I posted this near the end of another (long) thread, but I don't want this to get lost. I'm curious why some posters have been excited about the last couple of years of recruiting. Not saying you're wrong to be excited, necessarily, but the recruiting rankings don't seem to suggest Iowa will necessarily improve much if at all. Are some of you suggesting that the coaches are doing a better job finding players who fit the schemes Iowa runs? If that's the case you may be right, but so far there's little evidence that is true. Yes, we'll find out one way or the other in the next 2 years.
But just looking at the B10 recruiting rankings from 2013 to 2017 (to include fifth year seniors), these are Iowa's results:
RIVALS (1st # is overall rank/2nd # is ranking by points averages)
2013: 8th/9th
2014: 11th/9th
2015: 13th/10th
2016: 8th/8th
2017: 8th/8th
247 Sports (B10 rankings; all rankings are points-based)
2013: 12th
2014: 12th
2015: 12th
2016: 9th
2017: 8th
So the recruiting the past two years is marginally better, but there isn't a single class ranked in the top half of the B10. ESPN team rankings require payment so screw that.
So based on these rankings why suspect Iowa to climb to the upper echelon of the B10?
First let's look at the 2011 and 2012 rankings that led the 2015 squad to 12-2:
Rivals (B10)
2011: 4th/7th
2012: 6th/6th
247 (B10)
2011: 3rd
2012: 7th
Both of those classes were ranked in the top half of the B10 by both sites. The 2011 class (fifth year seniors in 2015) was particularly strong. Based on that, what makes anyone think that the recruiting is better? I mean, yes, it's better than 2013 to 2015, but just barely. I don't see the reason to think Iowa will improve significantly unless it's because the coaching improves.
Plus, Iowa's 2018 class is currently ranked 13th (247) and 12th overall/9th points-based (Rivals) in B10. Tell me what I'm not seeing in the rankings and why 247 and Rivals are wrong about Iowa's recruiting the past couple years and this year?
But just looking at the B10 recruiting rankings from 2013 to 2017 (to include fifth year seniors), these are Iowa's results:
RIVALS (1st # is overall rank/2nd # is ranking by points averages)
2013: 8th/9th
2014: 11th/9th
2015: 13th/10th
2016: 8th/8th
2017: 8th/8th
247 Sports (B10 rankings; all rankings are points-based)
2013: 12th
2014: 12th
2015: 12th
2016: 9th
2017: 8th
So the recruiting the past two years is marginally better, but there isn't a single class ranked in the top half of the B10. ESPN team rankings require payment so screw that.
So based on these rankings why suspect Iowa to climb to the upper echelon of the B10?
First let's look at the 2011 and 2012 rankings that led the 2015 squad to 12-2:
Rivals (B10)
2011: 4th/7th
2012: 6th/6th
247 (B10)
2011: 3rd
2012: 7th
Both of those classes were ranked in the top half of the B10 by both sites. The 2011 class (fifth year seniors in 2015) was particularly strong. Based on that, what makes anyone think that the recruiting is better? I mean, yes, it's better than 2013 to 2015, but just barely. I don't see the reason to think Iowa will improve significantly unless it's because the coaching improves.
Plus, Iowa's 2018 class is currently ranked 13th (247) and 12th overall/9th points-based (Rivals) in B10. Tell me what I'm not seeing in the rankings and why 247 and Rivals are wrong about Iowa's recruiting the past couple years and this year?