As the years have passed, I watch fewer sports than I used to, with generally less interest (I was a wrestler and a football player in high school, and wrestled for UNI, so I have been interested in the past). I grew up reading Red Barber, Roger Angell, Jim Murray, George Plimpton, and Roger Kahn, and many, many more. While I might not watch much sports anymore, I have never quit reading sportswriters, because oftentimes the best writing in a newspaper or magazine is by the sportswriters, and my writing is better because I read and learn from the work of sportswriters. That's why I read your work. This is a splendid piece. After finishing it, I felt like I while I hadn't watched any of the games, I still knew of the trials and tribulations of this years Iowa men's basketball team, and its prospects for next season. I felt disappointment and loss, yet hope for next year. I get an odd vibe from Fran from when I have watched in the past, but know his heart is in the right place, if his actions always aren't. From your piece, I feel the anguish of the men's program, yet the contradictory pride of playing under a historic women's team for the ages. I suspect no men's team, and no men's basketball fans, have ever felt this pressure before. But importantly, I didn't create this image in my mind, you created it for me. You made me uneasy, made me feel for the team and Fran, yet hopeful for next year, which all of us fans, including we fair weather fans, yearn to be. Thank you. You gave every reader, every fan, coach, and player for next year's team a gift with this fine column.
To me, the problem in being consistently competitive, even in the years Fran has had some outstanding talent, is the inability of the half-court defense to make consistent stops. I'm not sure which of the assistants is tasked with that but whomever is not getting the job done. For years, I've said that Fran needs to get a top-flight defensive assistant and really work on that with the players, as much as they do the offense. Iowa double teams too much in its zone and we don't get to the matchups, leaving wide open three-point shooters to often and also being out-physicaled in the paint since Garza left. That and Fran needs to recruit a little more from the large cities in the Midwest or delve into the portal or the JC ranks for more size and strength. It's not going to get any easier with the likes of Southern Cal, UCLA, Oregon and Washington joining the Big Ten next year.
As the years have passed, I watch fewer sports than I used to, with generally less interest (I was a wrestler and a football player in high school, and wrestled for UNI, so I have been interested in the past). I grew up reading Red Barber, Roger Angell, Jim Murray, George Plimpton, and Roger Kahn, and many, many more. While I might not watch much sports anymore, I have never quit reading sportswriters, because oftentimes the best writing in a newspaper or magazine is by the sportswriters, and my writing is better because I read and learn from the work of sportswriters. That's why I read your work. This is a splendid piece. After finishing it, I felt like I while I hadn't watched any of the games, I still knew of the trials and tribulations of this years Iowa men's basketball team, and its prospects for next season. I felt disappointment and loss, yet hope for next year. I get an odd vibe from Fran from when I have watched in the past, but know his heart is in the right place, if his actions always aren't. From your piece, I feel the anguish of the men's program, yet the contradictory pride of playing under a historic women's team for the ages. I suspect no men's team, and no men's basketball fans, have ever felt this pressure before. But importantly, I didn't create this image in my mind, you created it for me. You made me uneasy, made me feel for the team and Fran, yet hopeful for next year, which all of us fans, including we fair weather fans, yearn to be. Thank you. You gave every reader, every fan, coach, and player for next year's team a gift with this fine column.
To me, the problem in being consistently competitive, even in the years Fran has had some outstanding talent, is the inability of the half-court defense to make consistent stops. I'm not sure which of the assistants is tasked with that but whomever is not getting the job done. For years, I've said that Fran needs to get a top-flight defensive assistant and really work on that with the players, as much as they do the offense. Iowa double teams too much in its zone and we don't get to the matchups, leaving wide open three-point shooters to often and also being out-physicaled in the paint since Garza left. That and Fran needs to recruit a little more from the large cities in the Midwest or delve into the portal or the JC ranks for more size and strength. It's not going to get any easier with the likes of Southern Cal, UCLA, Oregon and Washington joining the Big Ten next year.