[sportstalent]

Originally Posted by drew003

Sometimes I think you are crazy, but not with this hypothesis. In basketball talent wins period. Physical development is not that important, the best recruits tends to be the best players. You can refine skills, try to create chemistry, and emphasize defense but ultimately the team with better players normally wins in basketball.

Teams that had the most "talent" and either haven't made the NCAA or won a National Championship last season: UConn, UNC, Kansas, Kentucky. How did Memphis lose to Kansas in the Championship game when they easily had more talent?
I don't completely disagree with your analysis, but there is a little something that the coach has to do to make the talent work.
Iowa has had talent in the last decade, but it seems on the outside that the coaching did not emphasize some of those things that you highlited with defense and chemistry.
Butler is a "team" that had how much talent in the eyes of recruiting and in the eyes of the National scene? If the talent/players cannot play as a team and go through the motions and expect to win by showing up (Kansas/UNI) then the talent is wasted (Kansas) and the team (UNI) wins. I don't know that Iowa will ever recruit the top teir talent and I don't care if they do, but if they get players that understand the team concept, then Iowa will be fine in the end.
I don't think I am going overboard when I say that Iowa can recruit good to very good players to campus, they have proven they can in the past. Three star team oriented players are better in the long-term than Five star one and done, self-absorbed players. Now there are 5-stars that have the team concept, but most are simply looking out for themselves and how quickly they can get to the NBA.
Big Picture, I am not worried about short-term only in terms of perception, if Iowa is not percieved to be a bad place now that Coach Fran is there, that is number one to me. Other short-term issues are the staff to make it clear what their goals are and I believe that has been done.

[DesMoinesHawki]

Originally Posted by hwkwyld

This thread is out in left field, and I'm not quite sure I understand what you mean. It's almost as if you've flushed the season away without it even being played.

"This is a little harder than turning around a Sienna or UNC-Charlotte..." - No it's not because the foundation of how to turn a basketball team around is the same whether your Sienna, Iowa, or St. Mary's school for the blind. Fran knows how to lay that foundation and has proven that he can.

"He needs top-notch recruits and right now..." - No and No. He needs recruits who will execute his brand of basketball and execute it well. Once his teams start putting up more Ws than Ls and making tournament appearances the better recruits will start filtering in. However for reasons you already stated Iowa is not going to see your "top-notch recruits"

"Of course, we realize that in the day of the Internet kids nowadays have a tendency to go to the "hot programs" at that time. And as we know ... Iowa is not on that list." - And why would they be? Terrible seasons at the end of the Alford era, and even worse seasons at the hand of Lick. Iowa has a long way to go, which is why FM was hired. He knows how to rebuild programs.

"...even imagined it would be this hard" - Hard compared to what? If you're comparing the off season of Iowa and ISU, STOP. Hoiberg can offer a recruit something right now that FM cannot and that's the NBA. Of course that's all Hoiberg can offer because he's never coached a game, but according to you that's what you "Internet Kids" want anyway. Are you comparing Iowa Basketball to Iowa Football? If your are, STOP. KF has had 11 years to build his program and done so without "top-notch recruits" that are so important. Please clarify "...even imagined it would be this hard"

I realize that I'm probably coming across as a D*** here but come on. How about we play some basketball before we start talking about Fran not knowing how hard this job was going to be. And for the record, I would be the farm that he Knows/Knew exactly what he is/was taking on.

It Iowa wins one more game than they did last season I'll be happy!

For the record ... not questioning Fran or his recruiting ability or anything. Just asking a question that if when he goes home at night ... did he ever imagine it would be this difficult. I am stoked to have Fran as our coach. Some other posters think I am writing off the season, etc. You are looking way too much into my post. My intent was to ask I wonder if Fran thinks this is harder than he thought it would be ... But I touched a nerve with some people thinking my intent was to question Fran ... Fran is exactly what Iowa needs right now ... That, I know and believe ...