Interesting to me anyway, and I know it doesn't do much good re-hashing the past except for conversation and to imagine what might have happened. I wonder if Morgan hadn't been canned if we might have HB coming to ISU next year. That's assuming Morgan continued to have big wins and post season success, and that's realistic to expect considering the success in his first 3 years. Add in the fact that HB was playing for Jake Sullivan and Sully likely would have steered HB to ISU. HB might have been excited about taking ISU from good to great. Wow, what might have been.
Interesting question
- Thread starter CYKOFAN
- Start date
Yup it was a terrible time to be bad. I think Floyd would have got him to stay too. Although Gmac and HB were apparently pretty close.
It's a pretty big if to assume that Wayne was going to keep winning and going to post season. Who exactly did he have coming in for the next year? We know that Stinson and Blalock would have been gone. Probably Carr. Are we sure he would have gotten good enough players to compete that year?
If the LE situation had been handled correctly, and LE was therefore still our coach, HB might be coming to ISU next year. That is assuming that LE would have sustained the momentum that back to back Big 12 titles creates.
Barnes consistently said he wanted to play for a national championship contender. We are lucky North Carolina and Duke recruited him, otherwise he'd be a jayhawk.
Oh please, they didn't know it was coming. No one knew it was coming. And according to McDermott last week, both players stopped going to class the 2nd semester b/c they knew they were going to declare for the draft.
That is assuming that LE would have sustained the momentum that back to back Big 12 titles creates.
Well, that's the thing...he DIDN'T sustain that momentum. I beleive his last two seasons in the Big 12 we were 9-23, and there was no guarantee that he would have got the ship righted with him coaching and WM recruiting. It's just as likely based on the player turnover that Stinson and Blaylock would have left the team mid-season or transferred.
We did have two great seasons under LE, and he will and always should be remembered for those seasons, but I am getting a bit tired of the revisionist history I see here regarding LE since this season is going down the tubes.
Well, that's the thing...he DIDN'T sustain that momentum. I beleive his last two seasons in the Big 12 we were 9-23, and there was no guarantee that he would have got the ship righted with him coaching and WM recruiting. It's just as likely based on the player turnover that Stinson and Blaylock would have left the team mid-season or transferred.
We did have two great seasons under LE, and he will and always should be remembered for those seasons, but I am getting a bit tired of the revisionist history I see here regarding LE since this season is going down the tubes.
CycloneErik
Well-Known Member
Archibald told a friend that the staff felt that they were under heavy scrutiny and pressure from JP early in the season, and they didn't understand it since they were coming off an NCAA 2nd round appearance. I think there is very little doubt the players felt the pressure as well, and the writing was on the wall that JP was getting rid of Morgan well before the end of the season. I doubt Blalock would have even considered leaving after his junior year without the chaos going on (didn't his mother move to Ames to make sure he graduated?). Stinson and Blalock could also have kept the option of returning if their try-outs didn't get them assurance of being drafted. Had JP supported Morgan I'm sure our line up the next year would have been Stinson, Blalock, Clark and Jiri and Taggart with a year of Big 12 experience. No doubt in my mind that the success would have continued and we would have had a much better shot at HB (plus Sullivan and the style of play would have worked in our favor). Heck if GMac had shown some nice progress in his 3rd year we might have had a better shot at HB, at least our chances would have been much better.
Yes, Stinson and Blalock could have returned to school if they didn't hire an agent. Who knows what they would have done had WM been coach, and who knows how good ISU could have been the next year.
I think GMac's second team was the real lost opportunity. We had Rashon, Jiri, Wes, and Brackins. Would have had Taylor if he wouldn't have been a bonehead with his third arrest. That team definitely had a lot of upside. Once Taylor was booted, we were stuck wih inexperienced guards. If that team would have had success, maybe Wes stays, which sets us up for the type of successful foundation that might have gotten HB to consider ISU harder.
It would be hilarious if the stress of a crap season causes Roy to retire and leave HB in the lurch. Won't happen, but would be great.
