Callie Levin hits the transfer portal
- Thread starter wwhawk
- Start date
guffus
Well-Known Member
With the departure of Callie Levin, Addie Deal and Kennisee Johnson, Iowa is currently down to eight players on its projected 2026-27 roster:
Seniors — None.
Juniors (5) — C Ava Heiden, G Chit-Chat Wright, G Taylor Stremlow, F Emely Rodriguez, G Teagan Mallegni
Sophomores (2) — F Journey Houston, C Layla Hays.
Freshmen (1) — F McKenna Woliczko.
Seniors — None.
Juniors (5) — C Ava Heiden, G Chit-Chat Wright, G Taylor Stremlow, F Emely Rodriguez, G Teagan Mallegni
Sophomores (2) — F Journey Houston, C Layla Hays.
Freshmen (1) — F McKenna Woliczko.
I don't think she was ever going to see starter minutes but could have become valuable depth piece. Hope she finds a role that suits her better and provides more opportunity. Great kid, high character!
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guffus
Well-Known Member
Levin leaving was a little surprising, but not a complete shock. It felt like she was being groomed as the new defensive specialist to replace Feurerbach. She also was the biggest cheer leader on the bench, supporting her teammates.
I have a hunch that the Iowa coaches may be bringing in a couple of pretty good guards that are certain to get a lot of playing time. Deal and Levin probably knew they were not guarunteed more minutes next season. I guess we will find out after the portal officially opens.
I have a hunch that the Iowa coaches may be bringing in a couple of pretty good guards that are certain to get a lot of playing time. Deal and Levin probably knew they were not guarunteed more minutes next season. I guess we will find out after the portal officially opens.
Dadman
Well-Known Member
With Deal, I kinda get this thought process. She was a 5* second coming of CC, etc.
With Levin, if she was being groomed to be the defensive specialist, I have more concern. A solid role player on a very good high profile team is a destination, not a springboard.
I hope your hunch is right, cause the portal bug is getting kinda concerning here.....if your hunch isnt spot on, then there is something else going on....................
Gander Hawk
Well-Known Member
I believe I heard it one the Hawk Central podcast that Deal and Levin have the same agent.
guffus
Well-Known Member
Money and agents and playing time. I guess that's the new reality. Even in women's basketball. Players may be willing to give up some money if they know they will starting. But if somebody is offering them both more money and more playing time, that may be enough to get them to move.
As mentioned, with Levin, its got to be a tough decision, growing up in Solon. But the kid wants to play.
Dadman
Well-Known Member
So...maybe a dumb question here, I do not know how the overall Nil works, it seems to be flawed in the sense that a commit can break an agreement without recourse, so I do not think the college system has the same teeth that a pro contract does......
My question is this: If an agent is known to constantly flip their clients from one college to another, then why would a university deal with that particular agent? To me, that agent is good for a one and done (if that) and the potential benefit is far below the investment. Yeah, I know Lucy Olsen and Bennett Stirtz were one year deals, basically I am referencing young players that need work to develop their skills and abilities.
My question is this: If an agent is known to constantly flip their clients from one college to another, then why would a university deal with that particular agent? To me, that agent is good for a one and done (if that) and the potential benefit is far below the investment. Yeah, I know Lucy Olsen and Bennett Stirtz were one year deals, basically I am referencing young players that need work to develop their skills and abilities.
Fryowa
Administrator
What choice do you have if it's a player you really want? Those types of agents are also probably the most in-demand by players because they'd logically be the ones getting the best deals. If they weren't, why would good players be flipping?
NFL teams don't want to deal with a guy like Drew Rosenhaus, but what choice in the matter do they have? If they don't they're left with a pool of athletes that aren't as desirable.
Dadman
Well-Known Member
I wish I could disagree with you, but I cant. In the ladies basketball world, there is an extreme drop off between the best players and the best teams (see ncaaw final four, year 25 and 26). If you are an agent representing that quality of a player, then you force the hand of the 2nd tier of programs.
However, the players in question here, Deal and Levin, are not the premier players to be featured at any of the perennial final four teams, at least based on demonstrated performance. On the other hand, Iowa is not a team to be overlooked in the ncaaw pecking order- 2 final fours in last 4 years, a 2 seed this year (yeah, some might argue we were over rated, but perception is reality, and if the committee says we are a 2 seed, well.....)
My point is that the agent should be viewed based on the demonstrated value of their clients, and in our particular situation, the agent in question hasn't proven significant value based on this very small sample size. These two ladies need work to become who they can eventually be....
I still think there is something else at play here.....but then again, I still believe we have aliens hidden at Area 51
Fryowa
Administrator
To play devil's advocate, an agent isn't going to take a client on if they don't think they can get that client a deal worth their time and effort. They likely have a much better idea of what their value is than we do.
SwirlinLingerie
Well-Known Member
I don't really know any details, but I'd hope Levin wanted to play more and understood she wasn't likely to ascend much beyond a limited role player in her next two years at Iowa. I still don't understand why she wasn't redshirted her first year. Again, I don't know any details but I hope she weighed all the advantages of staying at Iowa, but understood her likely path if she stayed and just wants to play more over the next two years.
On the other hand, Deal seems to be leaving because she didn't play enough this past year. Because there certainly seems to be plenty of opportunity in front of her at Iowa if she were to stay.
STILLBUSTER
Well-Known Member
I’m wondering, where they gonna go to get p.t. AND opportunity at high level success?
I mean, you want (think u deserve) more p.t. but you already struggled to be consistently good enough to actually contribute at a top program. Where you gonna find the greener grass?? You think ur gonna break thru at UCLA, USC, LSU, TX, TCU, UCONN, S. CAR when you weren’t good enough to do it at Iowa?
There’s either delusion or gold-digging at work here or they just want to play so badly they will sacrifice program rep / success to get it.
I mean, you want (think u deserve) more p.t. but you already struggled to be consistently good enough to actually contribute at a top program. Where you gonna find the greener grass?? You think ur gonna break thru at UCLA, USC, LSU, TX, TCU, UCONN, S. CAR when you weren’t good enough to do it at Iowa?
There’s either delusion or gold-digging at work here or they just want to play so badly they will sacrifice program rep / success to get it.
thedukeofearl
Well-Known Member
Going to watch the Women's Final Four also
Texas is beastly and might make the championship game
Perhaps the best weekend in sports
For Basketball fiends that is
That's interesting... Deal I would think woulda had an agent in HS and being the high profile CA kid and all I woulda figured she had a pretty big one. No offense to Levin but most large agencies probably wouldn't know who she is. But I'm talking out of my ass and don't know anything about anything. Deal coulda changed agents 3 times since her JR yr for all I know too.
It'll be interesting where both go and what are they looking for? Deal probably wants to go to USC/UCLA and start day 1. (unlikely af) Levin probably would like to stay close and start. Would Drake/UNI be her level for that? Or does she try going to a Wisconsin or somewhere like that?
After what Deal put on tape I could find her having tough sledding finding exactly whatever it is she wants. She's not going to command a ton of early PT from anywhere else the same way she couldn't here had she stayed. She may have potential still but she's going to have to work her ass off to reach it.
guffus
Well-Known Member
Layla Hays and Stremlow have confirmed they are comi.ng back to Iowa next season. If I had to guess, Heiden, Chit Chat and Houston are probably coming back too. That leaves Mallegni and Em-Rod as the 2 possible flight risks.
Right now, based on returning players, the starters would be Heiden, Houston, Stremlow, Chit Chat and ????. Woliizcko? maybe. Mallegni? Doubtful. Em-Rod? Possible if she is healthy and her head is in the right place. The fact that the 5th starter is not obvious is a sign to me that the coaches are bringing in some guards from the portal. Otherwise, the 5th starting position probably would have went to Deal.
Right now, based on returning players, the starters would be Heiden, Houston, Stremlow, Chit Chat and ????. Woliizcko? maybe. Mallegni? Doubtful. Em-Rod? Possible if she is healthy and her head is in the right place. The fact that the 5th starter is not obvious is a sign to me that the coaches are bringing in some guards from the portal. Otherwise, the 5th starting position probably would have went to Deal.
I just know Wisky has stunk forever. I haven't a clue what their roster/depth chart looks like.
I did just see on the interwebs that Audi Crooks is leaving ISU. So that all but completes the implosion that was that program good god
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