Christian Williams

mopkins said:
Here's another article that might explain why he wasn't heavily recruited? Apparently he was ineligible for part of this season.

http://qctimes.com/sports/basketbal...cle_9a8d7f7f-1cf8-52c5-a27f-5be79fbb7e2e.html
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It also might show how smart he is.

He moved to Springfield to play for the top-ranked Lanphier team in 2014. Last summer, a coach on Lanphier got into a pushing match with a referee after they won a game. This year, a couple of players from Lanphier got into a fight with a couple players from another team. The head coach was suspended.

Oh, by the way, the head coach at Lanphier has 11 arrests dating back to 2000. He's had felonies reduced to misdemeanors and other charges dropped and disappear. His mother is a ward politician. Springfield still hired him as a jv basketball coach and varsity assistant in 2007. In 2007 he was charged with felony battery for hitting a guy with his car after the guy allegedly "scratched his car". In 2012 he was moved to head coach.

Why? Wouldn't young men need a good example? Nope

Wins > upstanding citizen



Lived outside of Springfield for a couple of years. Springfield is a cesspool of corruption and lawlessness. Happy day when we moved back to central Iowa.
 
The kid is first-team all-state in Illinois.


That's a good get just to keep plucking them from Illinois.
 
He's 6'5" and 17 years old. In two years he will fill out a bit more and probably be 6'7". Now, with the handles he probably has, the way he can run the floor, and the style Fran likes to play...I think this is a good get...he's not going to help much next year...but we don't need him to.

Yes...we need a big...but his upside and versatility appears to be something that will pay dividends. Honestly, I think Fran would like one 6'9" guy and four others at 6'7" that are athletic and can run, and play defense. I'm not sure the post is his number one priority on offense...although it's been more focused this year.
 
iowalaw said:
Fran specializes in beating mid majors for his recruits but can't run with the coaches that make his kind of salary. That's just the way it is going to be.
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Iowa has gotten better every year under Fran and tied for 3rd in the Big 10 in his 5th year. But if you have seen each of the incoming recruits play several times and have a detailed breakdown on each of them I'm all ears. That's what I thought.
 
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This is from the Des Moines Register blurb on Williams.


McCaffery has said he would target a big man with his remaining scholarships, with center Gabe Olaseni graduating this year and Adam Woodbury having only one more year of eligibility.


I assume the word scholarships is a typo...not meant to be plural.
 
Fran's system will work just fine without a true 5. Needs a strong PG and four guys 6'6-6'10 who can shoot, drive and post-up. And I'd take quickness and hops over a lumbering 7 footer on defense...unless you can find someone special.
 
Every so so often, I will see in a thread a comment about whether or not Ellingson will transfer or just leave the Iowa program. Where is this coming from? Not being critical, just wondering. He certainly had a strong high school career in a good sized high school that plays some of the better competition in southern Wisconsin. He is supposedly a very fine 3 point shooter, which obviously is a need for the Hawks. Best I know, he was injured and then eventually redshirted so he could heal up completely. Am I missing something?
 
HuckFinn said:
Every so so often, I will see in a thread a comment about whether or not Ellingson will transfer or just leave the Iowa program. Where is this coming from? Not being critical, just wondering. He certainly had a strong high school career in a good sized high school that plays some of the better competition in southern Wisconsin. He is supposedly a very fine 3 point shooter, which obviously is a need for the Hawks. Best I know, he was injured and then eventually redshirted so he could heal up completely. Am I missing something?
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I assume everyone is basing this on the fact he didn't look so good trying to play injured. We haven't seen a healthy Ellingson so there's no way to evaluate him IMO.
 
HuckFinn said:
Every so so often, I will see in a thread a comment about whether or not Ellingson will transfer or just leave the Iowa program. Where is this coming from? Not being critical, just wondering. He certainly had a strong high school career in a good sized high school that plays some of the better competition in southern Wisconsin. He is supposedly a very fine 3 point shooter, which obviously is a need for the Hawks. Best I know, he was injured and then eventually redshirted so he could heal up completely. Am I missing something?
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Well him red shirting this year means there will now be 6 freshmen next year. I think Ellingson will have the initial advantage since he already has a year of experience with the hawkeyes. Usually with that many in one class though something has to give. It generally works itself out

What a great problem to have though. 6 freshmen all competing against each other
 
Hawk4Fan said:
Wow that is one impressive list of offers he has....no wonder Fran struggles with talent with the recruiting classes he keeps bringing in.....
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Minnesota and Kansas State were going to offer.

Iowa just had its best season in 9 years.

Fran is not strugging, but I think you are struggling to be an effective troll. Fail
 
mopkins said:
Here's another article that might explain why he wasn't heavily recruited? Apparently he was ineligible for part of this season.

http://qctimes.com/sports/basketbal...cle_9a8d7f7f-1cf8-52c5-a27f-5be79fbb7e2e.html
Click to expand...

I love the athleticism Fran is bringing in. Keep recruiting Illinois.

Couple of things,

Article mentioned Fran was in Ilinois watching him play Saturday night. I guess it is a good thing for Hawkeye fans IC West got bounced in semi's?? Might have been a tough decision for Fran to miss out on his son playing for a state title??

Moving forward, can Iowa win consistently in B1G without a big man\ post presence? Still such a physical conference and look how Indiana struggled. BUT they still made it to the Dance which was surprising IMO. Plus Wisconsin excelled obviously without a true banger.

Maybe Fran is attempting to transform the conference once and for all...

Not likely to happen until at least IZZO retires.
 
Yeah, maybe it's not as big a deal to not have a true 5 as many of us have been thinking - but we still need a post presence of some sort. Some guys 6'7-6'9 range. Greg Brunner was 6'7 according to his bio but was still strong in the paint, and IIRC Iowa's all-time leading rebounder. So we don't necessarily need someone 6'10 or 7' to be effective.

I still am concerned about the paint for next year, though. Woody seems to be our only legit post option, unless someone else emerges. Everyone else will be freshmen. Pretty tough to be a contributing big guy in this league as a freshman.
 
James Winters and Kent Hill were in the 6'5" range but could hold their own inside. Those guys were chiseled. Reggie Evans was only 6'8". But I think guys like this do need a another (taller) guy in their with them to contest shots, help with the boards, keep them out of foul trouble, etc.
 
The trend in college basketball is more of the shorter post players (6'6" to 6'9") who are really athletic and can maybe even shoot a little bit. Woodbury has value, and if an elite 7-footer wanted to come to Iowa I'd gladly take him. But Fran's system absolutely works with guys like Branden Dawson, Jameel McKay, etc. I'd wager those are the kind of players he'd really prefer to have in the paint.
 
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