Internet introductions are awkward...

padder

 

If you ever have car repair or maintenance questions, smallpotatoes is an invaluable resource.

 

Jordan,

Good luck. Congrats. You'll do great here.

Have you interned at the Cleveland Plain Dealer, by the way?

I need a reference for my latest application.

Cheers.

 

Welcome, young sir.

Curious to know what the general feel at Iowa is about the direction of the basketball program. I know it's overwhelmingly going to be a football school, always. What's the vibe after McCaffery's first year? Honeymoon over? Or does nobody care?

 

You're right about football. It's been king for a while and will stay that way.

Vibes are good about men's basketball although if you chatted fans up over the last week you may have not gotten that feeling. Anthony Hubbard decided he's leaving Iowa before playing a single game with the program, which is a tough hit for a program with a 2nd year coach, and a team that was probably relying/expecting Hubbard to contribute quite a bit, probably start or be a sixth man. If you aren't familiar with Hubbard's story, he spent a few years in prison when he was convicted as an accomplice in a robbery at the age of 18, then went to junior college upon his release, and decided to come to Iowa. Of course that didn't last long. Here's his full story though:

Anyways, there is a lot of excitement around the men's basketball team. I'm not old enough to remember when there was just as much excitement behind basketball as there was football (I only hear stories) but I think the support for Fran is unwavering and deserved. Guy seems like he's got it figured out, has done a fairly good job of recruiting thus far considering the scrap heaps Lickliter left him with, and he brouht Basabe with him from Siena who is probably a future NBA bench player.

He is a class guy who coaches the type of system that Iowa is desperately in need of, one of excitement. I think people are looking forward to this season and expecting a decent jump from last year. With a down Big Ten even some optimists are pegging them as being on the verge of the bubble next March. More realistically, they feel like an NIT-bound team at least this year, but fans should be happy with that and I think they would be. Hubbard's departure hurts big time, though.

Overall, people are just as excited as when he got here, if not moreso. Though I would contend the excitement when he was initially hired mostly was stemmed from excitement that Lickliter was gone, but it's grown into a more genuine feeling. Lick wasn't a bad coach but he WAS a terrible fit for the Iowa program, a guy who was in over his head and was not the type of guy the Hawkeyes needed.

 

I had a sneaky feeling that would be the answer, but didn't want to assume.

Looks like you neglected to supply a link to the Hubbard story. I'd be interested to read it. I guess he was already with the program before McCaffery got there, right?

Thanks for the detailed response.

I haven't been here long enough to demand that anyone get me a beer, so get yourself one (I already have one, anyway, big shocker).

 

Must have gotten so wrapped up into my response I completely spaced off the links. D'oh.

Here's two
1) A story on his signing with Iowa http://www.dailyiowan.com/2011/04/25/Sports/23067.html
2) Last week's story on his leaving http://www.dailyiowanmedia.com/live/2011/07/14/anthony-hubbard-leaving-iowa-basketball-program/

He was not with the program when McCaffery got here. This upcoming season was going to be Hubbard's first with Iowa, so he was committed for a couple months. Really tough pill for Iowa fans to swallow as he had been really impressing people in the local summer league here too.

 

Welcome. DiSaronno and OJ, please.

 

^^Like^^

 

Jordan - thanks for your well reasoned explanation. I am still a bit skeptical but less so now.

Welcome. Any Brandon Wegher sightings?

 

Sorry for the late response, I missed your post. But no Brandon Wegher sightings, that I'm aware of, at least. Kind of a sad story at this point actually.