The Fran fade

[jmb]

Yeah. That's true. It doesn't make sense not admitting the truth about it.

Just like Iowa fans need to realize that (barring a freak accident) Mad Fran is never going to get them to the Sweet 16 or deeper and that Iowa will be fortunate indeed to even sniff the NCAA tournament next year now that it has blown its Luka wad. That mid major roster is going to stink it up.

Their entire season has a giant *. Everyone knows how huge a fraud that team was.

 

[Statefan10]

I would hope so...

That’s literally the only silver lining about it. Lol

 

[BCClone]

So once players hit 20-21 years old they don’t improve? Good logic.

True when Fran is their coach.

 

[Rural]

National player of the year and one of the oldest + most experienced teams in college basketball in a year Covid favored teams with continuity. They went 1-5 against the really good teams on their schedule, went 1-1 in the conference tournament, didn't make it past the Round of 32, and their point guard made a mockery of himself along the way.

As a rival fan, that went about as well as I could of hoped at the beginning of the year. The deck was stacked in Fran's favor and he failed again but still earned a fat extension in the process.

When you get rated in the top 5 doesn't that sort of imply there should be no such thing as a bad matchup?

 

[CyTwins]

Would Iowa fans rather have Fran or TJ? With Fran you know you're ceiling so I'm curious

 

[BCClone]

When you get rated in the top 5 doesn't that sort of imply there should be no such thing as a bad matchup?

Thought Garza was supposed to be a bad matchup for Oregon. He went off for about 40, think if the crappy Iowa guards could have done anything, they should have won by 20.

 

[Statefan10]

Would Iowa fans rather have Fran or TJ? With Fran you know you're ceiling so I'm curious

Idk about TJ specifically, but if you could give them the option of a guy like DeVries (young up and coming guy like TJ), I’d bet they’d be ecstatic to have him over Fran.

 

[Statefan10]

Thought Garza was supposed to be a bad matchup for Oregon. He went off for about 40, think if the crappy Iowa guards could have done anything, they should have won by 20.

Actually I think the opposite. Oregon should’ve won by 20. Oregon was no doubt the better team and it showed as Iowa was only competitive with them for a half of basketball.

Iowa’s weaknesses were exposed in full force. What has Iowa struggled with ever since Fran has been the coach? Long athletic guards who can switch 1-4.

 

[jctisu]

Yep. Head coach got fired because of it.

It’s like Hawk fans are thinking by bringing this up constantly is a major slam that will rile us up. We know we are completely awful right now and this year was just the most suck ever. We are looking forward to trying to get back up to tourney level with a new coach. Meanwhile Frans best team and seed STILL didn’t accomplish anything other than a Rd of 32 exit.

 

[BCClone]

Actually I think the opposite. Oregon should’ve won by 20. Oregon was no doubt the better team and it showed as Iowa was only competitive with them for a half of basketball.

Iowa’s weaknesses were exposed in full force. What has Iowa struggled with ever since Fran has been the coach? Long athletic guards who can switch 1-4.

Defense.

Yes, I know Iowa should not have won by 20. Tournaments depend heavy on guard play, Iowa has crap there so they were screwed once they hit a team with a pulse. I was just mentioning that the hype train had them unbeatable when Garza was rolling, their hype train was wrong.

 

[Statefan10]

Defense.

Yes, I know Iowa should not have won by 20. Tournaments depend heavy on guard play, Iowa has crap there so they were screwed once they hit a team with a pulse. I was just mentioning that the hype train had them unbeatable when Garza was rolling, their hype train was wrong.

100% agree.

 

[Mr Janny]

If you're looking for excuses, you'll love this article.
-Terrible draw
-Injuries
-Oregon was fresher
-The Ducks had more time to scout Iowa

I half expected the author to talk about how Iowa actually overachieved, considering they're still digging out of the Todd Lickliter hole.

An Optimist’s Guide to Iowa’s 2020-2021 Basketball Season

It was a hell of a lost of fun while it lasted and we’re all going to be telling our grandkids about this team and its superstar.

www.blackheartgoldpants.com

 

[BCClone]

If you're looking for excuses, you'll love this article.
-Terrible draw
-Injuries
-Oregon was fresher
-The Ducks had more time to scout Iowa

I half expected the author to talk about how Iowa actually overachieved, considering they're still digging out of the Todd Lickliter hole.

An Optimist’s Guide to Iowa’s 2020-2021 Basketball Season

It was a hell of a lost of fun while it lasted and we’re all going to be telling our grandkids about this team and its superstar.

www.blackheartgoldpants.com

I just read the intro. I love the part about telling your kids/grandkids about the team that made the second round.

 

[CyTwins]

If you're looking for excuses, you'll love this article.
-Terrible draw
-Injuries
-Oregon was fresher
-The Ducks had more time to scout Iowa

I half expected the author to talk about how Iowa actually overachieved, considering they're still digging out of the Todd Lickliter hole.

An Optimist’s Guide to Iowa’s 2020-2021 Basketball Season

It was a hell of a lost of fun while it lasted and we’re all going to be telling our grandkids about this team and its superstar.

www.blackheartgoldpants.com

"But at the end of the day, we just witnessed one of the greatest basketball seasons in program history."

 

[GTO]

I just read the intro. I love the part about telling your kids/grandkids about the team that made the second round.

HISTORIC season.

 

[FouchodeHond]

“It was a hell of a lost of fun while it lasted and we’re all going to be telling our grandkids about this team and its superstar.”

Please tell me this sentence wasn’t written by a UofI graduate.

 

[cycloner29]

I just read the intro. I love the part about telling your kids/grandkids about the team that made the second round.

JFC!! Who in the hell wrote this?

"It was a hell of a lost of fun while it lasted and we’re all going to be telling our grandkids about this team and its superstar."

As dumb as it sounds, they did get the lost part right.

 

[cyfanatic13]

In the Hawks’ defense, any team with even average guard play was a terrible match up for them

 

[Rural]

If you're looking for excuses, you'll love this article.
-Terrible draw
-Injuries
-Oregon was fresher
-The Ducks had more time to scout Iowa

I half expected the author to talk about how Iowa actually overachieved, considering they're still digging out of the Todd Lickliter hole.

An Optimist’s Guide to Iowa’s 2020-2021 Basketball Season

It was a hell of a lost of fun while it lasted and we’re all going to be telling our grandkids about this team and its superstar.

www.blackheartgoldpants.com

It's more than evident that all alive in that era will have to die off before that ever goes away.

 

[Mr Janny]

I just read the intro. I love the part about telling your kids/grandkids about the team that made the second round.

"Grandpa, can you tell us the story about the time the Hawkeyes beat a WAC school again?!?! It's our favorite."

"Grandpa's voice is tired. Why don't we just watch the ESPN 30 for 30 episode they did on the season?... Or the movie that Ron Howard made about that storied run?... Or if nothing else, go down to the Philadelphia Museum of art, where they replaced the Rocky statue with one of Fran Mccaffrey pulling his mask down to yell the 'F' word?"