Winning and losing Big Games

[DanL53]

I have in front of me a list of all Iowa's Big Ten games for the last fifteen full seasons, against top 25 ranked Big Ten opponents. I went back 15 years because that's as far as this goes:

http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/team/schedule/_/id/2294/iowa-hawkeyes

Alford's last six years, 9-16.
Lickliter, 3 years, 1-18
McCaffery total, 14-27

Breaking McCaffery's years down a bit
First three years, 5-16
Since (3 seasons + 16/17 so far) 9-11 If we'd have beaten Maryland? 10-10)

Close losses? Five or less or OT?

Alford's last six, 4-4
Lickliter, 0-3
McCaffery, 3-10*

*4 came the year Gesell, Woody were frosh
* Last two full seasons plus 16/17, only two such games, 1-1

Not surprisingly, our four best years, the four years we received an NCAA invite:

05-06, 4-2 vs top 25 Big Ten opponents.
13/14, 2-5
14/15, 2-2
15/16, 4-2

Two kind of oddball years:
02/03, 2-0
11/12, 4-4

Another notable, our 2012 freshman class of Woody, Gesell....0-7.

I think the one thing that stands out, on a positive note, is the recent years where we've held our own. In the sense of the "Big Game"? I'd say we're seeing the best ball we have for 15 years.

 

[EZ2BJZ]

The Iowa fans making the biggest fuss about Fran usually have no rhyme or reason for it beyond just being upset Iowa lost.

When Iowa wins, Fran is passionate and inspires his players to play with fire. When Iowa loses, Fran is a loose cannon. The common denominator is winning and losing. Period. People think they are so sophisticated and insightful in their critiques but the reality is the average Joe-six-pack Iowa fan doesn't know their ass from a hole in the ground when it comes to basketball.

The bottom line is Fran has rescued Iowa from the Dark Ages of Lickliter and has produced a brand of basketball that is exciting and fun to watch. He is also starting to get in better players that better fit his system. Is he perfect? No. Is the Iowa program improving dramatically? Yep. Does the future look bright? You bet it does.

'Nuff said.

 

[Hawk_4shur]

Lick only coached against 3 B1G Top 25 teams in 3 years? Is that accurate? The B1G must have been down. Imagine if the conference was tough in those years.

The last "complete" coach Iowa had was Lute Olsen. In that, I mean recruiting, player development, bench coaching, etc. And, he was still learning and far from great at all those things.

I think Fran is doing a good job. Not spectacular, but solid.

 

[icwesthawk]

We've got Fran for awhile whether we like him or not. He's not going to get fired and it doesn't appear that anyone else is beating down his door. I don't particularly like his coaching, too volatile, offense stagnates far too often and defensively we are deficient in multiple years. But he does recruit an athlete that I enjoy watching and he is taking a lot of Iowa kids, which is good. Players seem to enjoy playing for him, at least publicly they claim to and I am bullish on the Hawks in the coming years.

 

[ScoutRefugee]

I have in front of me the BIG titles and Sweet 16s that Fran has been a part of since he was hired here at Iowa..........
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[DanL53]

Lick only coached against 3 B1G Top 25 teams in 3 years? Is that accurate? The B1G must have been down. Imagine if the conference was tough in those years.

The last "complete" coach Iowa had was Lute Olsen. In that, I mean recruiting, player development, bench coaching, etc. And, he was still learning and far from great at all those things.

I think Fran is doing a good job. Not spectacular, but solid.

No, 1-18 in those years. 0-3 in close games.

 

[Hawk_4shur]

No, 1-18 in those years. 0-3 in close games.

Well, crap. I can only read and comprehend short sentences DanL.

 

[hawk_it]

Fun to look at Thanks Dan