Year 1 or Year 8?

[navyrules]

I can admit I did not attend one game and rarely even watched a game during the Lickliter era. When Fran was hired, I was initially hesitant, but decided to give his brand of ball a chance. I decided to attend all the home games that first year, and have attended most home games over the last 8 years. There have been expected ups and downs, but this year is by far the most frustrating. Maybe I'm overreacting to just a bad stretch of basketball, but I feel it's time to take a step back and do some reflecting...

Some questions to ponder: Which team was better? Which roster is better? Is the program in better shapein Fran's 1st year or Fran's 8th year?

2010–11 record 11–20 (4–14, 10th Big Ten)
Pos. # Name Height Weight Year Hometown
F 1 Melsahn Basabe 6 ft 7 in 225 lb Fr Glen Cove, NY
G 2 Jordan Stoermer 6 ft 2 in 185 lb Jr Coralville, IA
G 3 Cully Payne 6 ft 1 in 185 lb So Schaumburg, IL
G/F 4 Roy Devyn Marble 6 ft 5 in 190 lb Fr Southfield, MI
G 5 Matt Gatens 6 ft 5 in 215 lb Jr Iowa City, IA
F 11 Cody Cox 6 ft 4 in 190 lb Jr Waterloo, IA
F 13 T. J. Sayre 6 ft 6 in 220 lb Sr Cedar Rapids, IA
F 15 Zach McCabe 6 ft 7 in 225 lb Fr Sioux City, IA
F 20 Andrew Brommer 6 ft 9 in 235 lb Jr Rosemount, MN
G 24 Bryce Cartwright 6 ft 1 in 180 lb Jr Compton, CA
G 25 Eric May 6 ft 5 in 220 lb So Dubuque, IA
G 32 Brandon Stubbs 6 ft 2 in 170 lb Fr Pleasant Hill, IA
F 34 Darius Stokes 6 ft 7 in 190 lb Fr Cedar Rapids, IA
F 35 Devon Archie 6 ft 9 in 225 lb RS Jr Indianapolis, IN
F 50 Jarryd Cole 6 ft 7 in 250 lb Sr Kansas City, KS

2017-18 Roster Current Record 10-10 (1-6, 13th Big Ten)
Pos. # Name Height Weight Year Hometown
F 0 Ahmad Wagner 6 ft 7 in 235 lb Jr Yellow Springs, Ohio
G 1 Maishe Dailey 6 ft 6 in183 lb So Beachwood, Ohio
F 2 Jack Nunge 6 ft 11 in 220 lb Fr Newburgh, Indiana
G 3 Jordan Bohannon 6 ft 0 in 182 lb So Marion, Iowa
G 4 Isaiah Moss 6 ft 5 in 205 lb RS So Chicago, Illinois
F 5 Tyler Cook 6 ft 9 in 253 lb So . Louis, Missouri
F 11 Charlie Rose (W) 6 ft 4 in 185 lb Sr Elmhurst, Illinois
G 13 Austin Ash (W) 6 ft 2 in 155 lb Fr Cedar Rapids, Iowa
F 15 Ryan Kriener 6 ft 9 in 247 lb So Spirit Lake, Iowa
F 20 Riley Till (W) 6 ft 6 in 192 lb RS Fr Dubuque, Iowa
G 24 Brady Ellingson 6 ft 4 in 193 lb RS Jr Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin
F 25 Dom Uhl 6 ft 9 in 217 lbSr Frankfurt, Germany
G 30 Conner McCaffery 6 ft 5 in 190 lb Fr Iowa City, Iowa
F 35 Cordell Pemsl 6 ft 8 in 249 lb So Dubuque, Iowa
F 51 Nicholas Baer 6 ft 7 in 205 lb RS Jr Bettendorf, Iowa
F 55 Luka Garza 6 ft 11 in 237 lb Fr Washington, D.C.

 

[icwesthawk]

Not sure where you are going with this but of course the current roster is better than in year 1. What you missed are the ages and classes of these players. We are one of the youngest teams in college basketball, everyone needs to understand that we all thought a little too highly of this team before the season started and we're not very good this year, that's it. The next 2 years and maybe beyond will define Fran's time here, good or bad.

 

[navyrules]

Not sure where you are going with this but of course the current roster is better than in year 1. What you missed are the ages and classes of these players. We are one of the youngest teams in college basketball, everyone needs to understand that we all thought a little too highly of this team before the season started and we're not very good this year, that's it. The next 2 years and maybe beyond will define Fran's time here, good or bad.

Please don't read in to 'where I'm going with the post'. Just wanted to take time and reflect back on where we started with Fran and where we are now. Just looking for some opinions on what people think the state of the team is now compared to year one. Also, each roster does include what year they are in school, doesn't include their actual age though.

 

[icwesthawk]

This current roster is head and shoulders above Fran's first roster. CW leaving really thru this team for a loop, in hindsight. Then Connor's stuff and we just haven't been a good team ever since. I personally think we could be pretty good with Connor and Joe, along with most of the current players, next season. This season is obviously gone and honestly we need to play the younger players more and give them experience.

 

[anon_i8nzeu2gbf0ba]

Anybody who thinks the loss of Christian Williams is the reason for this pathetic basketball season in Iowa City is delusional. Hell, the kid hardly played last year and seldom did much when he did see the floor. Every player of consequence is back, except for Peter Jok, plus Fran's freshmen recruits. So, how can this group turn out to be the worst team in the Big Ten? And yes, it's worse than Illinois, which has lost five or six games at the buzzer, in OT, etc.

There are no excuses. This is a dumpster fire and an embarrassment to anyone who knows anything about basketball.

I remember many, many posters who, last season, said sure, Jok is a great scorer, but this will be a better team once he moves on.

Well, ya wanna rethink that?

I think it's time for a change in Iowa City. This team is a disaster, and there's no other way to describe it.

Christian Williams...please.

 

[HaydenHawk8]

This current roster is head and shoulders above Fran's first roster. CW leaving really thru this team for a loop, in hindsight. Then Connor's stuff and we just haven't been a good team ever since. I personally think we could be pretty good with Connor and Joe, along with most of the current players, next season. This season is obviously gone and honestly we need to play the younger players more and give them experience.

Fran has the opportunity to "run" some players off this year as well. This current roster is a disaster and needs to be upgraded if we want to see any sort success in the next 2 years. I would not play Ellingson/Pemsl/Wagner any more. Put them at the end of the bench and hopefully they will transfer at years end.

W/out a legit PG to run the show Id say Frans first year roster would beat this current roster strictly because of Cartwright's ability to attack and Gatens/May would be able to torch Baer/Nunge on the wing. I realize Cook would be a tough guard, but Basabe was pretty good his 1st year on campus.

 

[navyrules]

Fran has the opportunity to "run" some players off this year as well. This current roster is a disaster and needs to be upgraded if we want to see any sort success in the next 2 years. I would not play Ellingson/Pemsl/Wagner any more. Put them at the end of the bench and hopefully they will transfer at years end.

W/out a legit PG to run the show Id say Frans first year roster would beat this current roster strictly because of Cartwright's ability to attack and Gatens/May would be able to torch Baer/Nunge on the wing. I realize Cook would be a tough guard, but Basabe was pretty good his 1st year on campus.

Also, don't forget that Jaryd Cole was on that roster, he is one of the most underrated Hawks in the last 10 years. Played hard, smart, and tough.

 

[icwesthawk]

CW was hurt and I believe is still hurt. I believe we would have been a better team this season with a healthy CW. Keep harping for a change because that is all you are doing, Fran isn't going anywhere.

 

[DodgerHawki]

This current roster is head and shoulders above Fran's first roster. CW leaving really thru this team for a loop, in hindsight. Then Connor's stuff and we just haven't been a good team ever since. I personally think we could be pretty good with Connor and Joe, along with most of the current players, next season. This season is obviously gone and honestly we need to play the younger players more and give them experience.

The current roster is likely better than Fran's first year, but it is not a slam dunk. His first team had junior Gatens and freshman Devyn Marble. Cook is likely better than either of them, but the upward trajectory of Marble gave real hope for the next 3 years. Fran's first team did compete hard and it won 4 games in the league and was competitive in a few others. This team has only been competitive in 1 Big Ten game, the game at Illinois.

If the only change is Conor McC and Joe W, things will not be all that much better if at all. In fact, I would prefer Conor not play as he will be blamed for the shortcomings of the team that's not his fault.

 

[navyrules]

The current roster is likely better than Fran's first year, but it is not a slam dunk. His first team had junior Gatens and freshman Devyn Marble. Cook is likely better than either of them, but the upward trajectory of Marble gave real hope for the next 3 years. Fran's first team did compete hard and it won 4 games in the league and was competitive in a few others. This team has only been competitive in 1 Big Ten game, the game at Illinois.

If the only change is Conor McC and Joe W, things will not be all that much better if at all. In fact, I would prefer Conor not play as he will be blamed for the shortcomings of the team that's not his fault.

I would agree. I'm not sure that this roster is all that much better than his first year. Of course, I could be wrong.

 

[SDHawkDoc]

There seems to be a group of posters that are seeing a higher level of player quality than some of the rest of us.
I absolutely think that this group is not getting nearly enough out of what they do have for ability. The defensive end of the court is just atrocious, far more so than it should be.
However, this is not a roster loaded with talent. They are mostly role players with glaring deficiencies in one or more facets of the game. Cook is the one player that could probably be a starter for several other B1G teams. And he would get his ass chewed for his poor defensive efforts.
They shouldn't be as terrible as they are as a unit, but even playing to 90% of their individual abilities this is not an outstanding roster.

 

[83Hawk]

Fran's first year, I decided to buy a season ticket. The only time I've ever done that for basketball. I made the trip religiously from the Des Moines area, and only missed one game (due to being sick).

Fran may have better talent on this year's roster, but his team was MUCH more fun to watch that first year. Those kids hustled their rear ends off.