(Picture from http://www.freep.com/ and obamame.com)
Is change possible for the Iowa Hawkeye basketball team? This is a question that the president himself can't answer. And if you would have asked me a few weeks ago, I would have rolled my eyes and said no. I would have sent you on your way with a few unfriendly facts about the coach that was supposed to turn this basketball team around. I would have complained about how I thought Lick didn't adapt to this players, instead it seems that he makes his players adapt to him (something completely against my personal beliefs in effective coaching).
I would have continued by comparing him to a bad high school coach and a "wannabe" cake boss look alike. I would have yelled about how much I hated his offensive style, and his lack of recruiting. And as you walked away, I still would have continued talking to my self, saying how bad I wanted a coach that could recruit well with some sort of fast break/pound it down low offensive scheme.
With that said, I now want to take this moment and NOT necessarily take back all of the things I've said, but I DO want to put them on hold. I've jumped the gun just a little bit here, and I realize that was a mistake.
I refuse to blame myself for doing so (and I know I'm not the only one), but it's just so damn easy to do with a basketball team that is 9-16 this season. A team (under Lickliter) that has never gotten past the 8th spot in the Big Ten. As coach of the Hawkeyes, Lickliter is 37-51, which is downright awful for a guy that was supposed to be the reincarnation of Tom Davis. With four more years remaining on his contract (and raking in 1.2 million guaranteed a year), I just felt as though he had yet to earn the 3.6 million dollars the university has already shelled out to him.
But as I said before, I jumped the gun too early. Three years has not been enough time for coach Lick to bring in his type of guys and teach them "his offense". Add in unexspected departures of key guys like Jake Kelly, Tony Freeman, and now Anthony Tucker among others, and it's no wonder Lick has needed a little extra time.
I have admired him at times for his ability to create something out of nothing. Coming into this season nobody expected Cully Payne and Eric May to perform as well as they have. He has gotten his guys to battle hard against opponents that should have destroyed the young Hawk team. Add in the news of one of the biggest cancer cells I have ever seen leaving the team (Anthony Tucker), and now might be the time Lick could finally be on his way to restoring an almost dead Iowa Basketball team. With such a young nucleus of his guys, brighter days might just be ahead for the Hawkeyes.
Bringing that sunshine is the Iowa Hawks Nest (who are trying desperately to unite students and the team to form one of the nations best student sections) and the 2010 recruiting class that Lickliter has penned in. Four, three start athletes (I think stars are overrated, but it still sounds good) are coming to Iowa, including a shooting guard that will make the Iowa faithful forget the awful stain Tucker left on the Carver Hawkeye Arena court. Roy Marble Jr., yes the son of Hawkeye great and all-time leading scorer Roy Marble, will be following in his dads footsteps as the new Iowa swing man. And believe me you, this kid is good. Throw in the 6-9, 225 pound power forward Cody Larson, a 6'2" point guard Ben Brust (who has two 50-point games in his senior season already, look out Cully), and 6'6" small forward Zach McCabe, how could I not give Lick another chance? That's what America is all about right?
These guys will be joining a mature team next year that know how to play in this league. Even the sophomores will be more like juniors because of all the playing time they have had this season.
I'm not shooting this team to the top of the Big Ten just yet, but I think I am willing to put my feelings about Lickliter's lack of offensive creativity to the back burner for one more year. I believe in Change, and I just might be believing in Big Lick and what he can do as a coach.
On that note, I do believe though, that if he doesn't break .500 and move up some in the Big Ten standings next year, he will be fired faster than John Gosselin as the star of a romantic comedy.
3 comments:
Have faith in Lick and this team. You saw how well it can work when things are clicking (led Northwestern by nearly 20 for a good portion of the game and that's with players who should be in warm-ups watching Tony Freeman, Jeff Peterson, Jake Kelly, David Palmer, and of course...Anthony "Shots" Tucker). Lick has experiences just about every uncontrollable road block a coach could experience. Let's support this team and help them finish the year with two home wins. Things look bright for next year!
I agree with anonymous, give lickliter another year or two just for the simple fact that if we could keep kids from transferring and jail we'd have a pretty good team. I think we have a good young group and a good incoming class that should help out next year and I think we should see what Lick does with that. The only thing I'd be worried about is "why are we having so many transfers." If it's because Lickliter is a tough coach I don't care, what does worry me is if Lick is selling something to kids and when they get to Iowa he's a totally different person and not doing the things he said he would. We're having terrible luck right now, ever the kids who transfer from Iowa are getting in trouble... Tennessee's Tyler Peterson. Save Lickliter for at least one more year.
iowa has the second best recruiting class behind mich. state coming in next year in two years this team will be dancing
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