Josh O./Ulis to the portal

[Franisdaman]

No personal offense to the young man, but here's hoping Fran finds a better big man in the portal.

Join the Swarm collective & send tons of money to them today!

I still am not sure who these collectives work. The collective folks are obviously hearing that Fran has contacted some kids; does the collective then contact these kids and offer them an NIL deal based on them signing w/ Iowa?

It's crazy. Almost anything goes now. Fran needs to be a good recruiter but so do the collective folks!

 

[Franisdaman]

In the last 9 months I've demanded that:
Iowa baseball makes the B10 title game/regional (didn't happen). Although they have a great shot this year and off to an excellent start, love the tournament in Omaha too!
Iowa football offense improves and/or BF leaves (didn't happen)
Bball team makes a S16 for the first time in 24 years (didn't happen)
Maybe I should stop demanding? Naw....

Oh, I demand the women make a Final 4! Has it ever happened?

Iowa women's last Final 4 appearance was 1993

 

[IsaacHarrison]

Nimmers is probably the starter at this time although Fran has contacted a couple of guards in the portal but sounds like Nimmers is pretty electric and is a better shooter, can finish drives to the rim, and is good on defense. I'm excited to see him play.

Sounds pretty murky to tell a starter hes going to lose significant playing time...

 

[Andrew Houk]

Should've committed to Joe. That was a mistake.

I agree. I always thought Joe was significantly better than Ulis and should have been getting a larger share of the minutes at PG. I also feel like it was a bit unfair that he's the guy that got benched last season when he wasn't playing poorly or causing us to lose games.

 

[Bishop1971]

Sounds pretty murky to tell a starter hes going to lose significant playing time...

I'd want to know if the coaches are planning on making changes. Transferring when i was in college was not the same as today. I hope uhlis finds a place and system that works for him. Always thought he was a good kid. Josh too for that matter. Actually I've been disappointed in Josh for never getting himself into good shape but i really hope he gets to play somewhere next year.

 

[KcTo]

Way under utilized. We could have used him against Auburn. Bummer.

Guaranteed money that Ogundele bests Brauns 2023 season #’s of 7 pts and 5 R and 1 Block / game next year at a similar. non power 5 league

 

[Max_Rebo]

Sounds pretty murky to tell a starter hes going to lose significant playing time...

i think it could be a case of Fran knowing he’s got to get more shooters in the starting lineup next year. The Ulis/Perkins combo isn’t going to cut it. With McCaffery and Sandfort potentially manning the forward positions, with Perkins having the potential to move over to PG, and with several SG options being contacted on the portal, it’s easy to see who the odd man out might be.

Plus, you might want to find playing time for Nimmers and maybe Brock Harding.

For Ulis’ part, he probably saw the success Toussaint has had at WVa, and is hoping he might experience something similar.

 

[RocknRollface]

That doesn't explain why Ulis would transfer. If Bowen isnt that good and there is nobody on campus right now that could take minutes otherwise then I dont think Ulis would transfer based on minutes. Kinda hard for Fran to predict who will work out if they arent even on campus yet.

Bowen is way more talented than Ulis, so is Dix, Nimmers and Probably Harding.

Ulis wasn't even allowed to finish games last year. He never earned the Fran union card.

 

[HawkHoops80]

Join the Swarm collective & send tons of money to them today!

I still am not sure who these collectives work. The collective folks are obviously hearing that Fran has contacted some kids; does the collective then contact these kids and offer them an NIL deal based on them signing w/ Iowa?

It's crazy. Almost anything goes now. Fran needs to be a good recruiter but so do the collective folks!

Brad, who runs the collective, has explained this on radio in a few different interviews during football portal season. Basically Fran will direct potential prospects to Brad for them to discuss things. The prospect also likely will reach out to the current players and see what they are getting currently.

Basically every kid who plays basketball at the U of I (walk-on or scholarship) can sign up to be involved in the collective and as long as they are completing their service requirements (meals on wheels, reading to elementary school kids, etc), they will receive the base pay that every athlete gets.
If a player wants more money than just the base, that comes from Swarm Inc. side of things where businesses may pay that player to endorse a product (Kris with Casey's, Connor with Pizza Ranch, Payton with Estella's, appearance fees at birthday parties, etc). So a stud transfer would likely need to meet with Brad and hopefully the businesses or rich donors are interested in hiring that player for services.

 

[IsaacHarrison]

Bowen is way more talented than Ulis, so is Dix, Nimmers and Probably Harding.

Ulis wasn't even allowed to finish games last year. He never earned the Fran union card.

So why so few minutes down the stretch for Bowen?

 

[RocknRollface]

Nimmers is probably the starter at this time although Fran has contacted a couple of guards in the portal but sounds like Nimmers is pretty electric and is a better shooter, can finish drives to the rim, and is good on defense. I'm excited to see him play.

Highly doubt Nimmers plays pg.

More of a 2/3.

 

[RocknRollface]

I agree. I always thought Joe was significantly better than Ulis and should have been getting a larger share of the minutes at PG. I also feel like it was a bit unfair that he's the guy that got benched last season when he wasn't playing poorly or causing us to lose games.

Joe made alot of things happen on both ends, about half of it good half of it bad.

Ulis was the opposite, basically made nothing happen on either end.

 

[The Deplorable Sleeping Dog]

Nimmers is probably the starter at this time although Fran has contacted a couple of guards in the portal but sounds like Nimmers is pretty electric and is a better shooter, can finish drives to the rim, and is good on defense. I'm excited to see him play.

I hope Bowen can get himself under control and more into the flow of a team game. He really has all the tools but played like he was a high school star, not a college freshman trying to learn a much harder version of the game. However, if DB gets the mental part down, or at least starts working on that, he could be a tremendous point guard.

 

[RocknRollface]

So why so few minutes down the stretch for Bowen?

He made a lot of mistakes/bad decisions and lacked strength, typical freshman stuff. and by the second half of the season he became way too timid.

His minutes in the first half against Auburn were the best pg minutes of the game for Iowa.

 

[ChiPackHawk]

Sounds pretty murky to tell a starter hes going to lose significant playing time...

Not if someone is better - playing time is not a guaranteed deal

 

[RocknRollface]

I hope Bowen can get himself under control and more into the flow of a team game. He really has all the tools but played like he was a high school star, not a college freshman trying to learn a much harder version of the game. However, if DB gets the mental part down, or at least starts working on that, he could be a tremendous point guard.

Biggest thing is adjusting to the physicality IMO.

 

[WadeLookingbill]

I hope Bowen can get himself under control and more into the flow of a team game. He really has all the tools but played like he was a high school star, not a college freshman trying to learn a much harder version of the game. However, if DB gets the mental part down, or at least starts working on that, he could be a tremendous point guard.

Biggest thing is adjusting to the physicality IMO.

I'm pumped to see Bowen after a year of strength training, film, and additional experience (summer trip this year). High ceiling in my opinion.

 

[amahawk]

Sounds like Ulis is headed as well.

View embedded media

I wish them well in their futures. Thank you for your time and effort.

 

[Franisdaman]

I have not. I mean that’s my entire point. If his highlights are that good, then he theoretically should have been playing this season.

in that thread it is discussed why he was redshirted & why they never removed it

 

[jonesy5960]

That doesn't explain why Ulis would transfer. If Bowen isnt that good and there is nobody on campus right now that could take minutes otherwise then I dont think Ulis would transfer based on minutes. Kinda hard for Fran to predict who will work out if they arent even on campus yet.

I don't think it was Ulis' idea to transfer. I think Ulis was probably "encouraged" by Fran to move on. Ulis wasn't a very good player this year. He really hasn't progressed much since arriving on campus. Fran probably sees Perkins and Dix as better players already with the gap between Ulis and Bowen very small. At least that's how I see it.

 

[jonesy5960]

Nimmers is probably the starter at this time although Fran has contacted a couple of guards in the portal but sounds like Nimmers is pretty electric and is a better shooter, can finish drives to the rim, and is good on defense. I'm excited to see him play.

This seems like a huge stretch seeing as how he hasn't even earned a scholarship yet.

 

[Andrew Houk]

Joe made alot of things happen on both ends, about half of it good half of it bad.

Ulis was the opposite, basically made nothing happen on either end.

Yep this is a good way of describing it.

 

[ROHawk 44]

So why so few minutes down the stretch for Bowen?

Fran leans toward experience when push comes to shove. It's also why guys like Dix and Bowen would get less minutes in the second half than they would in the first half of a game.

It could be a case of Fran realizing the Bowen has a much higher ceiling and Ulis staying is only going to hinder Bowen's growth. Ulis had the chance to get starter's minutes and after reviewing the season, Fran may have realized that they need more. I lean toward the belief that players are who they are after about 2 years. Their only job in college is going to class and working on their game. Not sure how much more growth there will be out of Ulis.

 

[Franisdaman]

I don’t think it’s a coincidence at all that the Nimmers video surfaced when it did.

 

[RocknRollface]

I'm pumped to see Bowen after a year of strength training, film, and additional experience (summer trip this year). High ceiling in my opinion.

I actually really like the talent and versatility of next years freshman and sophomore guards.

I think its Frans best group easily.

 

[Franisdaman]

That doesn't explain why Ulis would transfer. If Bowen isnt that good and there is nobody on campus right now that could take minutes otherwise then I dont think Ulis would transfer based on minutes. Kinda hard for Fran to predict who will work out if they arent even on campus yet.

IMO, I think Ulis saw the writing on the wall. Bowen, Nimmers & Brock Harding will be competing for his minutes.

 

[TheRealHerky]

Best of luck fellas. We appreciate your efforts and the way you represented our beloved University and State.

Enjoy the next chapter.

 

[RocknRollface]

Fran leans toward experience when push comes to shove. It's also why guys like Dix and Bowen would get less minutes in the second half than they would in the first half of a game.

It could be a case of Fran realizing the Bowen has a much higher ceiling and Ulis staying is only going to hinder Bowen's growth. Ulis had the chance to get starter's minutes and after reviewing the season, Fran may have realized that they need more. I lean toward the belief that players are who they are after about 2 years. Their only job in college is going to class and working on their game. Not sure how much more growth there will be out of Ulis.

Fran wouldn't start Keegan his first year or even play Kris.

Both were future all Americans.

 

[Franisdaman]

Brad, who runs the collective, has explained this on radio in a few different interviews during football portal season. Basically Fran will direct potential prospects to Brad for them to discuss things. The prospect also likely will reach out to the current players and see what they are getting currently.

Basically every kid who plays basketball at the U of I (walk-on or scholarship) can sign up to be involved in the collective and as long as they are completing their service requirements (meals on wheels, reading to elementary school kids, etc), they will receive the base pay that every athlete gets.
If a player wants more money than just the base, that comes from Swarm Inc. side of things where businesses may pay that player to endorse a product (Kris with Casey's, Connor with Pizza Ranch, Payton with Estella's, appearance fees at birthday parties, etc). So a stud transfer would likely need to meet with Brad and hopefully the businesses or rich donors are interested in hiring that player for services.

Nice to see that Fran is on board with all of this. Within the last year he has stated that he would not want anyone being "hired" who is not yet on the roster & on campus.

 

[Herky T Hawk]

Like others, I wish these two the best of luck. Ulis could be a high quality addition to a mid-major looking for someone with big time experience to help with a push to an auto bid in the tourney. Josh can find another place where he can be on scholarship and hopefully finish his degree, maybe even contribute some minutes during the season. I don’t expect him to average 7 and 5 anywhere unless he’s at a low-major or D2, he just can’t play the minutes.

This is the type of thing that has to happen in the new era. Players get 1-3 years to prove themselves and move on if not. It is what this team needed to move forward next year. Now we have at least two and likely three scholarships to use for immediate contributors. Fran needs to find several starter-caliber transfers like a Rebraca instead of veteran backups like Bakari though.

 

[kceasthawk]

I have not. I mean that’s my entire point. If his highlights are that good, then he theoretically should have been playing this season.

I believe he was injured when he first got to Iowa and his and frans agreement was for him to redshirt from the very beginning. I guess will see next fall if he's in the plan for next season.

 

[kceasthawk]

Like others, I wish these two the best of luck. Ulis could be a high quality addition to a mid-major looking for someone with big time experience to help with a push to an auto bid in the tourney. Josh can find another place where he can be on scholarship and hopefully finish his degree, maybe even contribute some minutes during the season. I don’t expect him to average 7 and 5 anywhere unless he’s at a low-major or D2, he just can’t play the minutes.

This is the type of thing that has to happen in the new era. Players get 1-3 years to prove themselves and move on if not. It is what this team needed to move forward next year. Now we have at least two and likely three scholarships to use for immediate contributors. Fran needs to find several starter-caliber transfers like a Rebraca instead of veteran backups like Bakari though.

Exactly right. This could be a net positive depending on what exactly Fran does in the portal...So far if Braun does come to Iowa thats a net gain over Josh contribution the last two years...

 

[shanksit44]

Sounds like Ulis is headed as well.

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Good luck to both of them.

 

[MAXIMUSHAWKEYE]

C'mon, man. By all accounts, JO is a good person. I wish him well.

I'm sure he is. Now watch. He'll go to Purdue and become All BIG.

 

[kzoohawk80]

Actually, Joe wanted 30 plus minutes and at West Virginia he was not getting those type of minutes.

On March 30, 2022, in a podcast, Chad Leistikow of the Des Moines Register stated that he talked to Fran after Joe announced he was leaving Iowa. Joe wanted 30 plus minutes per game playing time. Fran could not guarantee this because Fran was high on Dasonte Bowen. Fran told Chad that Joe was not miserable; he just wanted more.

So, was Joe getting his 30 minutes/game? Nope.

In the 34 games he played in, here was his playing time at West Virginia:

* 30 minutes or more 3 times
* 19 minutes OR LESS 13 times

During his last season at Iowa Joe averaged 17 minutes/game. At West Virginia this past season he averaged just 22.


Link to that March 30 podcast:

The 30 minutes is just a number. The real issue was playing Bohannon over him and not trusting Joe T. Joe T finished games with WV this year and he didn't do that with Fran. Fran's big mistake was letting Bohannon come back last year and proceeding to play him over Joe T. Fran had a defensive team last year that he didn't know how to coach properly. I really do believe if Joe T plays the second half against Richmond that Iowa wins that game. That decision was honestly when I lost all hope that Fran can do anything in the tournament.

Glad Ulis is gone. Josh I'm indifferent on because he didn't play. Fran should easily upgrade from Ulis with more Bowen playtime as a bare minimum. Transfer would be better but I won't hold my breath.

 

[IllQChawk]

Guaranteed money that Ogundele bests Brauns 2023 season #’s of 7 pts and 5 R and 1 Block / game next year at a similar. non power 5 league

You in morning, big guy?
Braun should only be a walk on, giving extended minutes to a player from a lower level university is never a good thing.

 

[Franisdaman]

I have not. I mean that’s my entire point. If his highlights are that good, then he theoretically should have been playing this season.

I believe he was injured when he first got to Iowa and his and frans agreement was for him to redshirt from the very beginning. I guess will see next fall if he's in the plan for next season.

I posted what follows in the Nimmers thread.

A wrist injury suffered during preseason camp prevented Nimmers from playing in Iowa's preseason exhibition game and he had his right wrist wrapped while watching from the bench the November 11 win over North Carolina A&T.

At the time of the red shirt announcement, Fran said that Nimmers' wrist "is fine." However, by redshirting him, they wanted to:

(1) maintain eligibility for him on the back end; his eligibility does not run out until 2027;

(2) give him a year to get adjusted;

(3) give him a year to learn the system; and

(4) have him continue to develop as a player.


The story from the Quad Cities Times:

Hawkeyes' Nimmers will Redshirt
Steve Batterson
Nov 14, 2022

Amarion Nimmers will redshirt this season for the University of Iowa men's basketball team, a decision that is more about his future than the present.

The freshman walk-on from Rock Island has dealt with a wrist injury in recent weeks but coach Fran McCaffery said Monday the ultimate decision came down to what the 6-foot-2 guard can become as a player as he gains experience.

“It makes no sense for a walk-on to play his first year," McCaffery said. “You look at the track record of Austin Ash, Michael Baer, Darius Stokes, Riley Till, even guys like Kyle Denning who we ended up giving a scholarship to as we did with Austin, you want to maintain that eligibility on the back end, give him a year to get adjusted, to learn the system."

In Nimmers’ case, it also provides him with an opportunity to continue his development as a player.

McCaffery said he sees potential in Nimmers’ game.

“It enables him to take advantage of five years to play four if he wants to. If he wants to graduate, he can, but I think you know when he’s 22 he’ll be a pretty darn good player," McCaffery said.

“It will either be playing here or playing somewhere else. He’ll have options and I think I have the responsibility to make sure he has options."

A wrist injury suffered during preseason camp prevented Nimmers from playing in Iowa's preseason exhibition game and he had his right wrist wrapped while watching Friday's win over North Carolina A&T from a spot on the bench.

McCaffery said Monday that Nimmers' wrist "is fine."

Nimmers chose to take a walk-on opportunity at Iowa after averaging 24.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and two steals per game last season at Rock Island.

The second-leading scorer in the history of the Rocks program to former Stanford guard Chasson Randle, Nimmers led the Western Big 6 Conference in scoring the past two seasons.

With McCaffery in the stands at Rock Island Fieldhouse to watch an opposing team’s player last December, Nimmers established a school single-game scoring record with a 45-point performance last season against Dubuque Hempstead.

Hawkeyes' Nimmers will redshirt

Amarion Nimmers will redshirt this season for the University of Iowa men's basketball team, a decision that is more about his future than the present.

qctimes.com

 

[HawkHoops80]

Nice to see that Fran is on board with all of this. Within the last year he has stated that he would not want anyone being "hired" who is not yet on the roster & on campus.

The difference is that Iowa does everything in NIL by the books from my understanding. So the player only gets money if they show up and do the service projects. They only get the money if they appear in the commercial or tweet the advertisement. Fran isn't just telling the collective to cut a check and the player not have to do anything to "earn" that. I think that's the big difference here.

 

[The Deplorable Sleeping Dog]

You in morning, big guy?
Braun should only be a walk on, giving extended minutes to a player from a lower level university is never a good thing.

Filip Rebraca begs to differ.

 

[KcTo]

You in morning, big guy?
Braun should only be a walk on, giving extended minutes to a player from a lower level university is never a good thing.

Braun playing in Ohio Valley Conference averaging 7 points as a junior is hardly a replacement for Rebraca and is probably inferior to ogundle, not that Fran ever played the kid.