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3 of 4 2024 WBB Commits make ESPN Top 100

shikreto

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Mar 31, 2022
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~UPDATED AUG 23, 2023~

ESPN has expanded its Top 60 list for 2024 to 100. 3 of our 4 commits made the cut.
  • C Ava Heiden - #32
  • G Taegan Mallegni - #62
  • G Taylor Stremlow - #72
G Callie Levin of Solon does not make the cut. This may or may not be because she left the Nike-affiliated All Iowa Attack to play for an indy AAU team. She might have been included had she more exposure. Her offer list is decent but not overly impressive.

Our likely final targets for the 2024 class are:
  • PG Britt Prince of Lincoln, NE -- #25. She has been rather silent on her top choices -- I'd be surprised if we're really in the running TBH, she seems to want to play for an elite brand i.e., UCLA, Oregon, UConn. And of course UNL is throwing the kitchen sink at her -- her decision may determine the fate of coach Amy Williams one way or another.
  • G Aaliyah Guyton, Peoria IL -- #60 . Her top 5 are Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska, Pitt and MSU as of June -- she plans to make a decision in Sept. Iowa is by far the best program courting her, but Nebraska is going hard for her, while her home school of Illinois is likely a strong contender.
Notable commits at rival schools include:
  • PG Olivia Olsen (Mich) - #8
  • W Kendall Dudley (UCLA) - #12
  • G Avery Cain (UCLA) - #19
  • PG Kyndal Walker (MD) - #30
  • G W Berry Wallace (Ill) - #33
  • Rian Foriestier (USC) - #44
  • PG Xamiya Watson (NW) - #53
  • PG Jordyn Poole (Purdue) - #54
  • Ava McKennie (MD) - #97
No Top 100 kids have committed to ISU, Ohio State, Indiana, Washington or Oregon yet. Takeaways from all of this:
  • After it’s strongest season in decades, the B1G will continue to become more and competitive, especially once UCLA and USC arrive.
  • There's no reason we shouldn't have the most dominant center in the B1G once Heiden gets into a groove, with some solid shooters alongside her.
  • If Bluder can land Prince or Guyton, 2024 would be her best recruiting class ever IMO.

2025​


The Top 60 for 2025 has also been announced and our targets are well-represented:
  • W Jasmine Davidson, OR - #2
  • G Darianna Alexander, OH - #4
  • W Addison Deal, CA - #12
  • F Brynn McGaughy, WA - #15
  • W Jordan Speiser, MO - #17
  • G Bella Hines, MO - #23
  • F Jaliyah Davis, KS - #27
  • W Taliyah Henderson, AZ - #33
  • G Divine Bourrage, Davenport - #34
  • G Makena Christian, WI - #38
  • C Avery Gordon, IN - #44
Observations on this class:
  • As of 8/22/23, Bluder landed her highest-ranked commit since Clark (and I think 3rd highest of all time): G/SF Journey Houston of Davenport - #19 (!!!). This commitment is especially exciting b/c we really need an athletic W/F after signing such a point/guard-heavy class of 2024.
  • We seem to be in best standing with Speiser after her positive visits to campus.
  • Hines recently mentioned in an interview that Iowa was one of her top 2 programs...but she hadn't even visited yet lol. This speaks volumes as to the exposure afforded by this year's post-season success.
  • Deal's brother plays basketball with Bluder's son at Grinnell and she also reportedly loved her visit to campus, in which she got to "fangirl" out over meeting Clark and Czinano. She also seems to engage with all of the 2024 recruits on Instagram, including Callie Levin, the least high-profile of the class.
  • Bourrage is the teammate of Iowa commit Houston...but one user here says he is famliar with her thought process and she hopes to play out of state. Her recent move to an Illinois AAU team isn't surprising in that regard.

2026​


Finally, ESPN has also released the Top 25 for 2026. Our targets include:
  • C Olivia Vukosa, NY - #2
  • G Trinity Jones, IL - #6
  • G Addison Bjorn, MO - #8
  • PG Maddyn Greenway, MN - #15
  • G Jenica Lewis, IA - #24
Based on the limited coverage out there of the recruiting process, as well as message board whispers, social media posts, etc. we seem to be in the running for at least Bjorn, Greenway, and Lewis.

Bottom Line

ESPN rankings aren't the be-all end-all. Here are some examples of glaring inconsistencies that have to give any Iowa fan pause:
  • Rising junior AJ Edigar was a Top 50 recruit but barely had any meaningful minutes her first two years. She seems unlikely to crack the starting rotation this year as well.
  • Sydney Affolter was not a Top 100 recruit but she has proven she has the athleticism and skills to not only be productive on both sides of the floor but quite frankly elevate the game of our entire team.
  • Monika Czinano was not a Top 100 recruit either...but she bought into Bluder's system and put in the reps to become the most efficient player in America 3 seasons in a row.
Imperfections aside, the number of national rankings for WBB recruits is small and seemingly dwindling. So ESPN is what we get.

Looking at their rankings alone, Bluder has assembled quite a group of kids to take the helm after the Clark show departs, starting with our solid class of 2022, in which all 3 signees appeared in the Top 100. A starting line up that includes Stremlow, Mallegni, Houston and Heiden would be formidable and likely win a lot of games.

If Bluder is able to land Guyton, or (better yet) one of the target Ws/Fs from 2025 (like Speiser or Deal) to round out a starting 5...Iowa will continue to be very competitive.
 
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ESPN has expanded its Top 60 list for 2024 to 100. 3 of our 4 commits made the cut.
  • C Ava Heiden - #32
  • G Taegan Mallegni - #62
  • G Taylor Stremlow - #72
G Callie Levin of Solon does not make the cut.

Our likely last target for the class, PG Britt Prince of Lincoln, NE is #25.

Notable commits at rival schools include:
  • PG Olivia Olsen (Mich) - #8
  • W Kendall Dudley (UCLA) - #12
  • G Avery Cain (UCLA) - #19
  • PG Kyndal Walker (MD) - #30
  • G W Berry Wallace (Ill) - #33
  • Rian Foriestier (USC) - #44
  • PG Xamiya Watson (NW) - #53
  • PG Jordyn Poole (Purdue) - #54
  • N/A Ava McKennie (MD) - #97
No Top 100 kids have committed to ISU, Ohio State, or Indiana yet.

Bottom line: The B1G will continue to become more and competitive, especially once UCLA arrives.There's no reason we shoudn't have the most dominant center in the B1G once Heiden gets into a groove with two solid shooters alongside her. If we can land Britt Prince (likely still a tall task), this could be Bluder's best recruiting class ever.

The Top 60 for 2025 has also been announced and our targets are well-represented:
  • W Jasmine Davidson, OR - #2
  • W Addison Deal, CA - #12
  • G Journee Houston, Davenport - #19
  • G Divine Bourrage, Davenport - #34
There are likely more but I don't remember all off the top of my head. If we could secure even one of these, we would be in a very formidable position heading into the post-Clark era.
Jordan Speiser is #17 for 2025
 
ESPN has expanded its Top 60 list for 2024 to 100. 3 of our 4 commits made the cut.
  • C Ava Heiden - #32
  • G Taegan Mallegni - #62
  • G Taylor Stremlow - #72
G Callie Levin of Solon does not make the cut.

Our likely last target for the class, PG Britt Prince of Lincoln, NE is #25.

Notable commits at rival schools include:
  • PG Olivia Olsen (Mich) - #8
  • W Kendall Dudley (UCLA) - #12
  • G Avery Cain (UCLA) - #19
  • PG Kyndal Walker (MD) - #30
  • G W Berry Wallace (Ill) - #33
  • Rian Foriestier (USC) - #44
  • PG Xamiya Watson (NW) - #53
  • PG Jordyn Poole (Purdue) - #54
  • N/A Ava McKennie (MD) - #97
No Top 100 kids have committed to ISU, Ohio State, or Indiana yet.

Bottom line: The B1G will continue to become more and competitive, especially once UCLA arrives.There's no reason we shoudn't have the most dominant center in the B1G once Heiden gets into a groove with two solid shooters alongside her. If we can land Britt Prince (likely still a tall task), this could be Bluder's best recruiting class ever.

The Top 60 for 2025 has also been announced and our targets are well-represented:
  • W Jasmine Davidson, OR - #2
  • W Addison Deal, CA - #12
  • G Journee Houston, Davenport - #19
  • G Divine Bourrage, Davenport - #34
There are likely more but I don't remember all off the top of my head. If we could secure even one of these, we would be in a very formidable position heading into the post-Clark era.
Between Speiser & Houston would they take both? They seem to both be wings but perhaps Houston could play the 2. Really hoping for Deal.
 
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Sign, sign, sign. God, I hate the transfer portal.
 
Between Speiser & Houston would they take both? They seem to both be wings but perhaps Houston could play the 2. Really hoping for Deal.
Houston is not a 2. Houston could guard a 2, but is not a 2 offensively. Speiser is a 2-3. Not stellar defensively, but can shoot it with extended range. Attack is pushing her to improve on the defensive end and challenge for more rebounds. Houston plays hard ALL THE TIME and is quick off the dribble to the rim. Not sure how that will play at the next level, due to the length and athleticism of the competition. Both have another 2 years of high school and another year of Attack. Scary how good both could be come a year from now. Divine Bourrage has had a spectacular summer. Heard she is getting attention from all the big programs. That '25 class with Attack is extremely talented. Bourrage, Houston, Speiser, Zediker (Creighton commit) and Fandel. The Iowa State commit, Tanke, has shot it at a high level this summer and a couple of Drake commits (Knutson & McCabe) provide threats off the bench. Head coach's kid from Northern Illinois gets rave reviews from the staff in Ames (Carlsen?).
 
Houston is not a 2. Houston could guard a 2, but is not a 2 offensively. Speiser is a 2-3. Not stellar defensively, but can shoot it with extended range. Attack is pushing her to improve on the defensive end and challenge for more rebounds. Houston plays hard ALL THE TIME and is quick off the dribble to the rim. Not sure how that will play at the next level, due to the length and athleticism of the competition. Both have another 2 years of high school and another year of Attack. Scary how good both could be come a year from now. Divine Bourrage has had a spectacular summer. Heard she is getting attention from all the big programs. That '25 class with Attack is extremely talented. Bourrage, Houston, Speiser, Zediker (Creighton commit) and Fandel. The Iowa State commit, Tanke, has shot it at a high level this summer and a couple of Drake commits (Knutson & McCabe) provide threats off the bench. Head coach's kid from Northern Illinois gets rave reviews from the staff in Ames (Carlsen?).
Always appreciate your posts.
 
ESPN has expanded its Top 60 list for 2024 to 100. 3 of our 4 commits made the cut.
  • C Ava Heiden - #32
  • G Taegan Mallegni - #62
  • G Taylor Stremlow - #72
G Callie Levin of Solon does not make the cut.

Our likely last target for the class, PG Britt Prince of Lincoln, NE is #25.

Notable commits at rival schools include:
  • PG Olivia Olsen (Mich) - #8
  • W Kendall Dudley (UCLA) - #12
  • G Avery Cain (UCLA) - #19
  • PG Kyndal Walker (MD) - #30
  • G W Berry Wallace (Ill) - #33
  • Rian Foriestier (USC) - #44
  • PG Xamiya Watson (NW) - #53
  • PG Jordyn Poole (Purdue) - #54
  • Ava McKennie (MD) - #97
No Top 100 kids have committed to ISU, Ohio State, or Indiana yet.

Takeaways:
  • The B1G will continue to become more and competitive, especially once UCLA arrives.
  • There's no reason we shoudn't have the most dominant center in the B1G once Heiden gets into a groove with two solid shooters alongside her.
  • If we can land Britt Prince (a tall task), this would be Bluder's best recruiting class ever IMO.
The Top 60 for 2025 has also been announced and our targets are well-represented:
  • W Jasmine Davidson, OR - #2
  • W Addison Deal, CA - #12
  • W Jordan Speiser, MO - #17
  • G Journee Houston, Davenport - #19
  • G Divine Bourrage, Davenport - #34
There are likely more but I don't remember all off the top of my head. If we could secure even one of these, we would be in a very formidable position heading into the post-Clark era.
Where do we stand with each of this 2025 girls?
 
ESPN has expanded its Top 60 list for 2024 to 100. 3 of our 4 commits made the cut.
  • C Ava Heiden - #32
  • G Taegan Mallegni - #62
  • G Taylor Stremlow - #72
G Callie Levin of Solon does not make the cut.

Our likely last target for the class, PG Britt Prince of Lincoln, NE is #25.

Notable commits at rival schools include:
  • PG Olivia Olsen (Mich) - #8
  • W Kendall Dudley (UCLA) - #12
  • G Avery Cain (UCLA) - #19
  • PG Kyndal Walker (MD) - #30
  • G W Berry Wallace (Ill) - #33
  • Rian Foriestier (USC) - #44
  • PG Xamiya Watson (NW) - #53
  • PG Jordyn Poole (Purdue) - #54
  • Ava McKennie (MD) - #97
No Top 100 kids have committed to ISU, Ohio State, or Indiana yet.

Takeaways:
  • The B1G will continue to become more and competitive, especially once UCLA arrives.
  • There's no reason we shoudn't have the most dominant center in the B1G once Heiden gets into a groove with two solid shooters alongside her.
  • If we can land Britt Prince (a tall task), this would be Bluder's best recruiting class ever IMO.
The Top 60 for 2025 has also been announced and our targets are well-represented:
  • W Jasmine Davidson, OR - #2
  • W Addison Deal, CA - #12
  • W Jordan Speiser, MO - #17
  • G Journee Houston, Davenport - #19
  • G Divine Bourrage, Davenport - #34
There are likely more but I don't remember all off the top of my head. If we could secure even one of these, we would be in a very formidable position heading into the post-Clark era.

Any idea how the Hawks stand with interest from these ladies? I'd like to think the short distance is a plus with the Davenport girls but that isn't always the case.
 
Any idea how the Hawks stand with interest from these ladies? I'd like to think the short distance is a plus with the Davenport girls but that isn't always the case.
People generally think we are in good / the best position with Speiser.

As for the Davenport girls, someone on here (maybe last summer?) who claimed to have knowledge of Bourrage’s thought process said she rly isn’t interested and wants to look beyond Iowa for college.

You don’t hear much about Houston tbh, considering her proximity. Her older sister was committed to Iowa but ended up leaving athletics all together before ever suiting up. So she has known Bluder and co. for awhile, but I don’t think anyone has ever given much indication about her interest level.
 
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People generally think we are in good / the best position with Speiser.

As for the Davenport girls, someone on here (maybe last summer?) who claimed to have knowledge of Bourrage’s thought process said she rly isn’t interested and wants to look beyond Iowa for college.

You don’t hear much about Houston tbh, considering her proximity. Her older sister was committed to Iowa but ended up leaving athletics all together before ever suiting up. So she has known Bluder and co. for awhile, but I don’t think anyone has ever given much indication about her interest level.
I have noticed some new follows from the staff in recent weeks for the 2025 class. Primarily the guard position. If it means anything, who knows.
 
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FWIW (and it may not be worth much), Blue Star currently ranks the Iowa '24 class as follows:

50Ava Heiden
(2024)
73Teagan Mallegni
(2024)
77Taylor Stremlow
(2024)
54Callie Levin
(2024)

Blue Star loved Callie Levin early, and she is falling there, but still ranked 54.
 
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FWIW (and it may not be worth much), Blue Star currently ranks the Iowa '24 class as follows:

50Ava Heiden
(2024)
73Teagan Mallegni
(2024)
77Taylor Stremlow
(2024)
54Callie Levin
(2024)

Blue Star loved Callie Levin early, and she is falling there, but still ranked 54.

Thanks! Do you have a subscription to see these? I have been to their website but can only ever see the first 50. Is Guyton ranked out of curiosity? When it’s all said and done maybe I’ll make a post comparing the 3 ranking services for our various recruits. Perhaps I could even come up with a kind of aggregate / average ranking between them.

The discrepancies between some of these are wild. Olivia Olsen is one. By ESPN’s rank, she should be a game changer for Michigan. Looking at Blue Star, she’d barely be considered above average.
 
Thanks! Do you have a subscription to see these? I have been to their website but can only ever see the first 50. Is Guyton ranked out of curiosity? When it’s all said and done maybe I’ll make a post comparing the 3 ranking services for our various recruits. Perhaps I could even come up with a kind of aggregate / average ranking between them.

The discrepancies between some of these are wild. Olivia Olsen is one. By ESPN’s rank, she should be a game changer for Michigan. Looking at Blue Star, she’d barely be considered above average.
No subscription, but Google akin to the following by school (Iowa commitments bluestarbb):


This should work for Iowa.

Also, another set of rankings that I don’t vouch for:

 
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~UPDATED AUG 23, 2023~

ESPN has expanded its Top 60 list for 2024 to 100. 3 of our 4 commits made the cut.
  • C Ava Heiden - #32
  • G Taegan Mallegni - #62
  • G Taylor Stremlow - #72
G Callie Levin of Solon does not make the cut. This may or may not be because she left the Nike-affiliated All Iowa Attack to play for an indy AAU team. She might have been included had she more exposure. Her offer list is decent but not overly impressive.

Our likely final targets for the 2024 class are:
  • PG Britt Prince of Lincoln, NE -- #25. She has been rather silent on her top choices -- I'd be surprised if we're really in the running TBH, she seems to want to play for an elite brand i.e., UCLA, Oregon, UConn. And of course UNL is throwing the kitchen sink at her -- her decision may determine the fate of coach Amy Williams one way or another.
  • G Aaliyah Guyton, Peoria IL -- #60 . Her top 5 are Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska, Pitt and MSU as of June -- she plans to make a decision in Sept. Iowa is by far the best program courting her, but Nebraska is going hard for her, while her home school of Illinois is likely a strong contender.
Notable commits at rival schools include:
  • PG Olivia Olsen (Mich) - #8
  • W Kendall Dudley (UCLA) - #12
  • G Avery Cain (UCLA) - #19
  • PG Kyndal Walker (MD) - #30
  • G W Berry Wallace (Ill) - #33
  • Rian Foriestier (USC) - #44
  • PG Xamiya Watson (NW) - #53
  • PG Jordyn Poole (Purdue) - #54
  • Ava McKennie (MD) - #97
No Top 100 kids have committed to ISU, Ohio State, Indiana, Washington or Oregon yet. Takeaways from all of this:
  • After it’s strongest season in decades, the B1G will continue to become more and competitive, especially once UCLA and USC arrive.
  • There's no reason we shouldn't have the most dominant center in the B1G once Heiden gets into a groove, with some solid shooters alongside her.
  • If Bluder can land Prince or Guyton, 2024 would be her best recruiting class ever IMO.

2025​


The Top 60 for 2025 has also been announced and our targets are well-represented:
  • W Jasmine Davidson, OR - #2
  • G Darianna Alexander, OH - #4
  • W Addison Deal, CA - #12
  • F Brynn McGaughy, WA - #15
  • W Jordan Speiser, MO - #17
  • G Bella Hines, MO - #23
  • F Jaliyah Davis, KS - #27
  • W Taliyah Henderson, AZ - #33
  • G Divine Bourrage, Davenport - #34
  • G Makena Christian, WI - #38
  • C Avery Gordon, IN - #44
Observations on this class:
  • As of 8/22/23, Bluder landed her highest-ranked commit since Clark (and I think 3rd highest of all time): G/SF Journee Houston of Davenport - #19 (!!!). This commitment is especially exciting b/c we really need an athletic W/F after signing such a point/guard-heavy class of 2024.
  • We seem to be in best standing with Speiser after her positive visits to campus.
  • Hines recently mentioned in an interview that Iowa was one of her top 2 programs...but she hadn't even visited yet lol. This speaks volumes as to the exposure afforded by this year's post-season success.
  • Deal's brother plays basketball with Bluder's son at Grinnell and she also reportedly loved her visit to campus, in which she got to "fangirl" out over meeting Clark and Czinano. She also seems to engage with all of the 2024 recruits on Instagram, including Callie Levin, the least high-profile of the class.
  • Bourrage is the teammate of Iowa commit Houston...but one user here says he is famliar with her thought process and she hopes to play out of state. Her recent move to an Illinois AAU team isn't surprising in that regard.

2026​


Finally, ESPN has also released the Top 25 for 2026. Our targets include:
  • C Olivia Vukosa, NY - #2
  • G Trinity Jones, IL - #6
  • G Addison Bjorn, MO - #8
  • PG Maddyn Greenway, MN - #15
  • G Jenica Lewis, IA - #24
Based on the limited coverage out there of the recruiting process, as well as message board whispers, social media posts, etc. we seem to be in the running for at least Bjorn, Greenway, and Lewis.

Bottom Line

ESPN rankings aren't the be-all end-all. Here are some examples of glaring inconsistencies that have to give any Iowa fan pause:
  • Rising junior AJ Edigar was a Top 50 recruit but barely had any meaningful minutes her first two years. She seems unlikely to crack the starting rotation this year as well.
  • Sydney Affolter was not a Top 100 recruit but she has proven she has the athleticism and skills to not only be productive on both sides of the floor but quite frankly elevate the game of our entire team.
  • Monika Czinano was not a Top 100 recruit either...but she bought into Bluder's system and put in the reps to become the most efficient player in America 3 seasons in a row.
Imperfections aside, the number of national rankings for WBB recruits is small and seemingly dwindling. So ESPN is what we get.

Looking at their rankings alone, Bluder has assembled quite a group of kids to take the helm after the Clark show departs, starting with our solid class of 2022, in which all 3 signees appeared in the Top 100. A starting line up that includes Stremlow, Mallegni, Houston and Heiden would be formidable and likely win a lot of games.

If Bluder is able to land Guyton, or (better yet) one of the target Ws/Fs from 2025 (like Speiser or Deal) to round out a starting 5...Iowa will continue to be very competitive.
You didn’t need to put “WBB” we know the men’s team will never land 3 in the top 100 in the same year. Hasn’t happened in over 30 years. That’s why our men’s team is perineal shit.
 
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You didn’t need to put “WBB” we know the men’s team will never land 3 in the top 100 in the same year. Hasn’t happened in over 30 years. That’s why our men’s team is perineal shit.
Link to all threads in this forum that have “WBB” in the title…
… bookmark this link to your browser to easily sort out and avoid all the “MBB” threads
 
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