Disturbing rumors.

DonnyDonovan · Posted: Wed Mar 25, 2009 7:44 pm Post subject: Disturbing rumors.

They are just that at this point, and I am expressly qualifying them as such, but the scuttlebutt throughout the major Hawkeye boards is that Jake Kelly is transferring. If true, this would be the third year in a row that arguably Iowa's best offensive player has left the team (Tyler Smith after '07, Tony Freeman after '08, now possibly Kelly).

The further rumor is that, while proximity to family will be the stated reason, the real reason is that he does not like playing for Todd Lickliter. Jermain Davis has already confirmed he is leaving. Not a big loss, but still. Jeff Peterson and David Palmer have also been mentioned as possible defections.

I want to again qualify that only Davis is confirmed as I write this. If it turns out to be true however, and there is an awful lot of smoke, it is a terrible blow to a program treading water. I will openly say that this will make me start to have serious doubts about this regime and whether it will be the one to reverse the course of Iowa basketball.

This is one diseased men's basketball program folks. It is terribly sad.

HeneryHawk · Posted: Thu Mar 26, 2009 12:55 am Post subject:

It appears to be Davis, then Kelly, and Pete, and two others, plus Creekmur decommited. If this is true, I am ready to immediately jettison Lickliter and move on. THis is massive mismanagement and cant be tolerated.

You know, Lick didnt build the program at Butler, he hasnt been able to teach his O here at Iowa, and kids are running and it appears to be a serious lack of communication, this looks like a disaster.
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Uberhawk · Posted: Thu Mar 26, 2009 10:30 am Post subject:

Although there are no firm confirmations yet other than Davis and the decommitment of the Marshalltown recruit, this looks -- indeed -- like a disaster.

A full-scale mutiny. You have to look at the top for the answers. This is much more than Kelly leaving to be closer to home. It is a rejection of Lickliter and his program. I shudder to think what happens to the Hawks next season, but to stop the bleeding the A.D. may have to take drastic action. They took a chance on Lickliter and it clearly looks like a total program cave-in that will take Iowa years before it can recover.

Very bad times at Carver.

DonnyDonovan · Posted: Thu Mar 26, 2009 10:37 am Post subject:

FWIW, when Lickliter was hired I wanted Kirk Speraw or Dana Altman. I thought they were better fits and I think either would have taken the job.

HeneryHawk · Posted: Thu Mar 26, 2009 7:21 pm Post subject:

At this point, its pretty clear that either, or both, would have been a much better choice ( though neither one has proven to be able to recruit at a high level ).
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DonnyDonovan · Posted: Thu Mar 26, 2009 9:36 pm Post subject:

True, although DA has drawn pretty good talent to Omaha, and the Missouri Valley is a better league than the Horizon top-to-bottom IMO.

I don't know if Speraw would have been a good recruiter or not, but I liked the fact that he was a Hawkeye and I loved his pedigree, having coached under both Lute Olson and Lon Kruger. He's also incredibly respected in the profession and is always making lists of "best coaches you've never heard of" and the like.

Oh well, it's academic now. Like I said, I had total faith in this coaching staff until this round of defections, but now I've gone the other way. He's going to have to win me back and he's got about one season to do it. Iowa had better be the surprise of the league next year or it's time to reboot the program yet again.

HeneryHawk · Posted: Thu Mar 26, 2009 10:36 pm Post subject:

News here just reported Kelly leaving, that Pete is looking to go, Davis is gone, and that Palmer is also on the list, and whispers about more.

They also said that its interesting that no one has heard from Lickliter. That doesnt surprise me.

On one of the other sites( rumour ), they said that little Lickliter has had a ill effect upon the team, that he is a tattle tale and has gotten the other guys into some heat. You know, I wondered why a kid who isnt playing is the one sitting with the coaches all year, never offers his seat for players coming off the floor ( to be coached by the coaches ), and isnt on the end of the bench as most redshirts or walk ons are. Of course, with pops being the coach, its all okay.
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HeneryHawk · Posted: Thu Mar 26, 2009 10:42 pm Post subject:

You know, how can this staff recruit any kid of any pedigree to IC with all this ? It doesnt look good. I guess if a kid can be sold on PT, but if he looks at the style, why would he want to play in that?

I am not in the mind to accept a lame duck coach, we know this is a number 11 team in the Big Ten next year, its better to move on, even if it requires a interim coach.

I found it interesting how hard Tim Buckley stayed around and held these kids together when SA left, and then was dumped by Lick, now he is key to Crean's staff. Lick and his homer staff are not too impressive, and that is hard to believe after the ill will SA garnered.
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DonnyDonovan · Posted: Fri Mar 27, 2009 10:25 am Post subject:

This is a total disaster. There is no way to spin it.

If donors came up with the buyout and Barta decided to pull the plug, I'd be shocked, but I wouldn't necessarily say it's an indefensible decision.

Iowa basketball is a complete joke right now. It is beyond sad. This is not the program I grew up with. Hell, as much as I couldn't really stand the guy, keeping Steve Alford around would have been better than this bullshit.

Uberhawk · Posted: Fri Mar 27, 2009 2:14 pm Post subject:

I miss those teams of Ralph Miller, Lute and some of the Dr. Tom teams. It Crying or Very sad

seems like a long long time ago when Carver rocked.

CaliHawk · Scout Team Joined: Dec 17, 2003 Posts: 167 Location: PGH

Wow. The meltdown has reached over here, too!

I'm not ready to call it a disaster, yet. If this were year 3, I might be a bit more concerned. Sure, recruiting is a big concern. But the fact that they were only blown out a few times and played hard and were competitive in games with such minimal talent has got to mean something. It's not like Iowa won with these players. So why be sad that they might instead stick around and destroy team chemistry?

I'd much rather deal with this than Alford.

That said, Henery, I do agree with your take on Buckley. I'd be lying if I said that concern wasn't in the back of my mind. But it doesn't seem right to give up so easily on TL when SA did so much to destroy the program.

DonnyDonovan · Posted: Fri Mar 27, 2009 9:28 pm Post subject:

I might be guilty of a little hyperbole there. What sucks though is that Kelly, and his play late in the season, was one of the reasons I was feeling cautiously optimistic about the future.

Unless Iowa can land a PG out of the JUCO ranks they have no one who can play the position. They are looking at a 2-16 type B10 season. It's hard to see how TL survives.

Obviously I hope I am wrong. Four in one day plus a decommit as a BAD day though. Real bad.

HeneryHawk · Posted: Sat Mar 28, 2009 12:15 am Post subject:

Heavens to Mergatroid, this is beyond a mess. I would hope the season ticket holders and big time donors jump all over Barta, this is a flippin disaster. This is nearly ten kids gone, six scholarship players left, and not a place that top notch recruits look to ( Armstead, their top target has said he isnt looking to Iowa ), its a mess.

When have you ever witnessed such a debacle?
Anywhere?

I dont see a plan.

I dont see results.

I see good kids running away.

I see many, many empty seats.

I see Iowa as the embarassment of the Big Ten.

Its not acceptable.

And Barta's "vote of confidence" is completely hollow and makes me sick.
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HeneryHawk · Posted: Sat Mar 28, 2009 12:26 am Post subject:

Cole may be next to leave.

Good? ....Armstead may now visit.
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DonnyDonovan · Posted: Sat Mar 28, 2009 1:42 pm Post subject:

IF Cole really leaves too (I actually haven't heard much about this), as unimaginable as it is after only two seasons, I think you have to think about a buyout.