Players Stepping Out for Fran

I make it a point in life to ‘keep it real’. Such as, if I say something that later turns out to be stupid or wrong, I want to be the one to correct myself, or point out my mistakes before someone else points them out.

I have already done that this winter on twitter relative to Jordan Bohannon, and how I once believed he was not a Big Ten caliber guard.

In the past, I have been critical of Fran McCaffery relative to his sideline demeanor.  I believed that put Iowa at a disadvantage with the officials, in addition to poor optics and how that could potentially impact recruiting.  I’ve also criticized his two-foul substitution stubbornness at times and his hesitancy to call timeouts.

However, he has dialed down the sideline antics in recent years, which seems obvious to those of us who watch every game.  The drive by national talking heads do not watch every game, and they only see the instances, which are more and more rare, of Fran blowing up, or getting sideways in postgame interview sessions this year.

However, one thing I have always pointed out, when critical of Fran’s sometimes volatile demeanor on the bench, is that his players must really, really love the guy. Why have I, and do I make such statements?  Because of the relatively low transfer rate we have seen during the McCaffery era.  It has definitely been lower than the Steve Alford or Todd Lickliter era.  More on that in a bit.  First, here are some recent anecdotal tweets from former Fran players you may find intersting:

1994 I first met Fran McCaffery. White Magic is the singular reason I signed at Notre Dame. He has never wavered in his friendship or belief in me as a person or a player or now as a broadcaster. I know he is fiery toward officials, and his passion pic.twitter.com/FjvDxUEhye

— Doug Gottlieb (@GottliebShow) March 8, 2021

For his team can be tough on opposing fans.. but he is a GREAT leader of young men. Two years ago at the Big Ten tourney Luka had 13 against Michigan in the B1G tourney. After the game I asked Fran about Luka and he said “Doug, this kid could lead the country in scoring someday”

— Doug Gottlieb (@GottliebShow) March 8, 2021

I rolled my eyes and he was serious. They had just finished 14-19, everyone thought Tyler Cook was the dude and he was, but Fran was dead serious. Fast forward to now … the kid has his number retired and they surprised him with it. Outstanding

— Doug Gottlieb (@GottliebShow) March 8, 2021

I might add that as a freshman I was downright depressed. Homesick and playing poorly I cried my eyes out in his office. Fran would hug me and treat me like his sons, this is before he had sons. He was honest, he would call me at my dorm to check on me. He was a mensch

— Doug Gottlieb (@GottliebShow) March 8, 2021

When we beat St John’s in the Garden for NDs first Big East win ever, Regis came in the locker room. My dad was there and he was on my ass because I turned the ball over against a 1-3-1 are and got pulled out. My dad was right but it wasn’t the time or place

— Doug Gottlieb (@GottliebShow) March 8, 2021

Fran and my dad squared off! Swear to G-d! They were gonna go! Fran was protecting me and I appreciated it. When I got in trouble and had to leave I knew I let him down. Had I been able to stay I truly believe we would have made the tourney and they wouldn’t have gotten fired

— Doug Gottlieb (@GottliebShow) March 8, 2021

Fran is good people. I won’t hear anyone say otherwise… or we will square off.

— Doug Gottlieb (@GottliebShow) March 8, 2021

Thanks for sharing @GottliebShow .. Fran is one of the best humans around. Love him for not only giving me the opportunity but for the example he set during my 4 years @ Iowa https://t.co/9poZU87pq0

— Aaron White (@Aaron_White30) March 8, 2021

I played for Coach Mac – one of best coaches and people I’ve ever been around. The casual slander I hear from those who don’t know him is essentially baseless. I always say, you’ll be hard pressed to find a former player of his that has anything negative to say about him.

— O.D. Anosike (@Anosike_1) March 8, 2021

These tweets are in addition to how lovingly Luka Garza talks about Fran, as recently as this past Sunday, when Iowa told him his number would be retired.

Now, for the Fran era transfer discussion.  Cully Payne, whom Fran inherited from Todd Lickliter, left in year one.  Brady Ellingson transferred to Drake as a grad transfer.  Trey Dickerson left after one year, to South Dakota, then transferred again to Georgetown for his senior year.  Some people have the wanderlust, which is their prerogative.  Ahmad Wagner was a grad transfer to Kentucky and played football and was in Bears camp.  Christian Williams transferred to Indiana State, Dale Jones to North Dakota and Andrew Fleming to Lipscomb.

Williams was an intriguing prospect after two years at Iowa, but that is what he still was; a prospect.  He averaged 2.4/ppg and 12.8/mpg his sophomore year at Iowa and had some, let’s say ‘favoritism playing time’ concerns relative to then incoming freshman Connor McCaffery.  He averaged 7.9/ppg and 6.9/ppg in the Valley his final two years.  Perhaps his playing time concerns were warranted, just perhaps for the wrong motivations. Dale Jones played a total of 11 games at Iowa over two years, due to injuries.  He had two serious knee injuries in his career as well as a fractured wrist.  In his first year at Lipscomb, Fleming averaged 3.2/ppg and 8.3/mpg. Next.

This last set of transfers is Cordell Pemsl, Isaiah Moss and Maishe Dailey.

Pemsl was a grad transfer and had stayed at Iowa for four years, battled several injuries, played some key roles and some key minutes.  Pemsl is averaging just under 3/ppg and 10.3/mpg this year at Virginia Tech and the Hokies are slated to be an eight seed in the NCAA tournament.  Those 10.3/mpg are lower minutes than any year he was at Iowa, and he also ran afoul of the law during his fourth year on campus, picking up an OWI and Driving with a Revoked License arrest.  Moss was also a grad transfer after three years at Iowa and he greatly desired the opportunity to play in the NCAA tournament and was able to get a scholarship at Kansas.  COVID19 shattered his NCAA tourney dreams.  Moss averaged 24.1/mpg his last year at Iowa and 24.6/mpg his one year at Kansas.

Dailey averaged 2.5/ppg and 12.5/mpg his third year at Iowa before leaving to Akron, where he sat out last season and this year is averaging 6.0/ppg and 3.4/rpg on 24/mpg.

Unless I am missing someone, that is the list.  Four grad transfers, one who quit the game of basketball and another that probably needed a change of scenery after run ins with the law, and another grad transfer that wanted to play in the NCAA tournament his final season.

There is no Tony Freeman, Jake Kelly, Aaron Fuller, Anthony Tucker or Jeff Peterson on this list, all Lickliter era transfers and each of them a good to very good ballplayer, even though Tucker could not stay out of his own way. There is no Tyler Smith level star on this list, as Smith left Iowa after Alford’s final year.

If Fran McCaffery were a tyrant or a madman, which he has looked like that on the sidelines during games at times during his tenure, we would likely have seen some star-caliber players leave the program before the grad transfer window and even then, Moss is the best player that has left the program and he did so with a degree in tow.

Occam’s Razor suggests to me, as many of his players would also echo, that McCaffery is a great player’s coach, whose player to coach loyalties run very deep.  Those of us on the outside just don’t get to experience that side of Fran, we only get a couple hours a night, 30-some nights of the winter and and a few zoom press conference highlight clips to make our judgements…which hardly seems fair…and I am pointing the finger squarely at myself.