***2024-2025 Iowa Men’s Basketball Season Thread***

[douglasbader]

I've been perhaps the biggest Fran defender on here for nearly 15 years. He's been very good for the program overall. I like the guy.

He lost me a couple years ago when Patrick became a mess and Iowa had a VERY glaring obvious problem on defense and Fran did absolutely nothing to try and fix it. Not only that, but it actually has gotten much worse.

That can and should get him fired no matter what he has done.

 

[Stu Beagle]

Are you expecting him to get canned in the middle of the season or something?

I’d love to do what Indiana has done. Fran finishes the season but we get to start the hiring process

 

[douglasbader]

By the way, Kirk was on the same exact path but Beth forced (or some regent, fuck off L. Wade) forced his hand. He acted like a bitch about it for a day but then grew up and accepted change. He continues to adjust.

If Fran had that forced on him or did it willingly, then I would be ok with him staying. Clean out half of his old guard staff like Sherm and Al, get a well known up and coming set of defensive coaches and maybe even do what a few Football coaches have done and commit $1m of your salary to NIL funds.

That's about the only way he should be allowed to stay.

 

[AZmessDAWG]

By the way, Kirk was on the same exact path but Beth forced (or some regent, fuck off L. Wade) forced his hand. He acted like a bitch about it for a day but then grew up and accepted change. He continues to adjust.

If Fran had that forced on him or did it willingly, then I would be ok with him staying. Clean out half of his old guard staff like Sherm and Al, get a well known up and coming set of defensive coaches and maybe even do what a few Football coaches have done and commit $1m of your salary to NIL funds.

That's about the only way he should be allowed to stay.

Unless they’re gonna get guys like Craig Neal did for Alford I don’t think new assistants can do much.

 

[douglasbader]

Unless they’re gonna get guys like Craig Neal did for Alford I don’t think new assistants can do much.

He's got talent, he just can't fucking coach defense worth a shit.

 

[AZmessDAWG]

Idk. Sounds good in theory.

 

[MikeyJoe]

The longer it drags on the less confident I am it’s happening

Stu you're really dumb.

 

[CamelTones]

Kentucky offering Tyler Ulis is still the dumbest thing that’s happened in the history of college basketball. Second dumbest was Iowa not offering Monte Morris.

Frans still had a very good run at Iowa.
Luka Garza
Aaron White
Uthoff
Jok
Murray Twins
Wieskamp
Cook
I know people hate him but bohannon provided some of the best moments in the last 25 years of Iowa basketball.

His development of Clemmons, Olaseni, Kriener, Frederick, Baer and even Eric May was as good as anyone could have done with those players. If it wasn’t for bad luck, Nunge would have been the starting center the year they won the BTT.

He unfortunately picked a horrible time for this 3 year slide that coincided with Caitlin Clark putting attention on women’s basketball and Iowa State being top 10.

 

[B19Rob]

Their is an alternate timeline out there where Iowa landed Marcus Paige and made an elite eight.

 

[Alan Lomax]

Kentucky offering Tyler Ulis is still the dumbest thing that’s happened in the history of college basketball. Second dumbest was Iowa not offering Monte Morris.

Frans still had a very good run at Iowa.
Luka Garza
Aaron White
Uthoff
Jok
Murray Twins
Wieskamp
Cook
I know people hate him but bohannon provided some of the best moments in the last 25 years of Iowa basketball.

His development of Clemmons, Olaseni, Kriener, Frederick, Baer and even Eric May was as good as anyone could have done with those players. If it wasn’t for bad luck, Nunge would have been the starting center the year they won the BTT.

He unfortunately picked a horrible time for this 3 year slide that coincided with Caitlin Clark putting attention on women’s basketball and Iowa State being top 10.

This is literally the most favorable view of Fran that could exist. And it’s fine.

 

[Gushawk]

To the extent that you think we need to meaningfully improve NIL, I don't know how you can keep Fran no matter what staff changes he makes. He's like investing in Lyft at this point.

 

[Hawkstrat]

That fucking beam.

 

[HiawathaHawk]

Their is an alternate timeline out there where Iowa landed Marcus Paige and made an elite eight.

Might have been one year off on that. He was enamored with KU and UNC and the idea of blue bloods but he was tight with Woodbury and Gesell and loved everything about Fran and his offense. If he had been hired one year earlier, I think he might have had all three.

 

[KitKatApples]

Might've happened if not for AZ's incessant defense of Todd The Criminal

 

[Lee Beevers]

This is a retarded take and you’re a retarded retard.

Lol. Nope!!!

 

[Thomas Wolsey]

To the extent that you think we need to meaningfully improve NIL, I don't know how you can keep Fran no matter what staff changes he makes. He's like investing in Lyft at this point.

I like lyft

 

[KitKatApples]

I like lyft from the pins

 

[Brad Wesley]

Fran’s unwillingness to coach or emphasize defense is clearly a problem. I can’t think of many of Fran’s guards that could keep the opposing PG from frequently getting into the lane. I can’t think of many of his PG that could get into the lane and draw defenders. Harding can get into the lane but is forced to stop and pivot for four seconds looking for a pass as he can’t do shit once he gets a step on his defender. Being a midget in basketball is often problematic.

 

[tallperson54]

Pierre Jackson, Paige, and/or Ulis would have changed Fran's trajectory pretty significantly. It felt like we were only a pg away for a solid 5-7 year stretch. Now we still need a pg, but we also need a lot more.

 

[nolookpass]

somebody opined that Iowa couldn't land a solid PG recruit because a lot of kids figured Connor Mc would be the PG for a few years. They probably didn't know it would be 6 years, tho.

 

[eclone]

 

[champion_thedrinker]

Joe T was the key. Fran destroyed his confidence by inexplicably giving his minutes to whites.

 

[nolookpass]

Joe T was the key. Fran destroyed his confidence by inexplicably giving his minutes to whites.

he didn't help his confidence. quick hook for turnovers whilst never pulling anyone for lax defense.

 

[tallperson54]

he didn't help his confidence. quick hook for turnovers whilst never pulling anyone for lax defense.

Agreed. I have often wondered if we are getting bad pgs, or if Fran just doesn't have the ability to coach them. Probably some of both.

 

[Fritz Fequiere]

Stupid people are attracted to these types of assertions.

 

[Fritz Fequiere]

people who couldn't pass calculus is probably a good indicator

 

[KitKatApples]

Whew!

 

[6deuce]

people who couldn't pass calculus is probably a good indicator

 

[kenos]

that looks like a fran team, and conditioning drill

 

[AZmessDAWG]

Yeah Joe T sucked. I don’t have a problem with how Fran handled him.

 

[B19Rob]

This years basketball team could potentially be the worst defensive Big 10 team in the KenPom era. During conference games they are allowing a defensive efficiency rate of 118.8 which is the second worst since 1996-97. Only the 15-16 Rutgers team was worse. Iowa opponents have an eFG% of 59.1 in conference games this year. For reference, Steph Curry's career eFG% is 58.1. It is fucking atrocious basketball and anyone who wants Fran back is retarded.

 

[Mysterio]

joe t always looked like he was running in the house with socks. then he'd wipe his shoes like it was a mechanical failure and not him being out of control

 

[Thomas Wolsey]

This years basketball team could potentially be the worst defensive Big 10 team in the KenPom era. During conference games they are allowing a defensive efficiency rate of 118.8 which is the second worst since 1996-97. Only the 15-16 Rutgers team was worse. Iowa opponents have an eFG% of 59.1 in conference games this year. For reference, Steph Curry's career eFG% is 58.1. It is fucking atrocious basketball and anyone who wants Fran back is retarded.

Nice narrative!!

 

[Fletch]

This years basketball team could potentially be the worst defensive Big 10 team in the KenPom era. During conference games they are allowing a defensive efficiency rate of 118.8 which is the second worst since 1996-97. Only the 15-16 Rutgers team was worse. Iowa opponents have an eFG% of 59.1 in conference games this year. For reference, Steph Curry's career eFG% is 58.1. It is fucking atrocious basketball and anyone who wants Fran back is retarded.

 

[L. Wade Childress]

I remember our opponents shot some stupid 3pt% against us in our last really bad season. The 2012 guys hadn’t been gone very long so I just thought it was a crazy outlier.

 

[L. Wade Childress]

I found it. In Big Ten games our opponents shot 43!!!!!!% against us in 2018

 

[Thomas Wolsey]

I found it. In Big Ten games our opponents shot 43!!!!!!% against us in 2018

Now we just let them take layups. Problem solved.

 

[Fletch]

Don’t forget that Minnesota guy who went 8-9 against us and 9-65 for the season.

 

[Mysterio]

i don't want fran back, but i think he will be at iowa next year

 

[Fritz Fequiere]

I found it. In Big Ten games our opponents shot 43!!!!!!% against us in 2018

Maybe I'm making this up but I seem to remember there was a prevailing belief at the time amongst pseudo-smart people ("ANALYTICS SAY!") that there was no such thing as good or bad 3-point defense. It was just bad luck.

Am I making that up?

 

[L. Wade Childress]

i don't want fran back, but i think he will be at iowa next year

no

 

[L. Wade Childress]

Maybe I'm making this up but I seem to remember there was a prevailing belief at the time amongst pseudo-smart people ("ANALYTICS SAY") that there was no such thing as good or bad 3-point defense. It was just bad luck.

Am I making that up?

It’s still true actually

 

[Fritz Fequiere]

the fuck it is

 

[Fritz Fequiere]

Is it true because some dork who never even played says it is?

 

[Thomas Wolsey]

Maybe I'm making this up but I seem to remember there was a prevailing belief at the time amongst pseudo-smart people ("ANALYTICS SAY!") that there was no such thing as good or bad 3-point defense. It was just bad luck.

Am I making that up?

I believe the idea was that the number of threes you allow your opponent to take in a given game is considered a better measurement, but that assumes your opponents are coached to enable their best shooters to shoot more threes, and the defense is trying to take away the opponents best shooters.

 

[KitKatApples]

Now we just let them take layups. Problem solved.

It's one point less, master strategy.

 

[L. Wade Childress]

At one point a ways into this season, our 3pt defense was massively improved.

 

[The Dad]

Don’t forget that Minnesota guy who went 8-9 against us and 9-65 for the season.

That broke me. I’ve never fully recovered. Didn’t help that he looked like Jar Jar Binks. It was too much.

 

[Fletch]

That broke me. I’ve never fully recovered. Didn’t help that he looked like Jar Jar Binks. It was too much.

That’s the day I accepted our fate but not before going through the stages of grief. First this:





then ultimately this:

 

[WestMifflin]

That broke me. I’ve never fully recovered. Didn’t help that he looked like Jar Jar Binks. It was too much.

Look at this shit! He made 8 of his career 72 threes (over 5 years and 152 games) in that single game. He made 6 other threes total that year at Minnesota. Fucking hell.