Keep stalking Shik, you give more info on this board than most posters.
Iowa WBB 2025 Recruiting Thread
- Thread starter BraydonRoberts5
- Start date
Could be tongue in cheek. We're all dying for info this time of year.
Good, because I've never tried to gain confidence from idiots like you.
So a team not in Speiser’s top 11 is the favorite to land her on 0n3’s opinion?
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anon_salmfilsntd0b
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anon_salmfilsntd0b
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At some point in the last few months, Propects Nations updated their Top 100 for 2025 (and expanded it to 150, though they only rank through 60).
prospectsnation.com
Deal dropped 2 spots to #7. Journey Houston did NOT fall 40ish spots (like with ESPN), and is still #30.
Others of interest below:
2025 Ranked Players | Prospects Nation
Deal dropped 2 spots to #7. Journey Houston did NOT fall 40ish spots (like with ESPN), and is still #30.
Others of interest below:
- Skinner #6
- Bourrage #8
- Speiser #13
- Hays #22
- Henderson #23
- Jackson #40
- Zediker #42
- Jernigan #46
When healthy Iowa fans will love Houston. That all.
Zediker has really improved her status over the past year...good for her.
Passing on Zediker is an example of the risks or downside to Iowa’s new swing-for-the fences recruiting strategy. At any other time in the last 20 years, Zediker would have been an offer/take for Iowa. I’m a fan of trying to leverage the CC era to attract elite national recruits, even if I think Iowa’s new strategy has, at best, a 50% chance of succeeding, notwithstanding the really good start with Addie Deal.
Changing a recruiting profile is a really hard thing to do. In the football world, after Wisconsin had Rose Bowls wins and Ron Dwayne won the Heisman, Wisconsin swung for the fences in recruiting national running banks. But it was tough going, as Coach Alvarez recalled: “Especially after Ron won the Heisman, I felt like you get a Heisman Trophy running back and someone that everybody knows about, let's go after the top running backs in the country. We'd get them on campus, but we couldn't close the deal. If I'm not mistaken, every one of them stayed relatively close to home."
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anon_salmfilsntd0b
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I've been hoping she might take a second official visit to Iowa, which is allowed given the head coaching change.
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anon_salmfilsntd0b
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I’ve been wondering if this was possible. Thanks for the info (as always).
Official visits in basketball and baseball
. . . In April 2023, NCAA members voted to allow prospects to take unlimited official visits to NCAA schools but limited them to one official visit per school, unless there is a head coaching change after an official visit, in which case prospects are able to complete a second official visit to the same school. . . .
Division I removes some restrictions on countable coaches in football - NCAA.org
The Division I Council on Tuesday approved a rule change adopted by the Football Bowl Subdivision and Football Championship Subdivision Oversight Committees to permit
www.ncaa.org
I think Zediker's recruitment might've gone differently if Iowa didn't get so many guards in the 2024 class. If you assume Zediker is roughly as talented (or even slightly more talented) than Guyton, Stremlow, or Levin, she would likely have been behind them for playing time at Iowa because they would all have a year of extra experience in college and in Iowa's system.
Deal and Skinner are likely a level above that group, so they are less likely to be behind them for playing time. Zediker's offer list was also worse than any of the 2024 group.
I am always a glass half full guy, I still think Iowa might have a pretty good shot at Skinner and Hays, I base this only on it seems like we don’t seem to be hearing much in regard to fallback options being offered, So I am crossing my fingers that Jan must feel she has a decent shot at them. Then again perhaps she feels the portal will pay dividends after this coming season.
The portal makes it very hard to tell what plan B is. Right now, Iowa has 11 players committed to its 2025-2026 roster not including a Feuerbach Covid year. They could take 2 or even 3 more players in the class of 2025 and still have some flexibility. On the other extreme, if their top 2025 targets commit elsewhere, they could be done with the class and hit the portal and/or bring back Feuerbach to fill out the roster.
Well she started in Indiana, then stopped in Illinois. Maybe a visit after she spends the 4th with family in Iowa. One can only hope. Layla, coach Jan is called the post whisperer for a reason and her new assistant develops post play also. You look great in Black and gold!
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Braydon, thankfully you bring rational thoughts to the conversation on the wbb recruiting threads. The regular posters on here constantly read the tea leaves and then speculate irrationally about every little scrap of information they dig up and claim to know the thoughts of teenage girls basketball players who will be making their first big decision of their lives. Yes, the followers of Iowa women's basketball would love for every Iowa target to commit to play for Hawks but at the same time fans have to realize that there is a ways to go before the process plays out. Especially with the '26 class. Kyle is the only one I'm aware of the spends a great deal of time covering women's basketball recruiting and I don't believe he is in panic mode as of yet. Class of '25 recruits will likely begin committing after the summer ends and fall begins so we must be patient. When September and October roll around and Iowa targets select other schools then maybe we get nervous but as for the '26 class, the last time I checked out the ESPN rankings, only 1 player has committed.
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anon_salmfilsntd0b
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I'm not panicking. I just think that basically all of the top targets we've discussed the most on here are trending away from Iowa. They could certainly trend back, or shock me, or another surprise target like Kussow could pop up. I'm sure Jan will fill out the '25 class if she wants to (she could very well be done) and I'm sure she'll get some '26 recruits as well. I'm just not sure they'll be who we think/hope they are (and potentially not be as lofty).
But hey, we already have two really good recruiting classes coming in. Our recruits for '24 and '25 are a complete team. The situation isn't dire. We've had a strong run of recruiting success lately and tbh the fact that Jan kept all of the incoming recruits after the coaching change means there's no reason for anyone to panic. We should all be excited about both the '24-'25 and '25-26 teams -- and beyond.
That said, we do have some gaps to fill to be truly elite -- for example, depth is essential to get back to a Final Four. But that's solveable. We also need a bit more talent. We really only need, IMHO, another really good CG and another really good big (whether that's a true PF, F/C or true C doesn't really matter) in either '25, '26, or the portal to be a deep team with clear potential to advance past the Sweet 16. I’m talking Top 25 / 5 Star talent ideally. There are still plenty of options and there's indeed plenty of time. But these are champagne problems tbh lol.
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anon_salmfilsntd0b
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I have a feeling that some 2026 recruits are waiting to see whether Iowa remains a top program after the departure of CC, etc. So the performance of this year's team is crucial. It will be a good squad, and if they make it back to say, sweet sixteen, I think we'll see another major recruit commit to add to the Deal/Houston class. I'd also like to see Jan looking internationally, which would be a nice precedent for the program.
Her stats have not been great so far this AAU season. With the additions of 2025 #3 ranked Jasmine Davidson and 2026 guard Brooklyn Haywood to her team, she's no longer the top option offensively. Between those two and a 6'6 post player, her volume/points are down. She missed a significant portion of her high school season as well with an injury & AAU was her first game action in months.
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anon_salmfilsntd0b
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Crump and Bjorn are both likely headed to Texas according to HawkBuck.
A quick summary of players in the 2025 class that might still be interested in Iowa/Iowa might still be interested in them. We're approximately 4 months from Signing Day, so it's getting late in the game for this class.
PG Emilee Skinner (ESPN #9- Utah)- Visited Iowa during the Ohio State game. She keeps her recruiting very quiet. Per her Instagram, she's taken visits to Utah State, Arizona, North Carolina, and Utah. She hasn't posted about any visits since the Iowa visit in March.
I don't think it's possible to read much into her recruitment with any certainty. There's a decent chance she'll jut commit one day without much warning.
G/W Jordan Speiser (ESPN #20- Missouri)- Visited Iowa several times, but not during the past regular season. Announced a top 11 of: Iowa, Arkansas, UNC, Kansas State, Notre Dame, TCU, Ohio State, Utah, Virginia Tech, Oklahoma and Minnesota.
We only know of visits to: Iowa, Arkansas, and Kansas State from those 11. She showed most interest in Iowa, Kansas State, and Notre Dame on social media. I haven't found any evidence that she was ever offered by Notre Dame. Assuming a Notre Dame offer doesn't come, Iowa and Kansas State are the presumed favorites.
C Layla Hays (ESPN #63- Alaska)- Visited Iowa during the Michigan game where Clark broke the NCAA scoring record. Visited Gonzaga before Iowa. Has visited Indiana and Illinois recently.
Hays can take a second official visit to Iowa if she wants to. If she does, I would take that as a good sign for her recruitment. If she doesn't, I think that could be a bad sign.
Taliyah Henderson (ESPN #21) and Adelaide Jernigan (ESPN #58) are two players Iowa had interest in during the season. Neither has visited Iowa, though, so I don't think they're likely unless a visit happens.
G/W Libby Fandel (ESPN #41- Cedar Rapids, Iowa) is a prospect to watch. She doesn't have an Iowa offer now, but has received offers from Virginia Tech, Wisconsin, TCU, and Kansas in April and May. If Iowa wants another prospect in this class and doesn't land Skinner or Speiser, Fandel would be a logical plan B.
PG Emilee Skinner (ESPN #9- Utah)- Visited Iowa during the Ohio State game. She keeps her recruiting very quiet. Per her Instagram, she's taken visits to Utah State, Arizona, North Carolina, and Utah. She hasn't posted about any visits since the Iowa visit in March.
I don't think it's possible to read much into her recruitment with any certainty. There's a decent chance she'll jut commit one day without much warning.
G/W Jordan Speiser (ESPN #20- Missouri)- Visited Iowa several times, but not during the past regular season. Announced a top 11 of: Iowa, Arkansas, UNC, Kansas State, Notre Dame, TCU, Ohio State, Utah, Virginia Tech, Oklahoma and Minnesota.
We only know of visits to: Iowa, Arkansas, and Kansas State from those 11. She showed most interest in Iowa, Kansas State, and Notre Dame on social media. I haven't found any evidence that she was ever offered by Notre Dame. Assuming a Notre Dame offer doesn't come, Iowa and Kansas State are the presumed favorites.
C Layla Hays (ESPN #63- Alaska)- Visited Iowa during the Michigan game where Clark broke the NCAA scoring record. Visited Gonzaga before Iowa. Has visited Indiana and Illinois recently.
Hays can take a second official visit to Iowa if she wants to. If she does, I would take that as a good sign for her recruitment. If she doesn't, I think that could be a bad sign.
Taliyah Henderson (ESPN #21) and Adelaide Jernigan (ESPN #58) are two players Iowa had interest in during the season. Neither has visited Iowa, though, so I don't think they're likely unless a visit happens.
G/W Libby Fandel (ESPN #41- Cedar Rapids, Iowa) is a prospect to watch. She doesn't have an Iowa offer now, but has received offers from Virginia Tech, Wisconsin, TCU, and Kansas in April and May. If Iowa wants another prospect in this class and doesn't land Skinner or Speiser, Fandel would be a logical plan B.
It would be amazing to get a “ plan b” athlete ranked #41.
I guess that holds true for Skinner also. If one or both visit a 2nd time, that would be a good sign.
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anon_salmfilsntd0b
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Yeah, I saw that Kyle had posted that he has heard Hays isn't coming back for a visit to Iowa, and he takes that to mean that Jan thinks we are in a good place with her...
Am I the only one who is inclined to think the opposite? If we were in a good place with her (meaning she is leaning toward Iowa or at least is 50/50 toward Iowa), why wouldn't she jump at the opportunity to visit her possible future home, meet the new freshmen, etc?
For example, Addie Deal visited 3x. I feel that that's, tbh, completely understandable when you're moving across the country and from somewhere as dramatically different as Southern California. What's more is 2 of those visits came at her parents expense (I would guess that they were visiting her brother at Grinnell so not necessarily a whole flight just to visit IC, but still, no reimbursement). I just have to think that a kid in a similar position (coming from 2+ time zones away) would jump at the chance to get a free trip to a school they are drawn to and see the coaches they want to play for. This would apply to Skinner as well.
Although, one thing I remembered recently is the absence of an AC. Has Henderson moved to IC yet? If she's, say, not arriving til July 15 or whatever, then Jan may be holding off major visits til after that date. Especially if a recruit is a post player, it would make strong sense to wait until the new post coach has arrived (and better yet, is a bit settled in).
Of course, playing the waiting game is always a risk. But I think there's a strong possibility that that might explain part of the relative silence we're hearing in terms of campus visits (it has definitely been concerning, and is a major reason toward my somewhat pessimistic outlook on the remaining '25 targets). I hope that the second half of summer sees an uptick in campus visits for all classes, and I would love to see Jan take advantage of the waiver. I would definitely take it as a very positive sign if any target returned for a second time.
Am I the only one who is inclined to think the opposite? If we were in a good place with her (meaning she is leaning toward Iowa or at least is 50/50 toward Iowa), why wouldn't she jump at the opportunity to visit her possible future home, meet the new freshmen, etc?
For example, Addie Deal visited 3x. I feel that that's, tbh, completely understandable when you're moving across the country and from somewhere as dramatically different as Southern California. What's more is 2 of those visits came at her parents expense (I would guess that they were visiting her brother at Grinnell so not necessarily a whole flight just to visit IC, but still, no reimbursement). I just have to think that a kid in a similar position (coming from 2+ time zones away) would jump at the chance to get a free trip to a school they are drawn to and see the coaches they want to play for. This would apply to Skinner as well.
Although, one thing I remembered recently is the absence of an AC. Has Henderson moved to IC yet? If she's, say, not arriving til July 15 or whatever, then Jan may be holding off major visits til after that date. Especially if a recruit is a post player, it would make strong sense to wait until the new post coach has arrived (and better yet, is a bit settled in).
Of course, playing the waiting game is always a risk. But I think there's a strong possibility that that might explain part of the relative silence we're hearing in terms of campus visits (it has definitely been concerning, and is a major reason toward my somewhat pessimistic outlook on the remaining '25 targets). I hope that the second half of summer sees an uptick in campus visits for all classes, and I would love to see Jan take advantage of the waiver. I would definitely take it as a very positive sign if any target returned for a second time.
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Occam's razor. Waiting for the new coach and scheduling conflicts. Summer schedules are crazy without adding trips to see the WNBA rookies, hiring several coaches, team practices/workouts, transitioning from Bluder and getting personal time after the whirlwind that was the last two years. Now throw in Alaska logistics and their own family schedule/work/recruiting visits. Too difficult to schedule around and as you mention it's the literally the post coach. If a recruit commits elsewhere before the new coach is ready to meet it's highly improbable they would have committed regardless.
Rocket the great philosopher. Hadn't heard that term in almost 50 years. Ockham's razor!
The simplest explanation for not visiting again is she has ruled out Iowa. On the other hand could it be she holds Jan and the Hawks in high regard so another visit isn't neccesary?
A difficult decision for a 17 - 18 year old.
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Uhh. Yeah? It was the most clear and concise way for me to convey my message at the time bro. And given the situation? No, no it's not the simplest.
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anon_salmfilsntd0b
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For those interested (I don't consider this a loss for Iowa since I dont think there was ever mutual interest):
I discuss some implications of this in detail on the '26 thread, but this was another accurate call by Hawkbuck. Glad he's here.
I discuss some implications of this in detail on the '26 thread, but this was another accurate call by Hawkbuck. Glad he's here.
Emilee looks good in USA red, white and blue but awesome in Hawkeye black and gold. That young lady can really handle the ball.
