OK, let's digress and talk about Iowa for a moment

[Norm Peterson]

Fran McCaffrey took over at Iowa 3 seasons ago.  Everyone's talking, ooooooh, Fran McCaffrey, he's so awesome, oooooh, something big is brewing in Iowa, blah blah blah.  Oooooh, Fran McCaffrey, oooooh.

 

Yeah, Fran Whatever.

 

OK, so Iowa.  Two coaches ago, we had that one guy.  Tall dude from Butler.  They had the kid from Indiana that Bobby Knight didn't like or something.  OK, so while our guy two coaches ago was going, y'know, 10th place in the Big 12 (back when the Big 12 had 12 teams), their guy two coaches ago was finishing 4th, 7th, 2nd and 4th in the Big Ten his last 4 seasons. 

 

Then, one coach ago, they had that lighter guy.  And we had that Arkansas dude.  And Arkansas dude's teams are finishing, like, 10th in the Big 12.  And the lighter guy's teams at Iowa finish 8th, 10th and 9th.  Which is, like, horrible, right? 

 

So, they get rid of the guy who felates lighters.  And bring in Fran.  And Fran has been there 3 years now.  And you wanna know what oooooh, Fran, ooooooh has done in his 3 years?

 

Well, in his first season, in a Big 10 that was NOT the best conference in the nation, his first team won 4 league games and finished 10th.  After coming off a 9th place finish under the former coach the year before.  (I don't know, did Fran have a roster of 5 guys his first year there?  I don't know.)

 

In his 2nd season, ooooooh, they finished 7th in the league.  OK, that's a big jump.  Going from 4 wins to 8 wins.  And they went to the NIT. 

 

And THIS year, I have learned that they have a non-conference strength of schedule that is better than NEARLY 3% of all D1 teams.  In other words, it SUCKS.  And they finish 6th.  And, congratulations because unless you beat Michigan State tomorrow (snort, chortle) there's a good chance you play in the NIT.

 

OK, so three seasons.  And looks like there's a good chance they play in the NIT.  Big whoop.

 

Now, in TIM'S first season, he inherited a program that, believe it or not, was worse than the Iowa program ooooooh, Fran, ooooooh inherited.  Yeah, it's true.  Worse.  And with that team, and y'know, playing with basically 5 guys all conference season, Tim's team won 5 league games.  In the toughest Big 10 in I don't know how long.  Tim took scrubs from the worst program in the league and won more games his first season against tougher competition than oooooh, Fran, oooooh won in his first season.

 

And Iowa could go all the way to the NIT this season.  Hooray for them, right?

 

Tim Miles did more with less than McCaffrey did in each of their first seasons.  And don't forget, we beat them this year.  With, like, 5 guys.   Ooooooh, Fran, oooooh ain't got nothin' on us.

 

That's all.

 

P.S.  I forgot my glasses upstairs and can barely see the computer screen.  I'm typing this almost totally by feel and can't really proofread.  Sorry if there are any gramatical errors. 

 

P.P.S.  I meant to call the Iowa coach "ooooooh, Fran, oooooh."  That was deliberate.  Not a mistake.

 

P.P.P.S.  I guess that wasn't all.  Now it is.

[AuroranHusker]

That was a Normanesque rant. Well played, good sir. 

[tcp]

Fran's a quality coach, and he's got Iowa swinging up. If the point is that we also have a good coach, I don't know how controversial that would actually be. I really believe that Miles did one of the better coaching jobs in the conference this season.

 

But that doesn't diminish what Iowa's doing, either. They're awfully young, and they're going to be good for some time. Honestly, i just makes the series better or both of us, because unlike football, our games are going to mean something for the foreseeable future.

[aghusker]

Great post, and the best part is the majority of the hawks (even though they may never admit to it) see this too.  Living in Iowa and going to the game last week in Iowa City, you could tell they were scared of what Tim Miles had already done, what buzz he has created nationally, the fact that we beat them with rock bottom talent and they are supposedly on the rise, and that he has a team that was picked to finish dead last in the league in the quarterfinals in the deepest field the big ten tourney has seen.

 

Just think about this comparison...

We have state-of-the art facilities, they don't.  We have football program that can provide whatever out basketball team could ever need or want, they don't.  We have a coach who uses every means he can to create positive energy and buzz on a national level, they don't.  We win close games (7-0 in games decided by 5 points or less), they don't (2-5) (this comes from coaching, and instilling a will to win, survive, and defend). 

 

They maybe improving, but I know our ceiling for success is higher with Tim Miles and the Nebraska Athletic Department Resources, and they know it too 

[ajb5856]

Great post, and the best part is the majority of the hawks (even though they may never admit to it) see this too. Living in Iowa and going to the game last week in Iowa City, you could tell they were scared of what Tim Miles had already done, what buzz he has created nationally, the fact that we beat them with rock bottom talent and they are supposedly on the rise, and that he has a team that was picked to finish dead last in the league in the quarterfinals in the deepest field the big ten tourney has seen.

Just think about this comparison...

We have state-of-the art facilities, they don't. We have football program that can provide whatever out basketball team could ever need or want, they don't. We have a coach who uses every means he can to create positive energy and buzz on a national level, they don't. We win close games (7-0 in games decided by 5 points or less), they don't (2-5) (this comes from coaching, and instilling a will to win, survive, and defend).

They maybe improving, but I know our ceiling for success is higher with Tim Miles and the Nebraska Athletic Department Resources, and they know it too

Iowa sucks. They are my new favorite team to hate. My new Creighton, my new KU Chickenhawks.

[lang]

As usual, good stuff Norm.

[PimpMario]

Wow, and I thought I went on bball rants.

 

I agree with the sentiment; if not all the salient points because it was hard to parse exactly what you were saying the whole time.

 

Iowa sucks.  But I figure in year 3 we will be about the same place as Iowa.  Finishing in 7-8ish place and going to the NIT.  We can only hope!

[KZRider]

Norm, all I could think of while reading your post was that guy on Car 54, Where Are You? (Joe E. Ross, I think was his name) who was forever sharing clever dialogue bits starting with "Ooh! Ooh!" Now I will probably have to go watch an episode or two on YouTube just to get it out of my system.

 

Did you say something about Iowa?

[royalfan]

Off season stuff.  Lets worry about us until it is over Norm.  But I agree with it. 

[HB]

Not a Hawkeye fan at all, but I think Fran's brought in some pretty good players and has done some good things, following Lickliter's failures.    Norm, you know I love ya, but I gotta disagree with you here.  Although the line about felating lighters was pretty sweet.

[Norm Peterson]

Not a Hawkeye fan at all, but I think Fran's brought in some pretty good players and has done some good things, following Lickliter's failures.    Norm, you know I love ya, but I gotta disagree with you here.  Although the line about felating lighters was pretty sweet.

I was hoping someone would catch that. 

[tbowman]

I'm thrilled with what Miles has accomplished this season, but I will wait a few season to make pronouncements about his greatness. 

 

I thought Doc had a great first season as well.  I thought he significantly overachieved with the quality of players he had.  Coming out of Doc's first season combined with what I thought was a solid first recruiting class I absolutely thought he was the guy and would get it done.

 

The window for MIles to succeed is pretty small at Nebraska.  He has a couple more years to land some big time recruits and get to the dance.  If that doesn't happen the recruits will dry up and Miles will start the same downward cycle as did Collier and Doc. 

 

Again, I love the guy.  But I've been down this road before.   

[Norm Peterson]

Recruiting is kinda key.  I agree.  I'm encouraged by the first class of recruits, though.  I think we got a steal with Fuller.  And I can't criticize Miles for losing Agau to Louisville.  Have to keep an eye on the 2014 class.  From looking around, I guess I'd say I wish he had more offers out there.  Seems like you scan through the Rivals top 150 for 2014 and you get the sense that others like Iowa, Iowa State and KSU (none of which carry the cachet of a KU) have offers out to all kinds of players.  We have some, but you wish we had more.  We'll see.  I know the guy can coach.  Now the question is whether he can bring in the players that will allow us to compete in the B1G for tourney bids.

[GoBigRed]

They might be all "Fran ooooh" right now, but just a couple weeks ago they were "We suck"..."Another typical Iowa basketball team"..."I know we're young but we're pissing away our season"...etc. Things can change quickly in either direction.

[Ron Mexico]

Well said Norm

[Ron Mexico]

I thought Doc had a great first season as well.  I thought he significantly overachieved with the quality of players he had.  Coming out of Doc's first season combined with what I thought was a solid first recruiting class I absolutely thought he was the guy and would get it done.

 

The window for MIles to succeed is pretty small at Nebraska.  He has a couple more years to land some big time recruits and get to the dance.  If that doesn't happen the recruits will dry up and Miles will start the same downward cycle as did Collier and Doc. 

 

Again, I love the guy.  But I've been down this road before.   

 

I could tell early on that Doc wasn't the right guy for this job. He's a good defensive coach and that's about it. 

 

The window for Tim isn't small. He'll be given the same opportunity that both Barry Doc had. will there be improvement from year to year. Is he recruiting the types of players that can win? If a bad year happens, and bad years will happen, how does he respond. For the moment the bar is not set very high. If that bar is ever raised it will be because it has been raised by Tim.  

 

What Tim has done this year with this team, an arguably worse team than last year, is amazing. The lack of talent, the lack of depth, a first year coach in a conference that we just joined the previous year, and it just so happens to be the best conference in the country.  

[Norm Peterson]

Ron, Tim raised the bar this year.  If he can finish 10th and win 5 games plus advance beyond the first round of the conference tourney with THIS group of cobbled-together leftovers from the former regime -- and basically playing only 5 guys plus isolated minutes from 2-3 others -- then will we ever be satisfied with a 10th place finish and 5 league wins once Miles has a full bench AND they're his players?

 

If we'd finished dead last in the league this year, no one could have really complained.  Hey, we're basically playing 5 leftovers from last year's roster.  What did we expect?  We were picked last by everyone, etc.  Can't blame Miles if that's where he finishes.  And if that's where we'd wound up, then anything above 2-3 B1G wins next year would have been seen as an improvement.

 

But Miles screwed the pooch by winning 6 league games this year (5 + 1).  NOW, in order to improve next year, he's going to have to pull a rabbit out of the hat all over again.  Which won't be easy.  He's done a great job of coaching this year, but he's done a terrible job of managing our expectations.  Gawd forbid we should finish 8th place or better in the league next year; fans will be calling for his head if we don't make the Dance in year 3.

[Red Rum]

That's a pretty good point Norm. As much as we're celebrating the mircale that is this year, we could be cursing his name next year for not being able to turn water into Boone's Farm wine again.

[49r]

WHO HATES IOWA???

[49r]

WE HATE IOWA!!!

[Norm Peterson]

WE HATE IOWA!!!

+1 

[hhcmatt]

Flipside

 

They return everyone on a team that if, and this is a BIG if, they had won all their close game would have been 15-3 in conference.  They have a puncher's chance at the NCAA tournament with one or two more wins.

They bring EVERYBODY back next year.

 

Fran McCaffrey is on the cusp next year.

They need to make the tournament next year for him to keep that job.  They need to do better than that for him to get extended.

If they don't come up with a better schedule and continue to lose close games, McCaffrey is done.

 

 

Even if he accomplishes all of that, will his overall upside be higher than Tim Miles when it's all said and done?

[hhcmatt]

Not a Hawkeye fan at all, but I think Fran's brought in some pretty good players and has done some good things, following Lickliter's failures.    Norm, you know I love ya, but I gotta disagree with you here.  Although the line about felating lighters was pretty sweet.

 

I think the best part of Iowa being on an upward trajectory is that we actually have ourselves a conference rival.  

[huskerbaseball13]

Fran McCaffrey took over at Iowa 3 seasons ago.  Everyone's talking, ooooooh, Fran McCaffrey, he's so awesome, oooooh, something big is brewing in Iowa, blah blah blah.  Oooooh, Fran McCaffrey, oooooh.

 

Yeah, Fran Whatever.

 

OK, so Iowa.  Two coaches ago, we had that one guy.  Tall dude from Butler.  They had the kid from Indiana that Bobby Knight didn't like or something.  OK, so while our guy two coaches ago was going, y'know, 10th place in the Big 12 (back when the Big 12 had 12 teams), their guy two coaches ago was finishing 4th, 7th, 2nd and 4th in the Big Ten his last 4 seasons. 

 

Then, one coach ago, they had that lighter guy.  And we had that Arkansas dude.  And Arkansas dude's teams are finishing, like, 10th in the Big 12.  And the lighter guy's teams at Iowa finish 8th, 10th and 9th.  Which is, like, horrible, right? 

 

So, they get rid of the guy who felates lighters.  And bring in Fran.  And Fran has been there 3 years now.  And you wanna know what oooooh, Fran, ooooooh has done in his 3 years?

 

Well, in his first season, in a Big 10 that was NOT the best conference in the nation, his first team won 4 league games and finished 10th.  After coming off a 9th place finish under the former coach the year before.  (I don't know, did Fran have a roster of 5 guys his first year there?  I don't know.)

 

In his 2nd season, ooooooh, they finished 7th in the league.  OK, that's a big jump.  Going from 4 wins to 8 wins.  And they went to the NIT. 

 

And THIS year, I have learned that they have a non-conference strength of schedule that is better than NEARLY 3% of all D1 teams.  In other words, it SUCKS.  And they finish 6th.  And, congratulations because unless you beat Michigan State tomorrow (snort, chortle) there's a good chance you play in the NIT.

 

OK, so three seasons.  And looks like there's a good chance they play in the NIT.  Big whoop.

 

Now, in TIM'S first season, he inherited a program that, believe it or not, was worse than the Iowa program ooooooh, Fran, ooooooh inherited.  Yeah, it's true.  Worse.  And with that team, and y'know, playing with basically 5 guys all conference season, Tim's team won 5 league games.  In the toughest Big 10 in I don't know how long.  Tim took scrubs from the worst program in the league and won more games his first season against tougher competition than oooooh, Fran, oooooh won in his first season.

 

And Iowa could go all the way to the NIT this season.  Hooray for them, right?

 

Tim Miles did more with less than McCaffrey did in each of their first seasons.  And don't forget, we beat them this year.  With, like, 5 guys.   Ooooooh, Fran, oooooh ain't got nothin' on us.

 

That's all.

 

P.S.  I forgot my glasses upstairs and can barely see the computer screen.  I'm typing this almost totally by feel and can't really proofread.  Sorry if there are any gramatical errors. 

 

P.P.S.  I meant to call the Iowa coach "ooooooh, Fran, oooooh."  That was deliberate.  Not a mistake.

 

P.P.P.S.  I guess that wasn't all.  Now it is.

 

 

All that matters is he runs an up tempo offense.........remember??  Nothing else matters!

[nustudent]

Don't see the point in bringin up Iowa.

Fran has done a good job there.

 

Miles has done an amazing job here thus far.   Comparisons aren't needed to build one up and devalue what the other has done.

 

It's easy to see both have done a good job in their time thus far.

 

And as far as Iowa goes....they should be in the dance.