ADVERTISEMENT

Iowa Womens Bball Portal Targets

Anyone think it may be hard to convince someone to be the person that replaces the GOAT?
I one year pt guard NIL transfer to Iowa's women's team is not going to replace Clark in the minds and hearts of fans. Pretty easy to sell them with some NIL money and playing with a very good coach and a good starting group.
 
  • Like
Reactions: littlez
Anyone think it may be hard to convince someone to be the person that replaces the GOAT?
I said the same thing. I could see it being an issue. They will have to be someone that isn't concerned about being in the spotlight
 
I said the same thing. I could see it being an issue. They will have to be someone that isn't concerned about being in the spotlight
"someone that isn't concerned about being in the spotlight"?

Most of these girls want to be in the spotlight rather than playing in front of 3000 or fewer fans. Molly Davis even said yesterday she played in front of something like 1500 fans at Central Michigan home games and 15,000 fans at Iowa this year.

Villanova, where Lucy Olsen is leaving, plays home games in a 6500 seat pavilion and averaged only 2000 fans per game this past season at home and 2600 per game on the road.

You'd think these girls would crave playing in front of the types of crowds that Iowa has been pulling in the last decade. In 2014 we averaged 4400 fans per home game, good for 22nd in the country. In 2015 we averaged 5300 fans per home game, good for 14th in the country. And we've only gone up from there.

The spotlight on any transfer is not going to be the same as the spotlight on CC. That was a truly international spotlight on a singular player. People in Canada and Europe knew about her. Any transfer will deal with the school and fanbase watching her, but there won't be expectations like CC had.
 
Nobody expects anyone to replace Clark, and any player that wants to start, shoot the ball, and have an audience would look on it as a great opportunity.

The greater concern, i think, is not having established scoring threats in place to divert attention. It's a leap of faith in that regard.
 
Nobody expects anyone to replace Clark, and any player that wants to start, shoot the ball, and have an audience would look on it as a great opportunity.

The greater concern, i think, is not having established scoring threats in place to divert attention. It's a leap of faith in that regard.


One of the most interesting developments to me for the coming year is watching McCabe get her shots. She has a ton of scoring potential.
 
"someone that isn't concerned about being in the spotlight"?

Most of these girls want to be in the spotlight rather than playing in front of 3000 or fewer fans. Molly Davis even said yesterday she played in front of something like 1500 fans at Central Michigan home games and 15,000 fans at Iowa this year.

Villanova, where Lucy Olsen is leaving, plays home games in a 6500 seat pavilion and averaged only 2000 fans per game this past season at home and 2600 per game on the road.

You'd think these girls would crave playing in front of the types of crowds that Iowa has been pulling in the last decade. In 2014 we averaged 4400 fans per home game, good for 22nd in the country. In 2015 we averaged 5300 fans per home game, good for 14th in the country. And we've only gone up from there.

The spotlight on any transfer is not going to be the same as the spotlight on CC. That was a truly international spotlight on a singular player. People in Canada and Europe knew about her. Any transfer will deal with the school and fanbase watching her, but there won't be expectations like CC had.
Agreed. ^^ Will there be a few inane questions from reporters next year..."How do you feel about taking Clark's spot...?". Yes, but they will be so lame that anyone can swat them away. I would not see the Clark legacy as a barrier for a good player to come here FWIW. No sane person will have expectations of her successor(s) here that would be on par with her performance level. Everyone knows that she was a once in a lifetime talent.

What player wouldn't like playing in front of large, enthusiastic crowds?
 
Anyone think it may be hard to convince someone to be the person that replaces the GOAT?
I don't think that would be much of an issue at all ... particularly as the Iowa coaches reassure the player that they expect them to just be themselves (and to play within themselves).

I think that the legend of Caitlin Clark ... and what she's said about Bluder and the rest of the staff is much more likely to BRING talent to the program.

Let's say you're a flashy player ... but every coach you've played for has always told you to reign yourself in. You look over at Caitlin Clark saying how Bluder let her be herself ... then, all of a sudden, you got some players thinking ... I want a coach who trusts ME like that!

Now, the double-edged sword here is that Bluder also cares about culture ... so while the player would be allowed to "be themselves" ... they're still expected to be a team-player (rather than a "me"-player).

Should be interesting to see how things shake out ...
 
One of the most interesting developments to me for the coming year is watching McCabe get her shots. She has a ton of scoring potential.
She was the 1 player I wished got more time this year. Serious threat from deep and a plus defender. Should’ve gotten some of feurbach’s minutes imo and even gabbies during the regular season when she couldn’t make a shot
 
"someone that isn't concerned about being in the spotlight"?

Most of these girls want to be in the spotlight rather than playing in front of 3000 or fewer fans. Molly Davis even said yesterday she played in front of something like 1500 fans at Central Michigan home games and 15,000 fans at Iowa this year.

Villanova, where Lucy Olsen is leaving, plays home games in a 6500 seat pavilion and averaged only 2000 fans per game this past season at home and 2600 per game on the road.

You'd think these girls would crave playing in front of the types of crowds that Iowa has been pulling in the last decade. In 2014 we averaged 4400 fans per home game, good for 22nd in the country. In 2015 we averaged 5300 fans per home game, good for 14th in the country. And we've only gone up from there.

The spotlight on any transfer is not going to be the same as the spotlight on CC. That was a truly international spotlight on a singular player. People in Canada and Europe knew about her. Any transfer will deal with the school and fanbase watching her, but there won't be expectations like CC had.
Yes, you would think there would be a line of them wanting to go to Iowa. What's not to like about being a hawk women's bb player
 
I don't think that would be much of an issue at all ... particularly as the Iowa coaches reassure the player that they expect them to just be themselves (and to play within themselves).

I think that the legend of Caitlin Clark ... and what she's said about Bluder and the rest of the staff is much more likely to BRING talent to the program.

Let's say you're a flashy player ... but every coach you've played for has always told you to reign yourself in. You look over at Caitlin Clark saying how Bluder let her be herself ... then, all of a sudden, you got some players thinking ... I want a coach who trusts ME like that!

Now, the double-edged sword here is that Bluder also cares about culture ... so while the player would be allowed to "be themselves" ... they're still expected to be a team-player (rather than a "me"-player).

Should be interesting to see how things shake out ...
Yep...I saw Bird and Taurasi answer the question if Geno would let Clark shoot where she shoots from. "Hell no." was the answer. I don't necessarily believe them because I didn't think Lisa would either. Coaches would have had to allow Caitlin to be Caitlin or they would lose her. When you have someone like her, sometimes, as a coach, you have to swallow things that you generally don't want to see...because that player is an anomaly.
 
Seems like it might turn into a bidding war...not liking our chances
I know she has a list of suitors, but the two listed Colorado and Michigan have been gutted by the portal and are offering a lot of portal players to fill up their rosters.

KBA at Michigan can recruit but has historically done less with more with player development being a problem since she arrived which has lead to their transfer issues over the past several years. I don't think Lucy Olsen fits the Colorado style of play very well and don't know what their NIL payroll can offer her either.
 
  • Like
Reactions: littlez
I one year pt guard NIL transfer to Iowa's women's team is not going to replace Clark in the minds and hearts of fans. Pretty easy to sell them with some NIL money and playing with a very good coach and a good starting group.
NIL money is the issue. Iowa doesn’t have what a lot of other schools do. There aren’t any big money donors that contribute to it. It’s all fans and that money isn’t enough to match schools like Arkansas who have 5 million a year to spend and keep reloading it.
 
  • Like
Reactions: HIWILLE
If Bluder gets this team back to the NCAA tourney, it will be quite an accomplishment. Losing Clark alone completely changes the team. But they also lost a lot of key players around her. This is almost a complete rebuild.
They'll be a tournament team. They have enough to get in as is right now to do that. Will they be a great team, absolutely not. If they get a decent PG as Shikreto stated, they're capable of advancing and even thriving. So, right now, they'll be able to get in with what they have. To do anything once there, they'll absolutely need help. This, as things stand, is still a 20 win team most likely imo or at least, somewhere around that vicinity.
 
NIL money is the issue. Iowa doesn’t have what a lot of other schools do. There aren’t any big money donors that contribute to it. It’s all fans and that money isn’t enough to match schools like Arkansas who have 5 million a year to spend and keep reloading it.
Part of it likely has more to do with where donors want their money spent.
Also, schools do not pay out NIL-dollars ... so it has to deal more with the coordination of external entities that CAN pay out the NIL dollars.

Also, part of it deals simply with how the athletic department is managed. I bet that historically, at Iowa, the AD wanted the money going directly to the athletic department. From there, the money could get allocated to building-facilities, salaries of coaches, etc. Of course, in the SEC, there is a long history of money completely circumventing the athletic department and funneling directly to athletes ... only now the practice is "in the open."
 
Dumb question, but could CC immediately contribute to Iowa's NIL?
I’d be shocked if they don’t plan a pricy meet and greet with her as the marquee guest sooner or later. Tbh proceeds should go to WBB specifically. Imagine if she, Doyle and Gustafson attended.
 
She was the 1 player I wished got more time this year. Serious threat from deep and a plus defender. Should’ve gotten some of feurbach’s minutes imo and even gabbies during the regular season when she couldn’t make a shot
Fuerbach plays better defense than McCabe but I'd like to see Taylor shoot more.
 
One of the most interesting developments to me for the coming year is watching McCabe get her shots. She has a ton of scoring potential.
Agreed, but she has a lot of other things she needs to improve. But she did improve on them so there's a chance. She will definitely see more playing time next year, that is for sure.
 
  • Like
Reactions: shudaddy
Is anyone else curious why Bluder and co aren’t pursuing more prospects? It seems weird to only have ANY kind of feelers out to two targets. I’ll be damned if we still are getting zero interest from anyone else after all this program has achieved. Especially with all the coverage…ppl know Stuelke, Syd…there’s a lot more oxygen in the room now as well. I don’t expect a UConn/USC transfer to be knocking down our door but damn, I’m still surprised there hasn’t been even a whisper or IG follow to anyone besides Scherr and Olsen.
Don’t they only have one available scholarship.?
 
Don’t they only have one available scholarship.?
I think there is a fine balancing act here. If I was a top high school recruit, do I want to go to a school that has a propensity to always bring in top portal players? I would probably prefer a school that lets me develop my skills.
 
I may have missed it but who was the WBB portal entrant that was supposed create such a buzz?
So far nothing but the entire Oregon State team continues to trickle in. Interesting how Washington state hasn’t seen the same exodus. But they have a LOT of international players so those kids might not be as concerned with conference realignment.
 
One of the most interesting developments to me for the coming year is watching McCabe get her shots. She has a ton of scoring potential.

Agreed. She has terrific athletic ability. Should focus on being a complete player, run the court, move the ball, find open shooter, block-out, rebound, play hard defense, and go get that loose-ball. With her athleticism, scoring will come to her. She is young, still developing; think the operative word in your observation is 'potential'. Work hard, listen to Coach Bluder and good things can happen for her.
 
Last edited:
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT