REASONABLE expectations moving forward

[Fran-Con-2]

Lots of gut-reactions on here. The never-Franners crawled out of their holes to rip apart coach. Surely he deserves some blame, but it seems like a lot of the knee-jerk vitriol was from fans who don't watch alot of basketball or who don't know the circumstances surrounding this years team.

I wanted to start an honest, REASONABLE conversation about where our team can go moving forward.

My thoughts:

• CJF is probably going to miss lots of time. Fran said he is still day-to-day but he also said he will shut him down if necessary. The mere mentioning of that plus the boot does not give an impression of optimism.
  
• Iowa went over 34 minutes with only one free-throw. I'm not sure if I've EVER seen that in a game. Hopefully (and that's a big hopefully) the whistles are a little kinder to Iowa moving forward.
• Iowa probably had their worst shooting night of the year. They were one of the top 3-point shooting teams after 14 games. Gotta imagine that their shooting will even out moving forward, even without CJF.
• Toussaint has averaged 16 points over the last two games, and 4 assists, (and 4 TO's). He needs to clean it up but he really is showing improvement. Lack of shooting is a hole in his game though.
• Bakari and Pemsl still can't be relied upon on a nightly basis. Pemsl is tough but he had some bad bad turnovers late in game. Bakari disappears completely.
• Kriener and Garza should not play on the floor at the same time, but there really is no other option with the injuries.

The sky is not falling but this still sucks. Without shooting, teams can bottle up Garza and we lose our whole identity. But CJF was a huge contributor to our 3-game. Life without him will be incredibly tough. I think it is unreasonable to expect NCAA tournament at this point. NIT is probably more reasonable for this team moving forward. But I also don't think the door is completely slammed shut.

• IF JT cuts down on the turnovers
• IF Bakari can become a consistent 3-point threat
• IF the teams stays healthy and CJF comes back in a reasonable time

Then I think we can make a run. Lot's of if's, obviously.

Overall, I am dramatically tempering my expectations but I will maintain some semblance of hope and optimism for this team, irrational as that may be. Go hawks!

 

[Rifler]

With CJ back we could, once again, be a reasonably good team playing one injury away from disaster,.. Our best move at this point would be to concentrate on getting our interior defense and outside shooting back on track,... Then we can at least roll the dice with the available talent...

 

[HawkSTL]

If C.J. is out this team needs a different identity. We simply won’t be able to space the floor like we could early in the season. We will be down to one good volume three point shooter. And McCafrey is averageish. Nobody else on the roster should be shooting many threes.

The offense will need to be reinvented to create cutting action and post action to the basket. The defense will need to play better. And Toussaint and Mccaffrey will need to find ways to score the basketball.

The current roster has a much different identity than the JBO, CJF, Wieskamp, McCafrey, Garza lineup that was very balanced, could shoot the lights out, and played very well through the non-conference.

 

[HeRKeYHoPeFuL]

• Kriener and Garza should not play on the floor at the same time, but there really is no other option with the injuries.

Wow, not sure about this... the high-low post game tends to work really well. Just not when there are 4 defensive bodies in the paint (at which point, you just need to hit an open 3).

 

[Chishawk1425]

Play for next season if CJ is out for a long stretch and if he somehow gets healthy towards end of season maybe they go on a run in the BTT but this team is toast without him after already losing JoBo and Nunge. I was not happy last night and feared they would lose but still thought they'd somehow win as Nebraska is terrible. It is what it is at this point, good thread. It sucks as here we are back to wait till next year mantra but its fact.

 

[markfromj]

It sucks as here we are back to wait till next year mantra but its fact.

No, it's not. It is a judgement.

 

[Chishawk1425]

No, it's not. It is a judgement.

Currently you are right I feel comfortable it will become fact.

 

[SotaHawk87]

I think with the current state of affairs we’re looking at 8-12 in the B10.

 

[Pepperman]

Frustrating to see the injuries, but Fran knew of Bohannon's hip all year and he should have known that Patrick isn't healthy either (will he ever be?)

Anyway, as to what's realistic, I would guess without Fredrick this team won't win many more games. The blueprint is out for sure - pack in the lane and don't let Garza beat you. Don't even bother worrying about Joe T, Bakari, or Connor shooting over the top. Only guy that can perhaps light you up is Joe W, and if he has a better night we might have beaten one of the worst B1G teams yesterday.

We've realistically reached the part of the year where everybody says "wait til next year! A healthy Bohannon, a senior all-American center, blah blah blah."

 

[LetsGoHawks83]

Lacking our two best 3 point shooters...

Maybe it's time for Fran to make defense, rebounding, and ball security a point of emphasis. *GASP*

Lacking firepower makes "doing the little things" that much more important. Value every possession. Value the ball.

 

[SDHawkDoc]

I don't think some posters are capable of anything resembling reasonable expectations.
They are a borderline tourney team. They were a borderline tourney team to start the season. The DePaul game didn't make them terrible, the texas tech game didn't make them great.

 

[Chishawk1425]

I don't think some posters are capable of anything resembling reasonable expectations.
They are a borderline tourney team. They were a borderline tourney team to start the season. The DePaul game didn't make them terrible, the texas tech game didn't make them great.

No CJ long term they are not in the post season, too many injuries. I am not upset with Fran or the team, just a bummer as this team could have been darn good. Now prove me wrong and somehow beat MD on Friday and we'll go from there, if not which I fully expect to be the case, oh well. Sucks as I love when they are in the tourney.

 

[Hoosker Du]

Play for next season if CJ is out for a long stretch and if he somehow gets healthy towards end of season maybe they go on a run in the BTT but this team is toast without him after already losing JoBo and Nunge. I was not happy last night and feared they would lose but still thought they'd somehow win as Nebraska is terrible. It is what it is at this point, good thread. It sucks as here we are back to wait till next year mantra but its fact.

I'll just say this...Nebraska has looked light years better than Iowa during B1G play. And you're sitting at the bottom of the B1G standings right now. So wear it proudly.

 

[Raptorpeeps]

I'll just say this...Nebraska has looked light years better than Iowa during B1G play. And you're sitting at the bottom of the B1G standings right now. So wear it proudly.

Nebraska 2-2
Iowa 1-3

"Nebraska ...light years better than Iowa..."

"light years" .... sure, dude.

 

[HeRKeYHoPeFuL]

Nebraska home B1G record: 2-0
Nebraska away B1G record: 0-2
Iowa home B1G record: 1-0
Iowa away B1G record: 0-3

 

[Chishawk1425]

I'll just say this...Nebraska has looked light years better than Iowa during B1G play. And you're sitting at the bottom of the B1G standings right now. So wear it proudly.

You are an Idiot, not surprised though as a Nebraska hoops fan that has literally accomplished zero in 100+ years.

 

[DewHawk]

No CJ long term they are not in the post season, too many injuries. I am not upset with Fran or the team, just a bummer as this team could have been darn good. Now prove me wrong and somehow beat MD on Friday and we'll go from there, if not which I fully expect to be the case, oh well. Sucks as I love when they are in the tourney.

I agree with the above. IMO we are in deep s+++ the rest of the season.

 

[IllQChawk]

If everything stays as it is, I'm giving Iowa maybe 2 or 3 more wins the rest of the year. Could they win more, I guess but the bottom line is this team has been sucked dry because of all the injuries and is not going to compete for any post season play. You can have all the Hawk confidence in the world and it's not going to change who we are. Fran and his staff is the same now as they were 10 years ago. They care very little about teaching defense and to valve every possessions like some of the great teams do. I have to remind myself it's only a game and life will go on and every year Iowa falter that premise has remained true. .

 

[Raptorpeeps]

Reality:

Fran will be 61 in May. He’s been at Iowa for a decade.

We’ve seen his ceiling — 5th or 6th in conference and a 9 seed every other year or so. Maybe a first round win. Maybe not.

Those who are holding out hope that he’s suddenly going to find a new gear and start landing top 25 players and competing for conference titles and final fours are living in a fantasy world.

That is not ever happening under this coach.

We are what we are which frankly, could be a heck of a lot worse than it is. There’s a lot to cheer about and be proud of when it comes to Iowa basketball.

Get behind it or don’t. Nobody really gives AF.

 

[bozotheclown]

I'll just say this...Nebraska has looked light years better than Iowa during B1G play. And you're sitting at the bottom of the B1G standings right now. So wear it proudly.

Ummmm I'm not even an Iowa fan and this made me LOL. Nebraska took the only plan they had open to them, shut down Garza and hope Iowa could not hit wide open 3s. I think Nebraska plays hard but to say they have looked light years better than any B1G team is pretty funny. Iowa is a much better team, they do have issues with losing two of their best 3 point shooters but if Wieskamp can make anything they beat the Huskers pretty easily. Anyway it did make me smile.

 

[kceasthawk]

I'll just say this...Nebraska has looked light years better than Iowa during B1G play. And you're sitting at the bottom of the B1G standings right now. So wear it proudly.

Then you obviously haven't watched any of Iowa's other conference games. PSU in Philly would have beaten the cornholers by 30-35 points. You got lucky last night. Iowa going 4-33 from three is an unbelievable anomoly for a team that normally shoots around 37-38%, and it was not great Nebraska defense either. Most of those first half misses were wide open shots. Count your blessings.......

 

[kceasthawk]

Ummmm I'm not even an Iowa fan and this made me LOL. Nebraska took the only plan they had open to them, shut down Garza and hope Iowa could not hit wide open 3s. I think Nebraska plays hard but to say they have looked light years better than any B1G team is pretty funny. Iowa is a much better team, they do have issues with losing two of their best 3 point shooters but if Wieskamp can make anything they beat the Huskers pretty easily. Anyway it did make me smile.

Didn't think I'd ever say it but, Well said BOZO.......

 

[kceasthawk]

Nebraska home B1G record: 2-0
Nebraska away B1G record: 0-2
Iowa home B1G record: 1-0
Iowa away B1G record: 0-3

Pretty much the same as every other BIG team this season......

 

[Crazy Hawk]

I could easily be classified as one of Frans NOT biggest fans from a coaching standpoint. But the drastic turn of events for him is not his fault this season. In fact, I think this year has been his best coaching since he arrived in Iowa City.

 

[HeRKeYHoPeFuL]

Pretty much the same as every other BIG team this season......

Right... which disputes the notion of anyone being light years better than anyone else.

 

[DodgerHawki]

I'll just say this...Nebraska has looked light years better than Iowa during B1G play. And you're sitting at the bottom of the B1G standings right now. So wear it proudly.

Go away Husker Du. Congrats on the win, but if you are basing the entirety of who is the better team based on 1 game, I can't help you. Hoiberg will do a nice job at Nebraska, injuries have derailed a very promising Iowa season. Let us stew in our misery over here.

 

[DodgerHawki]

No CJ long term they are not in the post season, too many injuries. I am not upset with Fran or the team, just a bummer as this team could have been darn good. Now prove me wrong and somehow beat MD on Friday and we'll go from there, if not which I fully expect to be the case, oh well. Sucks as I love when they are in the tourney.

Stuff happens sometimes. This year's Iowa team already had a small margin for error and since November the entire margin has been erased with the injuries to Nunge, Bohannon and Frederick and Patrick McC being unable to play, it's all gone. Clamoring for "if this player does this" and "this player does that" is just not seeing reality. The 4 guys I mentioned were all among Iowa's best 8-9 players. They are now not playing. If the other guys were better, they would have been playing instead of the injured guys.

Things like "focusing on defense," what does that mean? The team was already focused on defense as good as they could play it, when healthy. Now they are not healthy, and they are supposed to be better defensively? You don't just get better defensively by saying you'll be better, especially during the season. With Frederick (and especially Bohannon) the team had enough weapons to really put teams in a bind. They could spread the floor with 3 borderline great shooters (Wieskamp, Bohannon, Frederick), another guy who knew how to play (Conor) and then a dominant big man. Can't double as guys get open 3's. Can't smother all the 3-point shooters as the dominant post player goes crazy. Good enough on defense to allow the great offense to win.

No Bohannon, no Frederick so now down to 1 3-point threat a team cares about (Wieskamp). That guy goes 1-10 on wide-open 3's, just has a bad night. So they lose. Other teams will continue to do the same to Garza, you will see a lot of teams just flat-out ignore Toussaint, Conor, Evelyn, Kriener, Pemsl out by the 3-point line. Garza will have trouble getting the ball, and there's not really a damn thing Fran can do about it.

 

[Crazy Hawk]

I'll just say this...Nebraska has looked light years better than Iowa during B1G play. And you're sitting at the bottom of the B1G standings right now. So wear it proudly.

You do realize that a healthy Iowa roster....or at least what they were a week ago....Iowa rolls Nebraska by 20 plus last night.

With the depleted roster and the fact Iowa shot horrendous....which allowed Nebraska to send 67 guys inside the lane to try to stop Garza....while the game was still in doubt late speaks more volume about how Nebraska is not a good team more so than what it says about Iowa right now.

 

[Hoosker Du]

You do realize that a healthy Iowa roster....or at least what they were a week ago....Iowa rolls Nebraska by 20 plus last night.

With the depleted roster and the fact Iowa shot horrendous....which allowed Nebraska to send 67 guys inside the lane to try to stop Garza....while the game was still in doubt late speaks more volume about how Nebraska is not a good team more so than what it says about Iowa right now.

Meh, and we beat you in football if Tommie Armstrong could do anything more than walk upright. Cry yourself to sleep. You lost.

 

[Hoosker Du]

Go away Husker Du. Congrats on the win, but if you are basing the entirety of who is the better team based on 1 game, I can't help you. Hoiberg will do a nice job at Nebraska, injuries have derailed a very promising Iowa season. Let us stew in our misery over here.

Fair enough, but we've won 4 out of 6. You know where this is heading.

 

[H4wkfan4life]

Fair enough, but we've won 4 out of 6. You know where this is heading.

no please tell me where is what heading?

 

[Hoosker Du]

Then you obviously haven't watched any of Iowa's other conference games. PSU in Philly would have beaten the cornholers by 30-35 points. You got lucky last night. Iowa going 4-33 from three is an unbelievable anomoly for a team that normally shoots around 37-38%, and it was not great Nebraska defense either. Most of those first half misses were wide open shots. Count your blessings.......

Woulda, shoulda, coulda.. Love hearing the excuses. You got rolled by an entirely new roster, and have lost 4 of 6 to us. Hey, we understand wide open looks. We had a ton of 'em last night, and cashed in.

 

[H4wkfan4life]

Meh, and we beat you in football if Tommie Armstrong could do anything more than walk upright. Cry yourself to sleep. You lost.

I'll agree we played like shit and lost. Fine by me.

HOWEVER, why are you bring up past football players from years ago? LOL

Enjoy being a "bball" school now. Hopefully fred will get you guys a tourney win sometime in the next 10 years .

 

[MikeT2425]

Bottom line: 10 year RESULTS. Are you happy?

 

[Hoosker Du]

no please tell me where is what heading?

Fred is 5-1 against Fran, and just beat him in his first season with an entirely new roster. We have 3 transfers sitting on the bench that will in all likelihood start next year, along with Teddy Allen. So...we beat you with 1 guy that will be starting next year.

There ya go. That's what direction this is heading.

 

[kceasthawk]

Meh, and we beat you in football if Tommie Armstrong could do anything more than walk upright. Cry yourself to sleep. You lost.

And IF your even able to comprehend this douche bag, here's the difference in a nutshell. Iowa wins games and as fans we sit on our board and enjoy the euphoria of our team winning. Never been to your board, and never will. Don't care about anything to do with Nebraska. We're fans of the Hawks and proud of it. Ass hats like you root for a team, and they win and you have to come on our website and pull your shoulder out of its socket patting yourself on the back. I'm sure your not able to tell the difference, so there it is....

 

[H4wkfan4life]

Fred is 5-1 against Fran, and just beat him in his first season with an entirely new roster. We have 3 transfers sitting on the bench that will in all likelihood start next year, along with Teddy Allen. So...we beat you with 1 guy that will be starting next year.

There ya go. That's what direction this is heading.

That is hilarious considering it wasn't even with the same school LOL.

Oh well! Enjoy being a "basketball school" because, based on your logic, you guys will probably never make a bowl game and you'll certainly never beat us. .

You braskans always crack me up!

 

[Hoosker Du]

I'll agree we played like shit and lost. Fine by me.

HOWEVER, why are you bring up past football players from years ago? LOL

Enjoy being a "bball" school now. Hopefully fred will get you guys a tourney win sometime in the next 10 years .

Pay attention. Someone said you didn't have your full roster last night due to injury. We had a QB that couldn't even run in 2017, and would have likely won in 2017 against Iowa if he could have.

Injuries happen. You lost. Get over it.

 

[unoHawkeye]

Pay attention. Someone said you didn't have your full roster last night due to injury. We had a QB that couldn't even run in 2017, and would have likely won in 2017 against Iowa if he could have.

Injuries happen. You lost. Get over it.

Iowa / Nebraska is hardly a basketball rivalry. Fans here are less upset about losing to Nebraska and more upset about what the loss to your crappy ass team will do to our tournament resume. You’re wasting your time

 

[H4wkfan4life]

And IF your even able to comprehend this douche bag, here's the difference in a nutshell. Iowa wins games and as fans we sit on our board and enjoy the euphoria of our team winning. Never been to your board, and never will. Don't care about anything to do with Nebraska. We're fans of the Hawks and proud of it. Ass hats like you root for a team, and they win and you have to come on our website and pull your shoulder out of its socket patting yourself on the back. I'm sure your not able to tell the difference, so there it is....

To be fair, every fan base has a "husker du" or two.

That said, I guess I'm not the only to notice there are more post by braskans today than theres been in many weeks.

Let them enjoy it though, they have every right to be excited! Winning by 6, at home, with 2 of Iowas top 3 shooters out. Also, they only needed almost every player on our team to have a bad night shooting to accomplish such an epic win!! I'm almost surprised they didn't storm the court!

Congrats on an epic win guys! Can't wait for next month!