Iowa Signs Four in 2015 Class

JonDMiller

Publisher/Founder
IOWA CITY, Iowa -- University of Iowa men’s basketball head coach Fran McCaffery announced today that Brandon Hutton, Andrew Fleming, Isaiah Moss, and Ahmad Wagner have all signed a National Letter of Intent to attend the University of Iowa.



Hutton is a 6-foot-6, 210-pound forward from De La Salle High School in Chicago. He averaged 12 points, eight rebounds, four assists and two blocks while earning Chicago Catholic League All-Conference accolades last season. Hutton was also recognized on the 2014 Illinois Basketball Coaches Association third team all-state squad. He will be a two-time team captain and three-year varsity player once he begins his senior season. Hutton, a 2015 McDonald’s All-American nominee, is also a leader off the court, being recognized on the honor roll and participating in a number of student groups. Hutton also competed on the Illinois Stars AAU squad.



“Every time I step on the court representing the Hawkeyes I leave the court knowing that I left my blood, sweat, and tears out there representing Hawkeye nation,†said Hutton.



“We are thrilled that Brandon is going to be a Hawkeye,†said McCaffery. “He’s a tremendous athlete, a fierce competitor and is extremely versatile. As good as he is now, I believe with his work ethic and determination, he’s going to continue to improve. He’ll become someone who can be a lock-down defender, a great transition player, as well as a quality scorer.â€



Fleming helped lead Ensworth High School in Nashville, Tennessee, to three-straight state titles, earning all-tournament laurels on each championship team. He is a two-time All-State honoree, earning first team recognition as a junior and third team distinction his sophomore campaign. As a junior, Fleming was named Tennessee’s Division II-AA Mr. Basketball and was tabbed the state championship Most Valuable Player. Fleming led the Region in scoring his sophomore (20.5 ppg) and junior (19.3 ppg) seasons. He scored 1,117 points in three seasons at Ensworth before playing his senior year of prep basketball at Oak Hill Academy (Virginia) for coach Steve Smith. Fleming is the Ensworth record holder for points (49) and 3-pointers (9) in a single-game.



Fleming played AAU basketball for M33M Let it Fly and Team Thad in 2013-14. He made the All-Star Game festivities at the Pangos All-American Camp in 2014, which invites the top 100 preps in the country. Fleming was also invited to represent Latin America at the Adidas Nations Global Experience, also held in Long Beach in 2014. His sophomore year, he was honored on MaxPreps Sophomore All-American Team and was invited to the Nike Elite 100 Camp.



“I am very excited to play college basketball at the University of Iowa,†said Fleming. “It's a blessing to have this opportunity to play for such a great coaching staff and to play at such a great school with the most passionate fans. I am excited to do huge things in a Hawkeye uniform and I'm ready to help bring wins to this program so we can be one of the dominant teams in the Big Ten. I'm excited to play basketball for Coach McCaffery; he's a great coach and an even better person, and that's the type of coach I was looking for when I was looking for a school. Iowa is the place to be for me and I couldn't be happier.â€



“Andrew has the ability to play a number of different positions. He can play the point, he can score at the two-spot, and is athletic enough to play the three,†said McCaffery. “He’s smart and has tremendous savvy. With the departure of the guys we are losing the last couple years, we need someone to come in that is ready to go, score, and make the plays -- Andrew is capable of doing that. We’re thrilled that he’s a Hawkeye.â€



Wagner, a native of Yellow Springs, Ohio, accumulated 686 points (shooting 61 percent from the field), 526 rebounds and 138 blocks his first three seasons at Wayne High School. As a junior, he averaged 15 points, 11 rebounds and four blocks, earning conference Player of the Year and honorable mention all-state laurels, as well as being recognized on the first team all-conference and all-division teams. The 6-foot-7, 215-pound forward was also his team’s co-Most Valuable Player in 2014. A three-time team captain, he has also excelled in the classroom by maintaining a GPA above 3.5. Wagner also played on the All-Ohio Red AAU squad, who finished first in the division in the EYBL. He also enjoyed playing overseas in Italy his sophomore year.



“I am very excited about officially becoming a Hawkeye, and playing for coach McCaffery and the rest of the staff,†said Wagner. “I am looking forward to my coaches, future teammates, the wonderful fans, and officially being a part of the Hawkeye family.â€



“Ahmad has incredible speed and quickness,†McCaffery said. “He has a high-motor, is smart, skilled and tough. He provides a definite need for us in the front court with the departure of Aaron White and Gabriel Olaseni (next year), and Zach McCabe and Melsahn Basabe (this year). He has the athletic power to play the four, and the quickness, speed and versatility to play the three. We are excited about his future.â€



Moss averaged 10 points, two rebounds, two assists and one steal his junior year at Simeon High School in Chicago. The 6-foot-5, 175-pound wing averaged 16 points, six rebounds, three assists and two steals for the Mac Irvin Fire AAU team. Moss was instrumental in leading Mac Irvin Fire to the 2014 Big Foot Classic championship in Las Vegas. He also played for the Playground Elite AAU squad last July, averaging 17 points, six rebounds, three assists and three steals.



“I chose Iowa because I am extremely comfortable with the coaches and the environment,†said Moss. “I’m really looking forward to playing for coach McCaffery because I know he’s going to pull the best out of me every day.â€



“Isaiah is an athletic wing who can dribble, pass, and shoot,†said McCaffery. “He’s big enough to guard guys in the post and quick enough to guard guys on the perimeter. Isaiah is a big-time play maker, who can create his own shot and score at a high-rate. He’s also going to make an immediate impact on this team.â€



2019 Iowa Men’s Basketball Recruiting Class

Andrew Fleming G 6-5/205 Nashville, Tenn. (Oak Hill Academy - VA)

Brandon Hutton F 6-6/210 Chicago, Ill. (De La Salle)

Ahmad Wagner F 6-7/215 Yellow Springs, Ohio (Wayne)

Isaiah Moss F 6-5/175 Chicago, Ill. (Simeon)
 
I think it is interesting that Fran stated Moss will make an immediate impact on the team (in 2015). If he plays anywhere near what he's capable, he and Jok on the same team will be something Iowa hasn't seen since probably Roy Marble and Kevin Gamble; which is, 2 6'6 guys that can pretty much score at will. Can Wagner become the next "Easy" Ed?
 
Welcome aboard the Hawkeye express. I always felt that Fleming was sincere in his desire to play for Iowa. Some thought he was just using Iowa as a recruiting stepping stone while waiting for a better offer. Now if we can just find a big ole beast to step in for when Woody leaves to round out the makings of great squad. Go Hawks!!!
 
I think it is interesting that Fran stated Moss will make an immediate impact on the team (in 2015). If he plays anywhere near what he's capable, he and Jok on the same team will be something Iowa hasn't seen since probably Roy Marble and Kevin Gamble; which is, 2 6'6 guys that can pretty much score at will. Can Wagner become the next "Easy" Ed?


That would be a remarkable achievement, Arvada, the possibility exists. The future looks bright this year and beyond. Fran has exceeded my expectations with his accomplishments. He manages to find the players who fit his system and really want to be Hawkeyes. These guys are already proud of being Hawkeyes. Looks like we are going to have scoring machines on the floor.....

I dearly loved Ed Horton and Mr. Davis's first team, my favorite Hawkeye team. I can still hear BJ yelling: EDDIE, EDDIE, when Ed grabbed a man's rebound. He would hear BJ and get him the ball....

I also remember his wink when he was called for a sneaky foul at our win at North Carolina.....

Life is good on the court.....

:rolleyes:
 
I like what I have been reading and seeing on these guys. This should be a good-to-great group once Fran gets ahold of them. An incredibly solid class, which will be one heck of a team core in 2-3 years.

They are all about the same size, yet each brings something different to the table. From defense to scoring to rebounding to quickness to ball handling, on the initial overview these fellas are a well rounded bunch.

Good job coach Fran... Looking forward to the start of the season tomorrow!

On Iowa!
 
Get a little more weight/strength on these guys and they will own the court....I love watching guys that are 6'5" - 6'8" running the floor and attacking that rim....going to be exciting in Carver for years to come....Fran has put together a great class....I love the comments of these kids....they truly are happy to be Hawkeye's, and frankly, that's a great thing...
 
This is a really good class that I think will look even better in a few years. Fleming is a legit player and is going to face better competition in Virginia and will only get better I think. Grabbing two kids from Chicago is key because that's where you need to be able to recruit from to be a contender in the Big Ten, and Wagner is a freak athlete. Really excited to see these kids develop. People can harp on Fran for not "closing" the deal with 4 and 5 star guys but he's bringing in talent with quality 3 star guys who might develop into star players. In time he'll get those big name kids but I like what's going on in basketball recruiting.
 
I love the athleticism these guys all bring to the table. Fran wants to run and he is slowly getting more players that fit that system. Hopefully Fran can fill that last scholarship with a post player that can run like White/Olaseni, that is a definite need for the future of the front court.
 
This should be a really fun class as we watch them develop into BT players. It would be great, (says capt. obvious) if we could land a true center this spring. Also, I read a rather lengthy report in the CR Gazette this a.m. that described every BT team's line up and expectations for the 14-15 year. I noticed when the newcomers were listed for each team that the vast majority of the players were rated 3*. Yes, there were a couple of 4 and 5 stars, but its looks like Iowa's new class of 3's is kind of the norm, so I was happy to see that. Now it will be about player development, where I really believe Fran and his staff will excel. Really like this program...we are in for a good ride!
 
Very athletic class. Yesterday Fran mentioned getting a big guy, possibly a late signee or transfer. They recently offered Okwarabizie who went to a year of JUCO, so thatll be a guy to keep an eye on.
 
I like that we broke thru in Chicago, and Wagner looks like a stud athlete.

According to 247, Iowa has the 11th rated class in the Big Ten....so I am not going to pretend that this class meets my expectations for this year. Just like last year, we missed on many main targets but I give Fran credit for plugging away and having a plan B.

If having the 11th best class in the league is good enough to make the Dance ...fine. Otherwise, there are at least 10 Big Ten schools celebrating even more than Iowa. I see this class as once again having guys who are not complete players, outside of maybe Moss. Fleming is a 3 pt shooter who struggles to shoot it.
Hutton is a defensive specialist that struggles to shoot it. Wagner is an athletic stud who struggles to shoot it. Maybe they will learn to shoot it....but as we see with Aaron White...some guys never do master that skill. I wish we had landed Morrow and the two guys that went to Vandy...Sehic and the big guy. Alex Illikanen ends up at Wisky , Morrow to Nebby, along with the guard from St Joes who we pursued.


Water under the bridge now....welcome to Iowa , signees!
Nice pictures of Moss and Hutton in todays Suntimes.
 
I think it's good to get a class like this every few years that is foundational, has a bunch of guys that will be there all four years and you can use to establish the culture of a program.
 
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