***2023-24 Mens College Basketball Thread***

[NoCreativity]

So how many Big 10 coaches have been to 5 straight tournaments and never made it past the first weekend?
You're one of those people that believe that after 14 years as a coach with no B1G titles, 1 B1G tournament title, and never making out of the round of 32, along with the most wins and losses as an Iowa coach, that Fran still is the man. Got it. Spoken like a true troll!

Hes been go like 10 tournaments in 14 years but I'm a troll for thinking he should be back? Maybe you're a troll for thinking they would ever consider firing a guy with that much success?

He'll leave on his own terms, they aren't going to make another Davis to Alford mistake.

 

[Cyhig]

So how many Big 10 coaches have been to 5 straight tournaments and never made it past the first weekend?
You're one of those people that believe that after 14 years as a coach with no B1G titles, 1 B1G tournament title, and never making out of the round of 32, along with the most wins and losses as an Iowa coach, that Fran still is the man. Got it. Spoken like a true troll!

I personally think many Iowa fans are ready for a change. The program has been stuck in a barely mediocrity rut for years. Iowa fans are letting their voices known by not attending games. Ok... they didn't really sell out CHA on a regular basis before anyway... but the attendance this year is even more pathetic

 

[nrg4isu]

Hes been go like 10 tournaments in 14 years but I'm a troll for thinking he should be back? Maybe you're a troll for thinking they would ever consider firing a guy with that much success?

He'll leave on his own terms, they aren't going to make another Davis to Alford mistake.

You've probably heard the saying that it's not good for a fan base to be angry, but it's far worse for a fan base to not care. That's where Iowa is now. Honestly it doesn't matter what he's done in the past, he's lost the fans. Maybe that's not all on him, but that's the reason they need to make a change. Personally, I hope they don't. The sky (ceiling of carver hawkeye) is literally falling and no one cares.

 

[Jer]

Hes been go like 10 tournaments in 14 years but I'm a troll for thinking he should be back? Maybe you're a troll for thinking they would ever consider firing a guy with that much success?

He'll leave on his own terms, they aren't going to make another Davis to Alford mistake.

10 tournaments in 14 years is good, but their collapses in the NCAA tournament show how much of their wins have come from a fairly weak league. In the past 14 years, how many of the Big 10's former great schools have been worth anything? Michigan - nope. Indiana - lol. Michigan State - for the most part. Who else?

Any coach that has the resources Iowa has and plays in the overrated Big 10 should get to the dance most years. But if not above average they won't make it to the Sweet 16 where it takes good coaching, not just a couple good players like Uthoff, Garza, Jok, Murray x2, etc.

 

[JP4CY]

Hes been go like 10 tournaments in 14 years but I'm a troll for thinking he should be back? Maybe you're a troll for thinking they would ever consider firing a guy with that much success?

He'll leave on his own terms, they aren't going to make another Davis to Alford mistake.

Money can dry up from donors. Attendance sure is poor. Articles are being written about this situation.
There's a new sheriff in town. I'd be surprised if he's canned this year but I bet she's gauging the situation pretty seriously.

 

[cyfanatic]

 

[Cyhig]

Not a fan of schools missing out on the conference tournament.

 

[cycloner29]

Hes been go like 10 tournaments in 14 years but I'm a troll for thinking he should be back? Maybe you're a troll for thinking they would ever consider firing a guy with that much success?

He'll leave on his own terms, they aren't going to make another Davis to Alford mistake.

You never answered my question: "So how many Big 10 coaches have been to 5 straight tournaments and never made it past the first weekend?" Since when did the NIT become a relevant tournament?

Note that the tournament was not held in 2020 due to Covid. Alford got them two B1G tournment trophies in his eight years there. So don't know how you think the Davis to Alford was a mistake considering where Fran has taken them in 14 years. No I am not a troll but I think the fans want a change. CHA is ghost town when the MBB plays. Fran's recruiting ability has always been questioned. He's a hot head on the court.

 

[FriendlySpartan]

Hes been go like 10 tournaments in 14 years but I'm a troll for thinking he should be back? Maybe you're a troll for thinking they would ever consider firing a guy with that much success?

He'll leave on his own terms, they aren't going to make another Davis to Alford mistake.

I don’t want to pile on but just making the tourney is a pretty low bar for success. Iowa plays in a conference that is always going to get the benefit of the doubt so making a tournament regularly shouldn’t be a huge bar to clear. Only making it out of the first weekend once in the past 20 years isn’t success.

 

[Jer]

Not a fan of schools missing out on the conference tournament.

I'm not either, but with as big as conferences are getting these days, I completely understand why they're doing it. I also think some leagues will do it to limit the chances their top teams will go down in the conference tournament and hurt their NCAA bid - just like the SEC does in football with 1 less conference game.

 

[Gunnerclone]

Not a fan of schools missing out on the conference tournament.

Ya wtf? Cinderella is part of the Conference tourist as much as it is the NCAA.

 

[CascadeClone]

McD seems like such a good guy. My experience is I randomly seen him once in Omaha and once at an airport. I had ISU shirts on both times, he pumped his fist and said "Go State" both times. Maybe he a midwest guy at heart?

He is literally from Cascade. His folks farmed for ages.

Can confirm he is a midwest, specifically Iowa, guy.

 

[CascadeClone]

Money can dry up from donors. Attendance sure is poor. Articles are being written about this situation.
There's a new sheriff in town. I'd be surprised if he's canned this year but I bet she's gauging the situation pretty seriously.

100% agree.

The calculus will be- can they increase revenue (tickets, donations, etc) enough to make up for a buyout? Frankly, I don't think it would change fast enough to be worth it, but barring a major turnaround next year, I think he will be gone after that.

 

[NoCreativity]

I don’t want to pile on but just making the tourney is a pretty low bar for success. Iowa plays in a conference that is always going to get the benefit of the doubt so making a tournament regularly shouldn’t be a huge bar to clear. Only making it out of the first weekend once in the past 20 years isn’t success.

Yeah, tell that to Rutgers or even your boy Juwan. The tournament is hard to get to every year. You guys just act like likes it's a given.

 

[1UNI2ISU]

I was actually wondering why that never happened the other day, but then, Alford has not been great at all his stops

Honestly, he's been pretty good everywhere except Iowa which says more about Iowa than him, IMO.

--.619 Winning Percentage and a Sweet 16 at SMS (now Missouri State)
--.749 Winning Percentage, 4 League Titles, 3 NCAAs (2 wins), 3 NITs at New Mexico
--.663 Winning Percentage, 4 NCAAs, 3 Sweet 16s at UCLA
--.614 Winning Percentage, 1 NCAA at Nevada

 

[laminak]

You never answered my question: "So how many Big 10 coaches have been to 5 straight tournaments and never made it past the first weekend?" Since when did the NIT become a relevant tournament?

Note that the tournament was not held in 2020 due to Covid. Alford got them two B1G tournment trophies in his eight years there. So don't know how you think the Davis to Alford was a mistake considering where Fran has taken them in 14 years. No I am not a troll but I think the fans want a change. CHA is ghost town when the MBB plays. Fran's recruiting ability has always been questioned. He's a hot head on the court.

Many Hawk fans I know hate Alford. He's one of the things in college basketball to bring Iowa and ISU fans together. Their issues was more off-the-court, that he was a complete arse to fans/donors, thought he was god, and situations like Pierre Pierce. Then he left them and they got Lick.

Fran is essentially a lower-quality redo of Dr. Tom and Hawk fans are gun-shy after they forced him out.

 

[FriendlySpartan]

Yeah, tell that to Rutgers or even your boy Juwan. The tournament is hard to get to every year. You guys just act like likes it's a given.

Rutgers is Rutgers. Juwan missed a tournament and is on the hot seat. Only reason he hasn’t been fired yet is because he went to the elite 8 and sweet 16 the first two years. That’s kinda my point making the tournament is the bare min to not getting fired, not necessarily success. You’ve gotta make some noise every once in while when you’re in the dance

 

[Cyclonepride]

Honestly, he's been pretty good everywhere except Iowa which says more about Iowa than him, IMO.

--.619 Winning Percentage and a Sweet 16 at SMS (now Missouri State)
--.749 Winning Percentage, 4 League Titles, 3 NCAAs (2 wins), 3 NITs at New Mexico
--.663 Winning Percentage, 4 NCAAs, 3 Sweet 16s at UCLA
--.614 Winning Percentage, 1 NCAA at Nevada

Definitely good, but blue blood good after the UCLA thing didn't last? I'm not sure.

 

[Cyclonsin]

The most obvious case against Fran keeping the Iowa job should be that nearly every Cyclone fan wants him to keep it for as long as possible.

 

[NoCreativity]

Rutgers is Rutgers. Juwan missed a tournament and is on the hot seat. Only reason he hasn’t been fired yet is because he went to the elite 8 and sweet 16 the first two years. That’s kinda my point making the tournament is the bare min to not getting fired, not necessarily success. You’ve gotta make some noise every once in while when you’re in the dance

If you go back the last decade he's made the tournament 8 out of 10 years including the 2020 projections. Matt Painter has the exact same amount of appearances in that time frame.

They ate actually tied with Purdue and Wisconsin for 2nd most appearances in that time frame. They aren't firing a coach like that.