Iowa Basketball Now Fully Committed To Self-Destructive Behavior

by Oops Pow Surprise on May 8, 2009 9:56 PM CDT in Basketball Comment 14 comments

This offseason has not been an especially strong testament to the institutional wisdom of the Iowa basketball program. First, we lost all three returning point guards and El Presidente, all pretty much on the same day. Then Matt Gatens was passed over as team captain so we could properly reward Devan Bawinkel for... whatever. Like Bawinkel's a better fit than Gatens to finish the sentence, "On and off the court, the player that sets the best example for his teammates is _________." Anger rising again.

And then there's this. Tucked inside the article from yesterday's captaincy announcement was this nugget from Lickliter:

"We’re still recruiting," Lickliter said.

[...] "We will have a visit this weekend. I don’t know for sure how that will play out."

[...] "We could (add another player). I wouldn’t say it’s pressing or that it’s guaranteed. But we could."

Well, that sounds neat. Then Doc found out a little more about this transfer, and surprise! It's another guard:

Former University of San Diego guard Trumaine Johnson apparently is the mystery recruit visiting Iowa this weekend.

Johnson, who will be a junior, could be offered a scholarship this weekend. He would have to sit out for one year, but placed under scholarship.

It sounds like he runs the point, so that's pretty neat. Of course, Lick has had a tenuous-at-best relationship with his guards, so if one's going to actually transfer in, we could safely predict that this kid is, y'know, Lick's kind of player, right? Wait, why are you cackling maniacally?

Johnson, who stands 6-foot-2, brings a tough, but admittedly hard-headed approach to basketball. He’s had issues with coaches because he integrates Houston street ball with his point guard responsibilities.

Okay, look. We're talking about a coach under whom literally every single point guard at Iowa has left early. So he wants to bring in a kid who already played that exact same card at another school and make him sit on the bench for a year? That's the good idea at work here?

Crazy like a fox, that Lickliter.

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MarcMorehouse

They’re shopping in that aisle at Wal-Mart with all the stuff that people have brought back without receipts.

"I always like it better when the clowns seem to try to be happy."

by MarcMorehouse on May 8, 2009 10:32 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Did anyone notice...

that in that article about Cole and Bawinkel being named captains, they say Bawinkel “shot a team high 139 three pointers”. SHOT a team high?? Don’t you usually just count MADE baskets as statistics supporting something positive?? Using that method, I am the biggest pimp ever because I have talked to a lot of girls.

"I'm not doing any good back here."

by Hawkaloogie on May 9, 2009 1:28 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Made three-pointers

Gatens had 52, Bawinkel 51.

Juuust sayin’.

I got more rhymes than Wade Lookingbill's got dunks

by Oops Pow Surprise on May 9, 2009 3:57 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Not a true comparison

For instance what if Gatens (I know this isn’t true) took only 52 shots?

Need to say how many Gatens took also, more telling.

In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock.
- Thomas Jefferson

by Hawkeyewith49Jackrabbits on May 10, 2009 5:34 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I like Loogie's logic

And it’s tough to beat the ever inscrutable pimp analogy.

"I always like it better when the clowns seem to try to be happy."

by MarcMorehouse on May 9, 2009 6:31 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Lickliter is beginning to look

out of his league. He is also looking like PJ Carlisimo after the Seton Hall NCAA finals run…out of touch with players, not very good at commmunicating enthusiasm, not very nuanced at much of anything. I hope he find lightning in a bottle, cause he is going to need it. I could see one or even two freshman from last year really exploding this coming year and the team may go .500 or a bit over and “look promising,” but he needs to get these boys to say they LIKE PLAYING FOR HIM. Otherwise, I will just continue to wait for the other shoe to drop.

I miss Tom Davis, would love to have Keno Davis, and would settle for Mike Davis right now.

"When you don't know that you don't know, it's a lot different than when you do know that you don't know." Bill Parcells

by StoopsMyAss on May 9, 2009 8:22 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

It was extremely depressing, and is getting more and more embarassing.

by txhawkeye on May 9, 2009 9:51 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I think we can get Al Davis...

I got more rhymes than Wade Lookingbill's got dunks

by Oops Pow Surprise on May 11, 2009 4:23 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

FWIW

The kid has skills, but I don’t understand the play on this one at all. Esp. considering Iowa supposedly stopped recruiting Malcolm Armstead after they couldn’t get a good feel off him. That’s brilliant. Just brilliant. So instead he commits to a school that doesn’t even have an open scholly.

I’m perplexed by this recruit, but if he can keep his head in the right place it’ll be a great add… then again, huge "if:..

by storminspank on May 9, 2009 10:45 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Lickliter

I’ve liked this hire (for realsies) ever since Iowa pulled the trigger. I thought he was a great hire, a guy I’d rather have at ISU at the time, and he just hasn’t done much of anything.

I hate the “give him more time” card, cause I’m sick of it at ISU, but, honestly, I do think Lick’s a good coach, and he does needs more time. He does, however, need to re-evaluate whatever the fuck it is he’s doing in Iowa City. I think McDermott has realized that at Iowa State, and the future looks slightly better as of now.

I’d love for ISU-Iowa to be a game where it could be two top 25 teams slugging it out again sometime soon.

by CrossCyed on May 10, 2009 12:41 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs