The Tom Davis curse officially gone?

[HRiscool]

For the uninitiated, the TD curse is one that was imposed by a Jamaican witch-doctor after Dr. Tom was canned. The curse stated: "Iowa will never move beyond the first weekend as long as Bowlsby refuses to pull down his pants and smash his nuts with a claw hammer on live TV."

Even though we didn't make it beyond the first weekend, I think back-to-back NCAAs indicate the curse is officially gone.

What say you?

 

[hansenhawk]

Not even close, did u watch every shot go in?

 

[PatterHawk]

Uh, still didn't get past 1st weekend. Curse intact. Double whammy this yr with the opportunity to play Alford in sweet 16.

 

[LaoHawk]

The curse will be lifted once Alfie gets canned or IA makes it to the Elite 8, whichever is sooner.

 

[Titanhawk2]

Originally posted by PatterHawk:
Uh, still didn't get past 1st weekend. Curse intact. Double whammy this yr with the opportunity to play Alford in sweet 16.

Davis always made it past the first weekend?

 

[HRiscool]

Originally posted by Titanhawk2:

Originally posted by PatterHawk:
Uh, still didn't get past 1st weekend. Curse intact. Double whammy this yr with the opportunity to play Alford in sweet 16.

Davis always made it past the first weekend?

IIRC 4 outa 13 yrs. In 1999 fans thought that was crap. 16yrs later they would kill for those kind of stats.

 

[mpls_hawki]

Originally posted by HRiscool:

Originally posted by Titanhawk2:

Originally posted by PatterHawk:
Uh, still didn't get past 1st weekend. Curse intact. Double whammy this yr with the opportunity to play Alford in sweet 16.

Davis always made it past the first weekend?

IIRC 4 outa 13 yrs. In 1999 fans thought that was crap. 16yrs later they would kill for those kind of stats.

I think you meant to say 3 out of 13 years. Marble, Horton and Armstrong's Senior year they were bounced in the second round.

Two of those years were with player's he didn't recruit nor the type he ever recruited again.

 

[OldTownPepe]

Well, we didn't make it past the first weekend, just the first round (2nd round?) game. Go Hawks. But, the curse was broken when Bowlsby smashed his nuts on live TV trying to play both ends against the middle with a Big 12 co-championship for football. ONE TRUE CHAMPION - er...maybe two. Maybe not.
Anyway, I think the curse is broken even though Bowlsby didn't pull down his pants or use a claw hammer.

 

[HRiscool]

Originally posted by mpls_hawki:

Originally posted by HRiscool:

Originally posted by Titanhawk2:

Originally posted by PatterHawk:
Uh, still didn't get past 1st weekend. Curse intact. Double whammy this yr with the opportunity to play Alford in sweet 16.

Davis always made it past the first weekend?

IIRC 4 outa 13 yrs. In 1999 fans thought that was crap. 16yrs later they would kill for those kind of stats.

I think you meant to say 3 out of 13 years. Marble, Horton and Armstrong's Senior year they were bounced in the second round.

Two of those years were with player's he didn't recruit nor the type he ever recruited again.

Ouch - I'm too lazy to look it up but I take your word. Still, 3 out of 13 looks better than zero out of 16. Not saying Davis was Lute Olsen. Just that we never moved up a notch after he left.

 

[TampaHawkfan]

Well, Iowa got to the round of 32 this year, like most of Tom Davis's seasons.. So it seems we got back to that level. So I'd say curse broken. Maintaining it is another story.

For the record, I don't believe in curses.. Just bad basketball. The latter is what we have gotten most of the time since Davis was shown the door. We finally have a competent coach again who isn't in over his head.

 

[*hawksrock*]

curse broken.......imo!

 

[Phenomenally Frantastic]

simple, fearful minds believe in curses.

Tom Davis did not deserve to continue to be Head Coach at Iowa. He was fortunate to coach at Iowa as long as he did.

Let's just say he was not fully invested in ensuring Iowa basketball was successful.

There is behavior from Dr. Tom that would shock some of you on this board if you knew the full truth.

That is all I'm going to say. He was a good coach, he was simply not fully invested in the program and a change was needed.

Some of you need to let it go and move on, it's 2015 for crissakes.

 

[LuteHawk]

May Coach Fran break the curse of Lute Olson
and take us to the Final Four.

 

[MTHawkeyes43]

Originally posted by Phenomenally Frantastic:
simple, fearful minds believe in curses.

Tom Davis did not deserve to continue to be Head Coach at Iowa. He was fortunate to coach at Iowa as long as he did.

Let's just say he was not fully invested in ensuring Iowa basketball was successful.

There is behavior from Dr. Tom that would shock some of you on this board if you knew the full truth.

That is all I'm going to say. He was a good coach, he was simply not fully invested in the program and a change was needed.

Some of you need to let it go and move on, it's 2015 for crissakes.

Would love to know more about what you speak concerning Dr. Tom. Talk about a teaser!!!

This post was edited on 3/24 7:18 PM by MTHawkeyes43

 

[Suterman]

Curse not broken. We are just about back, or back to where Dr. Tom had the program. Fairly consistent NCAA tournament team, win one game and then get thrashed by a blue blood. Fran is right where Dr. Tom was. The same arguments are going to pop up between the "Fran can't take us to the next level" people and the "I am happy getting to the NCAA's people". History is repeating itself, get ready for the same BS arguments between the people in the Iowa fan base.

 

[mtdew_fever]

What happens if Coach Fran doesn't get the team back to the NCAA tourney again for another 2 years? Is the curse of Dr Tom still intact?

 

[bagdropper]

Originally posted by mtdew_fever:
What happens if Coach Fran doesn't get the team back to the NCAA tourney again for another 2 years? Is the curse of Dr Tom still intact?

My thinking too. Gotta at least get back to a) going every year, and b) winning the 64 game every year - before the so-called curse is broken.

Talk to me in say 2017.

 

[DanL53]

Originally posted by Suterman:

Curse not broken. We are just about back, or back to where Dr. Tom had the program. Fairly consistent NCAA tournament team, win one game and then get thrashed by a blue blood. Fran is right where Dr. Tom was. The same arguments are going to pop up between the "Fran can't take us to the next level" people and the "I am happy getting to the NCAA's people". History is repeating itself, get ready for the same BS arguments between the people in the Iowa fan base.

Or, and I'm just tossing something crazy out here. But what if us dolts that have been saying Coach McCaffery can get the job done turn out to be right?

What if twenty wins and one win in the Dance (round about reference to Dr. Tom...readers, no need to correct me with specifics) is just another step in the progression of the program?

You see, you are correct in saying Fran is right where Dr. Tom was. But only at this moment. We JUST got to this level.

The difference is Dr. Tom enjoyed his best years with George Raveling's recruits and then spent ten years finishing two games above .500 in the Big Ten. But McCaffery showed up during a historically terrible time in Iowa basketball history and has clawed and scraped until the program is where we are now.

Suterman, you've a right to your opinion, but I think that is all you've got when you say, "History is repeating itself, get ready for the same BS arguments between the people in the Iowa fan base." I see no evidence of complacency, or satisfaction, that leads me to believe anyone on the Iowa staff thinks we've reached our peak.

I'm very curious to see what the next few years bring. Looking at the other side of the coin, the Big Ten in general? I see some programs we can pass.

 

[Suterman]

DANL53, I love Fran and I think he is fabulous and the perfect coach for us. I want nothing more than to reach "The Next Level". If Fran can go 12-6 or better next year, then I will say I was wrong. I had no problem with Dr. Tom and I have no problem with Fran. I am just saying that I believe we will be fighting the same old battles. I hope I am wrong.

 

[IACentralHawk73]

Originally posted by Phenomenally Frantastic:
simple, fearful minds believe in curses.

Tom Davis did not deserve to continue to be Head Coach at Iowa. He was fortunate to coach at Iowa as long as he did.

Let's just say he was not fully invested in ensuring Iowa basketball was successful.

There is behavior from Dr. Tom that would shock some of you on this board if you knew the full truth.

That is all I'm going to say. He was a good coach, he was simply not fully invested in the program and a change was needed.

Some of you need to let it go and move on, it's 2015 for crissakes.

1. I would like to know your sources on Dr. Tom's "behavior"
2. If you had half a brain you would know Tom loved coaching here, and he got canned unfairly by a jacka** of an AD and was replaced by a jacka** of a coach.

 

[disgrig]

Don't think there is any "curse." Tom Davis never made a deep run at Iowa. But he won 66% of his games here (overall career of 63%). He was 18-11 overall in NCAA tourney.
Fran has won 56% of his games here (overall career of 58%). He is 3-7 overall in NCAA.

Tom's record is over a significantly longer period of time than Fran's. And Tom's record is quite a bit better. But Fran is a keeper. He's a good coach moving the bb program in the right direction. The question is: What is the ultimate goal, and how long should he get to reach it? Tom really wasn't treated very well toward the end of his time at Iowa. Unfortunate. Bowlsby was and still is a jerk.

Many have been raking Kirk Ferenz pretty good, too. Not that we should settle for mediocrity or slightly above, but a fair question for those who want so much more is: Who will come to Iowa and lead them to football play-off's? Who will come and lead basketball to B1G Championship and beyond first weekend of NCAA? Fran needs to stay awhile and given that chance.

By the way, SteveO's (Alford) winning percentage at Iowa was 59%. Overall career is 66% winning percentage. He is 9-8 in NCAA games. I'm kind of glad we didn't end up playing him. If UCLA would win, all of the Alford haters would jump off a cliff. Will be interesting to see if they play the Zags any closer than we did. UCLA lost by 13 in their first game.

 

[littlez]

Phenomenally fantastic, what joke. Dr. Tom was nothing but class here and a winner as well. If Fran can continue to improve and match Dr. Tom record over 15-16 years I think we would all be pretty happy, especially if he ever got us to an elite 8, even if it wasn't his players, it was certainly his coaching and his style. If you had any "real" information, I think you would have told us. But nice job trolling anyway.

 

[DanL53]

Originally posted by Suterman:
DANL53, I love Fran and I think he is fabulous and the perfect coach for us. I want nothing more than to reach "The Next Level". If Fran can go 12-6 or better next year, then I will say I was wrong. I had no problem with Dr. Tom and I have no problem with Fran. I am just saying that I believe we will be fighting the same old battles. I hope I am wrong.

We can both be right. Fran could take us to the level that Lute Olson had us at...

...and....

...it still wasn't good enough for many fans. I recall reading the Quad City Times Sunday Sport Editorials. There were plenty of dolts around back then.