Iowa WBB Class of 2026 Recruiting Thread
- Thread starter BraydonRoberts5
- Start date
A
anon_salmfilsntd0b
Guest
Thanks! I can’t get IG posts to work here and I deleted my Twitter (it’s a shit show over there).
Kind of surprising to me. Oehrlein and Greenway are sort of locked into a death match for the Minnesota career scoring record. Both are prolific (3,000+) scorers. Last time I checked, Tori was slightly ahead of Greenway.
Both players have been playing HS ball since 7th grade but Greenway has been considered the better prospect since the beginning. Further evidence that Greenway to Iowa is unlikely?
A
anon_salmfilsntd0b
Guest
I think this slew of new offers points to a recalibration on Iowa’s part — my guess is none of Bjorn, Greenway nor Lewis are trending the right way.
A
anon_salmfilsntd0b
Guest
Yup, I really thought Iowa would do well with “Midwest” kids but it looks like they are not trending that way currently. I know in one of her interviews Jan said that they really wanted to feel a strong mutual interest on the recruiting front so I hope that is true with the two gals they offered from Georgia.
Or, the additional offers tell recruits that your spot isn't saved. It can make a player look at their offer in new light when either another great player commits or someone else might take a future you have been considering.
It may actually compel a commitment.
And if it doesn't, Jensen has created relationships and perhaps had players visit that will consider a transfer down the road. It's a way different recruiting ballgame. You have to look ahead, and talk to players now while you can.
Lewis is a 2 & with all the 24's that could play that spot in addition to Deal, her potentially going elsewhere is the least concerning for me. Bjorn would seem to be the biggest loss as a stretch 4 or wing in certain lineups however if Mallegni is as advertised, they'll be fine. Would obviously love to have all 3 but the recent offers are for players equally acclaimed.
I believe another angle to consider Is there may be some wait and see with Iowa in regard to the coaching change. Most of us believe Jan will do very well but I also believe Lisa’s retirement has likely been used in a negative way towards Iowa on the recruiting trail. If adversaries can sell doubt about competing foes many will.
What you've described is what I consider a plan B. Plan A was Greenway, Lewis, and Bjorn. Plan B is expanding out from that list to offer other targets because it's not clear that Plan A will work.
I'm not trying to say that Oehrlein is a bad player. It would be great for Iowa if she committed. It's certainly possible that she could have a better career than Greenway, Lewis, etc.
I don’t have any sense of recruiting, what works and what doesn’t and why. So mine is a true question.
Do players, like Greenway, look away from Iowa because they don’t want to be in the long shadow of Caitlin, which will have a tail for a few years?
Do players, like Greenway, look away from Iowa because they don’t want to be in the long shadow of Caitlin, which will have a tail for a few years?
If that were true, wouldn't the perennial powerhouses in women's hoops have trouble recruiting? Tennessee during Summit, Stanford, UConn, now South Carolina. They always reload with elite talent after great players leave. Some midwest kids might want to stay closer to home while others may want to explore different parts of the country. Using Greenway as the example, growing up in Minnesota then attending Iowa for her college experience, might not be as appealing as it was when she was younger. It could play a role for some certainly. They do have Deal & Houston in the 25 class which are high level recruits. The flip side is as CC continues have success in the W, that could attract players as well. All Star weekend seemed to be a turning point for how vets are viewing her.
The greater issue for Iowa in this moment, is if the program can sustain the current high level of success post-Clark, and post-Bluder.
I don't imagine anyone expects a player to be similar to Clark, including the athletes, but there are certainly players that aspire to be great. Reality is, Clark is far too much of a unicorn talent.
I don't imagine anyone expects a player to be similar to Clark, including the athletes, but there are certainly players that aspire to be great. Reality is, Clark is far too much of a unicorn talent.
Something tells me the upcoming season will be very beneficial on that front.
Huh? Most every offer is still targeting very high level players. They just decided to open things up wider.
Casting a wider net is a good thing. As far as I can tell all the new offers are 5 and 4 star recruits. Not exactly fallbacks.
I agree but at some point, you have to think the high-level recruits would be reluctant to come to Iowa since this year's and next year's freshman classes are already so strong. So, anyone in the 2025 or 2026 classes probably wouldn't start right away. I know Lisa used to recruit a strong five-player class and then ride them with very few incoming recruits the next year or two. However, I realize that is old thinking. Four and five-star players like this think they can compete with anyone. UConn has obviously done it for years. Kiah Stokes never started there but does in the WNBA. Plus, now you never know who will enter the portal before you. So keep recruiting, Jan!
The best want to compete and play against the best to get better. I doubt very many shy away from competition.
This may signal Bjorn is no longer in play but Iowa has offered several other stretch three type players.
Take it for what it’s worth but I was told that they are still in on some of the big targets, but decided to offer more since those who’ve held offers haven’t committed. They are still after and want them, but needed to pursue others vs doing nothing. First to commit gets the spot. Either way they are all good players and doing this will either create a sense of urgency for some or give a good idea who has Iowa lower on their short list. Will be a really good class either way.
A
anon_salmfilsntd0b
Guest
...that assumes they can get a few of these Top 50 caliber recruits to sign...and hopefully most are in the Top 25-30 range. After that, kids can be hit or miss. We can look to players ranked between #40-#60 on our own team as well as rivals to see how, quite often, their offer list and eventual PT don't align with a lofty HS ranking. The 5 star / McDs AA distinctions are very demonstrative that way.
Anyway, I guess I'm wondering...do you have reason to believe it's likely we get at a few of these recruits over the line? Asking because, well, there doesn't seem to be reason to think that anyone on this board's radar (including the remaining 2025 targets, the original big 3 targets for 2026 and the 3-4 new offers for 2026) has Iowa at the top of their list at this time (though that can change). I guess the exception would be Kussow, since there was some vetted intel about her on the Gopher board. Unless you have heard otherwise....?
Regardless, thank you for sharing the intel you received with the board. Do you mind sharing anything about how you're connected with the program / how you received this intel? Just curious. No expectation that you'll provide anything more.
Last edited by a moderator:
I think this is a glass half empty view of the 2025s.
Skinner- Has only visited schools a tier below Iowa in recent success. Only Utah State and Utah are close to her home. Jensen was just in Mexico likely to watch her. There are plenty of signs Iowa still has a good chance with her. That's not a guarantee, but there's no intel I'm aware of saying anyone else is a favorite. I'd put the probability somewhere between 33-50%. Less if she takes more visits soon.
Hays- Has only visited Gonzaga, Indiana, and Illinois so far. Maybe more visits are coming. I wouldn't put Iowa's chances at 50% or above, but 20-35% seems like the right range.
Speiser- Seemed most interested in Iowa, K-State, and Notre Dame during the season. Notre Dame hasn't offered. I think her openly saying she's taking more visits and being wishy-washy on her Top 5 is a bad sign, but I don't think Iowa is completely out of it. Maybe 10-15% chance?
I think there's a pretty decent chance Iowa gets at least 1 of the 3. If not, I could also see Iowa trying to land Fandel or someone else late in the process.
For the 2026s I agree the trend on several right now isn't great, but we're also 16 months from Signing Day and a lot could change. Offering recruits in a similar range intuitively makes sense, even though my guess is Harpring and Ragone are less likely to come to Iowa than the original top choices.
It's nice that Koupal and Oehrlein are now options. The Midwest has a ton of talent in this class. I'd be a little surprised if Iowa strikes out on all of Greenway, Lewis, Bjorn, Koupal, Kussow, and Oehrlein.
A
anon_salmfilsntd0b
Guest
It is certainly a glass half empty view but I also think erring on the side of realism. I also recognize that most situations are fluid, we don't have a clear picture of quite a few of these recruits' priorities in choosing a school, and that there are likely targets out there that the coaches might be working on behind the scenes. It's also possible that we get someone who isn't currently considered elite but could very well become elite under Jan's coaching.
But I do think it accurate to say that Iowa at this time does not seem to be a favorite for any of those kids, the way Iowa was with Addie Deal or Ava Heiden, for example. That's not to say any other school necessarily is a favorite (except for Bjorn, Speiser and Greenway, who all are predicted to land elsewhere to one degree or another).
Really my purpose of asking this was because I was wondering if OP's statement "It should be a good class" meant that he might have any other intel he could share about why he thinks that, or if he is just thinking positively. He seems to have a connection to the program so I was hoping for a little more insight as to what he knows and how -- if he's willing to provide it.
Last edited by a moderator:
The thing that makes me a glass half full on the 2025 class is the fact we are not hearing of other offers this late in the game. We may not land any of the 3 but it sure seems the coaching staff still feels like they are still seriously in the fight.
Skinner just seems like the perfect fit at Iowa, She said she wants to make her decision before her season starts so it shouldn’t be too much longer before we find out one way or another.
No reason to be pessimistic. It's a choice.
The last two commitments were Deal and Olsen. Maybe focus on that trend a little bit, and let's see what happens.
The last two commitments were Deal and Olsen. Maybe focus on that trend a little bit, and let's see what happens.
Was Iowa ever considered a clear favorite for Deal and Heiden?
Heiden committed more than a year before Signing Day. Kyle's article at the time of her commitment noted that she kept her offers and visits pretty quiet.
With Deal, the Board seemed anxious even on the day of her commitment until she started liking a bunch of Iowa posts. Maybe the Ohio State visit moved her into the 50+% confidence range, but I remember on the men's side not long ago Xavier Foster took his last visit to Iowa, then committed to Iowa State.
A
anon_salmfilsntd0b
Guest
I don’t follow men’s sports so I can’t comment on that but I took the 3 visits from Deal all the way from CA to be a *very* good sign. She was also *highly* engaged with Iowa content on social media and participated in two stories with Kyle.
Heiden was also highly engaged with Iowa content, and it was known even in Oregon that she was a big Iowa fan. I remember some Oregon State fans on another board had all but given up on landing her before she announced bc of it. Her AAU coach was also a big Iowa fan and had tweeted very positively about Jan’s post coaching style.
But regardless, I feel like it’s easy to replace hopium for better judgment when there is little to go off of. Skinner offers little to go off of for fans of really any program, in either direction. Hawkeye goggles are a hell of a drug.
I also think that if Jan can land Skinner it would be more impressive than Deal, Olsen, Clark or Heiden. She is the #2 PG in the country. That kind of achievement warrants skepticism by nature IMO, especially if a top 5 or top 10 hasn’t even been announced.
Heiden was also highly engaged with Iowa content, and it was known even in Oregon that she was a big Iowa fan. I remember some Oregon State fans on another board had all but given up on landing her before she announced bc of it. Her AAU coach was also a big Iowa fan and had tweeted very positively about Jan’s post coaching style.
But regardless, I feel like it’s easy to replace hopium for better judgment when there is little to go off of. Skinner offers little to go off of for fans of really any program, in either direction. Hawkeye goggles are a hell of a drug.
I also think that if Jan can land Skinner it would be more impressive than Deal, Olsen, Clark or Heiden. She is the #2 PG in the country. That kind of achievement warrants skepticism by nature IMO, especially if a top 5 or top 10 hasn’t even been announced.
For Skinner, a lot of the big schools don't appear to have offered yet. This article from March mentioned offers from USC, UCLA, Louisville, and Oklahoma in addition to the visit schools. USC and UCLA are the only schools at the same or higher in "prestige" that have offered so far.
Obviously late offers can come, but the Class is pretty late in the process at this point. South Carolina is focused on Chavez and Bourrage. UConn and Tennessee already have a PG in the class. So does LSU if you consider Hines a PG. It's not clear what big brand would make a late push.
It seems noteworthy that she hasn't visited USC or UCLA yet. Both could be major players, but USC also has a big 2024 class with three guards rated higher than Guyton. Not sure her path to playing time is as obvious there as it is at Iowa. UCLA would probably be out if they got Chavez.
Not that it matters, but your undervaluing the WBB prestige and attractiveness of of Louisville, which, since 2009 (all under Jeff Walz), has 8 Elite Eights, 4 Final Fours (2009, 2013, 2018, 2022), and 2 National Runner-Up finishes (2009, 2013). Louisville's 2024 recruiting class also includes 3 players in the final ESPN HoopGurlz top 25: Imari Berry (# 19, McDonald's AA), Mackenly Randolph (# 23, McDonald's AA), Tajianna Avant-Roberts (#24).
I think Iowa is slightly ahead of Louisville right now (but that could easily change very quickly). Iowa is more popular now than it has ever been with the two straight runner-up finishes, sellout crowds, and the Clark factor. Louisville just had a down year and wasn't great in the regular season in 2022-2023 either.
I'm not trying to diminish Louisville's success. Walz is a great coach and has accomplished a lot. Both Iowa and Louisville have won significantly more than Close has at UCLA, yet UCLA is recruiting better than both right now.
