Where do Uthoff & Gesell rank among best players in Iowa history?

HNMitchSmith

HNMitchSmith

Active Member
Jarrod Uthoff and Mike Gesell are nearing some pretty historic #'s achieved by only the greatest players in Iowa hoops history. You can see some of the statistical milestones they're nearing here: http://hawkeyenation.com/2016/uthoff-gesell-and-career-milestones

Where do other Hawk fans view Uthoff & Gesell compared to other Iowa basketball greats?

I view Gesell as potentially the 5th-best PG in recent Iowa history (behind Horner, Oliver, Woolridge, and Armstrong), but I'm still not sure where or who I'd compare Uthoff to because his style of play is so unique for a guy his size.

Interested to hear other Hawk fans perspective.
 
Gesell ranks close to Dean Oliver, Uthoff has no comparisons but he should be ranked close to the top 10. But how about Peter Jok? He has to be getting close to being in this type of discussion. If Jok keeps playing the way he has in conference play the rest of the season I might start worrying about him being back next year.
 
Gesell behind Horner somewhere in the 8-10 PG. Uthoff career wise probably the same, but this season ranks as one of the best single seasons of any Hawkeye that comes to mind. Ahead of Reggie Evans Andre Woolridge, behind Lester.
 
Would it be better not to compare players .. They're all individuals..... Judge not by the cover of book, rather judge what's in the book.
 
Here would be my position ranking in Iowa history:
PG
1. Ronnie Lester
2. BJ Armstrong
3. Andre Woolridge
4. Jeff Horner
5. Mike Gessell/ Dean Oliver

Forward
1. Greg Stokes
2. Michael Payne
3. Jarrod Uthoff
4. Matt Bullard
5. Chris Street
 
tm3308 said:
They're right there. Trimble and Stone and Shields/White are the only others really in the discussion right now.
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When they get their poop in a group one could throw in Valentine and Forbes.....as much as I hate to admit it (unless they play our Hawks, then they lay eggs)
 
For their careers I don't have either in the Top 10...probably not the top 20 if I took the time to list all of the players that had better careers. Uthoff the senior is in my Top 10...possibly Top 5.
 
Hawkeyes5 said:
When they get their poop in a group one could throw in Valentine and Forbes.....as much as I hate to admit it (unless they play our Hawks, then they lay eggs)
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This guy called it. Forbes is the most important player for MSU's success, IMO. They won games without Valentine when Forbes was hitting shots (23ppg in the three wins without Valentine), but they don't look good at all if he isn't scoring, whether Valentine is there or not (5ppg in Sparty's four losses, three of which with Valentine on the floor).
 
Let's wait and see how they do and the team does at the end of the year,a lot of games left in the season to either excell or drop down in the pack.Hoping we keep getting better.Go Hawks
 
Uthoff ... this year is playing like one of the top 10 ever - maybe top 5

If we are talking careers here though I'm thinking we are having some selective memory.

Jok is playing great right now and I love it. But the NBA/Jok thing is a little silly.
 
I would put John Johnson, Downtown Fred Brown, and Bobbie Hansen in the top 15 and above Uthoff and Gesell. Iowa had two final 4 teams back in the 50's that must have had some really good players as well that have not been mentioned
 
The problem with Johnson and Brown is that they each were JUCO's so they only got 2 years. Not sure how that translates.
 
99topdawg said:
The problem with Johnson and Brown is that they each were JUCO's so they only got 2 years. Not sure how that translates.
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I get what you are saying but how is that any different than Uthoff or Haluska who each only had 3 yrs at Iowa because they went to other schools first. Just because they didn't play their whole career at Iowa doesn't mean you can't put them in the top.
 
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