Iowa offers 4 star Elijah Macon

herkyattack

herkyattack

Well-Known Member
According to Twitter, Iowa has extended an offer to Elijah Macon. Macon is a big time player, rated number 49 in the nation by Rivals. Incredible athlete. From a recent article: 2011 ORLANDO AAU NOTEBOOK (PART 10): ELIJAH MACON, KALE ABRAHAMSON & MARTAVIOUS NEWBY UPDATES | NBE Basketball Report
Macon said that Maryland, Miami, Florida, West Virginia and Iowa are the schools coming at him the hardest. Thus far Macon has taken trips to Xavier, Cincinnati, West Virginia and USC.
“For my officials I’ll probably take one to Maryland,â€￾ Macon said. “Right now that’s the only one I have lined up to take an official to. I’d probably take one to Iowa too, but Maryland is the only one I know [about] for sure.â€￾


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Videos:
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6K_KYQYq8M]‪Elijah Macon Highlights from the 1st half of 2011 - Ohio's top junior‬‏ - YouTube[/ame]
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uL0Q-LP3ooo]‪Elijah Macon, Class of 2012 Basketball Top Prospect, 2008-2009 Highlights, Columbus Marion Franklin‬‏ - YouTube[/ame]
 
Fran (and the program) could really use a player like this to help get things rolling. Alot of competition though. I'm not getting my hopes up on this one..
 
I get the sense that Fran and crew just really need to land one big time recruit. One guy about whom the recruitniks can write, "So-and-so picked Iowa over offers from basketball school A, basketball school B and North Carolina." (Frickin' Roy Williams :)).

But getting that first big name is like climbing Everest. Then it gets easier. Not that the whole basketball world is going to suddenly rush to Iowa City...but the road does get a little shorter.
 
ShemHawk said:
You don't think Doug Thomas would've been nice to have around last year?
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A guy like that only has an effective role on good teams, which Thomas played on. He was a sparkplug, but not very efficient. On teams that aren't so good, that just creates a liability when you already have too many liabilities to begin with. The negatives outweigh the positives.

I'm not saying Macon is Doug Thomas. Just saying that if all we went off of was one dunk, Thomas would have "sold" everyone here. And a player like that doesn't help us all that much.
 
Doug Thomas was a good defender and rebounder who would start next year and would have helped the team last year.

But Macon isn't DT.
 
tm3308 said:
Then for all you know, we'd just be getting another Doug Thomas :D
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I frown upon ******* on former hawks. Thomas came here and did his best and I'm glad that he did.

I'm assuming that you wouldn't be saying this if Thomas never dunked.

A comparison could be made if Doug Thomas was a top 50 recruit who didn't pan out would be understandable. Perhaps if he had been a Willy Guy type player...I still wouldn't like it but it would be understandable.

This guy is a big recruit who happened to have some nice dunks on his tape. I think a comparison to Doug Thomas is unfair.
 
1977Hawkeye said:
Fran (and the program) could really use a player like this to help get things rolling. Alot of competition though. I'm not getting my hopes up on this one..
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Not aimed only at you, but I don't get this. Fran goes after a kid like this and people think he doesn't have a chance. At the same time, people get irritated because he isn't getting any big-name 4 or 5* players. He's not going to get any of them if he doesn't go after them, and considering where Iowa has been the last few years, he may not get the first few he offers. I love the fact that even with the state of the program, at the moment, kids like this are even thinking about visiting. This is the kind of player, and Woodbury too, that can draw other top flight recruits in. They see a kid in the top 50 coming here, they think Fran is really building something.

Are either a must get? I don't think so. But it will sure make things easier later this year and down the road if he can get either or both.
 
gohawkz said:
I frown upon ******* on former hawks. Thomas came here and did his best and I'm glad that he did.

I'm assuming that you wouldn't be saying this if Thomas never dunked.

A comparison could be made if Doug Thomas was a top 50 recruit who didn't pan out would be understandable. Perhaps if he had been a Willy Guy type player...I still wouldn't like it but it would be understandable.

This guy is a big recruit who happened to have some nice dunks on his tape. I think a comparison to Doug Thomas is unfair.
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I wasn't trying to bash on Thomas, but he was a good role player, not a difference maker. The poster I responded to said he stopped after the first dunk and was sold. Thomas had some great dunks, but that didn't make him a superstar, which is why I made the comparison in that context. Macon looks like a pretty complete player, at least on the offensive end.

My only point was that great dunking doesn't make a player great. Any great athlete could put on a clinic dunking the ball, but still be a bad basketball player.
 
Would be nice to see Fran get over that hump and land a top recruit. Not expecting us to pull in any McDonald's players but getting a difference maker would be a nice way to get things going ...
 
Agree with others that one kid like this could have a huge impact on the team from day one. Nice all around game and he has an NBA body already. Nice to dream, but it would take a minor miracle to get this kid to sign with us. We have to catch a break at some point, right?
 
A minor miracle would be getting a top 25 kid from out of state

two years after his worst season, Tom Davis signed a McDs AA shooting guard and a Top-50 power forward, both out of Ohio.

Ok, so neither of them worked out so well and one didn't even make it to campus, but still -- it can be done. Go get em Fran.
 
I hope this truly is a sign the staff is building the relationships that will allow them to aim high on the recruiting trail.
 
Building relationships is important but doesn't mean much if you can't get them to the alter.
 
BigD said:
Building relationships is important but doesn't mean much if you can't get them to the alter.
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True, however, the state of Iowa's program is not good, so building relationships does mean something. One thing, Iowa is trying to get the upper level recruits on a consistent basis, the staff is not afraid to go after them. The other thing, going after those players, sometimes other "role players" on their teams may be found. Basabe was certainly a "role player" on his HS and AAU teams, but he got noticed and I like what I have seen.
Yes, one can say well everyone goes after these top players, but that means nothing unless you get them. It still means something, it does get Iowa some press around the country by being in the conversation. It does get noticed eventually, but not if the program struggles in futility. I don't see Iowa struggling in futility as they have in the past for a few reasons. One is given Iowa's lack of experience at the Center position there is still a lot returning. Two, Iowa didn't really lose anyone that is a potential difference maker...yes, Hubbard left, but he didn't play a game, yes that matters to me. Three, Iowa will have some help from their bench this year, with all the past defections, there has been no bench, period.
There are more reasons, but having your top three scorers and some youth that is a year older, mixed with two potentially good freshman and one freshman that could be a contributor is a good thing.
The only true worry is hoping Bryce stays healthy, if he doesn't I think Marble will be fine, but then who is going to back him up? With a healthy Cartwright all season, then no worries. Yeah the overall talent isn't going to frighten anyone, but good coaching and solid player development while playing as a team can overshadow some of the lack of talent. Is it enough to go through a BIG season, time will tell, but I am hopeful that Iowa ends the season with a winning record. It makes me sick to have seen all these sub-.500 seasons and player defection.
 
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