It's been a long day after spending most of my waking hours following the firing of Iowa Basketball Coach Todd Lickliter, who after only three seasons took the Hawks to a record 22 losses and couldn't even equal the football team's 11 victories and a Orange Bowl victory. The glad-he's-gone folks have been rejoicing and them having visions of Bruce Pearl here next season in their dreams. Dream on. I have mixed emotions about this, my girlfriend getting the impression that I was bitching all day wasn't the case. The Hawks had a very good recuiting class coming in and things would be on the upswing. But you can't lose 22 games either. I find Todd Lickliter to be a fascinating person, a gracious person who tried to the best of what he had but sadly things didn't come together this season and it was a watershed from the word go.
It's hard to undo the damage that former AD Bob Bowlsby did when he didn't renew Tom Davis' contract when the Hawks made it to the sweet 16 and for our reward, bypassed Bruce Pearl who was really wanting to be coach here in favor of the hated Indiana pretty boy, one Steven Alford who never quite fit in the Iowa crowd due to his Indiana Hoosier roots. He did get the Hawks 25 victories in 2005-2006 but another first round exit from the NCAA's didn't endure the Iowa Boosters and after a subpar next season, he was off to New Mexico to which is he's now the big saviour with 29 victories and a number 3 rating and a fairly easy path to the sweet sixteen, IF he can get New Mexico past Montana but history will show that even if he does top Montana, he won't get past Marquette or Washington. Alford never got past the first round when he was the Iowa Coach, while Tom Davis managed to at least win one or two games. (Side note: Alford did make the second round of NCAA's in his second year). Still, New Mexico won 29 games, no small feat in itself and for a team picked fifth in the Mountain West, he's done wonders but he has players that can get the job done. Lickliter didn't have much when he took over and never did since he kept losing the leading scorers when the season was over. I still think Lickliter didn't get a fair shake and had Iowa at least win one or two Big Ten Tournament games he might still be here. I wish Todd well whereever he goes, I'm sure he's feeling pretty bad right now but with a 2.4 million buyout, he should take some time off and recharge his batteries. He will return and I think he'll do a lot better in his next coaching profession. Somehow it didn't work here.
The problem with Iowa Basketball remains this, thirty years ago, Lute Olson took a Iowa team that wasn't picked to do much and beat UNC Charlotte (featuring Cornbread Maxwell), Syracuse and Georgetown to make it the final four before they ran out of gas and Louisville with Darrell Griffith beat them and then finished fourth behind Purdue for then consolation game and people continue to rate every team after that against the 1979-1980 squad, which had to do it without Ronnie Lester. The expectations were so high that Lute Olson moved on to a 3-24 Arizona Wildcat squad and endless rounds of golf to be played and turned the Wildcats into a dynasty. In the meantime George Raveling came down and thrown into the fire and after three seasons he bolted for USC and sanity. And then Tom Davis managed to hang around for 14-15 seasons and although he had the 1986-1987 Hawks won a record 30 games before falling to UNLV, but that wasn't good enough. 11 of the 13 seasons Davis was there he won 19 or more games and always managed to at least the second round of the NCAA's. I think Iowa fans would welcome the days of having five straight 20 win seasons that Davis had before Bob (no balls) Bowlsby told him to hit the road. And pretty much started the downfall of Iowa Basketball.
In the defense of Alford, he must know something about basketball too, he only had one losing season here (the first). Fans and the college didn't care about the one and out in NCAA or NIT playoffs and New Mexico was the perfect time to get out. Once upon a time, Iowa Basketball was one of the better places to play and coach but since the 1980 Final Four Miracle Hawks, people expect way too much and perfection and that cannot be achived. Iowa isn't an Kansas, nor a Kentucky or even Ohio State. To get anybody to come play basketball in the dead of winter here in the great Icebox we call Iowa has gotta be a hell of a recuiter and bullshit artist. Maybe Todd Lickliter isn't that kind of a person. He didn't go after the AAU or junior college players like Davis or Alford would have done. His forte remains more defense than offense and the Hawks really had no inside game or go to person. And the so called three point shooter kept firing away cinderblocks that wouldn't go in and it seems to me that Carver Hawkeye Arena doesn't seem to have home friendly baskets. And having players defect didn't help although losing Anthony Tucker was really no big loss, the guy was a boozer but somehow Lickliter managed to lose a Tony Freeman or a Jake Kelly.
You know it's going to be a bad day when you arrive at Carver Hawkeye to meet with the AD and ten minites later your going home. And so, next season there will be a new coach and once again, just like the last three seasons the Iowa Hawkeye men's basketball team will be rebuilding once again. And the new coach will have to deal with the same issues as the ones before, trying to get back to the final four, trying to bring an exciting team that will get butts back into the seats. I have never seen Carver Hawkeye Arena being like a morgue all season. Again Bruce Pearl is out of the question, Tennessee is NOT going to let him get away and Kevin Stallings pussed out the last time. Rick Majerus? Give me a break. Keno Davis, I'm not so sold upon, although if Gene Barta hires him, it will be probably be trying to right a wrong that Bob Bowlsby did a decade and one year ago, plus Providence went 12-19. Barta has his work cut out for him.
But on the other hand, the lady Hawkeyes, lead by Lisa Bluder, went past expectations & injuries to make the NCAA women's tournament. And they get to play Rutgers, which is coached by C. Vivian Stringer, who used to be coach for the Iowa Hawkeyes back in the 80's. They started the big ten season on a downer but got hot and ran off about 8 straight victories and make it to the final game of the Big Ten Championships (before getting ripped off by the referees and lost to Ohio State) to earn that NCAA bid. Kachine Alexander, is super sparkplug whose all outness makes her I think the women's version of a Bob Sanders, gives up her body to make the play. Plus the Hawks have great 3 point shooter in Jaime Printy and Kamille Wahlin, another sparkplug that was drive you nutz one play and then restore your faith in her by hitting a clutch basket. These girls will get better next year as they mature. But with Bluder in control, the Hawks girls will continue to make things interesting and exciting.
But the Men's have hit rock bottom and things can only get better next season. I remain hopeful, just like the rest of Hawk Nation.
Go Hawks.
2015 Update: The Hawkeyes under Fran McCaffery have done better but they continue to be as uneven as the football team was and getting beaten by Penn State in the B1G tournaments continued a tradition of Iowa backing out after one game in Chicago. Perhaps they hate to play in Chicago since their most shitty games came from there this year. Steve Alford became UCLA's coach a couple seasons ago and already he is beginning to wear out his welcome after the Bruins underachived this season and in danger of not making it to the NCAAs which is a no no the land of John Wooden, the legendary coach who still casts a big shadow even from beyond the grave. Alford's son has been one of the better players on that team but still a poor showing in the Pac 12 raised ire from Bruin faithful. While we continue to throw stones at Alford's tenure at Iowa (he never fit in due to being from the hated Indiana Hoosiers). He did somehow (in his early years get the Hawks further down the B1G tourneys than Todd or Fran although the 26-4 Hawks did a one and done in the "dance" which pissed off the faithful here. After this season The Hawkeyes lose Aaron White and Gabe Oslenti (Josh Oglesby too although his 3 point shooting failed him this year) and all signs point to another rebuilding year unless Fran can get a decent point guard that can shoot free throws or Adam Woodbury will grow some balls and start dominating the boards instead of poking eyeballs out. Hawkeye fans really don't ask for much but it seems they ask too much for Iowa to at least go more than one NCAA or B1G championship game. If we were Kentucky fans we be in basketball heaven with the rent a squad going undefeated this year and my pick to be undefeated when it's all said and done. They could probably take on a few NBA teams too. As for Iowa, it's time for another winning streak. You can always have another winning streak but one loss will be wait till next year again.
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