Basketball Recruiting Question?

[SirJamaLot]

After watching Missouri, Kansas State, Kansas, Pittsburg, Baylor,Syracuse, last night on ESPN, why can't the Hawkeyes recruit talented Afro-american BB players. Not trying to be racist but in the 80's we attracted plenty: Marble,Armstrong, Gamble,Payne,Stokes, is it coaching staff? Iowa City? Trying to think who was Mr. Davis's best afro-american recruit Woolridge? Alford: Pierce? Wish someone would ask Cole, Cartwright, or Baasbe what their opinions are. The Football team seems to attract top talent. Both of our recruits next yr are not afro american, again not trying to say it is racist just looking for answers to why we cant draw top notch talent.

 

[Enginerd]

There aren't a lot of afro-american players in Iowa and our team isn't very good. What I'd like to know is what has happened to all of our big ugly white guys? Settles, Jepsen, Lohaus, Street, et al.

P.S. you sound like my dad...

 

[Igothawked]

I often wonder the same questions as above. I don't know the reason at all. The big white guys are the ones I am most surprised not to see in an Iowa uniform. I don't know where all those players went and why we can't get them.
Also, I believe you should say african-american as apposed to afro-american. Just a thought.

 

[joemc1]

I think you should ask Todd Lickliter

 

[1977Hawkeye]

After watching Missouri, Kansas State, Kansas, Pittsburg, Baylor,Syracuse, last night on ESPN, why can't the Hawkeyes recruit talented Afro-american BB players. Not trying to be racist but in the 80's we attracted plenty: Marble,Armstrong, Gamble,Payne,Stokes, is it coaching staff? Iowa City? Trying to think who was Mr. Davis's best afro-american recruit Woolridge? Alford: Pierce? Wish someone would ask Cole, Cartwright, or Baasbe what their opinions are. The Football team seems to attract top talent. Both of our recruits next yr are not afro american, again not trying to say it is racist just looking for answers to why we cant draw top notch talent.

Not sure why wanting black players on the team for the sake of improving our athleticism etc. would make you racist... If you said you wanted only white guys on the team, that could be considered racism.

I agree though - we could use more "athletes" on our team. Look at most of the teams in the NCAA tournament, and the roster that Mr. Davis inherited from Raveling, and there you go. Of course, they need to be good basketball players, too.

 

[AHawk1]

This program has fallen a lot farther than most all of us realized. Fran can get us turned around but its not going to be easy. I'm sure the staff didn't even realize it was going to be this tough to find recruits. This staff is out working as hard as any staff in the country. They made more contacts in 4 months than Lik did his entire time here. The good thing about a basketball program is that it doesn't take many players to turn it around. The simple fact is we are low man on the totem pole for most recruits.

 

[sioux34]

There aren't a lot of afro-american players in Iowa and our team isn't very good. What I'd like to know is what has happened to all of our big ugly white guys? Settles, Jepsen, Lohaus, Street, et al.

P.S. you sound like my dad...

Just so you know, neither Jepsen or Lohaus where from Iowa.

 

[SirJamaLot]

There aren't a lot of afro-american players in Iowa and our team isn't very good. What I'd like to know is what has happened to all of our big ugly white guys? Settles, Jepsen, Lohaus, Street, et al.

P.S. you sound like my dad...

How many players on Kansas' roster are from Kansas? Pittsburg? Purdue? Why cant we recruit good outstate players? If we get one Iowa kid a year that would be perfect: If anyone out there knows Paige I would be interested if the makeup of Iowa;s team had anything to do with his decision.

 

[AHawk1]

How many players on Kansas' roster are from Kansas? Pittsburg? Purdue? Why cant we recruit good outstate players? If we get one Iowa kid a year that would be perfect: If anyone out there knows Paige I would be interested if the makeup of Iowa;s team had anything to do with his decision.

I'm sure the make up of our team had a lot to do with it. We are bad and thats not going to probably change next year. Choosing a team like NC or Kansas over Iowa is a pretty easy decision currently. I know NC is down this year again, but still no comparison.

Lets all take the Iowa sun glasses off. If you the were the one making the decision and you wanted to play for a team thats going to play in front of a full house, puts players into the the NBA regularly, contends for conference title,makes the NCAA tourn. usually, and contends or wins a National title periodically. Pretty easy decision. Once the big boys came calling we had no shot.

 

[mbchawk]

North Carolina has not been good for 2 years in a row now and that is with a team filled with highschool all-americans. Then you have Duke with coach K retiring after this season. Perhaps recruits will view these programs differently in the future. North Carolina could not make the NCAA tournament 2 years in a row. Will Roy Williams start feeling the heat if this in fact does happen?

 

[Enginerd]

How many players on Kansas' roster are from Kansas? Pittsburg? Purdue? Why cant we recruit good outstate players? If we get one Iowa kid a year that would be perfect: If anyone out there knows Paige I would be interested if the makeup of Iowa;s team had anything to do with his decision.

We can't keep the good instate players from leaving, what chance do we have to import talent? IMO a good Iowa program would likely be based upon the best talent coming out of Iowa (regardless of race) supplemented with out of state players.

Iowa also needs to be regional "power" in order to recruit nearby out of state talent, see the brother Koch bothers from UNI, the Les Jepson types, etc

 

[tweeterhawk]

After watching Missouri, Kansas State, Kansas, Pittsburg, Baylor,Syracuse, last night on ESPN, why can't the Hawkeyes recruit talented Afro-american BB players. Not trying to be racist but in the 80's we attracted plenty: Marble,Armstrong, Gamble,Payne,Stokes, is it coaching staff? Iowa City? Trying to think who was Mr. Davis's best afro-american recruit Woolridge? Alford: Pierce? Wish someone would ask Cole, Cartwright, or Baasbe what their opinions are. The Football team seems to attract top talent. Both of our recruits next yr are not afro american, again not trying to say it is racist just looking for answers to why we cant draw top notch talent.

Following Alford's departure and then again especially after the Lickliter debacle, I felt an African-American coach would have been the right fit for Iowa at this time and place. There is such a talent disparity that an extra emphasis is needed to bring athletes to Iowa City.

The bigs -- Duke, North Carolina, Kansas, Ohio State, Michigan State, Texas, Purdue -- have an existing talent core and reputation that allows them to take their pick from among the best athletes in the country.

Iowa is so far down the list it needs every bit of help it can get, including hiring the kind of coach who can sell urban kids on the idea of coming to a small, cold city in the middle of the country.

 

[hawkeyecub]

How many players on Kansas' roster are from Kansas? Pittsburg? Purdue? Why cant we recruit good outstate players? If we get one Iowa kid a year that would be perfect: If anyone out there knows Paige I would be interested if the makeup of Iowa;s team had anything to do with his decision.

Are you honestly asking that question? Look at the records those programs have had recently. Look at the environment in their arena's. Look at how much they're on national tv and what they've done in the tournament.

Now compare that to what Fran is trying to sell. And please stop saying afro-americans.

 

[Hawkeye11en1]

There aren't a lot of afro-american players in Iowa and our team isn't very good. What I'd like to know is what has happened to all of our big ugly white guys? Settles, Jepsen, Lohaus, Street, et al.

P.S. you sound like my dad...

Like Seth Gorny??

 

[blkngldFRO]

Not sure why wanting black players on the team for the sake of improving our athleticism etc. would make you racist... If you said you wanted only white guys on the team, that could be considered racism.

I agree though - we could use more "athletes" on our team. Look at most of the teams in the NCAA tournament, and the roster that Mr. Davis inherited from Raveling, and there you go. Of course, they need to be good basketball players, too.

At minimum this question is stereotyping a race, and does come off racist on several levels. It is racist towards "Afro-americian" and "white", basically all athletes to ask this question in this manner. It is like saying I'm in the mob because I'm Italian. That joke get's old, but everyone thinks it's ok to do.

Fran does not need to find talented "afro-american" players. Fran needs to find talented players period. He needs to find more athletes I don't care if they are Mongolian! Bottom line it is not your race that makes you athletic.

It would be nice the the original poster of this thread would consider rewording his comment to "finding more athletes"

One day after MLK day and we have this kind of post. Really have we learned nothing in our society?

Also there are several reasons Iowa struggles recruiting top talent.
1) Facilities were old and out dated
2) Fan support is not there, who wants to play for an empty gym
3) Iowa basketball has not been relevant for a while now
4) not interested in the style of play
5) recruiting connections and having a higher standard of enrollment (hence why Alford has an easier time recruiting in NM)
6) It's plain hard to recruit player to IOWA! Football does not get bluechip you have to develop a good athlete into a great one.

anyone else want to add to that list?

 

[SirJamaLot]

At minimum this question is stereotyping a race, and does come off on racist on several levels. It is racist towards "Afro-americian" and "white", basically all athletes to ask this question in this manner. It is like saying I'm in the mob because I'm Italian. That joke get's old, but everyone thinks it's ok to do.

Fran does not need to find talented "afro-american" players. Fran needs to find talented players period. He needs to find more athletes I don't care if they are Mongolian! Bottom line it is not your race that makes you athletic.

It would be nice the the original poster of this thread would consider rewording his comment to "finding more athletes"

One day after MLK day and we have this kind of post. Really have we learned nothing in our society?

Apologize to anyone who was offended by the orginal post but I was wondering why a great institution and a Big Ten team cannot upgrade their basketball team with more athletic players, and we should be able to recruit as well as Purdue, Pittsburg, Kansas State, ect.

 

[blkngldFRO]

Apologize to anyone who was offended by the orginal post but I was wondering why a great institution and a Big Ten team cannot upgrade their basketball team with more athletic players, and we should be able to recruit as well as Purdue, Pittsburg, Kansas State, ect.

I applaud you for admitting a mistake made. That is a sign of a humble, intelligent and educated person. Wish there were more people like this in our society.

 

[hawkeye2188]

Like Seth Gorny??

Alex Thomspon was pretty strange looking as well.

The whole thing is a rebuilding process. Good white athletes dont want to come here either. The 2012 class will determine what Fran/Iowa is made of and if Iowa has really turned the corner. If the staff botches(Shouldn't happen with reports of Woodbury being a Hawkeye fan) and cant land any instate guys from 2012 this program wont be turning the corner for a while.

 

[jo12208]

About 80% of NBA players are black.. So yes, we need to recruit more black players because they are better

 

[hawkeyecub]

Apologize to anyone who was offended by the orginal post but I was wondering why a great institution and a Big Ten team cannot upgrade their basketball team with more athletic players, and we should be able to recruit as well as Purdue, Pittsburg, Kansas State, ect.

Why should we be able to recruit as well as them? Give me one reason why besides "We're in the Big Ten". 10 other teams are in the Big Ten also and they've been better than us and/or have more people in attendance and had better facilities.

Pitt has been an elite program since current juniors were in elementary school. Every kid that we're recruiting now has seen us at the bottom of the league and playing in a half-full arena since for the duration of their high school careers and in many cases, since they were in junior high.

Our facilities have been among the worst in the Big Ten for a decade. This will be the 4th straight year that we'll have finished at the bottom of the Big Ten. Fran is our 3rd coach in 5 years. CHA is half-full and quiet on most nights. Our location does not give us an advantage.
You're comparing that with programs that have been established, had recent success and stability and play in an atmosphere that is light year's better than Iowa's. Think about those things a little bit.

It doesn't mean we can't recruit better but it's a major challenge. Fran can sell himself, hope and playing time.