The Lickliter years were bad....but we have 3 proven Big Ten players coming back in 2024/25

[Dirk_Diggler]

in Peyton Sandfort, Josh Dix and Owen Freeman.
Yes, Dembele, Pr Sandfort and Harding have potential, but each have been sub 10 per game role players this past season.
Right now, its like we are positioned to be a bottom feeder next season unless Fran somehow flips the roster with 4-5 proven transfer portal players. If he doesn't, either out of spite, or inability to land any of these guys, he is likely facing his final season at Iowa.
I don't see the fan base putting up with it another year.

 

[DewHawk]

in Peyton Sandfort, Josh Dix and Owen Freeman.
Yes, Dembele, Pr Sandfort and Harding have potential, but each have been sub 10 per game role players this past season.
Right now, its like we are positioned to be a bottom feeder next season unless Fran somehow flips the roster with 4-5 proven transfer portal players. If he doesn't, either out of spite, or inability to land any of these guys, he is likely facing his final season at Iowa.
I don't see the fan base putting up with it another year.

I agree with your thoughts/comments as it may be a very ugly year for men's BBall at Iowa.

 

[Moral]

The portal will be must watch TV for Iowa fans.

 

[RagnarLothbrok]

Gotta have NIL funding to make any splash in the portal.

I don’t think Fran ball generates enough excitement. Maybe with a new coach, NIL could pick up.

 

[r448chlpo]

Lack of quality multiple 4th years players and leadership will be an obvious shortcoming but several young guys hold real promise. The program has been spinning its wheels the last couple years… a regrouping and new foundation may pay real benefits after a difficult next year! ( foolishly optimistic?)

 

[GOHOX69]

in Peyton Sandfort, Josh Dix and Owen Freeman.
Yes, Dembele, Pr Sandfort and Harding have potential, but each have been sub 10 per game role players this past season.
Right now, its like we are positioned to be a bottom feeder next season unless Fran somehow flips the roster with 4-5 proven transfer portal players. If he doesn't, either out of spite, or inability to land any of these guys, he is likely facing his final season at Iowa.
I don't see the fan base putting up with it another year.

If you're saying we will suck, then I'll agree with you.

 

[Steamboat529529]

in Peyton Sandfort, Josh Dix and Owen Freeman.
Yes, Dembele, Pr Sandfort and Harding have potential, but each have been sub 10 per game role players this past season.
Right now, its like we are positioned to be a bottom feeder next season unless Fran somehow flips the roster with 4-5 proven transfer portal players. If he doesn't, either out of spite, or inability to land any of these guys, he is likely facing his final season at Iowa.
I don't see the fan base putting up with it another year.

Make no mistake a lineup of Harding, Dix, Payton, Ladje and Freeman with no portal or freshman help, is nowhere near the NCAA tournament.

 

[curtisj157]

in Peyton Sandfort, Josh Dix and Owen Freeman.
Yes, Dembele, Pr Sandfort and Harding have potential, but each have been sub 10 per game role players this past season.
Right now, its like we are positioned to be a bottom feeder next season unless Fran somehow flips the roster with 4-5 proven transfer portal players. If he doesn't, either out of spite, or inability to land any of these guys, he is likely facing his final season at Iowa.
I don't see the fan base putting up with it another year.

The team will be dogshit awful again just like this season. Less than 4 D1 talent on scholarship. YMCA team at best.

 

[BirdistheWord]

in Peyton Sandfort, Josh Dix and Owen Freeman.
Yes, Dembele, Pr Sandfort and Harding have potential, but each have been sub 10 per game role players this past season.
Right now, its like we are positioned to be a bottom feeder next season unless Fran somehow flips the roster with 4-5 proven transfer portal players. If he doesn't, either out of spite, or inability to land any of these guys, he is likely facing his final season at Iowa.
I don't see the fan base putting up with it another year.

We have 2 high quality freshman coming in too, but yes we have to grab at least 2-3 from portal. I am not optimistic on Mulvey.

 

[Fran-Con-2]

in Peyton Sandfort, Josh Dix and Owen Freeman.
Yes, Dembele, Pr Sandfort and Harding have potential, but each have been sub 10 per game role players this past season.
Right now, its like we are positioned to be a bottom feeder next season unless Fran somehow flips the roster with 4-5 proven transfer portal players. If he doesn't, either out of spite, or inability to land any of these guys, he is likely facing his final season at Iowa.
I don't see the fan base putting up with it another year.

I wouldn't be so sure . . .

I don't know who, but there's rumblings on twitter that we haven't seen the last of the departures. If its Dix, my already low hopes for next year will completely evaporate.

 

[BirdistheWord]

Rotation Locks: (** guaranteed starter, * possible starter)
Freeman**
Payton**
Dix**
Harding*
Dembele
Pryce
Koch
Tadjo
X-transfer
X-transfer

 

[SDHawkDoc]

Quick, athletic guards are a must to be competitive in the tourney. Iowa is significantly lacking in that department.
Fran's roster construction continues to be upside down.
Need at least 3 guards added who are the opposite of what Fran usually gets. Not holding my breath.

 

[BirdistheWord]

Quick, athletic guards are a must to be competitive in the tourney. Iowa is significantly lacking in that department.
Fran's roster construction continues to be upside down.
Need at least 3 guards added who are the opposite of what Fran usually gets. Not holding my breath.

Actually, if you look back at Fran’s recruits over last 14 years it’s amazing how few are under 6’2” - going off memory but it was maybe 5-6 guys IIRC. He over values length.

Let’s try and list:
Cartwright
Clemons
Dickerson
JoBo
Toussaint
Harding

6 in 15 years

 

[RocknRollface]

Actually, if you look back at Fran’s recruits over last 14 years it’s amazing how few are under 6’2” - going off memory but it was maybe 5-6 guys IIRC. He over values length.

Let’s try and list:
Cartwright
Clemons
Dickerson
JoBo
Toussaint
Harding

6 in 15 years

Undervalues, quickness, speed, athleticism, defense, rebounding.

 

[Rambler Hawk]

Make no mistake a lineup of Harding, Dix, Payton, Ladje and Freeman with no portal or freshman help, is nowhere near the NCAA tournament.

If I am an opposing BT program right now, that line-up card does not strike fear in me.....at all. And its not like the next 2 or 3 guys in would move the needle either. That's not meant to be a dig on our boys, but talent at a program like Illinois is on another level. By all accounts, Koch sounds like he might be a good one - but based on his genes there is no chance he will be banger....Fran never recruits bangers or athletic guards and that will never change as long as he is here. My biggest fear is that he treads water just enough not to force a change from the top brass like in the case of Todd Arlan Lickliter.

 

[BioHawk]

in Peyton Sandfort, Josh Dix and Owen Freeman.
Yes, Dembele, Pr Sandfort and Harding have potential, but each have been sub 10 per game role players this past season.
Right now, its like we are positioned to be a bottom feeder next season unless Fran somehow flips the roster with 4-5 proven transfer portal players. If he doesn't, either out of spite, or inability to land any of these guys, he is likely facing his final season at Iowa.
I don't see the fan base putting up with it another year.

I am a bit more hopeful for next season than you are, but I agree, they do need to get some help from the portal next season as well. I won't pretend to know what the best fit for that is. Obviously a new point guard if Harding can't step up.

 

[QChawks]

you don’t need top tier talent when you have a coach that develops players 😎

 

[Fran-Con-2]

you don’t need top tier talent when you have a coach that develops players 😎

I mean you can rag on Fran for plenty of reasons, but I’m not sure player development is one of them.

Perkins is the perfect example. No major offers out of high school. Now he’s hearing from big time programs. Same thing with Isaiah moss and Joe T. CJ Frederick came in as a walk on and left with a scholarship to Kentucky, one of the best programs in the country.

People say Fran doesn’t develop because his players never get better athletically. But you can’t coach athleticism. The problem is more a recruiting failure than a developmental failure

 

[Rifler]

I don't see the fan base putting up with it another year.

The fan base's acceptance is not a requirement...

 

[hawkguy77]

Actually, if you look back at Fran’s recruits over last 14 years it’s amazing how few are under 6’2” - going off memory but it was maybe 5-6 guys IIRC. He over values length.

Let’s try and list:
Cartwright
Clemons
Dickerson
JoBo
Toussaint
Harding

6 in 15 years

You left out Gessel.

 

[ChiPackHawk]

in Peyton Sandfort, Josh Dix and Owen Freeman.
Yes, Dembele, Pr Sandfort and Harding have potential, but each have been sub 10 per game role players this past season.
Right now, its like we are positioned to be a bottom feeder next season unless Fran somehow flips the roster with 4-5 proven transfer portal players. If he doesn't, either out of spite, or inability to land any of these guys, he is likely facing his final season at Iowa.
I don't see the fan base putting up with it another year.

How many teams do you think will bring back more than three starters and three pretty regular substitutes? This new era will never resemble the past. You have your likely starting five right there, a freshman or two that will get some playing time, and probably several transfers. You don't play more than 9-10 deep. Pretty typical.

 

[LaQuintaHawkeye]

...in Peyton Sandfort, Josh Dix and Owen Freeman.

🤞

 

[BirdistheWord]

You left out Gessel.

6’2”
Guys like him and Ulis are borderline. Fairly quick.

 

[HawkLogic]

I wouldn't be so sure . . .

I don't know who, but there's rumblings on twitter that we haven't seen the last of the departures. If its Dix, my already low hopes for next year will completely evaporate.

If Dix --an Iowa kid---leaves, we might as well fire Fran and get a young guy for less pay that can bring some players in based on his own connections and raise some NIL using HOPE as a carrot.

I like Dimbele, Freeman Dix, Sandfort brothers, and Harding. I don't see enough guard talent to compete. Also all those guys are mostly below the rim players. Dimbele is thick, not a great jumper. Freeman can play above rim but he's not a 7f'er... Dix is good defender but mostly below the rim, Harding is tiny, Sandfort brothers both below the rim. Not a lot of fast twitch muscles and not enough muscles at all in that group of players.

 

[HawkLogic]

I mean you can rag on Fran for plenty of reasons, but I’m not sure player development is one of them.

Perkins is the perfect example. No major offers out of high school. Now he’s hearing from big time programs. Same thing with Isaiah moss and Joe T. CJ Frederick came in as a walk on and left with a scholarship to Kentucky, one of the best programs in the country.

People say Fran doesn’t develop because his players never get better athletically. But you can’t coach athleticism. The problem is more a recruiting failure than a developmental failure

We got a coach that wins 51% of his B1G game, has unusual ability to lose his first game in BTT most years, and has 33% winning percentage once he gets to NCAA tourney. Player development starts with recruiting players with talent.

If Fran were great at player development, how do you explain CMAC taking 6 years of college ball to find his shot and being a way below average scorer for his entire career and PMAC never being a good rebounder/defender and a being a low efficiency scorer. IF Fran could develop players, why wouldn't it start at home? Players like Garza and Murray brothers had Father's that were better at developing theiur careers and that had better DNA.


Over past 8 years or so....I see Dailey, Johnson,Ellingson, Dickinson, C. Williams, Hutton, Wagner, Fredrick, Flemming, Ogundele, Moss, Ulis, JoeT, Bowen, and probably Perkins portaling out. That is 12 African american players and 3 white guys. Fran's roster has been Mostly White....despite Black athletes being maybe 30% of the roster for Fran, the transfers out have been overwhelmingly Black.

I see a coach that has a hard time recruiting and retaining black athletes, especially highly rated black athletes that other teams want.

Guys like Devyn Marble and the Murray Bros were both Hawkeye legacies---yeah, they didn't transfer out. How many black athletes has Fran actually graduated?

Yes, Fran recruited Perkins and Perkins became 2nd team B1G---and then apparently is going elsewhere despite his gratitude and love towards Fran.

 

[ChiPackHawk]

If Fran were great at player development, how do you explain CMAC taking 6 years of college ball to find his shot and just be a way below average scorer and PMAC never being a good rebounder/defender and a low efficiency scorer. IF FRan could develop players, why wouldn't it start at home? Players like Garza and Murray brothers had Father's that were better at developing theiur careers and that had better DNA.


Over past 8 years or so....I see Dailey, Johnson,Ellingson, Dickinson, C. Williams, Hutton, Wagner, Fredrick, Flemming, Ogundele, Moss, Ulis, JoeT, Bowen, and probably Perkins portaling out. That is 12 African american players and 3 white guys. Fran's roster has been Mostly White....despite Black athletes being maybe 30% of the roster for Fran, the transfers out have been overwhelmingly Black.

I see a coach that has a hard time recruiting and retaining black athletes, especially highly rated black athletes that other teams want.

Guys like Devyn Marble and the Murray Bros were both Hawkeye legacies---yeah, they didn't transfer out. How many black athletes has Fran actually graduated?

Yes, Fran recruited Perkins and Perkins became 2nd team B1G---and then apparently is going elsewhere despite his gratitude and love towards Fran.

Of the players you just listed - who exactly went on to have a stellar college career? And before you say Joe T, he transfered twice.

 

[obfuscating]

Thats like saying we have players coming back on Offense and Brian is still the OC...

 

[MeetTheFerentzes]

Missing the NCAA Tourney for the 2nd straight year, coupled with poor attendance (especially if the women continue to outdraw the men in the post-CC era) would be FM's doom IMHO. I don't see how he possibly survives that. Sneaking into the NCAA Tourney would probably buy him another year.

 

[LaQuintaHawkeye]

This program has obviously plateaued...really don't see how it ever gets to the next level (S16 and consistent top 4-5 finishes in conference) with the current guy leading them.

Better to change sooner than later in a situation like this before they begin backsliding even further.