The glaring problem our basketball team has had for years….
- Thread starter curtisj157
- Start date
Cooper Flagg would like a word. By the way, did you know 3 of the top 5 scorers for UConn last season are white? Maybe it's not the fact our guys are white - it's that they just aren't very good/are not well coached?
Last edited:
Roster construction with too many unathletic players is a huge problem for Fran. The reality is that more African/African-American players are going to meet that necessary athleticism threshold to compete at the highest level. However, it really doesn't matter what their ethnic background is. I just want to see more competitive athletes at their positions on the floor for Iowa. And who are expected to play D. I really don't want to see anymore long, thin weak shooters from Iowa who can't jump, have no lateral quickness, don't get any stronger despite years in the program and don't play D.
Bo Ryan showed a template on how to compete with a roster filled with more slower twitch athletes than typical. It's not surprising that nearly everything Bo Ryan did was Opposite of Fran's system. Of course being Bo Ryan is only something Bo Ryan has been able to do,. The landscape has changed with Portal and NIL.
TJ Otzelberger seems to be the new genius in college basketball doing more with Less, and his rosters are decidedly more fast twitchy and polar opposite of Fran in style/emphasis.
TJ Otzelberger seems to be the new genius in college basketball doing more with Less, and his rosters are decidedly more fast twitchy and polar opposite of Fran in style/emphasis.
Yes, anomalies happen. I would gladly construct an NBA roster around Doncic too.
But curtisj is not wrong. Not a single successful basketball program routinely constructs a roster that is top heavy in white guys. Yes, white players can be good and be an integral part of a good team. But when you have a 10-man rotation and 7 of them come from Crackerville, then yes, you’re going to have a mediocre team, unless they shoot 60% from 3 every night.
And let’s be honest here: when is the last time Fran McCaffrey had a roster that wasn’t an almost total whiteout? It’s insane to think you’re ever going to be competitive in a P5 conference with that many pigmentally challenged hoopers on your roster.
“Pat, I would like to solve the puzzle please.”
And if we’re playing Jeopardy, “What ails the Iowa men’s basketball program?”
Yes, name one college basketball team that had any serious success since 1950 with a white point guard??? Bobby Hurley at Duke is the only one that comes to mind but he was surrounded by all-Americans.
I have been saying that for awhile, we should have copied their basketball formula (sans the dirty play) much like they copied our football template. I agree, things have changed and now it makes sense to copy (gulp) the Clowns formula….👍
Ryan Arcidiacono won a natty with Villanova. Steve Blake was pretty good for Maryland. I would take Payton Pritchard any day.
But, yeah, your point is well taken.
The top 2 overall and 4 of the top 6 assist leaders are white. And a number of white players on this list were on successful teams.
Assist leaders
Last edited:
Mark Price, Steve Nash, Scott Skiles, Danny Ainge, Troy Skinner.
Troy Skinner was not a good college point guard. Lol.
Ironically with the number of euro guys succeeding in the NBA, I am now seeing more euro college players show up. The Illini have always been a " black player" program but this year has 3 euros starting with two considered top NBA prospects. These guys come over having played vs grown men and seem like pros already.
I like that Fran has landed 3 African players. We need to continue to tap foreign guys from Canada, Europe, Africa.....wherever as BB is so international these days. But they need to be athletic.
.
I like that Fran has landed 3 African players. We need to continue to tap foreign guys from Canada, Europe, Africa.....wherever as BB is so international these days. But they need to be athletic.
.
What do white gays have to do with basketball?
Yep. In 13 + seasons of White Magic ball, Iowa has finished tied for 3rd thrice.
Pretty bad ass.
Lets add skinny to this description. Iowa players were consistently outmuscled by Wisconsin. Iowa is not physical enough for the big ten
his roster construction combined with his style of play has never made sense to me..at all. white, black, purple, or pink.
? It says: " Too many shite goys" We need a lot more Jewish players to be competitive.
IMO, it’s as much about attitude as it is physical prowless.
You know why so many black players in the NBA respected Larry Bird? Because Larry talked a lot of shit and backed it up. Bird was not strong, fast, or athletic, but he knew how to play the game. And he knew how to talk shit.
Oh, and one more thing about Larry Bird. And this comes directly from Charles Barkley. Larry was muttering under his breath on the court and started talking to Barkley about them disrespecting him. Barkley was like, “What are you talking about, Larry?” Bird was like, “You guys are putting that white boy on me. Don’t have a white guy try to guard me. That’s disrespectful.”
But, basically 5-6 white point guards out of a pool of thousands of point guards over a 50 year period have been worth a damn. Puzzle solved.
Skinner did lead Iowa to a first round NCAA win in 1991. 4-4 from 3. 2-2 from line.
Last edited:
Ugg, there were probably student managers on that team better than lil Lick...
The most surprising/disappointing part of the FM era has been his inability to recruit athletes to run his up tempo system.
Dr. Tom had the same problem. With the right athletes his style was great. But, he also had the “too many white guys” problem on the recruiting trail that doomed him to mediocrity.
It's just a team style of basketball that relies on certain things happening that no other D1 teams soley rely on, and that Ocasionally works to the point of the team not being awful
Last edited:
I would replace "inability" with disinterest.
Because he doesn't offer very many athletes and when he has them he usually keeps them on the bench in favor of guys who can shoot 3s.
This.
College basketball is set up the opposite of pro sports where the defense gets all the advantages. You can be physical with the offensive players and get away with it.
So having a system that relys on offense is an uphill battle to begin with but when you combine that with indifference to defense its a nearly impossible way to go.
Cooper Flagg would like a word. By the way, did you know 3 of the top 5 scorers for UConn last season are white? Maybe it's not the fact our guys are white - it's that they just aren't very good/are not well coached?
I had said that for years…his ‘hockey style’ substitutions definitely required 10 athletic dudes and he normally had about 4 who did not fit that bill…
Also, how on earth can you have a basketball program preseason #1 in the country and you end up recruiting Troy Skinner??!?!🤪 Was he seriously our best option?
Editor note: I might be off a year or two, but my point still stands.😉
Last edited:
