We can cross him off the list he was mentioned in Eliots article.
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We can cross him off the list he was mentioned in Eliots article.
If you were Cross, you look at Iowa's roster and you see 8 forwards and 3 guards. Wisconsin may have 5 forwards on their roster. Which team is going to give you the most chances to start and get the most minutes. That's the dilemma that Cross has to sort out in the next few days.
Yep, was thinking Cross but typed Cooper. I have been reading so much about his draft status, I guess I have him on the brain.
Remember that DIx was coming off a horrible injury, and it surprised almost everyone that he played as well as he did as a freshman.
Cross not only helps Iowa fill out its roster with an experienced interior guy with toughness and a motor, but it keeps the Badgers from doing the same. Hopefully, our past contacts with Cross help make this happen.
Might as well put this here, I’m too lazy to go searching for a more applicable thread…
Good luck to Dasonte. Hopefully he has a good last two years.
Obviously. He tried that this year. Of course the usual issue that they can't defend that position leads us to what we see pretty much every year under Fran..
Absolutely. At this point we know what Frans comfort level is, and what his roster will generally look like. This next incoming class was really the last straw for me. I mean I think young Koch could be a good player, but he sure looks like another "Fran guy", lanky 6'8" guy who's basically a stretch 4. NO guards, even though There was a good chance that Perkins would move on, and Bowens leaving should have surprised no one. Absolutely ridiculous..
Good grief you’re a miserable human being. Fran brought in a transfer guard who was being recruited by Michigan, Miami, and Wake Forest and still has a scholarship open to bring in another one. But according to you, “NO guards.” When you have to make up stuff to feel bad about, it’s time to seek help. Seriously, talk with a therapist. You’ll feel better.
Just stop with the miserable human being shit, just because you don't agree. Frans, "class" was two forwards for next year, and ZERO guards. It took losing two starting guards, (basically), he got a mid major guy from the portal, otherwise I doubt he'd have done bubkas. Unless this guy is better then Perkins, then are we better off then last year, middle of the pack at best in a soso conference? Fran has a 14 year record of his recruiting, and there's little exemplary about his backcourt recruiting. Your entitled to think what you want. Frans record speaks volumes.....
We all know Fran has struggled to get top high school guard recruits. So he seems to be reshaping his strategy by going after portal guards instead. It reminds of the section of the book Moneyball when they talk about how it’s safer to draft college pitchers than high school ones because you have more information available to judge their abilities against tougher competition.
You complain about Fran not bringing in guards in the high school recruiting class in the context of Perkins and Bowen leaving. This is a classic example of you making up things to feel bad about. Why would you want an unproven high school kid coming in to replace a proven player like Perkins when you can bring in a kid who is the all-time winningest point guard in his school’s history???? You make up these idiotic arguments just to have something to feel bad about. That’s a really unhealthy way to live life.
And you’re complaining about Fran signing a consensus top 80 high school recruit who had an offer from a team that just played in the national championship game, along with offers from Illinois, Wisconsin and Indiana????? Again, just desperately looking for things to bitch and moan about. Pathetic.
You complain about Fran not bringing in guards in the high school recruiting class in the context of Perkins and Bowen leaving. This is a classic example of you making up things to feel bad about. Why would you want an unproven high school kid coming in to replace a proven player like Perkins when you can bring in a kid who is the all-time winningest point guard in his school’s history???? You make up these idiotic arguments just to have something to feel bad about. That’s a really unhealthy way to live life.
And you’re complaining about Fran signing a consensus top 80 high school recruit who had an offer from a team that just played in the national championship game, along with offers from Illinois, Wisconsin and Indiana????? Again, just desperately looking for things to bitch and moan about. Pathetic.
I wouldn't be surprised if Bowen is a very good PG for the Bonnies. His play this past year started out decent and gradually got worse. I think he took some of the blame for our awful start, when it had more to do with our interior lay-up line defense with Patrick and Krikke starting.
Talk about just making up shit to make your argument. Jees, pot meet kettle.... Just my opinion, (just as yours is) and nothing more then that. Fran has a 14 year history, debate that if you want. As I already stated and YOU glossed over, Fran only did anything because Perkins and Bowen left. Thats as plain as the nose on your face. And don't even go there, that if those guys hadn't left he didn't need to do anything, because thats total BS. Our guard play was crap for much of the year, as it has been for many of Frans years here, which is exhibit A why we NEVER get out of the first weekend in the NCAA tourney. I don't have to LOOK for anything to bitch about, the last 14 years are there for all to see. Gloss it, overlook it, whatever you want, at some point you ARE what you are, and we are not a power conference level team consistently when it comes to guard play. Thats all there is to it, and thats on the guy who's been coaching here for 14 years.
Fran has the Hawkeyes sitting at FOURTH in wins in the Big Ten in the last 5 years, ahead of programs like Michigan State, Indiana, Maryland, Ohio State, and Michigan. There is no reason why Iowa should have more wins over any 5 year stretch than programs with the history, resources and fertile recruiting grounds those teams have…unless Iowa has a coach who’s pretty damn good. If you measure Iowa according to where it should be in the league given the factors mentioned above, the Hawkeyes should be battling to stay out of the basement of the league every year. But they aren’t. That’s because of Fran.
Of course if you want to measure Iowa solely according to how they’ve done in the tournament, they haven’t been very successful. I get that. EVERYONE gets that.
But if you’re paying attention - instead of just incessantly looking for things to bitch about - Fran has been addressing the issues the program has had. In Dembele and Tadjo, he’s gotten forwards who aren’t his typical beanpole type but instead are strong and athletic. He’s continued to add quick and talented guards like Harding and Thelwell. These are positive changes.
Fran is far from perfect. He never should’ve recruited Krikke when he was clearly such a poor fit for the team’s needs. He played Patrick WAY too much given how atrocious he was at defense and rebounding. The defensive intensity and fundamentals absolutely need to improve. But a couple things it’s important to remember:
1. Fran has Iowa punching above its weight in the league. The tourney success hasn’t been what any of us would want; but:
2. Fran has clearly made adjustments to his recruiting approach and it’s likely to pay dividends going forward.
If Iowa lands Cross (or a similarly skilled player) and Payton Sandfort returns, Fran will have put together a hell of a squad for next year with very little NIL money to work with. That’s positive change and progress.
People who want to act like the program is in some kind of downward spiral either haven’t been paying attention or are just the kind of people who just enjoy whining irrespective of the reality of the situation.
Of course if you want to measure Iowa solely according to how they’ve done in the tournament, they haven’t been very successful. I get that. EVERYONE gets that.
But if you’re paying attention - instead of just incessantly looking for things to bitch about - Fran has been addressing the issues the program has had. In Dembele and Tadjo, he’s gotten forwards who aren’t his typical beanpole type but instead are strong and athletic. He’s continued to add quick and talented guards like Harding and Thelwell. These are positive changes.
Fran is far from perfect. He never should’ve recruited Krikke when he was clearly such a poor fit for the team’s needs. He played Patrick WAY too much given how atrocious he was at defense and rebounding. The defensive intensity and fundamentals absolutely need to improve. But a couple things it’s important to remember:
1. Fran has Iowa punching above its weight in the league. The tourney success hasn’t been what any of us would want; but:
2. Fran has clearly made adjustments to his recruiting approach and it’s likely to pay dividends going forward.
If Iowa lands Cross (or a similarly skilled player) and Payton Sandfort returns, Fran will have put together a hell of a squad for next year with very little NIL money to work with. That’s positive change and progress.
People who want to act like the program is in some kind of downward spiral either haven’t been paying attention or are just the kind of people who just enjoy whining irrespective of the reality of the situation.
Very well said! Realistic, factual, and objective.
He is the winningest coach in program history, yet Iowa hasnt sniffed the second weekend of the tournament.
Teams like St Peter's, FAU, FGCU, Oral Robert's, and Loyola have all made it...while Fran is coaching a B1G school and can't.
There is smoke to this fire, man. Attendance ranked in the bottom third of the league. Attendance = money.
When you're losing money, you're losing the people who support your program. Fran is in that realm. Beth Goetz has to see that.
While i commend your post was valiant and passionate, I am just trying to figure out which shade of lipstick to use for the pig.
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This same argument used to be made about the B10 tournament…..until he won it. Just because he hasn’t made a run in the NCAA tournament yet, doesn’t mean he won’t or can’t. I can’t predict when that run happens….. but I can predict that when it happens some people will still bitch about anything they can.
Fran is fortunate the B1G has been dogshit for most of his tenure.
It's too late for one run to make any difference. He would need to make multiple runs over the next few years to begin to offset his garbage performance.
Not sure where you’re getting your attendance numbers from because 2023-24 hasn’t been released yet.
In 2022-23, Iowa ranked 24th over in the entire NCAA for attendance and 6th in B1G. Pretty far from “bottom third”.
When it happens? When will that be, year 15? Year 20?
Yet these teams could not take advantage of the "dogshit" league
Ok wait; obviously something is broken within the team construct. To stand pat and make no changes because of an occasional “success” is foolish and not the way to improve the program. If a more consistent pipeline to specific AAU regions is needed along with an improved defensive scheming and intensity then the head coach either is capable of making the proper adjustments or you have the wrong head coach.
As I stated in my post I’m not predicting….
That said, here’s my wild speculation…Fran is 65 and he knows there’s a limited window to make a run (or two)…..right now he has a strong core of freshman soon to be sophomores. IF (BIG IF) Payton comes back and we get the PF Cross I think Fran has an increased sense of urgency and makes a really strong push over the next two or three years…..
My wild guess is that Fran, being the competitor that he is, wants to go out on a high note in the worst way and then go watch his son Jack play etc…..just my guess. I think he’s only at Iowa for the next 1 to 3 years and will leave on his own terms.
Cross would be a very good addition to the team. His game is almost the exact opposite of the interior players who left.
Well said. If Iowa gets Cross, and maybe even if Fran doesn't, I am much more optimistic about next year than I was last year. Fran has recruited more athletic, well-rounded players, who play all aspects of the game, recently. We will need to wait and see whether players, like Dembele and Tadjo, will develop and become the players I hope they can be. Cross is a great buffer to allow these guys some time to refine their skills. We are also still a guard short.
I appreciate your perspective. You've identified one of the largest impediments to FM kicking the Iowa program into a higher gear, though, in my opinion. I'm skeptical a 65-year-old coach feels any particular urgency to reinvent how he coaches, recruits, and constructs rosters - especially when his current approach has led to pretty good and sustained success for more than a decade. More likely he thinks he can win, make the NCAAT again, and make a run doing the same things he's always done at Iowa. Just my opinion.
Well done, that’s the way to present a different perspective!
I completely understand what you’re saying and my perspective/opinion isn’t that far off of yours. And each of these perspectives is really just a guess. Yours could very well turn out to be correct.
I think you may be right. I also think there is a strong chance Jack transfers back to Iowa to play for his Dad in what could be the last year for both. Especially if Jack is a proven commodity.
This is big time D1 basketball. If a coach doesn't have a heightened sense of urgency each and every year, he needs to find another occupation. This being said, I think Fran wants to win it all every year. I just don't think he's capable due to his lack of attention to defense and rebounding.
Any early info on how the Cross visit is going? I like this kid more, the more I read about him and see highlights from games. He seems to be a very complete player, and I am a little surprised there isn't a bigger demand for his services.
You're probably more right then wrong, but I always had the opinion that Fran was never an attention getter, When one of his teams did well during the first part of the season they always had issues at the end of the season or visa versa. Only one time in Fran's 14 years did he not have a team that lost double digit games and that was during the 20/21 season.
I hope Iowa has a great season this coming year, but it will be up to the sophomore class, plus Dix and Payton if he comes back, to get the best record that Iowa has had in the McCaffery era.
I think the team will be great, but the question remains will Fran play the best players or screw up the rotations until it's too late. His coaching and X and O's are not the best.
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