The disagreement I have with your premise is one) this Iowa team is filled with players who have 2-3 seasons of significant game experience and two) these Iowa players have a low ceiling athletically and talent-wise.
Iowa overachieved this year. Will they again next year? I don't know. But I think after nine years it's pretty conclusive this is as good as it will get under Fran. The real question is how you see the Iowa program. Iowa will never have the consistency of a Duke or Michigan State, without question, but if you don't believe it's possible for Iowa to establish a higher bar than where they're at now you are comfortable with Fran. And there's no point in discussing further.
Me, personally, I think Iowa can do a little better. In fact, I know they can. My first taste of Iowa basketball was the early Dr. Tom years. A similar benchmark should be strived for today. Using the tired "Lickliter" excuse is as lame as it is steeped in circular reasoning. Iowa can and should strive for better.
That's a reasoned argument and shows some analysis and thought....not the typical childish, spoiled brat, pouting crap we see from so many on here.....and I sincerely appreciate your approach-thoughts even if we disagree slightly. This makes the type of discussion I hope for on these boards possible...
So, in that spirit this is where my thoughts go that might diverge slightly from yours. I think it also points out (in my mind more accurately) one of Fran's system faults......so
one) this Iowa team is filled with players who have 2-3 seasons of significant game experience. I look at the 2-3 years of experience and results as a significant improvement over the 1-2 years experience of last year....an increase of 8 wins at this point. Now hopefully that extrapolates out to another improvement when the majority of the roster is at 3-4 years in the program. I WOULD NOT count on another 8 win improvement...but if they win 3 or 4 more at this stage of the season 25/26 wins then we are looking at very high levels of success, historically, at Iowa.
two) these Iowa players have a low ceiling athletically and talent-wise. We might have a more significant difference of opinion here....my position: we are not a high level team athletically (and I would love more athleticism) but this team is adequate from an athletic standpoint...Joe W, Maishe, Isaiah, and I think Joe T, Patrick, and even Nunge for his size are pretty good athletes...not exceptional, but upper 3rd of the B10. If Cook comes back he is obviously elite level in athleticism....talent I see differently and I understand these terms are somewhat ambiguous. But I think of skill, basketball smarts, and coordination, combined with an adequate level of athleticism equate to talent...and again, this team has enough. To take this a step further, there have been many many teams over the years that have high level success with talent/athleticism similar to this team. I think of a number of Bo Ryan teams and even Loyola of Chicago(?) last year that made the final four?...don't remember exactly but you probably know who I'm talking about.
All that said, do I wish for more athletes and talent....yes-absolutely. Do I want Iowa to be the Duke of the Midwest, yes as much as I hate Duke...do I think we could do better than Fran....certainly that is possible but moving him along with the hope that we do better isn't enough for me to think we should risk another 10-15 years of worse.
Make no mistake, that is not the "but Lick" argument....it's what I see as reality. DON'T change coaches (from someone who is relatively successful and "might" do more still) without a REALLY good shot at getting someone better.....not worth it.
I think we are improved next year....and the upcoming recruiting classes are HUGE for the future of this program. My bet is that we are better staying the course than making a move when a coach has won 22 games this year and won more than 20 for 5 of the last 7?.....If he was going to be fired it should have been after last year.
These people who post here, who claim to be Iowa fans....and immediately shout for firing the coach as soon as we lose a game (and player X sucks because they had an off game) will NEVER be satisfied...ever...Then when some of us support the coach or players after a bad game or bad stretch....we're satisfied? Hardly, we just see a bigger picture.
