ADVERTISEMENT

2023 Recruiting. Orig Post Updated Jan 1. ZERO Scholarships Currently Available. 34 Offers So Far (incl. Pryce Sandfort, Owen Freeman, Brock Harding)

Correct me if I am wrong, but it seems like other schools get NIL deals lined up for the prospect during the recruiting process (ie, if they sign with the school, the NIL deals are there waiting). Iowa players don't seem to get these deals lined up until after they have signed their LOI. If I am right, then this is a huge recruiting disadvantage.

Caitlin Clark is making bank, of course. But all of her deals (Hy-Vee, H&R Block, Topps, Nike, etc.) have come after she arrived on campus. I would love to know what her Nike deal is worth. Good for her!
Well, that’s the issue. We’ve always talked about the proverbial (e.g.) KU bag 💼 man; now it’s just more out in the open. With as much money as the conference is going to be raking in, Iowa needs to step into the now and get a real seat at the table. Fran has already proven what he can do with kids who were marginal P5 talent in high school. Imagine what he can do signing 1-2 top 100 players each recruiting class. It’d be like taking a trip back to the 1980s.
 
Well, that’s the issue. We’ve always talked about the proverbial (e.g.) KU bag 💼 man; now it’s just more out in the open. With as much money as the conference is going to be raking in, Iowa needs to step into the now and get a real seat at the table. Fran has already proven what he can do with kids who were marginal P5 talent in high school. Imagine what he can do signing 1-2 top 100 players each recruiting class. It’d be like taking a trip back to the 1980s.

I would simply like the Iowa athletic dept to figure it out so that we no longer have to say that we lost a recruit because of NIL.

Several on here, as an example, have mentioned that boosters, instead of making contributions directly to the athletic department, could budget that money towards NIL. After all, TV revenue is expected to skyrocket, so the athletic dept won't be hurting for money. That would be conversations Barta would have to have with boosters. If something like that had been in place, where top prospects knew ahead of time that they have NIL deals waiting for them at Iowa, maybe we land a JP Estrella or a TJ Power. Or both.

On a side note: the B1G Commissioner has met with football players where they have discussed revenue sharing.

Things are so different now. Not even sure what an NCAA violation is anymore.
 
  • Like
Reactions: BlackNGoldBleeder
Fran still offering he is relentless!


Relentless, as always. It just sucks that Ladji Dembele is essentially our 5th option to fill the final, current open scholarship.

The top 4 options were:

Joseph (JP) Estrella (committed to Tennessee on Sep 2, 2022)

T.J. Power (committed to Duke on Sep 7, 2022)

Onyekachi Nzeh (committed to Xavier on Sep 8, 2022)

Saliou Seye (Uncommitted)


With this new offer, it makes me wonder if the Saliou Seye ship has sailed (Fran offered Seye on Sep 11). Hopefully not; we shall see.
 
The orig post has been updated.

Of the 34 Fran has offered, 4 remain undecided.

Alabama appears to be the leader for Kaden Cooper followed by Kansas, Oklahoma, LSU, and Gonzaga.

Aaron Clark is down to Wake Forest or Miami.

Haven't heard anything lately on Saliou Seye.

Ladji Dembele was offered yesterday.


 
Correct me if I am wrong, but it seems like other schools get NIL deals lined up for the prospect during the recruiting process (ie, if they sign with the school, the NIL deals are there waiting). Iowa players don't seem to get these deals lined up until after they have signed their LOI. If I am right, then this is a huge recruiting disadvantage.

Caitlin Clark is making bank, of course. But all of her deals (Hy-Vee, H&R Block, Topps, Nike, etc.) have come after she arrived on campus. I would love to know what her Nike deal is worth. Good for her!
I'm hopeful that the NIL stuff is going to be better this coming off-season when we get to portal recruiting. Fran and co has been doing a separate NIL venture with business leaders around the state. Jordan Montgomery Co has been the one arranging these parties to help drum up interest. Unfortunately, it seems the SWARM isn't that interested in giving lump sum deals to possible recruits, whereas businesses can do whatever they want. Fran has said this fall that portal recruiting has to be different because there's a baseline amount that almost every Power6 program is offering.
 
When it came to TJ Power, from what I have read, NIL played a factor in him choosing Duke. Duke already has a national brand and national championships to wow prospects with (and, yes, TJ said we was wowed on his Duke official visit). But now Duke is taking full advantage of NIL. Paolo Banchero, for example, reportedly made more than $1 million in his season with Duke before he was picked # 1 in the 2022 NBA draft.

You asked how much does Champs Sports have to do with NIL. Well, from what I have read, Champs Sports has been BOTH selective in who they deal with and aggressive when it comes to NIL. Champs Corporate Headquarters are in ACC/SEC country (Florida). They have a store in West Des Moines but the nearest store to Iowa City is in Moline IL. So, based on these and other factors (Iowa is not the brand that Duke is, etc.), if a player like TJ Power chose Iowa, I am not sure if Champs would be interested in doing an NIL deal (to answer your question if they would pay a 5 star player if he went somewhere other than Duke).

Back to Jared McCain, the Duke commit who signed with Champs. He's a 5 star, top 20 player in the 2023 class (just like TJ Power, who is a 5 star and #21). Jared has a huge social medial presence (1.7 million followers on TikTok, for starters). Combine that with the Duke national brand and I can see why Champs Sports was interested in him.

I found this Sep 21, 2022 story. Some excerpts:

“Jared McCain has done one heck of a job growing his own personal brand,” On3 national basketball analyst Joe Tipton said. “However, Duke will only strengthen it, especially in the NIL era.”

Champs has been aggressive in the NIL space. It announced a partnership with Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson on Tuesday (Sep 20). Miami basketball players Haley and Hanna Cavinder have played a heavy role in marketing since they signed back in December.

The company strategy is not changing any time soon.

“As NIL evolves, we’re looking forward to growing our roster of athlete partners and continue being a leading example for athlete partnerships in the space,” Champs Sports and Eastbay’s general manager Guy Harkless told Boardroom.


doesnt really sound like much different than pre nil

we just have to be able to beat mid range teams
 
I'm hopeful that the NIL stuff is going to be better this coming off-season when we get to portal recruiting. Fran and co has been doing a separate NIL venture with business leaders around the state. Jordan Montgomery Co has been the one arranging these parties to help drum up interest. Unfortunately, it seems the SWARM isn't that interested in giving lump sum deals to possible recruits, whereas businesses can do whatever they want. Fran has said this fall that portal recruiting has to be different because there's a baseline amount that almost every Power6 program is offering.

It just seems like other schools have NIL deals ready to go for top prospects where the deals are then guaranteed once the prospect signs the Letter of Intent. At Iowa, it seems like no NIL deals are for certain until after the player arrives on campus. I think this hurt us when trying to land a big in the portal and I think it hurt us when trying to land JP Estrella.
 
What bothers me about NIL is that NO ONE is regulating it. NO ONE. Not the NCAA. not the IRS, not the schools. They may be trying but there is no consistent framework such that even those schools that try to be fair are unable to compete or even control other parties. What.a.cf.
 
What bothers me about NIL is that NO ONE is regulating it. NO ONE. Not the NCAA. not the IRS, not the schools. They may be trying but there is no consistent framework such that even those schools that try to be fair are unable to compete or even control other parties. What.a.cf.
This exactly. NONE of what is going on, (at most schools), was the intention of NIL. At least with C Clark she's actually A). already established her marketability on the national stage. B) she actually is doing work, commercials etc. for her NIL partners. Nowhere in NIL were high school kids supposed to be getting six figure deals lined up before they ever got on campus. Unfortunately the cart is careening down the street, and the horse is still in his stall in the barn......
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: unclesammy
  • Like
Reactions: Franisdaman
He reminds me of Glen Worley. A decent shooting 4, trying to be a 3. Has some good post moves, but not a banger and not a great jumper to be a shot blocker on a consistent basis.
The film on him from this summer doesn’t look all that impressive. I remember reading that there was a fall event Iowa was going to watch him participate in. If I had to guess, I would say he was probably more impressive in that event, given the offers he garnered since then.
 
I see the MAAC Preseason Player of the Year, Jose Perez from Manhattan, is looking to transfer after his coach was recently fired. He is a forward that averaged almost nineteen points a game last season. This is the type of player that always seems to excel in our league. Maybe with McCaffery's East Coast ties, he could take a hard look at the young man.
 
I see the MAAC Preseason Player of the Year, Jose Perez from Manhattan, is looking to transfer after his coach was recently fired. He is a forward that averaged almost nineteen points a game last season. This is the type of player that always seems to excel in our league. Maybe with McCaffery's East Coast ties, he could take a hard look at the young man.

He entered the transfer portal yesterday. Oregon, Alabama, Missouri, Cincinnati, West Virginia, Memphis, Wake Forest, Clemson, Mississippi State, Nebraska and others have reportedly already reached out. Haven't seen any Iowa mention as of now.
 
He entered the transfer portal yesterday. Oregon, Alabama, Missouri, Cincinnati, West Virginia, Memphis, Wake Forest, Clemson, Mississippi State, Nebraska and others have reportedly already reached out. Haven't seen any Iowa mention as of now.
Hasn't he transferred 3 times already.
 
Hasn't he transferred 3 times already.
Yes. Started at Gardner Webb for 2 years, then transferred to Marquette for a year, then transferred to Manhatten for last year. Has 4 years where he's played in at least 10 games each of those years. This would be his Covid-19 year.
 
That doesn't seem to bother any of those other schools that are pursuing him. Like I said, he seems like the type of player that always does well for other schools we face.
 
From Yesterday

Ladji Dembele (Iowa offered October 21, 2022)

PF, 6'8, 230, Newark, NJ

137a4429.jpg


137a4396.jpg
 
I see the MAAC Preseason Player of the Year, Jose Perez from Manhattan, is looking to transfer after his coach was recently fired. He is a forward that averaged almost nineteen points a game last season. This is the type of player that always seems to excel in our league. Maybe with McCaffery's East Coast ties, he could take a hard look at the young man.


 
Why the #notcommitted?
Apparently they are afraid that someone will think they committed because they are wearing Iowa colors. I noticed it this year. Then when they do commit, it's so effing obvious that I can't believe anyone would be confused. But this is social media today...
 
ADVERTISEMENT