WBB recruiting for the future

[jockos]

Lisa usually won't be active in the transfer market unless it is a player they previously recruited and have a relationship with. She says transfers can really upset team chemistry so the entire team would have to spend time with the prospect and give their approval. That is what Zion Sanders went through to join the team as a walk on. Of course, there has to be the need for the player too.

Just a note, there are over 1,000 WBB players in the portal now.

 

[BraydonRoberts5]

If I were coaching this Iowa team I'd only look for a sure starter in the portal. I don't see much benefit to adding a depth option when I think that depth will develop internally, either with the incoming freshman or with current players improving.

I also would probably limit my search to someone that can play the wing. We're set at the 1. There aren't many 5s that would jump Czinano on the depth chart even with her defensive issues. Warnock is pretty close to the perfect 4 for our current system, and I doubt there are many 4s that would jump her on the depth chart.

I'm not aware of every available transfer, but Diamond Johnson from Rutgers is the only name that has really stuck out to me. She did great at Rutgers, shoots really well, and is probably a decent defender given that she went to Rutgers. Otherwise, I would look for a player in the mold of Veronica Burton from Northwestern--a great perimeter defender that can still shoot the three and contributes on the glass.

I don't think we need to replace Marshall or Martin by any means. Just that the wing seems like the easiest position to improve in the starting lineup if we were going to add a transfer.

 

[hawkshawn]

She's been offered, it is a little early for the top (most of them) '23's to start naming "top school lists". How hard Iowa recruits her may depend on if they land a point guard in '22 - Acacia Hayes and Saniah Tyler appear to be the top two targets, although it really wouldn't surprise me if Iowa cools on Hayes despite making her top 8 - just my opinion on this particular recruit.

I'm with you on Hayes. The transferring trend there would be my concern.

As far as Arnold, I can't remember where I read this but I think South Carolina might be the favorite.

 

[jockos]

I'm with you on Hayes. The transferring trend there would be my concern.

As far as Arnold, I can't remember where I read this but I think South Carolina might be the favorite.

Yeah, Hayes has 3 sisters currently in the transfer portal and her mom appears to be the equal of Brian Joens.

 

[JEDN]

If the Hawks want to be a Final Four team they do need to improve the wing play. Gabbie and Kate are certainly adequate but are not the caliber needed to be an elite team. If an elite wing is out there that wants to be a Hawk, go after her. Nothing wrong with trying to make a team better.

 

[Gabe Sifuentes]

If the Hawks want to be a Final Four team they do need to improve the wing play. Gabbie and Kate are certainly adequate but are not the caliber needed to be an elite team. If an elite wing is out there that wants to be a Hawk, go after her. Nothing wrong with trying to make a team better.

I really wish people would stop ragging on Gabbie and Kate. Kate is only beginning to come into her own. She is the heart of the soul of the team and one of the best defenders. She plays all out every game. She will have a long basketball career overseas if she wants it. She was highly regarded 3 star recruit out of high school even if she wasn't top 100.

Gabbie is perimeter assassin and she runs the offense well. She's playing somewhat out of position as the 2 as she was more of a PG in HS. Also a highly regarded 3 star but not top 100. Give her another year in the weight room and she'll have more of a complete game. She's also a very good defender in her own right.

Iowa is not going to get ELITE McDonald's AA recruits very often. There are only so many to go around and the top 10 programs have a monopoly on the best talent. Outside of Kathleen Doyle who was the 28th best PG and #97 overall, Iowa didn't have any ELITE talent on it's Elite 8 team. MG was an all star because she developed her talent and continually improved. Iowa is more of a development program.

That being said, the exposure of the ELITE 8 did improve the overall quality of recruiting the past couple of glasses as Iowa was able to grab some national exposure. And I expect the trend to continue. However, we will never have the talent of UConn or Baylor or even Maryland for that matter, at least not in the near future. Those programs get elite talent because they've had enduring success getting to the FF and winning NC.

What Iowa needs is to have success next year and get a higher seed for an easier path to the Elite 8 and hope that a 1 gets upset for a chance at the FF. Indiana came very close and our talent level is not that far off. Iowa will get there through hard work and development not recruiting unless we can find another CC situation where you have a top recruit with close ties to the program.

 

[wneff]

Iowa is not going to get ELITE McDonald's AA recruits very often. There are only so many to go around and the top 10 programs have a monopoly on the best talent. Outside of Kathleen Doyle who was the 28th best PG and #97 overall, Iowa didn't have any ELITE talent on it's Elite 8 team. MG was an all star because she developed her talent and continually improved. Iowa is more of a development program.

As you noted, HoopGurlz had Doyle at 97 in 2016.
Gustafson(80), Stewart(82), and Davis(36) all were higher in 2015.

2015 HoopGurlz Recruiting Rankings - espnW 100 - ESPN

Get the inside scoop on the top ranked high school girls' basketball players. In-depth player briefings, film and more on ESPNHS.com.

www.espn.com

Meyer(79) and Ollinger(87) were higher in 2016.

2016 HoopGurlz Recruiting Rankings - espnW 100 - ESPN

Get the inside scoop on the top ranked high school girls' basketball players. In-depth player briefings, film and more on ESPNHS.com.

www.espn.com

 

[UpstreamHawkeye]

Iowa also had Melissa Dixon as a walk-on that turned out fine. I think Marshall played on a higher level than Dixon when she was a sophomore.

 

[JEDN]

So Gabe do you really think Iowa has the personnel to make a run at the Final Four?

 

[huntermmm]

I would like to see us get another 5-star recruit while Caitlin is still here but I'm not sure that'll happen. I'm curious to see how next season's incoming freshmen will play.

 

[BGHAWK]

Winning the B1G became very very difficult when Maryland was added to the conference as we have seen, as far as WBB is concerned. I think Iowa can contend in the years ahead, but it is pretty darn hard. Everyone measures success by winning the conference and getting to the NCAAA tournament and the Elite Eight and the Final Four. I have resigned myself to watching the players come in and winning 20 games each year and enjoying to product Lisa puts out there. Of course I would like a Final Four. I'm not sure my heart could stand watching all of the games to get there. lol

 

[UpstreamHawkeye]

Iowa missed on Brea Beal from the Quad Cities, who is a sophomore guard/wing on the South Carolina team. Would have made a difference, I imagine.

 

[Gabe Sifuentes]

So Gabe do you really think Iowa has the personnel to make a run at the Final Four?

Yes, but not next year. I think next year is another Sweet 16 possibly Elite 8 depending on tournament matchups. In two years, Iowa will be loaded as the next two classes are solid. Monica will have graduated but Goodman can be a Bethany Doolittle clone and O'Grady is raw but highly regarded and I know Jan will have playing at high level pretty quickly.

Rebounding and defense would have to improve drastically in the offseason for an realistic chance at a Final Four. I think it will improve, but not enough in one season. For a realistic FF chance we really need a 2 or 3 seed in the tournament and I don't think we can win enough conference games to get that high of seed next year. A 2nd to third place finish in conference next season is realistic, with the odds more likely 3rd. If we do well in non-conference tourneys probably looking at around a 4 seed next season.

 

[LinusPF]

I'm going to sound a little like Mr. Rogers, but just give me a competitive team with likeable players I can root for. I love the family atmosphere and the loyalty the players show coaches and vice/versa. After a Sweet 16 season that was so fun to watch, I'm not going to look for 'what's wrong' with the program. Maryland and Indiana had better seasons, but they have players transferring in and out every year. I'll take my team any day.

 

[vincebrookins]

I logged in for the first time in a couple months just to 'like' this comment. Well said. You can pretty much say the same thing about the football program and maybe to a lesser extent, men's bb as well,

I'm going to sound a little like Mr. Rogers, but just give me a competitive team with likeable players I can root for. I love the family atmosphere and the loyalty the players show coaches and vice/versa. After a Sweet 16 season that was so fun to watch, I'm not going to look for 'what's wrong' with the program. Maryland and Indiana had better seasons, but they have players transferring in and out every year. I'll take my team any day.

 

[BraydonRoberts5]

I definitely think Iowa has a shot at the Final Four in the next 3 years. Next year is probably a long shot, but Iowa next year could be roughly as talented as Indiana was this year, and Indiana got very, very close. The team already improved substantially from the beginning of this season to the end of it.

Beyond next year, there are questions. Probably the biggest of those is whether Czinano and Taiwo use their extra Covid season and return for a 5th year. If they do, Clark's junior year will probably be our best chance. Our core group will have two more years of growth at that point, and will also have two more classes of recruits to add depth and talent. Even if Czinano and/or Taiwo don't return, we should still have a solid group.

Clark's senior year is more of a question, since we haven't seen most of the contributors from that team in college yet. But senior year Clark will be a scary good player, and that's a great starting point.

A lot will also depend on NCAA Tournament matchups. If we keep getting put in UConn's region, a Final Four will be tough. If we get more favorable matchups, anything is possible.

 

[hawkshawn]

I definitely think Iowa has a shot at the Final Four in the next 3 years. Next year is probably a long shot, but Iowa next year could be roughly as talented as Indiana was this year, and Indiana got very, very close. The team already improved substantially from the beginning of this season to the end of it.

Beyond next year, there are questions. Probably the biggest of those is whether Czinano and Taiwo use their extra Covid season and return for a 5th year. If they do, Clark's junior year will probably be our best chance. Our core group will have two more years of growth at that point, and will also have two more classes of recruits to add depth and talent. Even if Czinano and/or Taiwo don't return, we should still have a solid group.

Clark's senior year is more of a question, since we haven't seen most of the contributors from that team in college yet. But senior year Clark will be a scary good player, and that's a great starting point.

A lot will also depend on NCAA Tournament matchups. If we keep getting put in UConn's region, a Final Four will be tough. If we get more favorable matchups, anything is possible.

It’s another reason why Iowa should schedule a home and home with UConn so the selection committee aren’t as likely to put Iowa/UConn in the same region to try and force that matchup.

 

[BGHAWK]

UCONN at Carver on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon. A packed house.

 

[AMAYS]

Next year is probably a long shot, but Iowa next year could be roughly as talented as Indiana was this year, and Indiana got very, very close.

I'm skeptical about Indiana as a comp for Iowa given the wide divergence between Iowa and IU in terms of recruiting and playing styles. Bluder values shooters and offense first, and Moren values athletes and defense. Thus, while Iowa was ranked this year as the # 2 offensive team in the country using advanced stats, Indiana was the # 7 defensive team in the country. Even with improvement at year end, Iowa finished the year 186th in advanced-stats defense. Unless the '21 class can help dramatically on the defensive end, or unless we can add a solid defensive transfer like Jaelynn Penn, I'm skeptical that Iowa can come anywhere close to approaching the 2019 team with an advanced-stats defensive rating of 50. And without vast improvement on the defensive end, it's hard for me to see next year Iowa approaching this year Indiana.

 

[BraydonRoberts5]

I'm skeptical about Indiana as a comp for Iowa given the wide divergence between Iowa and IU in terms of recruiting and playing styles. Bluder values shooters and offense first, and Moren values athletes and defense. Thus, while Iowa was ranked this year as the # 2 offensive team in the country using advanced stats, Indiana was the # 7 defensive team in the country. Even with improvement at year end, Iowa finished the year 186th in advanced-stats defense. Unless the '21 class can help dramatically on the defensive end, or unless we can add a solid defensive transfer like Jaelynn Penn, I'm skeptical that Iowa can come anywhere close to approaching the 2019 team with an advanced-stats defensive rating of 50. And without vast improvement on the defensive end, it's hard for me to see next year Iowa approaching this year Indiana.

I'm not trying to compare the teams in terms of style. I just think that like Indiana this year, a top 2-3 finish in the Big Ten and a 3-4 seed in the NCAA Tournament is entirely within reach for next year's team. They were arguably playing at that level in the last month of the season anyway, even with the bad defense.

 

[hawkfan55]

I'm skeptical about Indiana as a comp for Iowa given the wide divergence between Iowa and IU in terms of recruiting and playing styles. Bluder values shooters and offense first, and Moren values athletes and defense. Thus, while Iowa was ranked this year as the # 2 offensive team in the country using advanced stats, Indiana was the # 7 defensive team in the country. Even with improvement at year end, Iowa finished the year 186th in advanced-stats defense. Unless the '21 class can help dramatically on the defensive end, or unless we can add a solid defensive transfer like Jaelynn Penn, I'm skeptical that Iowa can come anywhere close to approaching the 2019 team with an advanced-stats defensive rating of 50. And without vast improvement on the defensive end, it's hard for me to see next year Iowa approaching this year Indiana.

Agree that Indiana played much better defense, but I do not think they are that much more athletic. Their center is more athletic than MC, but after that, there is not a great difference. It is more of a coaching emphasis.

 

[AMAYS]

Agree that Indiana played much better defense, but I do not think they are that much more athletic. Their center is more athletic than MC, but after that, there is not a great difference. It is more of a coaching emphasis.

Fair points. I would rate Gulbe as significantly more athletic than Warnock, and Berger as somewhat more athletic than Martin, but perhaps what I am seeing reflects coaching emphasis, rather than raw athletic ability.

 

[Gabe Sifuentes]

Fair points. I would rate Gulbe as significantly more athletic than Warnock, and Berger as somewhat more athletic than Martin, but perhaps what I am seeing reflects coaching emphasis, rather than raw athletic ability.

i'll concede Gulbe over Warnock. McKenna needs to work on her footwork and hip movement. She doesn't have the dexterity in the low post that Gulbe does.

I wholeheartedly disagree about Martin. Berger has more confidence at this point and a shooter's mentality that Kate doesn't have yet. But Kate absolutely has all the tools and athleticism to be as good if not better than Berger. As it is she is the best defender on the team and a great rebounder. She has the reach and the ups to create mismatches. She doesn't quite have the control to finish that Berger has but I think that is more of an after effect of missing a couple seasons of basketball (high school and freshman year) and not playing with the confidence she needs. Martin could easily be a 15-20 point a night player as well as the lock down defender she already is. But she doesn't look to attack the way that Berger does. If she focuses on driving and finishing in the offseason as well as being a little more consistent from the outside, I could see a very big jump for her next season.

Last year, she was really passive and this year she's started to put it together but she's not quite there. The Kate Martin on display against PSU is the Kate Martin I think we'll see more of next season. I expect a lightbulb to go on for Kate and others during the offeason helping them better understand the moments they need to call their shots instead of looking to pass or waiting for Caitlin to create the offense. Once that lightbulb goes on for Kate she's going to light it up.

 

[AMAYS]

But Kate absolutely has all the tools and athleticism to be as good if not better than Berger.

Hope you’re right about Martin. Berger is a 2-time first team all Big Ten selection, and WBCA (2020) and USBWA (2021) honorable mention All American. If Martin gets anywhere close to that level, it will be very good news for Iowa.

 

[BraydonRoberts5]

Just watched one of Ediger's high school games. She's a really intriguing offensive player that should be able to play the 4 or 5 at Iowa. For recent comps, I think her game is a combination of Hannah Stewart and McKenna Warnock. Her size and athleticism are similar to Stewart, but like Warnock she spends much of an offensive possession beyond the three-point line, and is very comfortable shooting the three.

Offensively, her best skill is her inside scoring. Despite playing on the perimeter a lot, she is a great scorer in the paint, and already has very good moves in the post. Her high school ran a lot of 5 out, and every few possessions, she would run a play where she started on the perimeter, then moved down toward the post to isolate and post up her defender. I could see her doing something similar at Iowa--playing on the perimeter a lot for spacing reasons, but picking and choosing times to post up or use the high post-low post offense that worked so well with Gustafson and Stewart. I'm not sure how well she shoots the three, but she has range well beyond the line and looks comfortable shooting it. Her size should also make her a decent rebounder, which will be another plus.

Unfortunately, I think she's a much better offensive prospect than defensive prospect at this point. I'm not sure she's athletic enough to be a great defender against a really athletic 4. I'm also not sure how well she'd do on the corner of a 2-3 zone, especially if we ask the corner players to cover as much ground as they did this year. I think she could be better if she were defending a 5, or if she were defending a team like UConn playing multiple posts, but due to Iowa's roster construction, I think she'll spend most of her early career at the 4.

 

[crstuff]

Great thoughts here. Seems like the incoming recruits are trending upwards. If Warnock starts slow and Kate can't eliminate turn overs they'll loose minutes to incoming players.

Speaking of incoming players. We were discussing Stuelke and Gymfi a couple pages ago. I found highlights from their run to 16U EYBL National Championship a couple years ago. Looks like Stuelke is #4 and Gymfi #21. Highlights appear to be primarily Stuelke's but Gymfi had a couple moments.

 

[cyberhawk]

 

[hawkbuck70]

Stuelke =Iowa.
Mwenentenda=uncommitted
Gyamfi=Iowa
Hawthorne =Drake
Pauley=Missouri State
Joens=uncommitted Soph
Williams=uncommitted Soph
Poock=uncommitted Soph. Attack’s top team

McCabe=Iowa

 

[crstuff]

McCabe=Iowa

Jones probably following the family to ISU. Williams has an Iowa offer.

 

[herkhatescy]

So Gabe do you really think Iowa has the personnel to make a run at the Final Four?

Not Gabe but I think Clark can get us there before she graduates.

 

[hawkitd]

I assume there is some connection between Halli Poock and Glenda Poock of Maynard who used to score 70 points in 6-girl in the 70's? I couldn't find it by googling. I did find a fun list of the all-time scoring games in 6-girl. Had no idea Jan Jensen went for 70 in a loss when Lynne Lorenzen scored 68 in the same game. Probably doesn't compare to her 105-point game against Villisca.

Iowa Girls 6 on 6 Basketball

WOW! What a link, thanks wneff.
A few of the highest scoring games were "3 court games"
Many of those schools are no longer in existence and as a long time RAGBRAIer, I've been to most of the towns listed. When you visit them now, it is difficult to think that each had its own high school.

 

[jockos]

Iowa St. losing a starter...

 

[UpstreamHawkeye]

Interesting. Donarski next?

 

[jockos]

Interesting. Donarski next?

I think Feuerbach's entire family attended ISU, her dad played football. Iowa I believe offered her too, but it was always going to be ISU.

 

[wneff]

Iowa St. losing a starter...

View embedded media

Normally, this would elicit at least a smirk from me if not a full throated-guffaw. But my initial reaction is, "if that can happen there, it can happen here." So, just whistling past the graveyard.

 

[LinusPF]

I think Feuerbach's entire family attended ISU, her dad played football. Iowa I believe offered her too, but it was always going to be ISU.

Apparently not 'always'.

 

[jockos]

Iowa St. losing a starter...

View embedded media

Madison Wise is also in the portal for ISU, grad transfer closer to her home in Indiana.

 

[BraydonRoberts5]

Assuming Iowa doesn't have any transfers, the coaches should be commended for being able to keep the entire team together, especially when the rotation was only 7 or 8 deep at the end of the season. Clearly there are players on roster with little hope of significant future playing time. It says a lot about the team and school culture that those players want to stay with the team rather than seek more playing time elsewhere.

 

[BAJDHawkeye]

Iowa St. losing a starter...

View embedded media

I can’t wait to read Non-Posters ( or Non Poster- I get them confused) who will surely have the real truth about the Feuerbach/Wise transfer scandal...

 

[hawkshawn]

Assuming Iowa doesn't have any transfers, the coaches should be commended for being able to keep the entire team together, especially when the rotation was only 7 or 8 deep at the end of the season. Clearly there are players on roster with little hope of significant future playing time. It says a lot about the team and school culture that those players want to stay with the team rather than seek more playing time elsewhere.

We'll see if it holds but I thought this was pretty interesting.