It's beyond terrible.
Will we ever get a fast ball handler with good hands and a passing ability?
Will we ever get a fast ball handler with good hands and a passing ability?
Who does the recruiting?
- Thread starter GOHOX69
- Start date
Ask @curtisj57. He has an idea or two of where Iowa goes searching for players at.
You have to wonder because they cannot seem to recruit a guard that can handle the ball and also shoot. Iowa has way too many one-dimensional players. Thai is a major recruiting flaw IMO.
Fran has been here 13 years and the only recruiting pipelines he has established are IC West and Waukee. I thought by now Fran and staff would have some solid relationships built with high school programs in the Midwest but I don't see it. Olaseni was a great find from Sunrise Christian Academy but nobody from there since. Cook had a good run at Iowa, but nothing else from St. Louis. Lots of talent in KC but no success there since Cole.
I am not going to pretend to understand the recruiting environment with the advent of the portal and now NIL but to me I don't see how Fran or any other coach can reach the Sweet 16 without tapping into the juco, academy, and portal avenues to find the 1-2 pieces that Fran teams are always missing. You put a true combo guard around Garza or Keegan and I think Iowa's chances to win a second round game go up dramatically. This year's Rebraca would have likely propelled Iowa past Richmond but his development was a year late. You can't predict development among high school kids but you can get a better assess kids from the portal etc.
I know some in here claim Fran worked hard in the portal but came up empty. Just my POV but I find that really hard to believe given all he had to do was bring in someone better than Mulvey and Josh which is basically being able to do more than fog a mirror given what we have seen from both after multiple years in the program. Fran has proven he can find some nice players but these players are almost carbo copies of each other with the same pros and cons. High IQ team guys that buy into Fran's system but struggle against athletic, physical teams and aren't gifted at creating their own offense.
I am not going to pretend to understand the recruiting environment with the advent of the portal and now NIL but to me I don't see how Fran or any other coach can reach the Sweet 16 without tapping into the juco, academy, and portal avenues to find the 1-2 pieces that Fran teams are always missing. You put a true combo guard around Garza or Keegan and I think Iowa's chances to win a second round game go up dramatically. This year's Rebraca would have likely propelled Iowa past Richmond but his development was a year late. You can't predict development among high school kids but you can get a better assess kids from the portal etc.
I know some in here claim Fran worked hard in the portal but came up empty. Just my POV but I find that really hard to believe given all he had to do was bring in someone better than Mulvey and Josh which is basically being able to do more than fog a mirror given what we have seen from both after multiple years in the program. Fran has proven he can find some nice players but these players are almost carbo copies of each other with the same pros and cons. High IQ team guys that buy into Fran's system but struggle against athletic, physical teams and aren't gifted at creating their own offense.
Id say it’s been like that for 15 years. Horner and Haluska were dang good all around guards. But since then, you are right.
Too many slight guys. Iowa consistently looks like the weaker team physically on the floor.
I hate basketball played like basketbrawl. But the reality is physical toughness is an important aspect for most teams that are competitive come tourney time.
I hate basketball played like basketbrawl. But the reality is physical toughness is an important aspect for most teams that are competitive come tourney time.
I'd say that recruiting at Iowa has been about the same since Tom Davis took over. Lots of one dimensional players at all positions, but particularly at guard. Yes, there have been many exceptions of course. It just hard to put together a team of high level talent at Iowa.
This post is spot on, but....
I'd love to see Fran's recruiting budget. Is Iowa's at the lower end of the other Big Ten teams and if not, does he have the ability to pocket what he doesn't use.
I know that sounds sleazy and unwarranted but there has to be a reason that Fran hasn't as you say developed pipelines to various parts of the country except a bubble around Iowa City.
Fran has brought in some amazing talent in his 13 years, but it's always short on numbers surrounding that talent. If there is one aspect of Frans teams is, that there is always missing peace's to the yearly puzzles.
Fran is and will always be know as a developer of players, unfortunately that hasn't helped Iowa get past the second round of the NCAA tournament.
I keep hoping that at some point in his tenure at Iowa he will realize that the game has changed and no longer teams rely solely on developing high school recruits. He needs to realize the portal and transfers are a necessary path to compete with other team in the Big Ten and around the country, and if he doesn't Iowa will continue to slip further behind the rest of the Big Ten.
We could sure use a Greg Brunner, Reggie Davis type to help out Rebraca this season.
Haha. Yes Reggie Evans. Although I’d definitely take Ricky Davis too!!!
They clearly have been trying to establish a pipeline with the New England prep school league--Ogundele, Mulvey, and Bowen (plus Carter Kingsbury) all came from the same conference (NEPSAC) which is also the same conference that recent misses TJ Power, JP Estrella, Kyle Filipowski were also from the league. And let's just be honest, that league is filled with 4 and 5 star talent year after year because it's easily a top 5 high school league in the country which just means the competition for these guys is through the roof.
As for questioning the budget--I don't think they are scimping on anything. I regularly post in recruiting threads that the coaching staff are out on the east coast scouting and visiting with players. I think they made like 3 different trips out to see Dembele in New Jersey in a single month--not to mention they were also down in Florida a couple of times at IMG academy meeting with a different 2023 big.
You can't fault Fran's front court recruiting.
However the college game (more specifically, the tournament) is a backcourt game.
Fran lacks getting quality guards.
However the college game (more specifically, the tournament) is a backcourt game.
Fran lacks getting quality guards.
Whitey got there his last couple of years, but you are right. Connor is now our tough guy.
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