This is why I argued that unbalanced classes were detrimental to Iowa

[Franisdaman]

And I got hammered for it.

6 players (almost half of the 13 man roster) either graduated or left the program last year. 5 players graduated or left the previous year.

This year? 6 of the 13 man roster is either freshman/red shirt freshman.

We have Jok, a senior, and a bunch of freshman/red shirt freshman trying to figure things out.

It is not surprising that this team is struggling as a result.

As I have argued previously, if we were Kentucky and we were getting 5 star recruits year in and year out, we could sustain success.

But we are a program of 3 stars and a few 4 stars. When your starting line up consists of a senior, 2 freshman, a redshirt freshman, and a former walk on, is it any surprise that we are struggling this year?

A summary of the McCaffery era recruits:


Graduating Class : Players

Future Graduating Classes:
2023: 1--6'6" SF Patrick McCaffery (not rated)
2022: 1--6'5" SG Joe Wieskamp (****)
2021: 3--6'5" SG Connor McCaffery (****); 6'10" C Luke Garza (***); 6'9" F Jack Nunge (***)

Current Roster (13 currently on scholarship; 0 scholarships available):
2020: 6--6'8" PF Tyler Cook (****): 6'8" SF Cordell Pemsl (***); 6'9" PF Ryan Kriener (***); 6'0" PG Jordan Bohannon (***); 6'5" SF Isaiah Moss (***; ; was reshirted in 2015-16); 6'6" G Maishe Dailey (***)

2019: 4--6'7" SF Ahmad Wagner (***); 6'4" SG Brady Ellingson (***; was redshirted in 2014-15 season); 6'6" combo guard Christian Williams (***); 6'7" SF Nick Baer (was a preferred walk on his 2014-15 red shirt year and for the 2015-16 season; put on scholarship in March 2016)

2018: 2--6'8" SF Dominique Uhl (***); 6'8" PF Dale Jones

2017: 1--6'6" SG Peter Jok

Notable Walk on players:
None


Previous graduating classes and early departures:

2016: 6--PG Anthony Clemmons, PG Mike Gesell, C Adam Woodbury, SF Jarrod Uthoff; Two players granted release in March 2016: 6'6" SG Andrew Fleming (***, was set to graduate in 2019),6'6" SF Brandon Hutton (***; was redshirted in 2015-16; was set to graduate in 2020);

2015: 5--SG Josh Ogelsby, PF Aaron White, C Gabe Olaseni, SG Kyle Denning; PG Trey Dickerson quit/left the team on Feb 23, 2015

2014 (Fran's first recruiting class): 5--PF Melsahn Basabe, SG Devyn Marble, PF Zach McCabe, SF Darius Stokes (graduated & transferred), C Kyle Meyer (granted release & transferred; he redshirted his 2012 freshman season and therefore would have been se to graduate in 2017)

2013: 1--PG Patrick Ingram (would have been part of the 2016 graduation class; transferred in March 2013, after just one season at Iowa)

 

[LuteHawk]

In a perfect college basketball world, you would sign
3 players per year. This would give you 3 guys in
the Senior, Junior, Sophomore, Freshman Class for
a total of 12 scholarship players.

However, a team can lose players to significant injury,
desire to transfer, unexpected red-shirt, academic
failure, jump to the NBA. In the meantime a coach needs
to make adjustments to these losses.

Bottom Line: We do not live in perfect world.

 

[ZaHawks]

If only the rest of the world had your vision!

 

[coralville67]

So you have Gessell & company starting as freshman-- what point guard is going to want to come be s sub for 2-3 years? Why is it so hard to see what happened-- going to b way down this year and then have 2-3 good years. Just be patient

 

[bhelm22]

You just can't miss as bad as we missed in the 2018 and 2019 classes. I'm still holding out hope that Wagner can turn into a force but I'm not seeing much potential in Uhl and Ellingson.

 

[33hawkfan]

So you have Gessell & company starting as freshman-- what point guard is going to want to come be s sub for 2-3 years? Why is it so hard to see what happened-- going to b way down this year and then have 2-3 good years. Just be patient

Gesell not developing offensively from his freshman was a major setback for this program. I thought for sure after his freshman year he would turn into a 15/3/6 type of guy as a senior. Never happened and his shooting went downhill each year.

 

[Titanhawk2]

And I got hammered for it.

6 players (almost half of the 13 man roster) either graduated or left the program last year. 5 players graduated or left the previous year.

This year? 6 of the 13 man roster is either freshman/red shirt freshman.

We have Jok, a senior, and a bunch of freshman/red shirt freshman trying to figure things out.

It is not surprising that this team is struggling as a result.

As I have argued previously, if we were Kentucky and we were getting 5 star recruits year in and year out, we could sustain success.

But we are a program of 3 stars and a few 4 stars. When your starting line up consists of a senior, 2 freshman, a redshirt freshman, and a former walk on, is it any surprise that we are struggling this year?

A summary of the McCaffery era recruits:


Graduating Class : Players

Future Graduating Classes:
2023: 1--6'6" SF Patrick McCaffery (not rated)
2022: 1--6'5" SG Joe Wieskamp (****)
2021: 3--6'5" SG Connor McCaffery (****); 6'10" C Luke Garza (***); 6'9" F Jack Nunge (***)

Current Roster (13 currently on scholarship; 0 scholarships available):
2020: 6--6'8" PF Tyler Cook (****): 6'8" SF Cordell Pemsl (***); 6'9" PF Ryan Kriener (***); 6'0" PG Jordan Bohannon (***); 6'5" SF Isaiah Moss (***; ; was reshirted in 2015-16); 6'6" G Maishe Dailey (***)

2019: 4--6'7" SF Ahmad Wagner (***); 6'4" SG Brady Ellingson (***; was redshirted in 2014-15 season); 6'6" combo guard Christian Williams (***); 6'7" SF Nick Baer (was a preferred walk on his 2014-15 red shirt year and for the 2015-16 season; put on scholarship in March 2016)

2018: 2--6'8" SF Dominique Uhl (***); 6'8" PF Dale Jones

2017: 1--6'6" SG Peter Jok

Notable Walk on players:
None


Previous graduating classes and early departures:

2016: 6--PG Anthony Clemmons, PG Mike Gesell, C Adam Woodbury, SF Jarrod Uthoff; Two players granted release in March 2016: 6'6" SG Andrew Fleming (***, was set to graduate in 2019),6'6" SF Brandon Hutton (***; was redshirted in 2015-16; was set to graduate in 2020);

2015: 5--SG Josh Ogelsby, PF Aaron White, C Gabe Olaseni, SG Kyle Denning; PG Trey Dickerson quit/left the team on Feb 23, 2015

2014 (Fran's first recruiting class): 5--PF Melsahn Basabe, SG Devyn Marble, PF Zach McCabe, SF Darius Stokes (graduated & transferred), C Kyle Meyer (granted release & transferred; he redshirted his 2012 freshman season and therefore would have been se to graduate in 2017)

2013: 1--PG Patrick Ingram (would have been part of the 2016 graduation class; transferred in March 2013, after just one season at Iowa)

So we could be sitting here with 9 guys on the team and worse results?