**2025-2026 Iowa Basketball Season Thread**

[AZmessDAWG]

Lol

 

[douglasbader]

People will forever be searching for the perfect salt/butter combo on their popcorn. I wouldn't lose sleep over it.

We must strive for perfection.

 

[Lee Beevers]

Nope

You think the Iowa athletic department wouldn’t conduct an internal investigation about racial accusations after the attempted cancelling of our football program over the refusal to serve burned steaks?

 

[YugoslavianMountainHound]

 

[shoot-the-three]

How many hours of prep time do you suppose that Fran dedicated to devising a defense for each opponent?

 

[CamelTones]

 

[Malickfan]

View attachment 70885

We can confirm.

 

[Fletch]

Wow. That’s amazing on multiple levels. Seems like a swipe at Fran. Not sure if he means it that way

 

[Hawk_Kegmasters]

That slime knows what he’s talking about.

 

[FranklinHawk]

How many hours of prep time do you suppose that Fran dedicated to devising a defense for each opponent?

Well, then he might have actually had to teach them how to play defense.

 

[Hawk&Balls]

From the first press conference, I thought he had a touch of ADHD/neurodivergence.

This confirms it. As a diagnosed ADHD-er, the passage about deadlines and hyperfocus is a full-on Leo DiCaprio point at the TV moment.

If you know, you know. If you don't, well, imminent deadlines give you fucking superpowers. Got a 20 page research paper you haven't started that's due tomorrow? It'll be done before the sun sets. Need to come up with a clever argument on a brief? Once you get close enough to the filing deadline you'll rip that fucker off like it's a goddamn Band-Aid.

This man talks of building something at Iowa, and if that's how his brain works, if he gets off by finding weaknesses in other teams' armor and exploiting them to the fullest, then buckle up, boys, because he just might fuck around and do it.

Well shit

 

[Hawk&Balls]

I suspect that Folgueiras is the guy whose ass McCollum chews most frequently, yet Folgueiras seems to love being part of this team.

That's a great sign.

Hausen plays once every 7th game and he seems to love mccollum

 

[WCFHawkeye]

all it takes is some tournament success to get program buy in

Frandawg couldn’t do it, and that’s on him

Fran 4 NCAA wins in 15 years.

McCollum 3+ in 1 year.

 

[Pedro Gomez]

Lol

 

[LifelongHawk]

He's nuts, and I get it. I'll get clowned for this, but I have something for my work I have been similarly nuts about since I was a kid and love to attack looking at it in the same sort of way. I've got a small group of guys around the world that are also nuts about it and we brainstorm and figure out things better than anyone in the industry can to the point where you can figure out things before they ever happen.

It's a thrill and rush when you go through the process and it does lead to a lack of sleep sometimes, but when you figure it out and you see the results weeks and months down the road it's an incredible feeling and the recognition you get is also a fun part of it. It's also fun because the puzzle is never really solved and there is always another challenge to come. It's a small niche thing but does have an impact, but 99.9% of people couldn't give a shit less about it.

No, I don't think I'm Ben McCollum and yes I'm a fucking douche/dork, but that article made me appreciate him all the more.

Wow, I thought Obama was a narcissist.

 

[YugoslavianMountainHound]

you can figure out things before they ever happen.

 

[HerkyHopeful]

Fran 4 NCAA wins in 15 years.

McCollum 3+ in 1 year.

To be fair he probably would have had one more win in 2020. They probably would have been a 5 or 6 seed

 

[26.2]

You think the Iowa athletic department wouldn’t conduct an internal investigation about racial accusations after the attempted cancelling of our football program over the refusal to serve burned steaks?

Bingo. I ran this shit by my sources and they all laughed at the stupidity of the question.

 

[CamelTones]

To be fair he probably would have had one more win in 2020. They probably would have been a 5 or 6 seed

Frans biggest problem was he was just happy to make the tournament. His best tournament performance was a game they trailed by 22.

 

[champion_thedrinker]

Fran was on Travelocity 24 hours before tip.

 

[Dr. Zaius]

Bingo. I ran this shit by my sources and they all laughed at the stupidity of the question.

Some guys you were blowing at It’s Brothers?

 

[Revolver]

Melsahn Basabe will always hold a special spot in my heart. He was the first piece in completing the white washing of the The Criminal era. He was also a certified slime who enjoyed himself the volleyball joints.

 

[nikolausp]

 

[MikeyJoe]

Frans biggest problem was he was just happy to make the tournament. His best tournament performance was a game they trailed by 22.

I think Fran fundamentally believed that there was a ceiling at Iowa.

I agree Iowa fans should temper expectations given history and resources, but Fran gave off the vibe that he felt like it was impossible to do better than he was doing. Which is where I think the comments from Connor are coming. Fran had over 15 years of average performance that was never really more than decent. And they act like he was incredibly wronged for not being permitted to do it indefinitely.

 

[Talkin' Goat]

I think Fran fundamentally believed that there was a ceiling at Iowa.

I agree Iowa fans should temper expectations given history and resources, but Fran gave off the vibe that he felt like it was impossible to do better than he was doing. Which is where I think the comments from Connor are coming. Fran had over 15 years of average performance that was never really more than decent. And they act like he was incredibly wronged for not being permitted to do it indefinitely.

It basically was impossible, but that was due to Fran’s limitations, not Iowa’s.

 

[Thomas Wolsey]

I think Fran fundamentally believed that there was a ceiling at Iowa.

I agree Iowa fans should temper expectations given history and resources, but Fran gave off the vibe that he felt like it was impossible to do better than he was doing. Which is where I think the comments from Connor are coming. Fran had over 15 years of average performance that was never really more than decent. And they act like he was incredibly wronged for not being permitted to do it indefinitely.

He also never attempted to fix the obvious flaws, then expected people to support and cheer it on after 15 years.

 

[Pedro Gomez]

Fran was on Travelocity 24 hours before tip.

Taking Fat Margaret to some place tropical

 

[newsbreaker]

I think Fran fundamentally believed that there was a ceiling at Iowa.

I agree Iowa fans should temper expectations given history and resources, but Fran gave off the vibe that he felt like it was impossible to do better than he was doing. Which is where I think the comments from Connor are coming. Fran had over 15 years of average performance that was never really more than decent. And they act like he was incredibly wronged for not being permitted to do it indefinitely.

It was reasonable for people to think there was great risk in moving on from Fran, and there was. There is nothing about Iowa that makes success, even moderate success, inevitable.

But that “grass is always greener” has been definitively disproven.

But Fran and his family probably think this is a matter of just catching a few breaks he didn’t, and that’s a wrong way of seeing it.

 

[FrodoTBaggin]

Who would have that toughness could actually win? A lot of programs, it turns out.

There weren't many of us who bitched about the softness here originally with Fran's teams. It was all, the refs suck! Freedom of movement! Fran coaches how the game should be played! Faggotry.

 

[WCFHawkeye]

Fran's teams were 1-3 in tournament games when playing a higher-seeded team. That one win was as a 10-seed defeating a 7-seed.

When Iowa was the higher-seeded team, Iowa was 3-3, including losses as a 5 to a 12 and as a 2 to a 7.

He was 0-1 when playing the same seed.

 

[champion_thedrinker]

Taking Fat Margaret to some place tropical

Marge on the beach in swimwear?

 

[CamelTones]

I think Fran fundamentally believed that there was a ceiling at Iowa.

I agree Iowa fans should temper expectations given history and resources, but Fran gave off the vibe that he felt like it was impossible to do better than he was doing. Which is where I think the comments from Connor are coming. Fran had over 15 years of average performance that was never really more than decent. And they act like he was incredibly wronged for not being permitted to do it indefinitely.

This is what I was trying to say. I feel like Basabes tweet more or less showed the fundamental flaw of the program. He’s now essentially admitting that they settled for good enough and never thought he would see this. And that’s not his fault. It was the mentality from the top.

It was probably fine for the era and AD that Fran had. It was never going to work when the players started getting played.

 

[CamelTones]

I think Fran fundamentally believed that there was a ceiling at Iowa.

I agree Iowa fans should temper expectations given history and resources, but Fran gave off the vibe that he felt like it was impossible to do better than he was doing. Which is where I think the comments from Connor are coming. Fran had over 15 years of average performance that was never really more than decent. And they act like he was incredibly wronged for not being permitted to do it indefinitely.

This is what I was trying to say. I feel like Basabes tweet more or less showed the fundamental flaw of the program. He’s now essentially admitting that they settled for good enough and never thought he would see this. And that’s not his fault. It was the mentality from the top.

It was probably fine for the era and AD that Fran had. It was never going to work when the players started getting played.

 

[Malickfan]

You can say that again.

 

[OlePeep]

 

[MikeyJoe]

Incredible season.

 

[ABeardedDragon]

Good season, good run. Get a pg and a center.

 

[L. Wade Childress]

I think Fran fundamentally believed that there was a ceiling at Iowa.

I agree Iowa fans should temper expectations given history and resources, but Fran gave off the vibe that he felt like it was impossible to do better than he was doing. Which is where I think the comments from Connor are coming. Fran had over 15 years of average performance that was never really more than decent. And they act like he was incredibly wronged for not being permitted to do it indefinitely.

he must have met Kirk and Tom.

 

[HCPhawk]

That was awesome. The most excited I've been about Iowa Basketball in a long time.

 

[Iowatheltics]

Hats off Iowa - great run - proud of all you accomplished this year!!!!

 

[Floyd R]

Go Fuckin Hawks!!!!

 

[gohawkeyes811]

Fuckin' sports.

What a year. I'm more just sad after growing to love this team. These guys completed with everything they had.

 

[L. Wade Childress]

Great finish to the season. I couldn’t have spent it with a better group of fags.

history will show that Iowa was undefeated in the 2026 ncaa tourney until my brother showed up at my house.

 

[Nobody]

Just look at the joy they ended up bringing us. Go wild with NIL stuff and see you in Carver next season!

 

[Laplace]

Not upset we lost. Just disappointed the ride is over if that makes sense. For now.

 

[roseboundhawk]

I'm not even sad. It's great to have the excitement back for Iowa basketball.

Can't wait to see how the spring and summer develop and for next season to start.

 

[Lee Beevers]

I must insist on blaming the tavern hawks for the end of the season. Us alums carried the squad as far as we could. This was so much fun and playing on the second weekend is so special. Ben’s going to keep it cooking in Iowa City.

 

[roseboundhawk]

I must insist on blaming the tavern hawks for the end of the season. Us alums carried the squad as far as we could. This was so much fun and playing on the second weekend is so special. Ben’s going to keep it cooking in Iowa City.

Tavern Hoks disgust me.

 

[Lee Beevers]

Tavern Hoks disgust me.

Always. Despicable

 

[The Dad]

Tavern Hoks disgust me.

Especially ones who pretend to be real Hawks when it’s time for the glory and fuck up all the hard work the rest of us have done.