Perspective

[NCHawkeye24]

I think a lot of people here need some.

1. First of all, it is not like Richmond is a bad team. Sure, they finished 6th in the A-10, but, that team was full of super seniors and were battle-hardened and won their conference tournament. They weren't going to be a push-over or an easy win by any means.
2. This team accomplished way more than anyone at the beginning of the season hoped they would. All I read before the season began was that if some how this team could get into the NCAA tournament they would be happy. But what they did was far greater than that. They not only won the B1G tournament, they gave all of us a gift with having a team in the national spotlight for a couple of weeks. I mean, seriously, those things are pretty amazing accomplishments regardless of what happened yesterday.
3. JBo is a great Hawkeye. You may not like his style (I personally like his brash attitude) but you cannot ignore his contributions in his career here. I don't know how many game winning shots he made, or how many clutch 3's he made to keep us in a game or to tie a game get us a bucket when we needed it, but it was a lot. And conversely, if you are one of the haters, then ask yourself this question: if JBo was such a liability and he was off the team, name one player that would have taken and hit those shots repeatedly like he did? You can go back to yesterday. He only hit 2 threes, but, those 2 were at big time moments in the game when we needed them badly. I will miss that guy.
4. Connor was a great Hawkeye too. He was smart and his leadership and toughness were needed on all the teams he played on. It was cool to see him hitting shots at the end of the year, but that was just a bonus for what he brought to the team. I will miss that guy too.
5. Fran is a great coach. You don't like Fran? Ok. Want to go back to Lick? Or what about Alford? I of course loved Dr. Tom because I loved his style and he did it the right way, but, save for the 87 season the feelings were the same. You want to go get somebody? Ok then, who? Who do you want to come in here that is going to be a sure-fire thing that will win the B1G regular season, tourney and take us to the sweet 16, because that apparently is everything everyone gives a shit about? Start spitting names right now.
6. Speaking of the sweet 16, what is the fascination with that? Why is everyone so hung up on getting that far and then for some reason at that point they will be happy? Who cares? Seriously. Either your team wins it all or it doesn't. In this tournament, only 1 team does. Is it because you want to be in the conversation and have all the experts talk about your team for another week? If that is what you love you have had to have loved the last few weeks and everything leading up to the tournament here. Is it because you want to have hope that the team can go all the way and win it? If so, wouldn't you be just as disappointed when they lose? Is it because you want to be relevant, and you think that by getting to be a top 16 teams that makes it so?
7. The tournament is a spectacle, a show. It is more about making money than it is about providing a fair and level playing field to decide who the best team is. It is about providing entertainment and those things can be shaped by some factors that are out of a team's control. Here is a bowling analogy. If you ever watch the pro bowlers, everyone throws a hook, everyone. Nobody just lines up and throws it straight down the lane because there is no chance in hell that they can put up big scores. That is because the physics behind the pocket entry angle it give the ball a much greater chance to strike than a ball coming in straight and gives the bowler the OPPORTUNITY to bowl big scores and perfect games. But, what the bowler cannot control is how the lanes are prepared, and if they are prepared where they flood it with oil, or, if they don't have any oil at all, negates the advantage of the hook. Now this is my point. None of that affected the guy who throws the straight ball but it surely affects the guy who throws the hook. And all that did is hurt that better bowler and brought him down to the level of the lesser bowler. Neither bowler at that point will have the chance to score at all, and thus it turns into a rock fight of spares and who can get the occassional lucky strike. The same thing happened yesterday. I think the ball, the air in the ball, the rims looked tight, the officiating, all of that hurt us but didn't really affect them at all and all it did is negated our advantage and brought us down to their level and made us fight on their terms. We played poorly, sure, but they did too. It isn't like they shot the lights out. They executed a couple plays down the stretch and we didn't, it was a pretty even game. But it was a rock fight of spares and the occassional strike and we lost. We aren't the only ones that lost the same way, this year or the in the past.
8. Speaking of yesterday's game, the loss is on everyone. Not one Hawkeye played well, so it wasn't like Fran didn't ride a hot hand. Keegan was our difference maker this year and especially down the stretch and I think the best way to say it is he just didn't have it. Everyone looked fatigued from the beginning as everyone was grabbing their shorts on dead balls and timeouts and the look on all their faces was that they didn't want to be there. I get it, I do. I have had that feeling many times in my life in competition that my mind really wanted to do it and do it well, but, my body wouldn't cooperate. I would say the combination of the grind of the B1G tournament, the travel back and forth across time zones and lack of physical and mental rest took their legs. And for those that say Richmond did the same thing and played with the same ball, which they did, they didn't really have legs either because they didn't shoot any better than we did. They just won a game at the end between two evenly matched teams under the circumstances.

I am very appreciative of what this team accomplished and what it did for me. I loved watching this team play. Also, my step-sons here in NC who have never been to Iowa are now Hawkeye fans because of it. It was fun watching these last 6 or so weeks with my family, watching them cut down the nets at the B1G. So thank you to all involved.

 

[SotaHawk87]

The only thing I want answered is why we didn’t iso Keegan on the block before there was two minutes left..

 

[Bank of Hawk]

Winning an elite 8 game is really the only thing outside of winning it all, that matters, program wise, for this tournament. Just need to keep getting in position and at some it will break through.

 

[TampaHawkfan]

I didn't read all of that. My signature sums up all of my frustration.

 

[83Hawk]

Ok. Whatever. You don’t really care about results, and that’s fine. You are entitled to your opinion.

However, I take exception to #5. Fran is NOT a great coach. Far from it. I wouldn’t even say he is a good one. He is a decent coach.

And I am sick and tired of the “who are you gonna get that will be better“ stupidity. And the ridiculous assumption that replacing Fran will automatically result in a return to Lick-level terrible basketball. That is a loser mentality.

It is not too much to expect at least ONE Sweet 16 from a coach in 12 years. Especially when you get #2 and #5 seeds, have a national player of the year (maybe 2), and multiple nba players.

You may not care…..but Sweet 16’s ARE important. Coaches and programs are judged by tournament results.

 

[Slim45]

I think a lot of people here need some.

1. First of all, it is not like Richmond is a bad team. Sure, they finished 6th in the A-10, but, that team was full of super seniors and were battle-hardened and won their conference tournament. They weren't going to be a push-over or an easy win by any means.
2. This team accomplished way more than anyone at the beginning of the season hoped they would. All I read before the season began was that if some how this team could get into the NCAA tournament they would be happy. But what they did was far greater than that. They not only won the B1G tournament, they gave all of us a gift with having a team in the national spotlight for a couple of weeks. I mean, seriously, those things are pretty amazing accomplishments regardless of what happened yesterday.
3. JBo is a great Hawkeye. You may not like his style (I personally like his brash attitude) but you cannot ignore his contributions in his career here. I don't know how many game winning shots he made, or how many clutch 3's he made to keep us in a game or to tie a game get us a bucket when we needed it, but it was a lot. And conversely, if you are one of the haters, then ask yourself this question: if JBo was such a liability and he was off the team, name one player that would have taken and hit those shots repeatedly like he did? You can go back to yesterday. He only hit 2 threes, but, those 2 were at big time moments in the game when we needed them badly. I will miss that guy.
4. Connor was a great Hawkeye too. He was smart and his leadership and toughness were needed on all the teams he played on. It was cool to see him hitting shots at the end of the year, but that was just a bonus for what he brought to the team. I will miss that guy too.
5. Fran is a great coach. You don't like Fran? Ok. Want to go back to Lick? Or what about Alford? I of course loved Dr. Tom because I loved his style and he did it the right way, but, save for the 87 season the feelings were the same. You want to go get somebody? Ok then, who? Who do you want to come in here that is going to be a sure-fire thing that will win the B1G regular season, tourney and take us to the sweet 16, because that apparently is everything everyone gives a shit about? Start spitting names right now.
6. Speaking of the sweet 16, what is the fascination with that? Why is everyone so hung up on getting that far and then for some reason at that point they will be happy? Who cares? Seriously. Either your team wins it all or it doesn't. In this tournament, only 1 team does. Is it because you want to be in the conversation and have all the experts talk about your team for another week? If that is what you love you have had to have loved the last few weeks and everything leading up to the tournament here. Is it because you want to have hope that the team can go all the way and win it? If so, wouldn't you be just as disappointed when they lose? Is it because you want to be relevant, and you think that by getting to be a top 16 teams that makes it so?
7. The tournament is a spectacle, a show. It is more about making money than it is about providing a fair and level playing field to decide who the best team is. It is about providing entertainment and those things can be shaped by some factors that are out of a team's control. Here is a bowling analogy. If you ever watch the pro bowlers, everyone throws a hook, everyone. Nobody just lines up and throws it straight down the lane because there is no chance in hell that they can put up big scores. That is because the physics behind the pocket entry angle it give the ball a much greater chance to strike than a ball coming in straight and gives the bowler the OPPORTUNITY to bowl big scores and perfect games. But, what the bowler cannot control is how the lanes are prepared, and if they are prepared where they flood it with oil, or, if they don't have any oil at all, negates the advantage of the hook. Now this is my point. None of that affected the guy who throws the straight ball but it surely affects the guy who throws the hook. And all that did is hurt that better bowler and brought him down to the level of the lesser bowler. Neither bowler at that point will have the chance to score at all, and thus it turns into a rock fight of spares and who can get the occassional lucky strike. The same thing happened yesterday. I think the ball, the air in the ball, the rims looked tight, the officiating, all of that hurt us but didn't really affect them at all and all it did is negated our advantage and brought us down to their level and made us fight on their terms. We played poorly, sure, but they did too. It isn't like they shot the lights out. They executed a couple plays down the stretch and we didn't, it was a pretty even game. But it was a rock fight of spares and the occassional strike and we lost. We aren't the only ones that lost the same way, this year or the in the past.
8. Speaking of yesterday's game, the loss is on everyone. Not one Hawkeye played well, so it wasn't like Fran didn't ride a hot hand. Keegan was our difference maker this year and especially down the stretch and I think the best way to say it is he just didn't have it. Everyone looked fatigued from the beginning as everyone was grabbing their shorts on dead balls and timeouts and the look on all their faces was that they didn't want to be there. I get it, I do. I have had that feeling many times in my life in competition that my mind really wanted to do it and do it well, but, my body wouldn't cooperate. I would say the combination of the grind of the B1G tournament, the travel back and forth across time zones and lack of physical and mental rest took their legs. And for those that say Richmond did the same thing and played with the same ball, which they did, they didn't really have legs either because they didn't shoot any better than we did. They just won a game at the end between two evenly matched teams under the circumstances.

I am very appreciative of what this team accomplished and what it did for me. I loved watching this team play. Also, my step-sons here in NC who have never been to Iowa are now Hawkeye fans because of it. It was fun watching these last 6 or so weeks with my family, watching them cut down the nets at the B1G. So thank you to all involved.

Well i read up until the first 2 sentences of your 5th point. What do lick or alford have to do with making a coaching change? Those our 2 options to choose from if we make a change? It doesn’t matter if us fans talk about a coaching change because there is about a 0.01% chance it happens. Only happens if Fran decides on his own to move on, and i don’t think his prospects of getting a job parallel or better than the one he has now are very good.
That being said, Darian DeVries I would think, would be near the top of coaches we would pursue. It’s been stated on here already, the transfer portal makes coaching changes not nearly as big a deal as they used to be. ISU this year is a great example.

 

[General Tso]

The sweet 16 is everything to this program right now. Aside form a big 10 title (don't tell me the tournament title is a big 10 title), the sweet 16 is something tangible that this program hasn't accomplished In way too long. OP is dead wrong that it doesn't matter.

 

[anon_b29nm7v7dwp6r]

Programs are judged on NCAA tourney success. And exiting the first weekend of the tournament is not success.

Sweet 16 matters because it is the hallmark of a good run in the tournament.

 

[Tail_Feathers]

I think a lot of people here need some.

1. First of all, it is not like Richmond is a bad team. Sure, they finished 6th in the A-10, but, that team was full of super seniors and were battle-hardened and won their conference tournament. They weren't going to be a push-over or an easy win by any means.
2. This team accomplished way more than anyone at the beginning of the season hoped they would. All I read before the season began was that if some how this team could get into the NCAA tournament they would be happy. But what they did was far greater than that. They not only won the B1G tournament, they gave all of us a gift with having a team in the national spotlight for a couple of weeks. I mean, seriously, those things are pretty amazing accomplishments regardless of what happened yesterday.
3. JBo is a great Hawkeye. You may not like his style (I personally like his brash attitude) but you cannot ignore his contributions in his career here. I don't know how many game winning shots he made, or how many clutch 3's he made to keep us in a game or to tie a game get us a bucket when we needed it, but it was a lot. And conversely, if you are one of the haters, then ask yourself this question: if JBo was such a liability and he was off the team, name one player that would have taken and hit those shots repeatedly like he did? You can go back to yesterday. He only hit 2 threes, but, those 2 were at big time moments in the game when we needed them badly. I will miss that guy.
4. Connor was a great Hawkeye too. He was smart and his leadership and toughness were needed on all the teams he played on. It was cool to see him hitting shots at the end of the year, but that was just a bonus for what he brought to the team. I will miss that guy too.
5. Fran is a great coach. You don't like Fran? Ok. Want to go back to Lick? Or what about Alford? I of course loved Dr. Tom because I loved his style and he did it the right way, but, save for the 87 season the feelings were the same. You want to go get somebody? Ok then, who? Who do you want to come in here that is going to be a sure-fire thing that will win the B1G regular season, tourney and take us to the sweet 16, because that apparently is everything everyone gives a shit about? Start spitting names right now.
6. Speaking of the sweet 16, what is the fascination with that? Why is everyone so hung up on getting that far and then for some reason at that point they will be happy? Who cares? Seriously. Either your team wins it all or it doesn't. In this tournament, only 1 team does. Is it because you want to be in the conversation and have all the experts talk about your team for another week? If that is what you love you have had to have loved the last few weeks and everything leading up to the tournament here. Is it because you want to have hope that the team can go all the way and win it? If so, wouldn't you be just as disappointed when they lose? Is it because you want to be relevant, and you think that by getting to be a top 16 teams that makes it so?
7. The tournament is a spectacle, a show. It is more about making money than it is about providing a fair and level playing field to decide who the best team is. It is about providing entertainment and those things can be shaped by some factors that are out of a team's control. Here is a bowling analogy. If you ever watch the pro bowlers, everyone throws a hook, everyone. Nobody just lines up and throws it straight down the lane because there is no chance in hell that they can put up big scores. That is because the physics behind the pocket entry angle it give the ball a much greater chance to strike than a ball coming in straight and gives the bowler the OPPORTUNITY to bowl big scores and perfect games. But, what the bowler cannot control is how the lanes are prepared, and if they are prepared where they flood it with oil, or, if they don't have any oil at all, negates the advantage of the hook. Now this is my point. None of that affected the guy who throws the straight ball but it surely affects the guy who throws the hook. And all that did is hurt that better bowler and brought him down to the level of the lesser bowler. Neither bowler at that point will have the chance to score at all, and thus it turns into a rock fight of spares and who can get the occassional lucky strike. The same thing happened yesterday. I think the ball, the air in the ball, the rims looked tight, the officiating, all of that hurt us but didn't really affect them at all and all it did is negated our advantage and brought us down to their level and made us fight on their terms. We played poorly, sure, but they did too. It isn't like they shot the lights out. They executed a couple plays down the stretch and we didn't, it was a pretty even game. But it was a rock fight of spares and the occassional strike and we lost. We aren't the only ones that lost the same way, this year or the in the past.
8. Speaking of yesterday's game, the loss is on everyone. Not one Hawkeye played well, so it wasn't like Fran didn't ride a hot hand. Keegan was our difference maker this year and especially down the stretch and I think the best way to say it is he just didn't have it. Everyone looked fatigued from the beginning as everyone was grabbing their shorts on dead balls and timeouts and the look on all their faces was that they didn't want to be there. I get it, I do. I have had that feeling many times in my life in competition that my mind really wanted to do it and do it well, but, my body wouldn't cooperate. I would say the combination of the grind of the B1G tournament, the travel back and forth across time zones and lack of physical and mental rest took their legs. And for those that say Richmond did the same thing and played with the same ball, which they did, they didn't really have legs either because they didn't shoot any better than we did. They just won a game at the end between two evenly matched teams under the circumstances.

I am very appreciative of what this team accomplished and what it did for me. I loved watching this team play. Also, my step-sons here in NC who have never been to Iowa are now Hawkeye fans because of it. It was fun watching these last 6 or so weeks with my family, watching them cut down the nets at the B1G. So thank you to all involved.

Is it because you want to be relevant, and you think that by getting to be a top 16 teams that makes it so?

Yes.

 

[waterboy4582]

Who’s mom is the op?

 

[HawkRose]

Our highest 3 seeds in the past 16 years were a 3, 5, and 2. We managed 1 win. I can accept that one of these teams would get bounced early, but all 3... unacceptable.

The closest we've been to a sweet sixteen was the OT game against Tennessee in the 2nd round 3 tournaments ago. Every thing else hasn't even been close.

 

[Buffalo43]

I think a lot of people here need some.

1. First of all, it is not like Richmond is a bad team. Sure, they finished 6th in the A-10, but, that team was full of super seniors and were battle-hardened and won their conference tournament. They weren't going to be a push-over or an easy win by any means.
2. This team accomplished way more than anyone at the beginning of the season hoped they would. All I read before the season began was that if some how this team could get into the NCAA tournament they would be happy. But what they did was far greater than that. They not only won the B1G tournament, they gave all of us a gift with having a team in the national spotlight for a couple of weeks. I mean, seriously, those things are pretty amazing accomplishments regardless of what happened yesterday.
3. JBo is a great Hawkeye. You may not like his style (I personally like his brash attitude) but you cannot ignore his contributions in his career here. I don't know how many game winning shots he made, or how many clutch 3's he made to keep us in a game or to tie a game get us a bucket when we needed it, but it was a lot. And conversely, if you are one of the haters, then ask yourself this question: if JBo was such a liability and he was off the team, name one player that would have taken and hit those shots repeatedly like he did? You can go back to yesterday. He only hit 2 threes, but, those 2 were at big time moments in the game when we needed them badly. I will miss that guy.
4. Connor was a great Hawkeye too. He was smart and his leadership and toughness were needed on all the teams he played on. It was cool to see him hitting shots at the end of the year, but that was just a bonus for what he brought to the team. I will miss that guy too.
5. Fran is a great coach. You don't like Fran? Ok. Want to go back to Lick? Or what about Alford? I of course loved Dr. Tom because I loved his style and he did it the right way, but, save for the 87 season the feelings were the same. You want to go get somebody? Ok then, who? Who do you want to come in here that is going to be a sure-fire thing that will win the B1G regular season, tourney and take us to the sweet 16, because that apparently is everything everyone gives a shit about? Start spitting names right now.
6. Speaking of the sweet 16, what is the fascination with that? Why is everyone so hung up on getting that far and then for some reason at that point they will be happy? Who cares? Seriously. Either your team wins it all or it doesn't. In this tournament, only 1 team does. Is it because you want to be in the conversation and have all the experts talk about your team for another week? If that is what you love you have had to have loved the last few weeks and everything leading up to the tournament here. Is it because you want to have hope that the team can go all the way and win it? If so, wouldn't you be just as disappointed when they lose? Is it because you want to be relevant, and you think that by getting to be a top 16 teams that makes it so?
7. The tournament is a spectacle, a show. It is more about making money than it is about providing a fair and level playing field to decide who the best team is. It is about providing entertainment and those things can be shaped by some factors that are out of a team's control. Here is a bowling analogy. If you ever watch the pro bowlers, everyone throws a hook, everyone. Nobody just lines up and throws it straight down the lane because there is no chance in hell that they can put up big scores. That is because the physics behind the pocket entry angle it give the ball a much greater chance to strike than a ball coming in straight and gives the bowler the OPPORTUNITY to bowl big scores and perfect games. But, what the bowler cannot control is how the lanes are prepared, and if they are prepared where they flood it with oil, or, if they don't have any oil at all, negates the advantage of the hook. Now this is my point. None of that affected the guy who throws the straight ball but it surely affects the guy who throws the hook. And all that did is hurt that better bowler and brought him down to the level of the lesser bowler. Neither bowler at that point will have the chance to score at all, and thus it turns into a rock fight of spares and who can get the occassional lucky strike. The same thing happened yesterday. I think the ball, the air in the ball, the rims looked tight, the officiating, all of that hurt us but didn't really affect them at all and all it did is negated our advantage and brought us down to their level and made us fight on their terms. We played poorly, sure, but they did too. It isn't like they shot the lights out. They executed a couple plays down the stretch and we didn't, it was a pretty even game. But it was a rock fight of spares and the occassional strike and we lost. We aren't the only ones that lost the same way, this year or the in the past.
8. Speaking of yesterday's game, the loss is on everyone. Not one Hawkeye played well, so it wasn't like Fran didn't ride a hot hand. Keegan was our difference maker this year and especially down the stretch and I think the best way to say it is he just didn't have it. Everyone looked fatigued from the beginning as everyone was grabbing their shorts on dead balls and timeouts and the look on all their faces was that they didn't want to be there. I get it, I do. I have had that feeling many times in my life in competition that my mind really wanted to do it and do it well, but, my body wouldn't cooperate. I would say the combination of the grind of the B1G tournament, the travel back and forth across time zones and lack of physical and mental rest took their legs. And for those that say Richmond did the same thing and played with the same ball, which they did, they didn't really have legs either because they didn't shoot any better than we did. They just won a game at the end between two evenly matched teams under the circumstances.

I am very appreciative of what this team accomplished and what it did for me. I loved watching this team play. Also, my step-sons here in NC who have never been to Iowa are now Hawkeye fans because of it. It was fun watching these last 6 or so weeks with my family, watching them cut down the nets at the B1G. So thank you to all involved.

Jason had 4 winning baskets
Indiana twice
Northwestern
Wisconsin

Plus a number of wins with his free throw shooting at the end of games

 

[blhawk]

Hilarious someone would be so impressed with their own opinion they think anyone would read all that

 

[HawksR1]

Jason had 4 winning baskets
Indiana twice
Northwestern
Wisconsin

Plus a number of wins with his free throw shooting at the end of games

Plus any number of people who drove right around him for easy baskets x 6 years. His last 2 NCAA games he had 6 points total; great kid, great scorer, not so great on D

 

[DewHawk]

Sorry, no interest in reading how fortunate Iowa fans are and all of your excuses.

 

[Eburghawk]

having 1 win in 2 NCAA tournaments with the Wooden Award winner & the second-best player in the country doesn't scream great coach to me

 

[Bulldogs1974]

Jbo got to take the shots at the end of games. You are going to hit some.
pretty sure I can remember joe t hitting two game winning shots despite rarely if ever being in at the end of a game despite his superior ball handling and well above average free throw shooting.
jbo had his moment and should have moved on.
he stunted the growth of our athletic guards. He knew it would be an issue which is why he said this is joes team.
some of you think the change in the starting lineup changed our season, I see it more from the perspective that fran finally played a few better combos after the starting lineups. Why did fran never try the defensive lineup outside the end of a game when he was forced to use it.
is no one curious what a combo of Aaron joe Tony Keegan and Kris would have looked like? If you are of the mind that jbo makes the offense easier then having a superior defensive unit with some guards that can actually penetrate would at worst be a wash.
fran has three glaring weaknesses: bench usage, defense, and winning close games ( tied to defense imo). Until he fixes those this season is the best you can hope for.

 

[Chewback]

Hilarious someone would be so impressed with their own opinion they think anyone would read all that

I read it all and thought it was great. Thanks NC.

 

[Whiskeydeltadeltatango]

Perspective: you are willing to excuse an adults behavior because he made some shots.

Perspective: we have not made it to the sweet 16 since I was in grade school.


Perspective: lickliter was here for 3 years and is a giant excuse for those who need it.


Perspective: read your number 7 again. It's a tournament.


Perspective: when you make it to the NCAA tournament the team tou play against is ALWAYS going to have a few things of value to point out in a loss.



We lost, it stunk, it is what it is.

 

[Chewback]

I just read the ESPN guys, Lunardi et al, analyzing the Hawk loss.

Myron Medcalf said, "The Hawkeyes don't consistently guard anyone and that's why..." Nutshell.

I like Fran in a lot of ways but he can't coach defense to save his life nor can his assistants apparently. They don't even try. "We don't need no stinkin' defense, we'll just outscore 'em" Doesn't always work.

March Madness takeaways, Friday preview -- Why Iowa and Kentucky lost, Gonzaga looked shaky, UNC dominated

Thursday's first round of the 2022 NCAA tournament brought surprises, and we should count on more arriving Friday.

www.espn.com

 

[mikesright]

We gotta get out of this cycle where all we care about are beating expectations relative to what other media members think of the Iowa Hawkeyes. This program almost never has high expectations of itself as a result.

 

[NCHawkeye24]

Ok. Whatever. You don’t really care about results, and that’s fine. You are entitled to your opinion.

However, I take exception to #5. Fran is NOT a great coach. Far from it. I wouldn’t even say he is a good one. He is a decent coach.

And I am sick and tired of the “who are you gonna get that will be better“ stupidity. And the ridiculous assumption that replacing Fran will automatically result in a return to Lick-level terrible basketball. That is a loser mentality.

It is not too much to expect at least ONE Sweet 16 from a coach in 12 years. Especially when you get #2 and #5 seeds, have a national player of the year (maybe 2), and multiple nba players.

You may not care…..but Sweet 16’s ARE important. Coaches and programs are judged by tournament results.

Just because I am not losing my mind and bitching, whining and crying about unmet expectations doesn't mean I don't care. I care deeply. I am not constantly sliding the scale of expectations either. I think if you were to lay it down to everyone at the beginning of the season and said: "how would you feel if this team finished as strong as anyone in the country, won the B1G tournament, had a player of the year candidate and got a 5 seed in the tournament, and been one of the hottest teams in the nation and a popular fibal 4 pick how would you feel?" I think most people would have been ecstatic at that point not knowing the outcome.

So the question is, why then at that point if they lose in the first round does it negate all of what they accomplished? I don't get it. I am saying it is not lost on me and I am one that really appreciates what they accomplished.

 

[DodgerHawki]

Programs are judged on NCAA tourney success. And exiting the first weekend of the tournament is not success.

Sweet 16 matters because it is the hallmark of a good run in the tournament.

I've refrained from posting or even coming here for a good long while after the game yesterday. I've been a critic of Fran, but sometimes things just happen. Yes, there are things that can be done differently in a game, no doubt. But sometimes those things are judged based purely on the results. Doing so is foolish. So Fran was a genius this past weekend at the BTT, and in the span of 4 days became dumb? I don't buy that.

Then I watched other games last night and saw other favorites also look like they are playing in mud, Kentucky and UConn specifically. UCLA was also playing in sand the entire game against a team in Akron (183 in Pomeroy ratings) that was far worse than Richmond. Teams get in a game where they are the favorite, and for whatever reason the game is close into the second half and all of a sudden the whole weight of being the end if you don't win and there you are. Sometimes teams get a bit lucky like UCLA. Sometimes they don't like Iowa. Sometimes their talent is so good against the opponent that they end up pulling away (see Gonzaga in their first game).

It doesn't mean Fran is without fault in that game. Ultimately, he bears the responsibility for what went on. But he had players doing things they hadn't done in weeks. Toussaint letting Burton get under his skin prior to an inbounds play under the Iowa basket, to then react by running Burton over. Turnover. Or Perkins just making some ill-advised drives, to Connor throwing up semi-guarded 3's with time on the shot clock. And on and on. Or Kris Murray taking a 3 with a ref right in front of him, to have the defender clearly hit his arm and the ball end up 15 feet short. No foul called. Unexplainable.

As much as will be disinterested in following the rest of the tournament and don't like Iowa losing, the players and the coaches have invested much more into it than I ever have or will. They hurt far more than any of us do. They obviously cared about winning, about each other, they improved a lot over the season. They played a terrible game at the worst possible time. It happens, and it's why the favorite doesn't always win in sports.

 

[nu2u]

Perspective: you are willing to excuse an adults behavior because he made some shots.

Perspective: we have not made it to the sweet 16 since I was in grade school.


Perspective: lickliter was here for 3 years and is a giant excuse for those who need it.


Perspective: read your number 7 again. It's a tournament.


Perspective: when you make it to the NCAA tournament the team tou play against is ALWAYS going to have a few things of value to point out in a loss.



We lost, it stunk, it is what it is.

Ok I think we know how you feel about Bohannon. Maybe you should move on?

 

[Whiskeydeltadeltatango]

Ok I think we know how you feel about Bohannon. Maybe you should move on?

Sure, read the next 5 lines.

 

[NCHawkeye24]

Well i read up until the first 2 sentences of your 5th point. What do lick or alford have to do with making a coaching change? Those our 2 options to choose from if we make a change? It doesn’t matter if us fans talk about a coaching change because there is about a 0.01% chance it happens. Only happens if Fran decides on his own to move on, and i don’t think his prospects of getting a job parallel or better than the one he has now are very good.
That being said, Darian DeVries I would think, would be near the top of coaches we would pursue. It’s been stated on here already, the transfer portal makes coaching changes not nearly as big a deal as they used to be. ISU this year is a great example.

It has a lot to do with it because a lot of fans cried and cried about the mediocrity of Dr Tom and all they wanted was something different, and what they got was different. And different isn't always better.

So your question is, would you be willing, at this point to trade Fran and his program, which is at the point where it is a top 6 B1G team year to year, a tournament team more likely than not, with an uptempo style that fans love for the possibility of greatness but just as much possibility of being a dumpster fire? Would you trade that right now? Yes or no?

 

[jamesvanderwulf]

jbo had his moment and should have moved on.
he stunted the growth of our athletic guards. He knew it would be an issue which is why he said this is joes team.

Joe got his chance and he was wildly inconsistent. Usually in foul trouble, in trying to steal everything is often out of position, chasing his guy just as much as Jbo did, forcing someone to help. No flow when JT was over dribbling and others began to stand. We won 10 of the last 12 not because Jbo was great, but the offensive flow was better, Perkins was a part of that as well. We still have a liability at the 5 and nothings going to change that anytime soon...

 

[NCHawkeye24]

The sweet 16 is everything to this program right now. Aside form a big 10 title (don't tell me the tournament title is a big 10 title), the sweet 16 is something tangible that this program hasn't accomplished In way too long. OP is dead wrong that it doesn't matter.

I didn't say it didn't matter. What I am saying is that it is not the only thing that matters.

I swear, as much as I love Iowa sports I don't know why anyone would ever want to coach here or play here. Nothing that they do is ever good enough. In this case, if Fran or any other coach went a number of years getting to the Sweet 16 consistently but continued to lose in the 3rd round, then that coach and every coach and player after that would be judged on the expectation of making it to the final 4.

The bottom line it is it should all be about the journey and not the destination. If you can't enjoy the moment you will always be disappointed by the outcome.

 

[perryhawk]

I've refrained from posting or even coming here for a good long while after the game yesterday. I've been a critic of Fran, but sometimes things just happen. Yes, there are things that can be done differently in a game, no doubt. But sometimes those things are judged based purely on the results. Doing so is foolish. So Fran was a genius this past weekend at the BTT, and in the span of 4 days became dumb? I don't buy that.

Then I watched other games last night and saw other favorites also look like they are playing in mud, Kentucky and UConn specifically. UCLA was also playing in sand the entire game against a team in Akron (183 in Pomeroy ratings) that was far worse than Richmond. Teams get in a game where they are the favorite, and for whatever reason the game is close into the second half and all of a sudden the whole weight of being the end if you don't win and there you are. Sometimes teams get a bit lucky like UCLA. Sometimes they don't like Iowa. Sometimes their talent is so good against the opponent that they end up pulling away (see Gonzaga in their first game).

It doesn't mean Fran is without fault in that game. Ultimately, he bears the responsibility for what went on. But he had players doing things they hadn't done in weeks. Toussaint letting Burton get under his skin prior to an inbounds play under the Iowa basket, to then react by running Burton over. Turnover. Or Perkins just making some ill-advised drives, to Connor throwing up semi-guarded 3's with time on the shot clock. And on and on. Or Kris Murray taking a 3 with a ref right in front of him, to have the defender clearly hit his arm and the ball end up 15 feet short. No foul called. Unexplainable.

As much as will be disinterested in following the rest of the tournament and don't like Iowa losing, the players and the coaches have invested much more into it than I ever have or will. They hurt far more than any of us do. They obviously cared about winning, about each other, they improved a lot over the season. They played a terrible game at the worst possible time. It happens, and it's why the favorite doesn't always win in sports.

Wow, very well said. That's a legit perspective in my opinion.

 

[NCHawkeye24]

The only thing I want answered is why we didn’t iso Keegan on the block before there was two minutes left..

I agree, I think it was the biggest mismatch to exploit in the game. So why didn't Keegan post up more? It's not like Fran told him not to. It's not like it's not in the offense. It simply looked like to me that Keegan was really off, extremely fatigued and thus not aggressive at all. It also did not help with the awful officiating on how Richmond played him in the post. For instance, if a guy is in the circle, you can run him over full speed and it's a blocking foul. There is not subjection there. I think they type of stuff really made him timid too.

 

[Bulldogs1974]

Joe got his chance and he was wildly inconsistent. Usually in foul trouble, in trying to steal everything is often out of position, chasing his guy just as much as Jbo did, forcing someone to help. No flow when JT was over dribbling and others began to stand. We won 10 of the last 12 not because Jbo was great, but the offensive flow was better, Perkins was a part of that as well. We still have a liability at the 5 and nothings going to change that anytime soon...

What. Perkins sat out front dribbled the ball just like joe had to. There was little to no difference other than more shots fell
Does joe over penetrate and try to make things happen a bit too much, yes. But you would too if you did not know what was sending your ass to the bench. He probably played as good of a 10 minutes that anyone on this team played this year against Purdue and it was his only 10 minutes.

 

[Whiskeydeltadeltatango]

It has a lot to do with it because a lot of fans cried and cried about the mediocrity of Dr Tom and all they wanted was something different, and what they got was different. And different isn't always better.

So your question is, would you be willing, at this point to trade Fran and his program, which is at the point where it is a top 6 B1G team year to year, a tournament team more likely than not, with an uptempo style that fans love for the possibility of greatness but just as much possibility of being a dumpster fire? Would you trade that right now? Yes or no?

I would trade alfords results for Frans results in a heartbeat.

 

[NCHawkeye24]

I just read the ESPN guys, Lunardi et al, analyzing the Hawk loss.

Myron Medcalf said, "The Hawkeyes don't consistently guard anyone and that's why..." Nutshell.

I like Fran in a lot of ways but he can't coach defense to save his life nor can his assistants apparently. They don't even try. "We don't need no stinkin' defense, we'll just outscore 'em" Doesn't always work.

March Madness takeaways, Friday preview -- Why Iowa and Kentucky lost, Gonzaga looked shaky, UNC dominated

Thursday's first round of the 2022 NCAA tournament brought surprises, and we should count on more arriving Friday.

www.espn.com

With all due respect, I don't think these guys watch the games and really know. All they do is look at stats, and the stats are always going to look worse because of the tempo on offense that Fran likes to play. We did not lose yesterday because we didn't guard anyone. We lost because we didn't hit enough shots. It's not like Richmond played really well either, but they played better in the paint. If we had just shot a pedestrian 40% from the field and 30% from 3 we blow them. out of the building. We had good shots, we just didn't hit them. Simple as that.

Now why we didn't hit them is a topic for discussion.

I would trade alfords results for Frans results in a heartbeat.

Lol, let's talk about that! Please do tell what makes Alford's regime so much better than Fran's?

 

[Whiskeydeltadeltatango]

With all due respect, I don't think these guys watch the games and really know. All they do is look at stats, and the stats are always going to look worse because of the tempo on offense that Fran likes to play. We did not lose yesterday because we didn't guard anyone. We lost because we didn't hit enough shots. It's not like Richmond played really well either, but they played better in the paint. If we had just shot a pedestrian 40% from the field and 30% from 3 we blow them. out of the building. We had good shots, we just didn't hit them. Simple as that.

Now why we didn't hit them is a topic for discussion.

Lol, let's talk about that! Please do tell what makes Alford's regime so much better than Fran's?

2 trophies in the case in 8 years over 1 in 13.

 

[83Hawk]

Just because I am not losing my mind and bitching, whining and crying about unmet expectations doesn't mean I don't care. I care deeply. I am not constantly sliding the scale of expectations either. I think if you were to lay it down to everyone at the beginning of the season and said: "how would you feel if this team finished as strong as anyone in the country, won the B1G tournament, had a player of the year candidate and got a 5 seed in the tournament, and been one of the hottest teams in the nation and a popular fibal 4 pick how would you feel?" I think most people would have been ecstatic at that point not knowing the outcome.

So the question is, why then at that point if they lose in the first round does it negate all of what they accomplished? I don't get it. I am saying it is not lost on me and I am one that really appreciates what they accomplished.

If you were to add “and lose in the first round to a 12 seed” I dobut “most” people would be ecstatic. And if you gave people the option of the above scenario or losing the first BTT game but going to the Sweet 16 (or even winning just one ncaa tournament game)….the vast majority would pick option #2.

Seasons are judged by ncaa tournament results. Nobody cares if you finished the season strong….or had a player of the year candidate…or were a popular final 4 pick….or had a #5 seed….if you are one and done in the tournament. So yes, one game can negate all that.

And I don’t think you “care deeply” about winning. Your entire post implies the exact opposite.

It is not unreasonable to expect 1 Sweet 16 in 12 years from Fran. Or 1 Sweet 16 in 23 years out of the program as a whole. Fran has proven incapable of accomplishing that. You are fine with it. Many fans are not.

 

[perryhawk]

Ok. Whatever. You don’t really care about results, and that’s fine. You are entitled to your opinion.

However, I take exception to #5. Fran is NOT a great coach. Far from it. I wouldn’t even say he is a good one. He is a decent coach.

And I am sick and tired of the “who are you gonna get that will be better“ stupidity. And the ridiculous assumption that replacing Fran will automatically result in a return to Lick-level terrible basketball. That is a loser mentality.

It is not too much to expect at least ONE Sweet 16 from a coach in 12 years. Especially when you get #2 and #5 seeds, have a national player of the year (maybe 2), and multiple nba players.

You may not care…..but Sweet 16’s ARE important. Coaches and programs are judged by tournament results.

I get your frustration.....I am a Hawkeye fan that first started following Iowa basketball in the late 70s......and I hoped and thought that we would have another final 4 by now. I have also been witness to the coaching changes over that time...and there is NO guarantee that we will do better with a different coach. Alford was THE hot young coach when he was hired. Listless was THE NATIONAL COACH OF THE YEAR prior to the Hawks hiring him....so, there is no guarantee we end up with another terrible coach like TL...but there is NO guarantee that we do any better. SO, who are you suggesting we hire that you can GUARANTEE will be better than Fran?

The reason I ask a question with GUARANTEE in it is because WE of course can't guarantee results.

Others had the opinion, prior to this year, that Fran couldn't win the B10 tournament...some talked as if that was a fact....that it was guaranteed. Obviously that was wrong.

So, we make a change in coaches.....how many years do you give that coach to win the B10 regular season OR reach a Sweet 16? Let's say in the first year they do okay and win 20 games...don't get very far in whatever tournament, next year slightly better but still doesn't advance out of the first round. Next year they get a strong regular season finish and do well in the B10 tournament, but get beat in the first round of the NCAA.....but in year four they take a slight step back. Fire them? If you do, then you start the rebuild over again. Now you can be 8 or 10 years down the road.

Fran has had a slow, but fairly consistent climb.....with the national recognition over the last couple of years (I would suggest a very strong national presence with top 5 ratings and player of the year candidates 3 years running). How do you know for a fact that he doesn't get to a Sweet 16 in the next couple of years? He maintained a pretty high conference finish/standing during his career at Sienna.....is he slowly moving towards that point at Iowa?

 

[longliveCS40]

I think a lot of people here need some.

1. First of all, it is not like Richmond is a bad team. Sure, they finished 6th in the A-10, but, that team was full of super seniors and were battle-hardened and won their conference tournament. They weren't going to be a push-over or an easy win by any means.
2. This team accomplished way more than anyone at the beginning of the season hoped they would. All I read before the season began was that if some how this team could get into the NCAA tournament they would be happy. But what they did was far greater than that. They not only won the B1G tournament, they gave all of us a gift with having a team in the national spotlight for a couple of weeks. I mean, seriously, those things are pretty amazing accomplishments regardless of what happened yesterday.
3. JBo is a great Hawkeye. You may not like his style (I personally like his brash attitude) but you cannot ignore his contributions in his career here. I don't know how many game winning shots he made, or how many clutch 3's he made to keep us in a game or to tie a game get us a bucket when we needed it, but it was a lot. And conversely, if you are one of the haters, then ask yourself this question: if JBo was such a liability and he was off the team, name one player that would have taken and hit those shots repeatedly like he did? You can go back to yesterday. He only hit 2 threes, but, those 2 were at big time moments in the game when we needed them badly. I will miss that guy.
4. Connor was a great Hawkeye too. He was smart and his leadership and toughness were needed on all the teams he played on. It was cool to see him hitting shots at the end of the year, but that was just a bonus for what he brought to the team. I will miss that guy too.
5. Fran is a great coach. You don't like Fran? Ok. Want to go back to Lick? Or what about Alford? I of course loved Dr. Tom because I loved his style and he did it the right way, but, save for the 87 season the feelings were the same. You want to go get somebody? Ok then, who? Who do you want to come in here that is going to be a sure-fire thing that will win the B1G regular season, tourney and take us to the sweet 16, because that apparently is everything everyone gives a shit about? Start spitting names right now.
6. Speaking of the sweet 16, what is the fascination with that? Why is everyone so hung up on getting that far and then for some reason at that point they will be happy? Who cares? Seriously. Either your team wins it all or it doesn't. In this tournament, only 1 team does. Is it because you want to be in the conversation and have all the experts talk about your team for another week? If that is what you love you have had to have loved the last few weeks and everything leading up to the tournament here. Is it because you want to have hope that the team can go all the way and win it? If so, wouldn't you be just as disappointed when they lose? Is it because you want to be relevant, and you think that by getting to be a top 16 teams that makes it so?
7. The tournament is a spectacle, a show. It is more about making money than it is about providing a fair and level playing field to decide who the best team is. It is about providing entertainment and those things can be shaped by some factors that are out of a team's control. Here is a bowling analogy. If you ever watch the pro bowlers, everyone throws a hook, everyone. Nobody just lines up and throws it straight down the lane because there is no chance in hell that they can put up big scores. That is because the physics behind the pocket entry angle it give the ball a much greater chance to strike than a ball coming in straight and gives the bowler the OPPORTUNITY to bowl big scores and perfect games. But, what the bowler cannot control is how the lanes are prepared, and if they are prepared where they flood it with oil, or, if they don't have any oil at all, negates the advantage of the hook. Now this is my point. None of that affected the guy who throws the straight ball but it surely affects the guy who throws the hook. And all that did is hurt that better bowler and brought him down to the level of the lesser bowler. Neither bowler at that point will have the chance to score at all, and thus it turns into a rock fight of spares and who can get the occassional lucky strike. The same thing happened yesterday. I think the ball, the air in the ball, the rims looked tight, the officiating, all of that hurt us but didn't really affect them at all and all it did is negated our advantage and brought us down to their level and made us fight on their terms. We played poorly, sure, but they did too. It isn't like they shot the lights out. They executed a couple plays down the stretch and we didn't, it was a pretty even game. But it was a rock fight of spares and the occassional strike and we lost. We aren't the only ones that lost the same way, this year or the in the past.
8. Speaking of yesterday's game, the loss is on everyone. Not one Hawkeye played well, so it wasn't like Fran didn't ride a hot hand. Keegan was our difference maker this year and especially down the stretch and I think the best way to say it is he just didn't have it. Everyone looked fatigued from the beginning as everyone was grabbing their shorts on dead balls and timeouts and the look on all their faces was that they didn't want to be there. I get it, I do. I have had that feeling many times in my life in competition that my mind really wanted to do it and do it well, but, my body wouldn't cooperate. I would say the combination of the grind of the B1G tournament, the travel back and forth across time zones and lack of physical and mental rest took their legs. And for those that say Richmond did the same thing and played with the same ball, which they did, they didn't really have legs either because they didn't shoot any better than we did. They just won a game at the end between two evenly matched teams under the circumstances.

I am very appreciative of what this team accomplished and what it did for me. I loved watching this team play. Also, my step-sons here in NC who have never been to Iowa are now Hawkeye fans because of it. It was fun watching these last 6 or so weeks with my family, watching them cut down the nets at the B1G. So thank you to all involved.

1. Disagree - Richmond was bad
2. Agree
3. Agree
4. Agree
5. Agree
6. Disagree - recruiting hinges on deep runs.
7. Disagree - The tourney matches teams from different conferences at the end of the season when they are at their peak. It's important and tells a lot about where your team is compared to others.
8. Agreed - no one played well.

Your logic that the tourney means nothing if you don't win it is odd. Does the whole basketball season mean nothing if you don't win the Big Ten?

 

[NCHawkeye24]

See, I disagree because I don't live my life in hindsight. And I have spent most if my life personally and professionally in competition one way or the other. When you let the destination dictate how well you enjoyed the journey, then you never really enjoyed the journey at all. How could you, because seriously, all you could have and would have done during the process when asked if you were having fun was to respond by saying you didn't know yet, you have to wait and see. It's like that with everything. I am married for the second time. Obviously my first marriage didn't work out, but just because I didn't and I know it now doesn't make me wish I had never married her or was never in love with her or that I never had a good time with her. All those things are true, just because it ended doesn't change that. The same analogy applies here. I would have loved to see this team win it all. But my love for this program is not dependent on that.

 

[Whiskeydeltadeltatango]

I get your frustration.....I am a Hawkeye fan that first started following Iowa basketball in the late 70s......and I hoped and thought that we would have another final 4 by now. I have also been witness to the coaching changes over that time...and there is NO guarantee that we will do better with a different coach. Alford was THE hot young coach when he was hired. Listless was THE NATIONAL COACH OF THE YEAR prior to the Hawks hiring him....so, there is no guarantee we end up with another terrible coach like TL...but there is NO guarantee that we do any better. SO, who are you suggesting we hire that you can GUARANTEE will be better than Fran?

The reason I ask a question with GUARANTEE in it is because WE of course can't guarantee results.

Others had the opinion, prior to this year, that Fran couldn't win the B10 tournament...some talked as if that was a fact....that it was guaranteed. Obviously that was wrong.

So, we make a change in coaches.....how many years do you give that coach to win the B10 regular season OR reach a Sweet 16? Let's say in the first year they do okay and win 20 games...don't get very far in whatever tournament, next year slightly better but still doesn't advance out of the first round. Next year they get a strong regular season finish and do well in the B10 tournament, but get beat in the first round of the NCAA.....but in year four they take a slight step back. Fire them? If you do, then you start the rebuild over again. Now you can be 8 or 10 years down the road.

Fran has had a slow, but fairly consistent climb.....with the national recognition over the last couple of years (I would suggest a very strong national presence with top 5 ratings and player of the year candidates 3 years running). How do you know for a fact that he doesn't get to a Sweet 16 in the next couple of years? He maintained a pretty high conference finish/standing during his career at Sienna.....is he slowly moving towards that point at Iowa?

If you are that old and still more afraid of the bad than the possibility of the good, you and I wouldn't do well as friends. It's basketball not retirement planning. Push the Chips into the middle of the table every now and then. "Lickliter" was 3 years.

 

[HawkLogic]

The writeup is Nebraska logic and loose with the definition of great coach.

The greatest coach, coached his greatest team, with his greatest player, to first round loss,to the greatest 6th place conference finisher in the country and greatest 12th seeded team in tournament.

Fran is slightly above average coach for B1G, that is what his record says he is. That is not great by B1G standards or Iowa standards.


Bucky O'Connor, Ralph Miller, Lute Olson were great coaches. Davis was better than Fran so far. Fran is about in the middle of the pack of last 60 years of Iowa B-ball, hopefully trending up.