Our backcourt is pathetic...

[Slim45]

Enjoy your misery. I’m old enough to acknowledge that life isn’t all roses and appreciate the victories. Especially when they outnumber the losses.

Lol it’s college basketball, not feeling too much misery from that. Some disappointment from another failed season, sure. Just after 13 years of the same thing happening over and over and over, if we ever want to get to the next level a change needs to be made. Francis’ philosophy doesn’t work. Sure, there’s games where they shoot well and pull some good wins outta their hat, but when you’re 1 dimensional like all his teams the ceiling’s pretty low. We’ve been witness to that for plenty long

 

[Scuba23]

We can only hope - especially Ulis, Perkins I wouldn't mind staying but he is nowhere as good as people think he is nor as consistent as he needs to be.

Perkins is lazy on defense, his closeouts on shooters slow not aggressive enough on offense either. Ready for him to transfer, we need hungry guards ready to prove something

 

[Scuba23]

Really? How would you know. You never saw him. Here’s the thing he’s either that bad and fran should run him off by not playing him or uhlis and Perkins are amazing.

Uhlis and Perkins practice really well….. see what I did there😂

 

[HawkLogic]

The world doesn’t work like that. Ulis isnt a great player, but Bowen wasn't ready for B1G level basketball as a freshman. He looked lost mentally and weak physically. If he looks anything like that next year then it might be time for new digs.

Mentally weak? Doesn't that describe most of the iowa team? As soon as they get outside of Carver, they chit their pants shooting the 3-ball.

Whether Bowen would have improved with more PT and led to more upside for the team at the end of the season is an unknowable thing. Ulis looks to be a dead end on offense,, so playing Bowen might have led to longer term success.

What I do think is predictable is that when you sit a kid like Bowen on the bench like Fran did, it doesn't bode well for keeping him from the portal. The players we lose to Portal are overwhelmingly out of state recruits, so Bowen fits that profile.

 

[sbhawk64]

Murray is entirely ready for the NBA. He will be a 3 and D guy. He’s not going to be asked to carry a team like at Iowa. He will probably come off the bench and be a solid nba contributor.

Leaving early to sit on the bench only reaffirms what I said. If that's his goal, don't let the door hit you. Choosing some money and bench over finishing and a degree? Lol. Like I said, not ready

 

[Slim45]

Mentally weak? Doesn't that describe most of the iowa team? As soon as they get outside of Carver, they chit their pants shooting the 3-ball.

Whether Bowen would have improved with more PT and led to more upside for the team at the end of the season is an unknowable thing. Ulis looks to be a dead end on offense,, so playing Bowen might have led to longer term success.

What I do think is predictable is that when you sit a kid like Bowen on the bench like Fran did, it doesn't bode well for keeping him from the portal. The players we lose to Portal are overwhelmingly out of state recruits, so Bowen fits that profile.

It’s not so much that he had to sit for a year…it’s the guys he’s been sitting behind that had to be extremely frustrating. Hopefully he is being told/sees that there is a clear path to tons of playing time for him🤞

 

[DewHawk]

Mentally weak? Doesn't that describe most of the iowa team? As soon as they get outside of Carver, they chit their pants shooting the 3-ball.

Whether Bowen would have improved with more PT and led to more upside for the team at the end of the season is an unknowable thing. Ulis looks to be a dead end on offense,, so playing Bowen might have led to longer term success.

What I do think is predictable is that when you sit a kid like Bowen on the bench like Fran did, it doesn't bode well for keeping him from the portal. The players we lose to Portal are overwhelmingly out of state recruits, so Bowen fits that profile.

And tends to be an annual event/affliction IMO.

 

[Steamboat529529]

Leaving early to sit on the bench only reaffirms what I said. If that's his goal, don't let the door hit you. Choosing some money and bench over finishing and a degree? Lol. Like I said, not ready

You obviously don’t understand how the NBA works. There are very few guys that weren’t lottery picks last year that are starting on nba teams. Most guys go sit on the bench and then have to fight your way up.

 

[Rifler]

Leaving early to sit on the bench only reaffirms what I said. If that's his goal, don't let the door hit you. Choosing some money and bench over finishing and a degree? Lol. Like I said, not ready

Age wise it's time for Kris to go, so he's not really leaving early,.. Keegan left early.

 

[sbhawk64]

You obviously don’t understand how the NBA works. There are very few guys that weren’t lottery picks last year that are starting on nba teams. Most guys go sit on the bench and then have to fight your way up.

You do know how the nba works. Players who can't be the go to guy against nebby, osu and auburn are not ready. He willl get drafted, he will sit on the bench for 2 to 3yrs before being replaced by another player like him

 

[NI hawk]

Jonesy - Best of luck with the ISU women's game (totally sincere, I'm perhaps one of those rare Hawk fans that actually root for all IA teams) this Saturday and beyond. Your daughter is a heck of a ballplayer. Go Clones - unless they're playing IA that is.

I am the same way.

 

[jonesy5960]

Mentally weak? Doesn't that describe most of the iowa team? As soon as they get outside of Carver, they chit their pants shooting the 3-ball.

Whether Bowen would have improved with more PT and led to more upside for the team at the end of the season is an unknowable thing. Ulis looks to be a dead end on offense,, so playing Bowen might have led to longer term success.

What I do think is predictable is that when you sit a kid like Bowen on the bench like Fran did, it doesn't bode well for keeping him from the portal. The players we lose to Portal are overwhelmingly out of state recruits, so Bowen fits that profile.

I didn't say that.

 

[Millerlikehawks]

Look simply at Penn State. Great guard play led by Jalen Pickett and Seth Lunde and long shooters Myles Dread and Andrew Funk. Add big man Kebba Njie along with a strong defense and you have a winner. Are they a blue chip team? No but Shrewsberry has what Iowa could have. None were 5 star recruits but they all have something we don't. A mental physical toughness that thrives on defense and great guard play. Just sayin.

I agree with you on the physical mental toughness . It is driven into you by your upbringing and prior coaches. Fran obviously doesn’t push it. Get these guys in the cafeteria and weight room. Our guys look like great cross country athletes, minus Josh O. Just asking for a little more muscle to push around

 

[RocknRollface]

Add Kennesaw St to the list of mid majors that have recruited better guards than Fran.

Its really unbelievable.

 

[83Hawk]

Add Kennesaw St to the list of mid majors that have recruited better guards than Fran.

Its really unbelievable.

I posted in another thread that I've seen almost every game in the tournament so far, and I can't think of any team that doesn't have at least 1 guard that is better than any Fran has had at Iowa.

You cannot convince me that some of these kids wouldn't jump at the chance to play at Iowa.

Yes, it really is unbelievable how spectacularly Fran has failed at this.

 

[OutbackBowl2017]

True. They'd regress. Stop playing defense and be afraid of the dreaded Wilson ball

Then transfer out. See Joe Toussiant

 

[RocknRollface]

Add Fairghly Dickinson to the list of mid majors who have recruited better guards than Fran.

 

[TRHawkeye145]

Can we have some of FDU players?

First year coach boys

 

[RocknRollface]

Can we have some of FDU players?

First year coach boys

Probably could pay some of them to come here.

Its seriously fcked up that so many of these double digit midmajors have better guards than Iowa.

 

[im4hawks50595]

Got a nice glimpse of the kid that should’ve been playing the whole season. But it would’ve been hard for his stat line to top Ulis’. But but but turnoI have been harping on Bowen gettong at least tem minutes a game for his development

Perkins is lazy on defense, his closeouts on shooters slow not aggressive enough on offense either. Ready for him to transfer, we need hungry guards ready to prove something

Watching Fairleigh against Purdue and man their guards get after it and are quick.

 

[RocknRollface]

Add kent state to the better guards than Fran list.

 

[RocknRollface]

Florida Atlantic = better guards than Fran.

 

[83Hawk]

Add <insert name of NCAA tournament team here> to the better guards than Fran list.

 

[TRHawkeye145]

Can we also have some FAU guards?

 

[Steamboat529529]

Can we also have some FAU guards?

FAU, FDU, heck we could throw in FIU and most of us know nothing about that team!

 

[RocknRollface]

FAU, FDU, heck we could throw in FIU and most of us know nothing about that team!

Utah state is the only mm I've seen in the tourney who didn't have better guards than Iowa.

Their guards looked like guys Fran would get.

 

[RocknRollface]

San Diego st, another MM with better guards than Fran has gotten.

 

[Millerlikehawks]

Seems to me that Fran has tunnel vision in what he interprets as a quality guard. He needs to throw a bigger net! Hard to believe any of these mid major players would pass up a chance to play in the big and get the exposure that big players get . Something just seems off about the whole thing .

 

[Hawkbaby]

I’m not sure what to expect this team when the head coach doesn’t expect the things that matter most from his own sons let alone the rest of the teams. Go back and watch the Auburn game. Patrick’s effort on getting back and playing defense is appalling. He will not rebound or play any defense.It’s been that way from the beginning and is worse this year. He should not be playing. Both boys poor demeanor with refs is amplified when dad is agitated with them. Has either boy improved skill wise since they have played for their dad. How do we think all of this reflects on everyone one else’s effort and expectations. It’s hard to recruit over the minutes the two of them are overplaying. You have to rebound and play defense to win anything that MATTERS!

 

[RocknRollface]

Seems to me that Fran has tunnel vision in what he interprets as a quality guard. He needs to throw a bigger net! Hard to believe any of these mid major players would pass up a chance to play in the big and get the exposure that big players get . Something just seems off about the whole thing .

Im guessing a lot of them are actually guys who want to stay close to home and aren't really concerned with exposure.

But at the same time there's probably many of them that aren't even being identified by major coaches because they dont play aau.

It definitely seems like an untapped resource.

Fran gravitates twoards a certain type of player that takes care of the ball and shoots well vs strong and athletic defenders who attack the rim.

 

[WaterlooChazz]

Rebraca would crack open your head and use your skull to chug beer

SHOULD

 

[WaterlooChazz]

Iowa has not had a Point Guard that makes life difficult for the opposing defense since Dean Oliver. Since him, Iowa has not had a PG who can create offense for himself or his teammates off the dribble (not even Jeff Horner).

Not having a PG who can get to the rim and draw double teams is like a football team having an immobile QB (we know that all too well). It makes you very easy to guard.

Jeff Horner was rather good.

 

[icwesthawk]

Jeff Horner was rather good.

But....not a driver of the basketball

 

[the24fan]

Add <insert name of NCAA tournament team here> to the better guards than Fran list.

This is so true.
How is it we suck at getting guards for so long?
It's just maddening.
You're telling me that all this talent at guard among these smaller schools just slips thru the cracks every single year??
It's like the FB team landing WR's...It's just ridiculous.

 

[HawkeyesAndCubs1023]

Jeff Horner was rather good.

Great shooter, excellent passer, couldn’t break defenses down off of the dribble.

In NCAA Tournament games, points are tougher to come by (look at how often the “Under” cashes). Defenses are more focused, players are more nervous, shooting backgrounds are different, and everybody complains about the ball.

A PG who can create offense is even more important in this setting. Jeff Horner was not that, and he did not win a single NCAA Tournament game in his career.

 

[sbhawk64]

Murray is entirely ready for the NBA. He will be a 3 and D guy. He’s not going to be asked to carry a team like at Iowa. He will probably come off the bench and be a solid nba contributor.

I think he will be in the NBA for a few years. But you described a player easily replaced by another younger player. That's why he should stay in college and work on his game. He isn't ready to be a starter and he isn't ready to stay there more than a few years.