Tonight was a turning point in the Fran era of Iowa Basketball

[IaHawk44]

Mike Gesell needs to postpone his wedding and obstain from sex. Last night wasn't Hilton magic, it was Hawkeye Voodoo or Hawkeye bizarro world. JU should've been doing what Gesell did on the last couple of possessions. It was Gesell and Woodbury who played like freshmen, and they were very lost at times last night. Then there's the coaching staff, I can't help but be disappointed - shocked is more like it. We did see one phenomenal half of basketball, similar to the domination at Marquette.

 

[anon_89hvcc2uyzmki]

A legitimate top 10 team got a serious scare at home from an unranked opponent.
Which one of these was Iowa and which was isu again?

I'm not overly concerned about Fran or that he's peaked at Iowa.

+1

 

[sober_teacher]

It's like last year and all the great things this team did in big 10 play never happened.

I wonder if the Fire ferentz crowd migrates here after the football season went so well.

We choked last night. It was ours for the taking and we let it slip away. This is not the beginning of the end by any means people.

 

[Hawkeyestate81]

We need Frans boys and Weiskamp and Cook here ASAP!

 

[SDHawkDoc]

While I don't want to get revkev started, I have to admit that I agree with the issue of point guard.
Mike G plays his guts out. He's just not up to the caliber that a contending team needs in their starting PG. He'd be fine as a solid back up.

 

[libertyhawkeye]

The manner in which Iowa lost was extremely disappointing, considering the 20 point lead that evaporated. But ISU won because they have that winning culture more than Iowa does. They made plays down the stretch, while Iowa didn't know how to run their offense with a lead and turned the ball over in crucial moments.

The bright side of this is Iowa played a #4 ranked team on the road and lead essentially the entire game. Iowa stayed competitive with top-ranked talent. This is going to be the new norm for Iowa basketball as Iowa regularly makes it to NCAA tournaments. Iowa is getting the majority of in-state talent as well as starting to get higher ranked talent out of state (Cook, Chicago-area recruits). Losing to ISU sucks as their fans will have this (any pretty much only this) to brag about their school for the next year. But yeah, looking at Iowa's program, it's heading in the right direction overall. Adjustments need to be made obviously and the way in which Iowa lost will probably be a good thing for this team's development.

 

[gablefan73]

Its always risky to attach too much importance to any single game. But I think tonight was just that. An important game. A game that we can use as a mearuring stick. And the Hawkeyes came up wanting. Its not just that we lost to a very good team on its court. Its how we lost...and who we lost to.

We might not know for a while how Fran, staff and players react to tonights embarrassing collapse. It may turn out that the Hawks make their stand and rebound from this failure and rally into the BIG10 schedule and finish strong.

Or, tonight might well be a watershed. If Iowa stumbles through the remainder of the season and misses the NCAA tournament we might be looking at the Fran tenure at Iowa in real danger. These sorts of defeats cause a fanbase to ask where the program really is. Fran has earned, and will be given, another season after the 2015/16 run is over regardless of how the Hawks finish...but the ice is getting thin in Iowa City.

I looked up stupid and saw a picture of your post.

 

[N.Legend]

"A legitimate top 10 team got a serious scare at home from an unranked opponent.
Which one of these was Iowa and which was isu again?"
_________________________________________________________________________
I can certainly see why Iowa is unranked

 

[SDHawkDoc]

"A legitimate top 10 team got a serious scare at home from an unranked opponent.
Which one of these was Iowa and which was isu again?"
_________________________________________________________________________
I can certainly see why Iowa is unranked

Of course they're unranked. They're not a top 25 team.
Did you have some point other than that glaringly obvious one?

 

[HoustonREDHawk]

Yes, and I think most fans will agree that Fran has brought Iowa Basketball back to respectability. And most fans are grateful for that. But is that enough going forward?

Let me ask you a question if I may. Tomorrow will people be talking about how Iowa lost a close one to 4th ranked ISU in Ames by one point in the last minute...or will they be talking about how Iowa blew a 20 point second half lead to Iowa State?

Answer probably depends in part on whom you were rooting for. I give ISU credit for making plays down the stretch, but when Iowa seemed to have fought off the charge and went up by 8 with a couple of minutes to go, the game should have been over. Iowa gift rapped the win by choking against the press. Looked a little like the human version of a deer in the headlights...

 

[hawkosx]

Oh boy, more of the win one game and we are final four team and lose one and its fire KF/Fran mentality. Somethings never change

 

[DanL53]

I'll go with door number three. Instead of going one way or the other as if this game makes or breaks the season? I predict we continue to improve slowly over the course of the year yet still manage to end up where many folks figured. An NCAA Invite worthy team that finishes in the top half of the Big Ten.

But! I will add that this game has clearly been a make of break moment for fans, many of whom broke and will find themselves fixed when we turn around and beat somebody else like a Michigan State or Purdue.

 

[PhantomFlyer]

I'll go with door number three. Instead of going one way or the other as if this game makes or breaks the season? I predict we continue to improve slowly over the course of the year yet still manage to end up where many folks figured. An NCAA Invite worthy team that finishes in the top half of the Big Ten.

But! I will add that this game has clearly been a make of break moment for fans, many of whom broke and will find themselves fixed when we turn around and beat somebody else like a Michigan State or Purdue.

I'm not sure how "improving slowly over the course of the year" negates what OP said. He made no point that this game would immediately vault Iowa into an elite team, or they would immediately crash and burn.

The 2nd paragraph would support his position that Iowa took this game, had a gut check moment, made adjustments and then found themselves able to win that game and beat a MSU or Purdue (something that might not have happened without the ISU collapse). You've totally missed the point of the OP post.

 

[MepoDawg#]

I don't agree with your opening statement. But, if there was a turning point in the stagnation of the program it was when Ulis decommitted. It wasn't tonight.

Actually, tonights loss may wake up Fran, it might wake up Uthoff, and it might wake up the rest of the team. As tough as tonight's loss was, it might make the team better going forward.

Ulis was never committed. He even said MSU was next choice, let it go.

 

[MepoDawg#]

Yes, and I think most fans will agree that Fran has brought Iowa Basketball back to respectability. And most fans are grateful for that. But is that enough going forward?

Let me ask you a question if I may. Tomorrow will people be talking about how Iowa lost a close one to 4th ranked ISU in Ames by one point in the last minute...or will they be talking about how Iowa blew a 20 point second half lead to Iowa State?

Neither. They're talking about ISU and Hilton Magic.

 

[johnnashhawk]

There are basically 2 college basketball programs that are scum. the loudmouth pg and Niang would have been reprimanded under Freddy, btw. The way you win is a better reflection of one's character. For hawkeye fans and players, losses like this hurt....a lot. There is no need to make comments like this. What goes around comes around, When it does, I will quietly enjoy the euphoria.

The other bball program starts with Kentucky and ends with Wildcats

 

[mtown66]

mtown66 - Please don't try assigning motives to my post. It was an observation more than anything. As I stated last night, and still believe this morning, the loss to Iowa State and the way we lost it, makes it bigger than many suspect.

BTW - Please re-read this thread.

I have great reading comprehension skills. Fortunately I only see your posts after a loss.You should just be honest and tell us why you don't like Fran? Is it that you are still upset about the whole Dr. Tom thing?

 

[Clonewithasigh]

I'm not sure how "improving slowly over the course of the year" negates what OP said. He made no point that this game would immediately vault Iowa into an elite team, or they would immediately crash and burn.

The 2nd paragraph would support his position that Iowa took this game, had a gut check moment, made adjustments and then found themselves able to win that game and beat a MSU or Purdue (something that might not have happened without the ISU collapse). You've totally missed the point of the OP post.

The hawks will beat MSU in Carver this year....... Mark it down!

 

[ZaHawks]

This is a classic example of how fans develop overly high expectations. JU has the half of a lifetime in the first half, then came down to earth. We weren't expected to beat the no. 4 team on the road, and we didn't. Don't lose any sleep over it.

 

[Lone Clone]

Answer probably depends in part on whom you were rooting for. I give ISU credit for making plays down the stretch, but when Iowa seemed to have fought off the charge and went up by 8 with a couple of minutes to go, the game should have been over. Iowa gift rapped the win by choking against the press. Looked a little like the human version of a deer in the headlights...

Yes. At that point, I thought it was over. That was the first and only time during the night that I would have bet a good deal of money on Iowa.

 

[soybean]

I have great reading comprehension skills. Fortunately I only see your posts after a loss.You should just be honest and tell us why you don't like Fran? Is it that you are still upset about the whole Dr. Tom thing?

I actually like Fran. And as I stated above he has earned at least another year after this regardless of which way this sorts out. My observation was only that this is a turning point. This team may decide to dig in and make a stand. That would please me no end. But this was a national story. Almost every basketball brain in America thinks it was a big deal...except you, of course.

GO HAWKS!

 

[cruhawk]

Its always risky to attach too much importance to any single game. But I think tonight was just that. An important game. A game that we can use as a mearuring stick. And the Hawkeyes came up wanting. Its not just that we lost to a very good team on its court. Its how we lost...and who we lost to.

We might not know for a while how Fran, staff and players react to tonights embarrassing collapse. It may turn out that the Hawks make their stand and rebound from this failure and rally into the BIG10 schedule and finish strong.

Or, tonight might well be a watershed. If Iowa stumbles through the remainder of the season and misses the NCAA tournament we might be looking at the Fran tenure at Iowa in real danger. These sorts of defeats cause a fanbase to ask where the program really is. Fran has earned, and will be given, another season after the 2015/16 run is over regardless of how the Hawks finish...but the ice is getting thin in Iowa City.

Fran came in at such a low point in the program that it's easy to forget that he's still building. The talent & athleticism have gotten better each year, and so have the on-court results.

But the loss against ISU was more about maturity and mental toughness than talent. And that hasn't been as consistent as the uptick in physical ability. They seem to have a hard time responding to difficulties/adversities. To wit: the second half of the '14 season.

 

[Suterman]

Nobody was more disappointed than I with the loss to the Cyclones. But it is only one game and will not decide ANYTHING unless the team let's it define the season. This team is very likely to make the NCAA's and then they can go from there. They need to work on getting the ball inbounds.

 

[Ihawkhoops]

The saddest part of the ISU game debacle is that most of us likely expected it to end the way it did. Most of the conversations I have had, even with casual basketball fans, have gone something like "Even when we were up by 20, I knew they would choke in the second half." Fran's brand is rapidly turning into not being able to close.

The common denominator, IMO, is toughness. Whether it is at the 1 or the 5 spot, we haven't had a willing leader or a team that collectively shows resolve when things get tough. At the end of the game, ISU wanted it more than Iowa, period.

 

[Hawk_4shur]

Iowa State slept through the 1st half and Iowa was on fire. In the 2nd half the roles were reversed. So, now Fran can't coach?

Apparently we need an "Elite" PG? Have you looked up the definition of "elite" lately?

Iowa played their best basketball for about 30 minutes and ran out of gas IMO. ISU has a better team that put on a clinic in the last 10 min and took the game away. They played like a team that could go to the FF. We've seen ISU do this several times in the last couple of years.

This was not a highlight for the Iowa program, but its not going to go in the crapper because of it.

 

[BBHawk]

Its always risky to attach too much importance to any single game. But I think tonight was just that. An important game. A game that we can use as a mearuring stick. And the Hawkeyes came up wanting. Its not just that we lost to a very good team on its court. Its how we lost...and who we lost to.

We might not know for a while how Fran, staff and players react to tonights embarrassing collapse. It may turn out that the Hawks make their stand and rebound from this failure and rally into the BIG10 schedule and finish strong.

Or, tonight might well be a watershed. If Iowa stumbles through the remainder of the season and misses the NCAA tournament we might be looking at the Fran tenure at Iowa in real danger. These sorts of defeats cause a fanbase to ask where the program really is. Fran has earned, and will be given, another season after the 2015/16 run is over regardless of how the Hawks finish...but the ice is getting thin in Iowa City.

How much of an impact on the rest of the season does the IA - IA State game usually have? IMHO, very little other than a win or a loss. I do think that a lot of fans attach way too much importance to it. It is one game out of 30+. Try to keep a little perspective - I sure hope that the team can!

 

[RobSipe11]

I couldn't read all three pages, but felt the need to respond. Tipping point? Yes, absolutely. Coach being on thin ice........you can't be serious. Apparently some have forgotten the Lickliter years already? What the heck is wrong with people? They lost to a team that was supposed to dominate them in a "Magic" coliseum. They dominated that same team for the vast majority of the game. Do they struggle to close out wins? Absolutely, that is definitely one of ,if not the biggest weakness they have, but thin ice for Coach? Good God Gertrude!
For those thinking Coach needs to go, be careful what you wish for, it hasn't been all that long since you got a big chunk bit out of your butt because first round wins in the Tournament every year weren't good enough.

 

[Lone Clone]

How much of an impact on the rest of the season does the IA - IA State game usually have? IMHO, very little other than a win or a loss. I do think that a lot of fans attach way too much importance to it. It is one game out of 30+. Try to keep a little perspective - I sure hope that the team can!

I honestly cannot remember a time when the outcome of the game had an impact on the rest of the season, with the obvious exception of the year Iowa beat ISU in the NIT (the game in which Adam Haluska went scoreless, then immediately announced he was transferring from Ames to Iowa City).

ISU has lost to Iowa and won the Big XII the same season; Iowa has lost to ISU and gone on to post-season success. Hell, it's so early in the season it doesn't even have a significant effect on rankings or RPI.

 

[hawk-i bob]

Sorry but this is off. Gessell exploited his own weaknesses w/ unforced turnovers and brick shooting. Both the Ute and Jok were hitting shots and Woody DOES have a low post game, although he didn't show much last night. I think Gessell overthinks things and then gives the ball away or tries to force things too much. A reliable PG won't panic but Fran ca't get one to come to Iowa. That Macintosh kid at Northwestern would've been just what the doctor ordered. He's got stones, confidence and wants to take the big shot. Gessell is a nice kid but he's not the kind of PG that can finish games or is clutch.

Mike did hit 2 free throws at the 5:10 mark to put Iowa up 73-70
Mike did hit a lay up at the 4:19 mark to put Iowa up 75-72.
Mike did hit another lay up at 2:36 mark to put Iowa up 82-74.

No one scored more than Gesell from the 5 minute mark on..zero turnovers in the last 5 minute..Mike did not panic...others may have.

Mike did have a couple critical turnovers from the 11:35 mark of the 2nd half to around 5 minutes left in the game.. 3 Iowa turnovers at 1:05, 1:01 & :22 none of them were Gesell's. Overall his 5 turnovers were too high.

This was a team & coach loss...not Gesell's. Macintosh is a good player but I've see him make some real bonehead turnovers as well. I guess its a matter of which game we watch to make judgement.

 

[Ronman]

Just wonder how many "fans" on here slamming the coach and the players actually picked Iowa to win that game in Ames.

 

[Clonewithasigh]

Mike did hit 2 free throws at the 5:10 mark to put Iowa up 73-70
Mike did hit a lay up at the 4:19 mark to put Iowa up 75-72.
Mike did hit another lay up at 2:36 mark to put Iowa up 82-74.

No one scored more than Gesell from the 5 minute mark on..zero turnovers in the last 5 minute..Mike did not panic...others may have.

Mike did have a couple critical turnovers from the 11:35 mark of the 2nd half to around 5 minutes left in the game.. 3 Iowa turnovers at 1:05, 1:01 & :22 none of them were Gesell's. Overall his 5 turnovers were too high.

This was a team & coach loss...not Gesell's. Macintosh is a good player but I've see him make some real bonehead turnovers as well. I guess its a matter of which game we watch to make judgement.

Gesell took Morris off the dribble twice in the last 5 minutes. He did not play that bad and was not the reason the hawks lost, IMO.

 

[soybean]

I couldn't read all three pages, but felt the need to respond. Tipping point? Yes, absolutely. Coach being on thin ice........you can't be serious. Apparently some have forgotten the Lickliter years already? What the heck is wrong with people? They lost to a team that was supposed to dominate them in a "Magic" coliseum. They dominated that same team for the vast majority of the game. Do they struggle to close out wins? Absolutely, that is definitely one of ,if not the biggest weakness they have, but thin ice for Coach? Good God Gertrude!
For those thinking Coach needs to go, be careful what you wish for, it hasn't been all that long since you got a big chunk bit out of your butt because first round wins in the Tournament every year weren't good enough.

No, we remember...but we don't judge Iowa Basketball by the Licklighter years.

 

[HoustonREDHawk]

Mike did hit 2 free throws at the 5:10 mark to put Iowa up 73-70
Mike did hit a lay up at the 4:19 mark to put Iowa up 75-72.
Mike did hit another lay up at 2:36 mark to put Iowa up 82-74.

No one scored more than Gesell from the 5 minute mark on..zero turnovers in the last 5 minute..Mike did not panic...others may have.

Mike did have a couple critical turnovers from the 11:35 mark of the 2nd half to around 5 minutes left in the game.. 3 Iowa turnovers at 1:05, 1:01 & :22 none of them were Gesell's. Overall his 5 turnovers were too high.

This was a team & coach loss...not Gesell's. Macintosh is a good player but I've see him make some real bonehead turnovers as well. I guess its a matter of which game we watch to make judgement.

Yep. This loss definitely wasn't one player's fault. Mike didn't have his best overall game, but he was playing against a pretty good player. If anyone seemed to be playing scared at the end, it was Uthoff, but after his first half, it is hard to be critical.

Time to move on to the next game, and use the next couple of games to get ready to give Sparty its first loss.

 

[RobSipe11]

No, we remember...but we don't judge Iowa Basketball by the Licklighter years.

Fair enough...don't judge by only those years. Judge by the years that happen when someone decided that first round tournament wins were not good enough, and the snowball that went down hill from that point to the Lickliter years. Fans can't possibly say that Iowa basketball is not on an upward trend. My point is let the upward ride continue before you put the coach on thin ice after a gut wrenching loss. If it levels off for a season or two, then start warming the seat up for him. I think it is way too early for that, and not only that, I firmly believe that we will surpass the Dr. Tom years under the McCaffery watch.

 

[Ronman]

The attitude on here by some of the malcontents reminds me of the climate of some fans in the last days of Lute Olson and Tom Davis, and to some degree, Alford. Olson became clearly miffed by the nagging criticisms of a certain segment of fans and media. Davis seemed more hurt by those who constantly were looking for reasons to fire him. We saw how that turned out. I, for one, and I believe I speak for the majority of Iowa fans, appreciate the job that Coach McCaffery has done. We have seen a constant improvement from year one to year six, and I cannot fathom how the chirping and sniping after every loss can do anything but hurt the program. Maybe the coaching staff and the players don't visit these boards, but I wouldn't be surprised if some possible recruits did and to see Iowa fans carping about the players and coach cannot leave a positive impression.

 

[DanL53]

1,000 likes if I could give them to Ronman!

 

[hawk-i bob]

The attitude on here by some of the malcontents reminds me of the climate of some fans in the last days of Lute Olson and Tom Davis, and to some degree, Alford. Olson became clearly miffed by the nagging criticisms of a certain segment of fans and media. Davis seemed more hurt by those who constantly were looking for reasons to fire him. We saw how that turned out. I, for one, and I believe I speak for the majority of Iowa fans, appreciate the job that Coach McCaffery has done. We have seen a constant improvement from year one to year six, and I cannot fathom how the chirping and sniping after every loss can do anything but hurt the program. Maybe the coaching staff and the players don't visit these boards, but I wouldn't be surprised if some possible recruits did and to see Iowa fans carping about the players and coach cannot leave a positive impression.

I might add...even the best screw up...remember Lute's TimeOut in the NCAA tournament against WichSt (a timeout we didn't have). A Wichita St fan reminded me of it down in Orlando...folks that was around 34 years ago..

I have my opinion of the ISU game and where we may have screwed up, which I posted previously. I don't believe the majority of the close losses under Fran (especially against Top25 teams) were where we had a 20 pt lead..

 

[PhantomFlyer]

The attitude on here by some of the malcontents reminds me of the climate of some fans in the last days of Lute Olson and Tom Davis, and to some degree, Alford. Olson became clearly miffed by the nagging criticisms of a certain segment of fans and media. Davis seemed more hurt by those who constantly were looking for reasons to fire him. We saw how that turned out. I, for one, and I believe I speak for the majority of Iowa fans, appreciate the job that Coach McCaffery has done. We have seen a constant improvement from year one to year six, and I cannot fathom how the chirping and sniping after every loss can do anything but hurt the program. Maybe the coaching staff and the players don't visit these boards, but I wouldn't be surprised if some possible recruits did and to see Iowa fans carping about the players and coach cannot leave a positive impression.

It's no different on any other team's message board. Visit Wis, MSU, Ky, Duke and you'll find the same thing, especially after a tough loss or during a bad year. Our fans aren't unique.

 

[soybean]

The attitude on here by some of the malcontents reminds me of the climate of some fans in the last days of Lute Olson and Tom Davis, and to some degree, Alford. Olson became clearly miffed by the nagging criticisms of a certain segment of fans and media. Davis seemed more hurt by those who constantly were looking for reasons to fire him. We saw how that turned out. I, for one, and I believe I speak for the majority of Iowa fans, appreciate the job that Coach McCaffery has done. We have seen a constant improvement from year one to year six, and I cannot fathom how the chirping and sniping after every loss can do anything but hurt the program. Maybe the coaching staff and the players don't visit these boards, but I wouldn't be surprised if some possible recruits did and to see Iowa fans carping about the players and coach cannot leave a positive impression.

Who has been doing that? Are you saying that blowing a 20 point lead in the second half against Iowa State is not something that results in a conversation?

 

[hawk-i bob]

It's no different on any other team's message board. Visit Wis, MSU, Ky, Duke and you'll find the same thing, especially after a tough loss or during a bad year. Our fans aren't unique.

Iowa fans are not unique...you are correct. Clap when we win...bitch when we lose. However there are some HR Rivals free board posters who seem to do a post after post after post when we lose (especially after a horrible game like ISU)......and then disappear when we win. .....like when we demolished Marquette on their floor. Not a single post by some who jumped in after the ISU game. Hum.