Stereotypes of Iowa being too white with cornfields are the biggest obstacles in recruiting.

[super_tecmo_bowl]

Most of McCaffery’s big recruiting wins have been with white players; there’s room for improvement in attracting top Black players into the program. McCaffery says stereotypes of Iowa being too white with cornfields are the biggest obstacles in recruiting.

https://www.desmoinesregister.com/s...m-george-floyd-basketball-program/3215865001/

 

[hawkjt]

Fran was a teammate of Big Ten commish?
Interesting.
Fran should be positioned to recruit black players with his background and coaching staff. Clearly he is running into this anti Iowa bias and probably hurt by squeaky clean approach also.

 

[Auger]

I like Iowa's cornfields. Good pheasant and deer hunting. Back in my younger days we used to have some pretty amazing bonfire parties out in the sticks. Just got to know how to sell the country life to the recruits.

 

[chuck285]

I like Iowa's cornfields. Good pheasant and deer hunting. Back in my younger days we used to have some pretty amazing bonfire parties out in the sticks. Just got to know how to sell the country life to the recruits.

Where are you finding these pheasants now days. Unless you're living in NW Iowa, things are pretty slim. Hunting for over 50 years.

 

[EvilMonkeyInTheCloset]

Where are you finding these pheasants now days. Unless you're living in NW Iowa, things are pretty slim. Hunting for over 50 years.

I see plenty of pheasants around the outskirts of my town (including at the end of my street)....but we also have Pheasants Forever protection that enables them to thrive in this area.

 

[vincebrookins]

The pheasants went away along with the fence rows. I grew up in central Iowa and there just isn't the habitat there was 30-40 years ago. Of course there were a lot more family farms then, too. Side note: there are few things cooler than driving between the cornfields at night when they're flickering with lightning bugs.

 

[BlackNGoldBleeder]

Most of McCaffery’s big recruiting wins have been with white players; there’s room for improvement in attracting top Black players into the program. McCaffery says stereotypes of Iowa being too white with cornfields are the biggest obstacles in recruiting.

https://www.desmoinesregister.com/s...m-george-floyd-basketball-program/3215865001/

I don't really buy this argument. Iowa City is way cooler and more liberal than Ames and yet neither Prohm nor Hoiberg has had issues getting black players to commit.

Winning fixes a lot of geographical limitations. Iowa basketball under Fran is headed in the right direction.

 

[anon_i8nzeu2gbf0ba]

Of the committed recruits, I think 5 of 6 or 6 of 7--something like that--are black: the Murray brothers, Ulis, Perkins, and Ogundele (sp).

Of course, I don't see much of a problem if your white recruits are Luka Garza, Joe Weiskamp, Jordan Bohannon, Connor and Patrick McCaffrey, Jack Nunge, and--oh yah--CJ Fredrick. Those kids can play a little.

 

[KuwaitHawk]

Lots of talent out there. How many kids have commented about Iowa City and the university after a visit and stating it was nothing like they thought.

 

[Hawkfan_08]

Lots of talent out there. How many kids have commented about Iowa City and the university after a visit and stating it was nothing like they thought.

Lots and even more in football...

 

[BlackNGoldBleeder]

Of the committed recruits, I think 5 of 6 or 6 of 7--something like that--are black: the Murray brothers, Ulis, Perkins, and Ogundele (sp).

Of course, I don't see much of a problem if your white recruits are Luka Garza, Joe Weiskamp, Jordan Bohannon, Connor and Patrick McCaffrey, Jack Nunge, and--oh yah--CJ Fredrick. Those kids can play a little.

Yes, and honestly I think the kids are more mature than a lot of the adults on this. So many white and black kids get to know each other at all these summer camps and AAU leagues. Not only that, so-called "black" culture is fairly universal among young people.

In short, I don't see black kids having a strong aversion to playing with white kids who can hoop. I guarantee you a lot of black kids would have no problem playing with Garza or Weezy or JBo etc. Not only that, culture and interests are likely fairly similar.

The biggest challenge is getting kids on campus. Perceptions change a lot once a recruit actually steps foot in Iowa City.

 

[Iafootballfan]

If I'm a recruit I'm certainly not going to a program to compete for playing time with the coaches sons.

 

[Ronman]

If I'm a recruit I'm certainly not going to a program to compete for playing time with the coaches sons.

You're right. McCaffery would rather feature his sons than win games. Kind of like Lickliter did. Oh, except Connor has proved beyond a doubt he is a very real asset to the Hawks. But in your mind he should sit, just to prove he's not getting the benefit of nepotism? Brilliant!

 

[Iafootballfan]

But in your mind he should sit, just to prove he's not getting the benefit of nepotism? Brilliant!

Making up something I never said so that you have a leg to stand on for rebuttal? Classic message board post.

 

[Auger]

Where are you finding these pheasants now days. Unless you're living in NW Iowa, things are pretty slim. Hunting for over 50 years.

I live out in the Mountain West now but occasionally make it back to do a hunting trip with family. Still have a lot of family with farms that haven't been pushed off by the big farm groups yet. The network of family/friend farms and small town ideals have maintained over the years a great pheasant and deer habitat. You will see in Iowa and elsewhere the areas that have fought off big farm and big government have the best pheasant and deer populations. The land is still mostly owned by small families. It's like that in the Mountain West. Most of the best private owned land is still owned by the small families that have resisted big industry and big government. Our hunting is amazing out here. A lot of great grazing farmland for the wildlife in the winter.

I work with a lot of conservation groups. You can credit the big farm corps for ruining pheasant populations. Back when 90% of farmland was owned by small families, farmers had more land on their farms that were perfect habitat for pheasants to thrive in. Today a lot of those farms are in the hands of big farm corps. They have cut down the groves, cut back the dredge ditches and because of advances in farm technology have decimated wildlife habitat and made once unfarmable land farm able. You've seen a drastic rise in herbicide and pesticide companies. Politicians have been able to keep conservation groups and animal rights groups at odds with each other despite having similar goals so it's nearly impossible to take on big farm who has both the GOP and the Democrats in their back pockets. Wildlife populations have suffered as a result.

 

[TheTruthTheWholeTruth]

I see pheasants every day while out driving in the Northern part of Iowa.

 

[mick82]

Fran was a teammate of Big Ten commish?
Interesting.
Fran should be positioned to recruit black players with his background and coaching staff. Clearly he is running into this anti Iowa bias and probably hurt by squeaky clean approach also.

Racists

 

[chuck285]

I see plenty of pheasants around the outskirts of my town (including at the end of my street)....but we also have Pheasants Forever protection that enables them to thrive in this area.

What part of the state?

 

[chuck285]

I live out in the Mountain West now but occasionally make it back to do a hunting trip with family. Still have a lot of family with farms that haven't been pushed off by the big farm groups yet. The network of family/friend farms and small town ideals have maintained over the years a great pheasant and deer habitat. You will see in Iowa and elsewhere the areas that have fought off big farm and big government have the best pheasant and deer populations. The land is still mostly owned by small families. It's like that in the Mountain West. Most of the best private owned land is still owned by the small families that have resisted big industry and big government. Our hunting is amazing out here. A lot of great grazing farmland for the wildlife in the winter.

I work with a lot of conservation groups. You can credit the big farm corps for ruining pheasant populations. Back when 90% of farmland was owned by small families, farmers had more land on their farms that were perfect habitat for pheasants to thrive in. Today a lot of those farms are in the hands of big farm corps. They have cut down the groves, cut back the dredge ditches and because of advances in farm technology have decimated wildlife habitat and made once unfarmable land farm able. You've seen a drastic rise in herbicide and pesticide companies. Politicians have been able to keep conservation groups and animal rights groups at odds with each other despite having similar goals so it's nearly impossible to take on big farm who has both the GOP and the Democrats in their back pockets. Wildlife populations have suffered as a result.

There was great hunting when there was CRP twenty years ago. Now there is very few farms in central or eastern Iowa that have their land in set aside. But then the last 10 years your big farms take out every fence row, ditches in their fields and now even cut and bale any run off weeds inside of corn or bean areas. Hard for pheasants to find areas to hide in from predators. I see more deer and turkeys than pheasants...

 

[EvilMonkeyInTheCloset]

What part of the state?

North central......

 

[SSG T]

I honestly think the biggest problem is lack of guys getting drafted or in the NBA. Kids want to know the coach can get them to the next level. Get a couple guys in the league and it will be easier.

 

[BBHawk]

If I'm a recruit I'm certainly not going to a program to compete for playing time with the coaches sons.

Which coaches? I thought only the McCaffery boys played for Iowa.

 

[hawkeyemark56]

This seems the worst of times to bring up this topic with the country seemingly being intentionally divided on the issue of race at the moment IMO. As pointed out earlier in the thread most of our current recruits are black so it goes in cycles. Feel happy we run a clean program and still field pretty competitive teams.

 

[kceasthawk]

Making up something I never said so that you have a leg to stand on for rebuttal? Classic message board post.

It may not be exactly what you said, but it was certainly what you insinuating. CMac has proven himself under fire, and Pmac was a four star top 100 or so player I believe. why is competing against them any different then any other proven players or highly ranked players? Have seen evidence that they don't deserve to be playing, or just some bias?

 

[HawkeyeInCentralIowa]

Where are you finding these pheasants now days. Unless you're living in NW Iowa, things are pretty slim. Hunting for over 50 years.

My dad I saw probably over 100 about a month ago driving home from Mount Ayr. I think they might be making a bit of a come back.

 

[hawkeyeguy69]

Agreed. Lots of recruits, like ALL of them, come away thinking that Iowa City is a pretty bada$$ place. At least I cannot recall anyone not liking IC, or thinking of it in a negative way.

Iowa City is a very diverse city. That is more accepting of every type of culture, race, etc than any in the state.

Iowa's last recruiting class all had some African decent. If that even matters.

Fran has setup a winning culture that is very tight. With the players we have coming back, starters and redshirts. Plus our incoming recruiting class. We should make the NCAA tournament for the next 4 years straight....

If I were to guess, that streak Will grow well beyond 4 years....And then Mac Jr & Weezie Jr arrive on campus. The future looks bright!!!

Go Hawks!

I don't really buy this argument. Iowa City is way cooler and more liberal than Ames and yet neither Prohm nor Hoiberg has had issues getting black players to commit.

Winning fixes a lot of geographical limitations. Iowa basketball under Fran is headed in the right direction.

 

[Kurt Warner]

My dad I saw probably over 100 about a month ago driving home from Mount Ayr. I think they might be making a bit of a come back.

Hey, I'm not far from mt ayr. There does seem to be a few more around. But nothing like years ago when there were tons of them. Used to have hunters all over the place on opening day. Many coming up from Missouri

 

[HawkeyeInCentralIowa]

Hey, I'm not far from mt ayr. There does seem to be a few more around. But nothing like years ago when there were tons of them. Used to have hunters all over the place on opening day. Many coming up from Missouri

Nice. My grandparents own a farm over by Tingley and they used to have days when we would have 50-60 people out there hunting them. Fun times.

 

[Obviously Oblivious]

Habitat loss is a big part of it and pheasant success is so weather dependent in the late winter early spring time but I also think the coyote population has a big part in it too. Everyone should carry a scoped rifle and declare war on those mangy mongrels.

 

[wilbur-hawk]

The overall visual appeal of the Iowa campus now is much better now than just 10 years ago. Modifications to Kinnick, practice stadium, children’s hospital, rec center, Hancher, engineering building....anyone regardless of background visiting should come away impressed. Throw in River Landing, growth in North Liberty and the face lift the south side is getting with BIg Grove: the IC area is pretty easy to sell.

 

[chuck285]

Hey, I'm not far from mt ayr. There does seem to be a few more around. But nothing like years ago when there were tons of them. Used to have hunters all over the place on opening day. Many coming up from Missouri

Have hunted around Grinnell for 40 years. Twenty years ago on opening weekends it sounded like a small war from 8 am to 3 pm both Sat. and Sunday. Now, truthfully you probably hear or see two other hunting parties a day. And we're lucky to take over 4 birds for our party of four.
Love to hear there are still some hot sports. Tks..

 

[IowaNiceHawk]

Jordan Oladokun and I think the OP is narrow minded and full of BS.
You don't like Iowa, because of cornfields? Then, why don't you buy some property in Downtown Minneapolis, to get that cosmo feeling? Hearing there's some real steals.

#DaHawks

 

[L. Wade Childress]

Have hunted around Grinnell for 40 years. Twenty years ago on opening weekends it sounded like a small war from 8 am to 3 pm both Sat. and Sunday. Now, truthfully you probably hear or see two other hunting parties a day. And we're lucky to take over 4 birds for our party of four.
Love to hear there are still some hot sports. Tks..

we limit out in poweshiek county every year

 

[EastPennHawk]

I've lived in PA and for years. PSU fans have complained about how they can't get recruits out of Philly -- a traditional HS hoops hotbed -- to head up to State College ... which is quite far removed from any real city.

However, think they have been turning this trend around a bit in recent years.

Anyway, not a problem that's unique to Iowa.

 

[KuwaitHawk]

Think how they feel in Ames.

 

[chuck285]

we limit out in poweshiek county every year

Tama, Brooklyn, Chelsea, Hartwick, Malcom, Holiday Lake?? I grew up in Brooklyn.

 

[iowalawhawk]

There's like 4 separate threads going on here

 

[unIowa]

I like Iowa's cornfields. Good pheasant and deer hunting. Back in my younger days we used to have some pretty amazing bonfire parties out in the sticks. Just got to know how to sell the country life to the recruits.

Perfect:
Stereotypes of Iowa being too white with cornfields are the biggest obstacles in recruiting.

 

[walleye hunter16]

Nice. My grandparents own a farm over by Tingley and they used to have days when we would have 50-60 people out there hunting them. Fun times.

I wonder why they are not around anymore.

 

[Hawk_4shur]

ster·e·o·type
/ˈsterēəˌtīp/

noun

1. 1.
   a widely held but fixed and oversimplified image or idea of a particular type of person or thing.
   "the stereotype of the woman as the caregiver"

It's not really a "stereotype" if it's spot on. Iowa is almost all-white and is mostly cornfields (or bean fields).