If you want to watch Jenica Lewis and Journey Houston in HS playoffs today

[HawksGoneWild1]

I don't know anything about IHSGB.
I'm curious what everyone was saying about Callie Levin throughout her high school career. Obviously, it's still early in Levin's college career, so I'm not being dismissive and I'm still hoping she develops, but are the current high-profile Iowa high school players perceived to be that much better than her, or is this a crapshoot with the Iowa high school competition?

I'll take stab at this from a rankings perspective. Plus, I didn't even realize Levin is a legacy kid until I went looking for the day she committed and found that piece of info in the article as well.

Levin committed on Aug 2, 2021. She committed 3 years before she showed up on campus to play for us.



""I'm super pumped to announce that I will following in my parents' footsteps and continuing my academic and athletic career at the University of Iowa," Levin wrote in her announcement."

Iowa women's basketball secures first 2024 commit in Solon's Callie Levin

The Hawkeyes didn't have to go far to land their first 2024 commit.

www.hawkcentral.com

"Even before that call, however, Levin had connections to both Iowa and the women’s basketball program. With both of her parents finishing their college careers at the University of Iowa, plus her sister’s current position as a member of the rowing team, Iowa was a natural choice."

‘Hometown Hawkeye’: Solon’s Callie Levin to the Iowa women’s basketball program

When Callie Levin was in sixth grade, she would tag along with her sister for basketball practice with coach Darryl Moore’s Court 45 training program. Levin wasn’t working with Moore yet, but she would substitute in if there was a player missing. Even while playing against girls two or three...

dailyiowan.com

At that time in Aug of '21, here's what we had for recruit rankings for that coming season. Notice the last column 'Avg Rank'. Our Avg Rank player at that time was over 125. Levin's avg rank is ~119. She was perceived as middle of the pack when she committed.

Rk	'21-'22 Player	Year	ASGR	PN	JRAS	ESPN	TSB	247S	BSBB	ON3	MISC	LOW	Avg Rank
1	Caitlin Clark	2020		7		4			6			4	5.67
2	AJ Ediger	2021		50	83	39			63			39	58.75
3	Sydney Affolter	2021		48	78				97			48	74.33
4	Kylie Feuerbach	2020		53		71			117			53	80.33
5	McKenna Warnock	2019		52		84			114			52	83.33
6	Addison O'Grady	2021		147	70	92			46			46	88.75
7	Kate Martin	2019							94			94	94.00
8	Gabbie Marshall	2019							158			158	158.00
9	Shateah Wetering	2020							159			159	159.00
10	Sharon Goodman	2020							185			185	185.00
11	Monika Czinano	2018		180					244			180	212.00
12	Logan Cook	2018							212			212	212.00
13	Tomi Taiwo	2018		193					268			193	230.50
	AVG											109.46	126.28
	NCAA Tournament:												Sweet 16

Consider those rankings against our next years team below. Avg Rank is ~67. Plus, look at where the Avg Rank of our incoming class next year are on this list. The top 6 of 7 players are in the last 2 recruiting classes. Only Hannah is in the top 7 and she will be #5. Almost every commit for the '25 class is above all the prior classes and Heiden is recent. That's how much Bluder/Jan has uped the recruiting each year. If Jan gets several of the targeted recruits she's looking at for '26, it will most likely push the '25 top recruits down the list yet again.

Rk	'25-'26 Player	Year	ASGR	PN	JRAS	ESPN	TSB	247S	BSBB	ON3	MISC	LOW	Avg Rank
1	Addie Deal	2025	17	8	22	18	5	9	25	14	2	2	13.33
2	Ava Heiden	2024	50	65	35	42			38		32	32	43.67
3	Layla Hays	2025	24	51	49	70		62			21	21	46.17
4	Journey Houston	2025	40	31	61	85	24	79	43		19	19	47.75
5	Hannah Stuelke	2022		67	44	45			65		39	39	52.00
6	Teagan Mallegni	2024	29		67	65			77		27	27	53.00
7	Aaliyah Guyton	2024	70		63	58			55			55	61.50
8	Jada Gyamfi	2022		71	70	76			74			70	72.75
9	Taylor Stremlow	2024	89	51	81	94			87		47	47	74.83
10	Kylie Feuerbach*	2020		53		71			117			53	80.33
11	Kennise Johnson	2023							105		99	99	102.00
12	Taylor McCabe	2022		114	94	89			127			89	106.00
13	Callie Levin	2024	136		100				122			100	119.33
	AVG											50.23	67.13
	NCAA Tournament:												?

So if you look at Levin when she committed, she was right in the middle between Kate Martin and Gabbie Marshall rankings. That's why she looked like a promising recruit at the time. With each passing year, it gets worse for Iowa players to be recruited now. They may play an important portal part in coming years to get more college playing time faster elsewhere first where they most likely won't get that at Iowa.

Off the top of my head, I would think Libby Fandel, Ava Zediker, the Muellers (probably missing a few others) are most likely better prospects than Levin and even they don't get offers from Iowa now. Muellers may get an offer later on if our top '26 targets don't pan out as Plan B.

The point being is Callie most likely wouldn't get an offer now, unless the legacy angle gets her foot in the door.

 

[cmhawks99]

Wow, what a game 56–54 rebound put back with no time left. Those two Birmingham sisters were a handful. I think had 37 points between them

 

[citizenHawk]

I'll take stab at this from a rankings perspective. Plus, I didn't even realize Levin is a legacy kid until I went looking for the day she committed and found that piece of info in the article as well.

Levin committed on Aug 2, 2021. She committed 3 years before she showed up on campus to play for us.

View embedded media

""I'm super pumped to announce that I will following in my parents' footsteps and continuing my academic and athletic career at the University of Iowa," Levin wrote in her announcement."

Iowa women's basketball secures first 2024 commit in Solon's Callie Levin

The Hawkeyes didn't have to go far to land their first 2024 commit.

www.hawkcentral.com

"Even before that call, however, Levin had connections to both Iowa and the women’s basketball program. With both of her parents finishing their college careers at the University of Iowa, plus her sister’s current position as a member of the rowing team, Iowa was a natural choice."

‘Hometown Hawkeye’: Solon’s Callie Levin to the Iowa women’s basketball program

When Callie Levin was in sixth grade, she would tag along with her sister for basketball practice with coach Darryl Moore’s Court 45 training program. Levin wasn’t working with Moore yet, but she would substitute in if there was a player missing. Even while playing against girls two or three...

dailyiowan.com

At that time in Aug of '21, here's what we had for recruit rankings for that coming season. Notice the last column 'Avg Rank'. Our Avg Rank player at that time was over 125. Levin's avg rank is ~119. She was perceived as middle of the pack when she committed.

Rk	'21-'22 Player	Year	ASGR	PN	JRAS	ESPN	TSB	247S	BSBB	ON3	MISC	LOW	Avg Rank
1	Caitlin Clark	2020		7		4			6			4	5.67
2	AJ Ediger	2021		50	83	39			63			39	58.75
3	Sydney Affolter	2021		48	78				97			48	74.33
4	Kylie Feuerbach	2020		53		71			117			53	80.33
5	McKenna Warnock	2019		52		84			114			52	83.33
6	Addison O'Grady	2021		147	70	92			46			46	88.75
7	Kate Martin	2019							94			94	94.00
8	Gabbie Marshall	2019							158			158	158.00
9	Shateah Wetering	2020							159			159	159.00
10	Sharon Goodman	2020							185			185	185.00
11	Monika Czinano	2018		180					244			180	212.00
12	Logan Cook	2018							212			212	212.00
13	Tomi Taiwo	2018		193					268			193	230.50
	AVG											109.46	126.28
	NCAA Tournament:												Sweet 16

Consider those rankings against our next years team below. Avg Rank is ~67. Plus, look at where the Avg Rank of our incoming class next year are on this list. The top 6 of 7 players are in the last 2 recruiting classes. Only Hannah is in the top 7 and she will be #5. Almost every commit for the '25 class is above all the prior classes and Heiden is recent. That's how much Bluder/Jan has uped the recruiting each year. If Jan gets several of the targeted recruits she's looking at for '26, it will most likely push the '25 top recruits down the list yet again.

Rk	'25-'26 Player	Year	ASGR	PN	JRAS	ESPN	TSB	247S	BSBB	ON3	MISC	LOW	Avg Rank
1	Addie Deal	2025	17	8	22	18	5	9	25	14	2	2	13.33
2	Ava Heiden	2024	50	65	35	42			38		32	32	43.67
3	Layla Hays	2025	24	51	49	70		62			21	21	46.17
4	Journey Houston	2025	40	31	61	85	24	79	43		19	19	47.75
5	Hannah Stuelke	2022		67	44	45			65		39	39	52.00
6	Teagan Mallegni	2024	29		67	65			77		27	27	53.00
7	Aaliyah Guyton	2024	70		63	58			55			55	61.50
8	Jada Gyamfi	2022		71	70	76			74			70	72.75
9	Taylor Stremlow	2024	89	51	81	94			87		47	47	74.83
10	Kylie Feuerbach*	2020		53		71			117			53	80.33
11	Kennise Johnson	2023							105		99	99	102.00
12	Taylor McCabe	2022		114	94	89			127			89	106.00
13	Callie Levin	2024	136		100				122			100	119.33
	AVG											50.23	67.13
	NCAA Tournament:												?

So if you look at Levin when she committed, she was right in the middle between Kate Martin and Gabbie Marshall rankings. That's why she looked like a promising recruit at the time. With each passing year, it gets worse for Iowa players to be recruited now. They may play an important portal part in coming years to get more college playing time faster elsewhere first where they most likely won't get that at Iowa.

Off the top of my head, I would think Libby Fandel, Ava Zediker, the Muellers (probably missing a few others) are most likely better prospects than Levin and even they don't get offers from Iowa now. Muellers may get an offer later on if our top '26 targets don't pan out as Plan B.

The point being is Callie most likely wouldn't get an offer now, unless the legacy angle gets her foot in the door.

And yet she DID graduate as Miss Basketball for Iowa HS and evaluated as the best (or second best player in the state her senior year? Finished with the team as state champs. So, last year is considered an outlier for Iowa girls basketball prospects? I think *that* is the evaluation I'm getting at. It just seems so inconsistent year on year with the discussion of the other young players in this current thread.

 

[cmhawks99]

I know I’m asking for a lot, but the announcers in these high school broadcast are absolutely horrible

 

[relishingwinning18]

^^^^^
I'll be extremely surprised to see any 5A team from outside the DM metro win a girl's title again.
I'm not sure a 5A all star team could be assembled to do it.

For sure, seems about the same for Bball anymore to be quite honest.

 

[littlez]

I know I’m asking for a lot, but the announcers in these high school broadcast are absolutely horrible

No more Frosty Mitchell? Lol.

 

[Old_wrestling_fan]

No more Frosty Mitchell? Lol.

"Up out of the toaster", and "Into the land of the giants", a couple of Frosty classic sayings.

 

[MitchLL]

For sure, seems about the same for Bball anymore to be quite honest.

Looking like DM area schools are gonna dominate 4A as well...North Polk, DCG, and Norwalk into next round.

Personal brag...Granddaughter's team moving on!!!

 

[BraydonRoberts5]

I'll take stab at this from a rankings perspective. Plus, I didn't even realize Levin is a legacy kid until I went looking for the day she committed and found that piece of info in the article as well.

Levin committed on Aug 2, 2021. She committed 3 years before she showed up on campus to play for us.

View embedded media

""I'm super pumped to announce that I will following in my parents' footsteps and continuing my academic and athletic career at the University of Iowa," Levin wrote in her announcement."

Iowa women's basketball secures first 2024 commit in Solon's Callie Levin

The Hawkeyes didn't have to go far to land their first 2024 commit.

www.hawkcentral.com

"Even before that call, however, Levin had connections to both Iowa and the women’s basketball program. With both of her parents finishing their college careers at the University of Iowa, plus her sister’s current position as a member of the rowing team, Iowa was a natural choice."

‘Hometown Hawkeye’: Solon’s Callie Levin to the Iowa women’s basketball program

When Callie Levin was in sixth grade, she would tag along with her sister for basketball practice with coach Darryl Moore’s Court 45 training program. Levin wasn’t working with Moore yet, but she would substitute in if there was a player missing. Even while playing against girls two or three...

dailyiowan.com

At that time in Aug of '21, here's what we had for recruit rankings for that coming season. Notice the last column 'Avg Rank'. Our Avg Rank player at that time was over 125. Levin's avg rank is ~119. She was perceived as middle of the pack when she committed.

Rk	'21-'22 Player	Year	ASGR	PN	JRAS	ESPN	TSB	247S	BSBB	ON3	MISC	LOW	Avg Rank
1	Caitlin Clark	2020		7		4			6			4	5.67
2	AJ Ediger	2021		50	83	39			63			39	58.75
3	Sydney Affolter	2021		48	78				97			48	74.33
4	Kylie Feuerbach	2020		53		71			117			53	80.33
5	McKenna Warnock	2019		52		84			114			52	83.33
6	Addison O'Grady	2021		147	70	92			46			46	88.75
7	Kate Martin	2019							94			94	94.00
8	Gabbie Marshall	2019							158			158	158.00
9	Shateah Wetering	2020							159			159	159.00
10	Sharon Goodman	2020							185			185	185.00
11	Monika Czinano	2018		180					244			180	212.00
12	Logan Cook	2018							212			212	212.00
13	Tomi Taiwo	2018		193					268			193	230.50
	AVG											109.46	126.28
	NCAA Tournament:												Sweet 16

Consider those rankings against our next years team below. Avg Rank is ~67. Plus, look at where the Avg Rank of our incoming class next year are on this list. The top 6 of 7 players are in the last 2 recruiting classes. Only Hannah is in the top 7 and she will be #5. Almost every commit for the '25 class is above all the prior classes and Heiden is recent. That's how much Bluder/Jan has uped the recruiting each year. If Jan gets several of the targeted recruits she's looking at for '26, it will most likely push the '25 top recruits down the list yet again.

Rk	'25-'26 Player	Year	ASGR	PN	JRAS	ESPN	TSB	247S	BSBB	ON3	MISC	LOW	Avg Rank
1	Addie Deal	2025	17	8	22	18	5	9	25	14	2	2	13.33
2	Ava Heiden	2024	50	65	35	42			38		32	32	43.67
3	Layla Hays	2025	24	51	49	70		62			21	21	46.17
4	Journey Houston	2025	40	31	61	85	24	79	43		19	19	47.75
5	Hannah Stuelke	2022		67	44	45			65		39	39	52.00
6	Teagan Mallegni	2024	29		67	65			77		27	27	53.00
7	Aaliyah Guyton	2024	70		63	58			55			55	61.50
8	Jada Gyamfi	2022		71	70	76			74			70	72.75
9	Taylor Stremlow	2024	89	51	81	94			87		47	47	74.83
10	Kylie Feuerbach*	2020		53		71			117			53	80.33
11	Kennise Johnson	2023							105		99	99	102.00
12	Taylor McCabe	2022		114	94	89			127			89	106.00
13	Callie Levin	2024	136		100				122			100	119.33
	AVG											50.23	67.13
	NCAA Tournament:												?

So if you look at Levin when she committed, she was right in the middle between Kate Martin and Gabbie Marshall rankings. That's why she looked like a promising recruit at the time. With each passing year, it gets worse for Iowa players to be recruited now. They may play an important portal part in coming years to get more college playing time faster elsewhere first where they most likely won't get that at Iowa.

Off the top of my head, I would think Libby Fandel, Ava Zediker, the Muellers (probably missing a few others) are most likely better prospects than Levin and even they don't get offers from Iowa now. Muellers may get an offer later on if our top '26 targets don't pan out as Plan B.

The point being is Callie most likely wouldn't get an offer now, unless the legacy angle gets her foot in the door.

One thing with Levin--and this also applies to Gyamfi and Ediger--is there's a value to having depth players on your roster who won't transfer even if they barely play.

That's something that some blue bloods like UConn have struggled with. Last year, the Huskies only had 6-7 healthy players for much of their stretch run because they were hit hard by injuries and didn't have a huge roster. One downside of recruiting nationally is if a player isn't playing quickly and doesn't know if they ever will, it's fairly easy to transfer back closer to home and get more playing time.

I could see Iowa in future years targeting a player a little further down the rankings with the intent of them always filling that 13th or 14th player on the roster slot assuming they're a good culture fit. I don't think that was the original intent with Levin, but it might be the role she fits into.

 

[wondergrape]

One thing with Levin--and this also applies to Gyamfi and Ediger--is there's a value to having depth players on your roster who won't transfer even if they barely play.

That's something that some blue bloods like UConn have struggled with. Last year, the Huskies only had 6-7 healthy players for much of their stretch run because they were hit hard by injuries and didn't have a huge roster. One downside of recruiting nationally is if a player isn't playing quickly and doesn't know if they ever will, it's fairly easy to transfer back closer to home and get more playing time.

I could see Iowa in future years targeting a player a little further down the rankings with the intent of them always filling that 13th or 14th player on the roster slot assuming they're a good culture fit. I don't think that was the original intent with Levin, but it might be the role she fits into.

The people who want Gyamfi to move on have obviously never been a part of a team before. There is only one type of player who can motivate the middle talent more than a star, and that is the player who shows up and grinds every day even though they are never going to play. It is hard to slack off when you need to look that person in the eye every day.

 

[Hawkaholic18]

Yes, you could argue she is the MVP of the team.

 

[cmhawks99]

Just bumping this to the top of the page, if for no other reason so I can find it to get into the game link lol