Sporting News tells America what Iowans know too well: First year could be pretty bumpy for McCaffery, Hoiberg

I subscribed to The Sporting News several weeks ago.

Never thought that would happen. But I got a sample copy in the mail and really liked it. It's not The Sporting News of yesteryear. It's punchy, laid out well, with lots of interesting ideas for stories and lists, and lots of interviews and short Q&As with people on sports' frontlines.

In the most recent issue, there is a list of the 50 best baseball players of this moment. That can be kind of dry in itself, but I found it interesting. Four New York Yankees are named before the first Tampa Bay Ray, but the Rays are five games up on the Yanks entering Friday night's play.

Only one Chicago Cub, No. 33 Derrick Lee, made the list. Which speaks to why the Cubs are four games under .500, I guess.

Anyway, in its latest issue TSN breaks down the 12 men's basketball coaching changes of schools in BCS conferences in a piece with the headline "Not all coaching jobs are created equal."

Iowa and Iowa State are two of the 12. The story, by Mike DeCourcy, ranks how he thinks the new coaches will fare in the upcoming season.

Iowa's Fran McCaffery is 8th. Wrote DeCourcy:

"The Hawkeyes embody the old joke about underwhelming athletic rosters. They're small, but they're slow."

His forecast for the Hawkeyes in 2010-2011: "Might avoid the Big Ten cellar."

Then there's Iowa State. Last of the 12.

DeCourcy: "Having never been a coach,  (Fred) Hoiberg must establish a philosophy that

 works for him without the talent necessary to make it work in the Big 12."

Forecast: "Clearly last of the 12."

Well, those jobs wouldn't have been open if everything in Iowa City and Ames were peachy, would they?

The new coach given the best job to succeed immediately is Brad Brownell at Clemson. Here are the others, and remember, this is just a one-season projection, nothing more:

2. Steve Lavin, St. John's

3. Kevin Willard, Seton Hall

4. Jeff Bzdelik, Wake Forest

5. Dana Altman, Oregon

6. Tad Boyle, Colorado

7. Steve Donahue, Boston College

9. Mike Rice, Rutgers

10. Tony Barbee, Auburn

11. Oliver Purnell, DePaul