 2020. You can certainly disagree with his mode of operation, but how do you know that internally he's not acting with urgency on the issues that need to improve?
Well, gosh, if 247 says it's true in April it must be true. SMH.
4-14 is true and nearly the worst P5 defense in the country. Cook and maybe Pemsl leave and Fran has serious problem recruiting/keep any African American players on his roster.
Have written extensively on the defensive issues. Was on that relatively early in the season. That's not news to me. But, if it makes you feel better to bring it up and fire towards me, then so be it. Fran says it's what they are focused on in the off-season and we will see if it improves.
247 predictions are usually true? Only if you check their forecast 24-48 hours prior to the prospect's decision, when the connected sources are reporting and the announcement is imminent. Otherwise, its laughable.
Fran should be focused on 2019 and 2020 recruiting, absolutely. But he also needs to focus on the 2018 season. While I'm glad in public he's saying he's comfortable with the roster, I sure hope that he's not comfortable in private. He should always be looking to improve the team if he can. Even if we had finish in Penn St's position, I still would want him to be looking for a player who can come in to help get to the next level. Wagner and BE did Fran a huge favor by moving on. I would hope that Fran would take advantage of that.
He has basically said he wasn't comfortable with the results, which is why he is looking different ways to do things in every aspect of the program (offense/defense/training). Those are ways he's looking to improve the team.
Tom, if you saw the defensive issues early in the season (and so did everyone else, including Fran), why wasn't something done. They had the whole season to work on it. What is Fran going to do differently next year than what he's done in the past. Has he brought in a new coach? Has he changed his defense? If we have the same player, same coaches, same defense, how are things going to change.
That sounds good, I just wish you/him have included "personal" in your list of what he's looking at.
Having 3 true perimiter players vs 3 bigs on the court at once will help some but I dont believe that the same staff and mostly the same players are going to come up with any significant changes in defensive efficiency.
One of those two parts of the equation needs to change.
Agreed. Even Ohio State added a transfer player, and they finished 3rd in the BIG I believe it was. Not sure if it was a grad-transfer player but regardless, I've heard he was maybe the best on the market
The numbers during the McCaffery era on defense suggest it won't. Good four year stretch defensively when Woody, Gesell, Sapp, and to some extent Uthoff were around. Rest of the time, they have been below avg to poor defensively. Those guys aren't walking through the door and putting on the Iowa jersey again.
To me, it suggests a scheme change from Fran would be the smart thing to do. I still think the roster has talent, particularly on offense. Throw in Wieskamp and Fredrick for shooting and Connor will help in the backcourt as well. But, they need a different approach on defense. I know many will disagree, but I don't think you have to be super athletic to be a solid defensive team. Had last year's team been middle of the road defensively, I think they would have been much better overall because they were pretty solid scoring the ball.
I agree. I think the team was setup to fail at defense because of the scheme. Consistently leaving guys open for 3's does work in today's world when 4 out of the 5 guys on the floor can shoot a three and are actively wanting to shoot a 3.
Fair points and you are right, it is my subjective opinion vs. fact. However, actions speak louder than words and and what action has Fran taken to address the gaps after the season ended? If you are in the camp that thinks Fran and his staff can simply "coach better" defense, then why didn't they do this before or during the season? Hard to improve defensively when you can't guard on the perimeter and get dismantled by quick guards. I remember sitting in CHA for the Chicago State game watching their guards shred the D and thinking "this is going to be a long year".
Second point, how many 4-5 star prospects (who will have attractive offers) will be interested in coming to Iowa if it's another bottom 3 finish in the big ten? This will be a team without 1 of its 2 best players (Cook) and nobody to fill in that has demonstrated any consistency (Pemsl if he stays, Kriener or Nunge). It may not be Fran's job to pedal optimism, but it is his job to take the necessary steps to improve Iowa basketball.
hey now, whatever troubles they’ve had with close losses 2 years ago and catastrophic injuries last season they are primed for a monster season in 2018
You can ask Fran that question. The defense was discussed many times in our pressers and several times, Fran pointed to the offense not performing well. Eventually he did say they didn't guard well, but it took a while. His philosophy, which he has spoken about many times is he prefers man to man. Will switch to 2-3 and some 3/4 court 1-3-1 from time to time. Finds something that is working and sticks with it. That's been what he's done basically his entire coaching career from what I understand.
You know he hasn't brought in a new coach, so I'm not sure why you would even ask that question.
They haven't played a game, so we don't know if he has changed his philosophy. All we know is he has said that they are looking at everything, including their approach on defense. if nothing changes, expect more of the same, unless the amount of effort on defense changes. The issue this past season, IMHO, was more effort and understanding than it was overall scheme.
Why do you continue to want to make this about me? I'm simply reporting stuff. I get that you are frustrated with Fran and this past season. That's a big boat of vocal folks right now, but you have to understand when someone like myself is simply reporting information and you make it into a pitched battle like I am defending it or have a say in how things go with the Iowa basketball program. I'm in the reporting information camp.
Heck, I think I was the first person to really take a deep dive into the defensive issues and point out that the only years they have been really good were the Woody years. I try to stick to facts and stats in my reporting, particularly when I am going to be critical.
As far as recruiting, hopefully you are aware that most prospects will be committed/signed to a school before the season tips off in November, so it will be impossible for another bottom three finish to impact any decision.
Bit of advice for you, since we are a little over a month since Iowa's season ends and six or seven months until the season gets going, maybe wait and see what Fran comes up with and then decide if it's good or bad. I know society doesn't operate like that anymore because we have to know everything yesterday, but perhaps give it some time and see what it looks like and judge it at that point.
TK, want to start by saying all of my responses to you are meant as a response to TK the poster, not TK the admin or reporter. I'm not trying to say you're not asking the right questions to Fran and/or expecting you to ask my questions.
I honestly don't know if he's brought in a new coach or not. Didn't think so but really not sure. But really that was just a general question asking what has changed to make people think things will be better.
The great thing about sports is expectations can and usually are one thing and results are another. It can be better than you expect or worse. Can't control what your expectations are, nor would I try to do that. We simply have to wait and see what happens next season when they get going and see where it goes. I could tell you they are doing this or that defensively next season, but let's be honest, until we see it on the floor in actual games with positive results, it won't matter much. I know all too well that fans tend to not embrace being patient, but that's the only option between now and November. Let's see what changes Fran makes and then judge what we see in terms of results.
We don't root for our teams to get draft picks. We root for our teams to win. Take Deandre Kane. Not in the NBA. Yet, very valuable to Iowa State a few years ago as a grad transfer. If your criteria to Iowa basketball is all about the NBA. You might have a very hard time following college hoops. Most don't make it. However, there are a lot of good grad transfers that can help a college team.
Wisconsin teams were never super athletic but very good on the defensive end, defense starts with heart effort and guts, Iowa has none of that on the defensive end.
yea and the last All American at Iowa was white
Completely agree.
If Fran would just open his eyes and learn from what Beilien did at Michigan it could make a huge difference.
Somewhere there is a dissconect between what he is teaching and what happens on the floor. I honestly believe it is more Fran than the players. Because he is the common factor for multiple terrible defensive teams that had none of the same players.
He just simply doesn't value it at the same level that most coaches do. Hes the college Mike Dantoni.
The scheme isn't to leave people open thats just what happens because they are not good at executing a zone and can't defend ball screens in man so they have to play zone.
They don't even pay attention half the time.
Its like pick up game defense. Sometimes when they are in the midst of a hot shooting period then they will pick up defensive intensity but its still not much better really.
If Fran doesn't add to roster with available scholarships or change his coaching staff, he is going to lose the support of those who have supported him during bad stretches, if there isn't a big turn around next year. Barring injuries, if Cook returns, he will have a much more balanced roster with the 3 added perimeter players. That should help, but after 4-14 and a season of awful defense, I would be looking to shake things up.
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