Iowa WBB Class of 2026 Recruiting Thread
- Thread starter BraydonRoberts5
- Start date
You’re right Deal is not a done deal but it’s pretty damn close
For those curious about the latest.
That would be obviously disappointing but pretty fascinating as a choice. I remain very doubtful that she'll go to anyone in the BIG other than Iowa. If it was MBB I'd be pissed but duke is only one of 4 schools outside the P2 that couldn't be considered a myopic choice for WBB.
Yeh that is major loss in more ways than one, but at least she not going to a Big school and not a WBB blue blood at all...weird choice
Wouldn’t surprise me at all to see her come back to Iowa after a couple years via the transfer portal. Black and gold is in her blood. Wish her well wherever she ends up regardless.
Duke's a Top 20 program and more prestigious than Iowa academically. With her father's NFL money/lifestyle she might be attracted to a more elite university.
In the last 10 years Duke WBB has finished the season unranked 4 times, 20-25 1x, 15-19 2x, and 10-14 2x. The four years unranked all came within the last 6 years. Not a perfect metric but quick and easy to find.
So Duke WBB isn't trending upwards unless there's crucial contextual info I'm missing like a big donor drop or something like that. Seems fair to say they are in the 20-25 range based on the last decade. So I think it's also very fair for someone to view that hypothetical decision through a purely sports kaleidoscope as... odd.
IMO committing to Stanford, NW, Vanderbilt, or Duke can safely be assumed is for academics unless it's one of those powerhouse programs like Duke MBB, NW field hockey, etc. Which is a great reason to commit to those universities.
Time to move on from maddy Greenway, it won't be the end of Iowa women bb by no means
I had the opposite reaction. With her family name and wealth she is likely to be financially flush her entire life whether she attends Duke, Iowa, or Grand Valley State.
Duke may have an academic specialty which appeals to her but I’m too cynical to believe that her college choice is anything other than athletics.
Highlights of Harpring from the weekend
Without a large amount of evidence you'll never hear me argue against a cynical position.
Great players want to play with great players.
Go get her, Addie!!
The full screenshot from Addie's Instagram:
Go get her, Addie!!
The full screenshot from Addie's Instagram:
Think it’s neat how in some of these tweets/X where they say something like “40+ schools were watching including Iowa, etc” that they often list Iowa first. Tells me we are definitely considered an elite program right now. Yes, I know that can always change going forward but I’m gonna enjoy it nonetheless.
I'm not sure that it does. Harper is the 18th ranked player in her class per ESPN, a couple spots higher than Greenway. She's from Georgia, though, so well outside Iowa's typical recruiting base. If you think there's any chance she might commit, she's a great 1B option to Greenway or Lewis' 1A. I don't think she's a Plan B type player.
I didn't mean to imply anything negative in what I said, just that the search widens to include other players.
I didn't think you were implying anything negative. I think the prevailing thought has been that if there are more offers made in the class, that it could be a signal that Iowa doesn't like where it is with some of the top targets like Bjorn, Greenway, and Lewis. I think that could well be true. I just think this offer in particular isn't necessarily a signal of that.
I can’t post the links here but since the Iowa offer, Kate Harpring has also picked up offers from:
- Notre Dame
- Baylor
- UCLA
- South Carolina
You may be right about the Harbring offer but the Tori Oehrlein offer does. Greenway - Duke, Lewis - UCLA and Bjorn - Texas. Sadly a legacy, in-state star, and AIA player who Iowa has recruited for sometime will all be lost.
I like the Oehrlein offer alot. 5'- 11" and great scorer. Hope we didn't offer too late.
Be really bad recruiting losses for Iowa not to get a single one out of those 3..
De facto confirmation that Greenway is going elsewhere.
That seems a bit much. This is Bjorn's first year with AIA and she has always been thought of as an elite level recruit. Getting her commitment would be more impressive than Deal. Understandable some will be disappointed about Greenway. The number 1 prospect in the 24 class just committed in May. It's quite early to be concerned about how 26 is looking. Let's see who is brought in for visits during football season.
Quick research shows she has offers from the typical lower tier B1G schools as well as Maryland, Utah, WV. Probably more.
Yep, Oehrlein seems like a clear Plan B move. A very talented player, just not Top 20 like their first choice options. Frankly the lack of a Koupal offer at this point is getting stranger by the day.
Oehrlein is the fastest to reach 3,000 points in Minnesota HS history. Her Crosby-Ironton team played Greenway’s Providence team in the state tournament this year. Greenway scored 30, Oehrlein had 35. Like others, I suspect this offer means that Greenway is off the board.
Since Skinner is a PG (although 2025) does this mean she may be off the board as well? The coaches were just watching her (Skinner) in Mexico - maybe they got a vibe she wasn’t coming to iowa.
Oehrlein could play the 2 as well, same with Harpring. I don't see this as an indicator of Skinner not having interest.
Agree. Plus Harpring is already a longshot with her offer list and being from Georgia.
One other thought: the 2026 class could end up being fairly large. Here are players committed to the 2026-2027 roster so far:
SR: Johnson
JR: Heiden, Mallegni, Stremlow, Levin, Guyton
SO: Deal, Houston
That's only 8 players. Usually Iowa's rosters are at least 13, and higher in recent years. Maybe there's another commit in 2025 or portal additions, but this could easily be another 4 or even 5 player class.
SR: Johnson
JR: Heiden, Mallegni, Stremlow, Levin, Guyton
SO: Deal, Houston
That's only 8 players. Usually Iowa's rosters are at least 13, and higher in recent years. Maybe there's another commit in 2025 or portal additions, but this could easily be another 4 or even 5 player class.
I wouldn't consider this a plan B. She's the #46 recruit. I'm sure Greenway was the prime target because her parents were both graduates and athletes at Iowa. I'm sure they really wanted a legacy to be a Hawk but now have to offer other players to make sure they have a point in 26.
She’s also taller than Greenway and just as prolific in scoring. Maybe she’s close to the recruit in Duluth.
Jan has offered Bella Ragone, a 6’2 W out of GA. Ranked #26 in the 2026 by ESPN.
Sure feels like they’ve rebooted for 2026.
Sure feels like they’ve rebooted for 2026.
Smart to get more offers out. Everyone new mentioned today would be big time gets.
