Prohm Defenders

[BryceC]

Forgive me for not picking up my pitch fork with the rest of you. This may not turn out to be the most fun basketball season in my Iowa State fandom, but Prohm is the coach and that won't change before the end of the year. So how about if we take a deep breath, step back from the ledge, and watch to see how the season plays out.

Prohm has proven that he isn't a great Xs and Os guy, and rarely seems to out fox the other team schematically. But let's not pretend like he isn't the best high school recruiter that we have had in a long time and he has a pretty solid track record of developing guys and getting them to the pros.

He has had some issues with large exits of talent leaving the cupboard bare and making for some painful seasons, but part of that is because he is bringing in players who end up going pro early and in many cases earlier than expected. Funny how it was everyone on this board's wet dream to get a one and done player until we actually got one under Prohm in THT and everyone was pissed that he didn't play like a polished senior and then was mad at him for leaving "too early."

More than that, Prohm is a solid human being and he is a Cyclone. He loves this place and his players, who are also Cyclones. So I will be cheering for Prohm and the boys for the rest of the year - hoping to see the light turn on for some of these young guys, and the rest of the newcomers to develop some chemistry. Just like with CPR or McCarney, the time may come when he has to be cut loose, but that won't be something to celebrate. It will be a bummer that it didn't work out.

That time may well be at the end of this season, depending on how everything ends up. But like other's have said the financial situation with covid may end up buying him at least next season too, regardless. I won't lose any sleep over it one way or the other. I'm just here to cheer for the Cyclones and right now that includes Prohm.

Prohm is not the best high school recruiter we’ve had. Fred was better. He was here a shorter time and had Ejim, Niang, Matt, Naz, Monte.

 

[Cyclad]

His coaching abilities are clearly lacking. He brings way more negatives than positives to the table. He was handed an excellent program by the previous coach and ran it into the ground. He compares more closely to McDermott than our better coaches like Hoiberg, Floyd, and Eustachy.

I find the constant Mc Dermott references strange. He has proven to be a very good coach - very good. Although it has been debated at length - not real sure what went wrong at ISU.

 

[LincolnSwinger]

Iowa was up by 20 when Garza picked up his second foul and had to sit.

And we went on a 17-2 run. At one point we were up 32-29.

 

[Rogue52]

I’d be curious to hear how Prohm feels he’s developed himself and his staff to be more successful. He may be doing something or trying to do something, but everything looks the same to me from his first day on the job.

Campbell takes Iowa State to three straight bowl games and three straight winning seasons in conference. He celebrated by firing the strength and conditioning coach because he saw a shortcoming. Prohm appears happy with everything. I think we even get a Ferentz “that’s basketball” reference from time to time.

 

[VeloClone]

The last three years in conference play Prohm has been...
2018: 4-14 (1 player on a NBA roster & #56 recruiting class)
2019: 9-9 ( 2 players on a NBA roster with a future lottery pick & #28 recruiting class)
2020: 5-13 (with a NBA lottery pick & #56 recruiting class)
2021: On his way to another losing record. (save this message if you believe otherwise)

So is Shayock the 2017-18 NBA player you are referencing? The guy who has played in 4 NBA games for a total of 28 minutes? The guy who sat out the 2017-18 season as a transfer? Or do you mean Wigginton who has only played in the G League?

The 2018-19 team was decimated by injuries all season long.

Last year the NBA lottery pick you referenced missed almost half of the Big 12 season with a broken wrist.

It is bad, we all know it. But there is no reason to post misleading information. Why not just watch or ignore the season as you see fit and evaluate the team and their progress at the end of the season because we all know Jamie will not pull the plug mid-season. That isn't his style.

 

[LincolnSwinger]

I am pretty close with a recent player's brother and unfortunately this is not exactly true.

It seems pretty obvious to me as an outside observer that ISU has a cultural problem. That doesn't mean it's totally dysfunctional, just that there's a lack of intensity, attention to detail, on-court discipline etc.

Edit: This opinion was informed by an article/interview published here on the topic of game prep with an assistant coach. Raised significant red flags for me. I tried to find it in the archives. Anyone remember that and have the same reaction?

 

[Snyder21]

Steve should be an assistant, not the head hauncho. We were within a couple of points with about 5mins left in the first half. At that point Steve's sole job is to keep it within about 5-6 points so we have some life and a legitimate chance in the 2nd half. We totally **** the bed the last few minutes of the half and that carried over into the 2nd half. I have backed Prohm a number of times on these forums, but I am officially off the Prohm train.

 

[CycloneErik]

Because Matt Campbell is watching how we treat him.

If Campbell managed to drop to this level, he would not expect the kindest treatment.
That said, Campbell can't stoop this low.

 

[NENick]

Prohm is a good to better than good recruiter. But until he hires an assistant to run all the x's & o's we will never be good. He might be the worst in the country at actual basketball coaching. Again, last night, 5 second call on a BLOB play out of a timeout. Inexcusable. Have we ever scored on an out of bounds play? Have we ever tried? I rarely even see a play happening?

And until he demands our players play defense and rebound or they don't play, we won't be good. Zero effort on that end. I will say Harris looked promising on that end last night. But in all 3 games, our guards allowing dribble penetration over and over against subpar talent is ridiculous, Players should be benched. Close outs are too slow, help side rotation is too slow. It is just effort stuff. That is what is frustrating. I get that we are young and new, but effort can still be there.

Unfortunately those 2 things aren't going to happen, so he will continue to be a subpar coach with pretty good talent.

That inability to get the ball inbounds is frustrating, but they did run a nice OB play early that resulted in a basket.

I always dispute the "no effort" complaints. I think the players are trying. They're just not well-coached in defensive principles, which results in being out of position, and, in the case of this game, the opponent was much better.

 

[flycy]

Not the time of year for this thread, ever.

 

[AdRock4Cy]

I find the constant Mc Dermott references strange. He has proven to be a very good coach - very good. Although it has been debated at length - not real sure what went wrong at ISU.

McDermott had the ability to adapt. Creighton is big time now.

 

[KnappShack]

I find the constant Mc Dermott references strange. He has proven to be a very good coach - very good. Although it has been debated at length - not real sure what went wrong at ISU.

Some positions just aren't a good fit. I'm sure many of us have been a jobs, organizations, or positions that haven't been a good fit.

This is at least the 3rd season where the fans are openly questioning if the right man is in the bench.

It's probably been a gots to go situation for a while now. Would be best for everyone involved, but tough with the economics of COVID

 

[madguy30]

It seems pretty obvious to me as an outside observer that ISU has a cultural problem. That doesn't mean it's totally dysfunctional, just that there's a lack of intensity, attention to detail, on-court discipline etc.

Trash talk is common in basketball at every level, but as great as Hali was, talking trash directly to the other team's bench after about every play was a bad look. Sure it was likely harmless stuff imo it was made only worse by being on such a bad team.

I didn't see him doing that last night in the NBA, and don't recall similar behavior when he played for the USA team. He seems to be about as coachable as you can find and you'd think he'd take it up if a coach nipped it.

 

[SoapyCy]

I am pretty close with a recent player's brother and unfortunately this is not exactly true.

Then why did they commit to him

 

[VeloClone]

Trash talk is common in basketball at every level, but as great as Hali was, talking trash directly to the other team's bench after about every play was a bad look. Sure it was likely harmless stuff imo it was made only worse by being on such a bad team.

I didn't see him doing that last night in the NBA, and don't recall similar behavior when he played for the USA team. He seems to be about as coachable as you can find and you'd think he'd take it up if a coach nipped it.

This is really stupid. Georges Niang was 10 times the trash talker that Haliburton will ever be. Did Fred have a culture problem?

 

[tim_redd]

McDermott had the ability to adapt. Creighton is big time now.

McDermott was below mediocre for his entire stint at Iowa State. He is probably my least favorite MBB coach, but give the man credit he learned from his time here and has grown and become a much better coach.

 

[Busch__Latte]

Steve's line ups and rotations are always so frustrating. Foster should have played more last night.

 

[Lineup]

Johnny is rolling over in his grave

 

[CyCrazy]

McDermott was below mediocre for his entire stint at Iowa State. He is probably my least favorite MBB coach, but give the man credit he learned from his time here and has grown and become a much better coach.

Ya in hindsight it was just a terrible fit, Creighton is damn good and the Big East is no slouch.

 

[CloneIce]

McDermott is a much better coach than Prohm...and probably Floyd and Hoiberg as well. Eustachy was the best coach we have had.

Not at ISU he wasn’t. Clearly I was describing them in that context.