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2020 PG Bowen Born - Should Iowa offer?

Ballhawk1221

Ballhawk1221

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Per Tom, he just took an unofficial to Iowa and enjoyed it. Played pickup ball with some of the current Hawkeyes. He's 5-11", 160 lbs, unranked, with offers from UNI, Drake, Bowling Green, Indiana State, South Dakota and Toledo. Averaged 27.8 points and 3.8 assists for Norwalk last season, led the team to the 3A title game, where they lost to Oskaloosa. DMR has him as the second-best in-state player in the 2020 class (behind you-know-who).

Anybody know anything more about this kid, whether it's his playing style or personality? Should Iowa offer? Would you be happy if Iowa does offer and he commits?

I don't know much about him, so I can't tell if he's purely a mid-major prospect or an under-the-radar player who could break out as a senior. Any and all insights welcome.
 
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There has been a lot of talk on ISU boards about him, because he's the son of a former player. I think best case scenario is to get another JBo clone in him. I actually watched the 3A title game, and I think he's kind of in the same situation as Joe was 2 years ago, he's really the best player on his team by a mile.

I'm not a scout at all but I think he could probably help a team but I don't think he's the kind of player that would elevate a high major program.
 
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ISUBryce said:
There has been a lot of talk on ISU boards about him, because he's the son of a former player. I think best case scenario is to get another JBo clone in him. I actually watched the 3A title game, and I think he's kind of in the same situation as Joe was 2 years ago, he's really the best player on his team by a mile.

I'm not a scout at all but I think he could probably help a team but I don't think he's the kind of player that would elevate a high major program.
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If Iowa can land Foster or another top 2020 big man, I would be more than happy with taking a JBo clone, especially a kid who's good enough to put a team on his back and take it to the state title game. We'll have Bohannon (assuming he redshirts), Toussaint and Connor at the point, so there wouldn't be much pressure for him to play big minutes right away. If he shows out as a freshman, that's a bonus. And then we can target a difference-maker PG in the 2021 class.
 
L. Wade Childress said:
Am I correct in assuming that he’s an ISU lock if they offer?
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I can't envision a scenario where they would offer. Nothing against the kid but ISU only has 2 (probably will end up 3) scholarships open for 2020 and we have a ton of young guards currently on the roster. Plus Prohm likes guys that can play multiple positions, he wants to switch every screen, and with Born's size that just isn't possible.

Edit: I've not heard anything about ISU's staff following him at all either. Just doesn't appear to be mutual interest.
 
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Ballhawk1221 said:
Per Tom, he just took an unofficial to Iowa and enjoyed it. Played pickup ball with some of the current Hawkeyes. He's 5-11", 160 lbs, unranked, with offers from UNI, Drake, Bowling Green, Indiana State, South Dakota and Toledo. Averaged 27.8 points and 3.8 assists for Norwalk last season, led the team to the 3A title game, where they lost to Oskaloosa. DMR has him as the second-best in-state player in the 2020 class (behind you-know-who).

Anybody know anything more about this kid, whether it's his playing style or personality? Should Iowa offer? Would you be happy if Iowa does offer and he commits?

I don't know much about him, so I can't tell if he's purely a mid-major prospect or an under-the-radar player who could break out as a senior. Any and all insights welcome.
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Saw him play several times each of the past two seasons against some very good teams. There is no comparing him to JBo as Bowen's a much quicker player who can create his own shot whenever he wants including against Oskaloosa that had two D1 bigs. He's not the pure outside shooter that JBo is, but who is. But he can hit at a high enough percentage to keep the defense honest, then when they get too tight he attacks the rim or dishes to a shooter. He always seems to be calm and in control though even when double teamed as he was most of the time. I've been saying for a while I hope the Hawks don't screw up on this one, because we would probably land him if we are the first major to offer.
 
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I was tickled to death when we offered JBo. I want them to offer this kid and I think he will do great for us. He and Toussaint could be a nice 1-2 punch for a few years. For those that don't like him, you may be right but you might also be wrong.
 
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I like Born, but he is just not a P5 basketball player.

With that, I really hope he goes to Drake. That way I get to follow him a little more.


Ballhawk1221 said:
Per Tom, he just took an unofficial to Iowa and enjoyed it. Played pickup ball with some of the current Hawkeyes. He's 5-11", 160 lbs, unranked, with offers from UNI, Drake, Bowling Green, Indiana State, South Dakota and Toledo. Averaged 27.8 points and 3.8 assists for Norwalk last season, led the team to the 3A title game, where they lost to Oskaloosa. DMR has him as the second-best in-state player in the 2020 class (behind you-know-who).

Anybody know anything more about this kid, whether it's his playing style or personality? Should Iowa offer? Would you be happy if Iowa does offer and he commits?

I don't know much about him, so I can't tell if he's purely a mid-major prospect or an under-the-radar player who could break out as a senior. Any and all insights welcome.
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EpenesaEpenesa said:
Ya well many said the same about Jordan Bohannon
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I don't recall posts saying Jbo wasn't Big10 caliber--JBo won the starting job by knocking down shots vs Notre DAme as Freshman and never looked back.. There might have been posts questioning him as recruit, but you there were posts years ago saying Brunner wasn't going to be much of a player for Iowa. Opinions on recruits are always all over the place.

JBo >>> Brody Boyd.
Brody was more like 5'10 and wasn't as good a 3pt shooter, not as good a FT shooter, not as clutch, and scored less and couldn't play PG and was way undersized 2G on defense. I like Brody as an underdog story and he did get hot at times, but he wasn't close to being as good as JBo.
 
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And1Hawk said:
In today’s transfer culture our roster is going to be fluid. There’s no more banking on guys being here beyond 1 year. No reason not to take a flyer on him. It does not work he hits the portal.
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This.
 
At the end of the day, it all comes down to how Born compares to the other PGs we are recruiting, and the likelihood that Born or any other player wants to attend the University of Iowa. If the staff decides Born would be a good fit, I would be happy to have him.
 
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HawkLogic said:
I don't recall posts saying Jbo wasn't Big10 caliber--JBo won the starting job by knocking down shots vs Notre DAme as Freshman and never looked back.. There might have been posts questioning him as recruit, but you there were posts years ago saying Brunner wasn't going to be much of a player for Iowa. Opinions on recruits are always all over the place.

JBo >>> Brody Boyd.
Brody was more like 5'10 and wasn't as good a 3pt shooter, not as good a FT shooter, not as clutch, and scored less and couldn't play PG and was way undersized 2G on defense. I like Brody as an underdog story and he did get hot at times, but he wasn't close to being as good as JBo.
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There were people all over this board saying JBo wasn’t big ten caliber. Before he knocked down shots against Notre Dame
 
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The bar needs to be raised IMO. Fran needs to find guys that can do something really well on one end of the floor. If their offense takes time to develop then they need to be a gritty defender (see McQuaid at MSU).

Unless Fran is going to hit on recruits he hasn't hit on to date to allow this kid to stand in the corner and hit open shots, I don't see him adding value. We need more dynamic guard play and I don't see this kid being capable of that. I was high on AJ Green but he hasn't exactly light it up at UNI. As a specialist or Ben Brust type player on a good team maybe this makes more sense.
 
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Born reminds me a lot of the PG Drake had until he tore his ACL against Evansville in their first MVC GAME: Nick Norton.

Best player on the court even though he is not even 6’0 tall. A true PG in every category, which is what every team needs. Outside shot, dribble penetrate and score. Dribble penetrate and dish. Make the crucial free throws late, etc... Norton has an uncanny knack for getting a lot of rebounds, too. Not sure Born has that, but he is the classic coach’s son overachiever.

I want him to go to Iowa, but if not, I am really hoping he goes to Drake! Drake wins the Valley and Valley tournament in a waltz if Norton played the entire year.
 
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I would be happy either way. I’ve seen him play multiple times and I can see him making it as a quality B10 player, but definitely not a can't miss prospect.

Size is obviously a concern, but that doesn’t bother me as much as some. I get tired of all the 6 foot kids I see every year in the NCAA tourney that weren’t good enough for P5 due to size that seem unstoppable against P5 teams. However it’s hard to pick the ones that are going to excel as most don’t. BB is much more athletic than most guards we’ve had. Can throw it down in warmups with ease. + handles. I think he’s actually a very good shooter when watching him shoot. He just never gets easy looks being the focal point of the defense. He takes a lot of long shots, contested shots, step backs etc.

A lot of people had concerns about JW’s shooting and I said the same thing. During warmups he drained a HUGE % of 3’s. We saw how that turned out when not double teamed the whole game like in HS. Damn good shooter.

Im surprised he’s not at least a low 3 star. I’ve seen numerous ranked players over the years that can’t do what he can do on the court except grow faster. He knows how to play. Put me in the thumbs up camp if they offer, but won’t lose sleep if they don’t.
 
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HawkLand said:
I would be happy either way. I’ve seen him play multiple times and I can see him making it as a quality B10 player, but definitely not a can't miss prospect.

Size is obviously a concern, but that doesn’t bother me as much as some. I get tired of all the 6 foot kids I see every year in the NCAA tourney that weren’t good enough for P5 due to size that seem unstoppable against P5 teams. However it’s hard to pick the ones that are going to excel as most don’t. BB is much more athletic than most guards we’ve had. Can throw it down in warmups with ease. + handles. I think he’s actually a very good shooter when watching him shoot. He just never gets easy looks being the focal point of the defense. He takes a lot of long shots, contested shots, step backs etc.

A lot of people had concerns about JW’s shooting and I said the same thing. During warmups he drained a HUGE % of 3’s. We saw how that turned out when not double teamed the whole game like in HS. Damn good shooter.

Im surprised he’s not at least a low 3 star. I’ve seen numerous ranked players over the years that can’t do what he can do on the court except grow faster. He knows how to play. Put me in the thumbs up camp if they offer, but won’t lose sleep if they don’t.
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I'd certainly be glad if he became a Hawkeye. I know the Brody Boyd comparison seemed to go sideways a bit, however, there are some relevant things to remember about Boyd. Number one, he came in with a reputation of being a scorer, but actually became a pretty good defensive player. Quite quick (note: I didn't say fast), especially in the perimeter passing lanes. Averaged over 2 steals a game, I believe, his senior year. Yes, his shooting never met the expectations many fans had, but he was definitely a competent shooter and effective ball-handler and passer.

Also, and this is something that gets dismissed occasionally, he was a good teammate who knew and understood his role on the team. His ego was put aside for what the coaches asked him to do.

Sure, it'd be great to have a roster of McDonald's AAs, but I don't foresee this happening soon. A team like Iowa is going to have to have players who are sometimes under the radar, but also understand what's expected of them.

I could easily see Born fitting that role nicely.
 
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kid has a real nice crossover>step back>jump shot that extends well beyond 3pt range. He also seems to be pretty darn quick and athletic despite being under 6ft. I have no problem with Iowa taking a chance on an in-state kid that has performed well in HS and on the AAU circuit. I believe we are expecting a recruiting class of 4 players for 2020, as a result don't have a problem with an offer if extended.
 
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TheTruthTheWholeTruth said:
He’s good if you like players with an Otng of 92.8 He’s also a chucker as can be seen from his %shots and eFG%
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I think a player is probably good if the National Champs wanted him. Even if his QTGjdn% was not stellar. He was asked to do 5x more than any freshman that is not a one and done kid should be asked of them. UNI had horrible offensive talent around him. He is someone Iowa would like to have.
 
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I saw Norwalk play a couple of times last year, actually parts of games on my way home from elsewhere but never put a name on a player, or at least not a clear name.

If this is the Norwalk guard I'm remembering, and I think it is because there was one smallish guard that was always the best player on the floor, on both ends, we could have a good player on our hands. Its hard to say because the level of competition wasn't very good. I think one game was Indianola and Norwalk was killing the Indians worse than Maxim guns at Wounded Knee.

Might be a Jason Scales like player (analogy not sport) that's just 1 step faster than everyone in HS but an ordinary athlete, at best, in college. I'd say the kid might be worth a gamble. I'm not sure we want to use an early offer, although the summer AAU season could prove me wrong on that issue.
 
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mstp1992 said:
I'd certainly be glad if he became a Hawkeye. I know the Brody Boyd comparison seemed to go sideways a bit, however, there are some relevant things to remember about Boyd. Number one, he came in with a reputation of being a scorer, but actually became a pretty good defensive player. Quite quick (note: I didn't say fast), especially in the perimeter passing lanes. Averaged over 2 steals a game, I believe, his senior year. Yes, his shooting never met the expectations many fans had, but he was definitely a competent shooter and effective ball-handler and passer.

Also, and this is something that gets dismissed occasionally, he was a good teammate who knew and understood his role on the team. His ego was put aside for what the coaches asked him to do.

Sure, it'd be great to have a roster of McDonald's AAs, but I don't foresee this happening soon. A team like Iowa is going to have to have players who are sometimes under the radar, but also understand what's expected of them.

I could easily see Born fitting that role nicely.
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Don't short sell Brody's straight speed. Although tiny (less than 5'11" when I was standing near him, seemed like more than an inch shorter than me at 6' even) B2 was a good athlete, fast and quick with a good feel for the game. Its unfortunate that he was so poorly coached. Worley was poor athlete but the other freshmen in that class Jared, Sondy and B2 were truly victims of Alford's poor coaching and displayed much higher ceilings than they ultimately achieved.
 
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Born would likely be a career backup. With 3 probable PGs in 2019, he’d likely RS. And we’d hope to get another PG in 2021. But he could be a valuable one. Surely it’s been learned in the past couple seasons that sh*t happens, and you want to be prepared for it happening at PG. Born could be that valuable scrappy Iowa kid to have in the bullpen who could earn a bigger role a la Baer.
 
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