Xavier Foster Announcement

[InGoodCo]

Whoa dude. I've been pretty careful to not take the low road on this, and I know it's touchy. But don't go there.

If you're going to accuse me of being racist, come out and say it plainly and we'll debate. beating around the bush with innuendo is for scrubs. Tell me straight up you think I'm racist in bold red letters if you think so so there's no confusion or interpretation. I guarantee you I'd do the same for you if I thought so.

settle down Nancy, I didn't call you anything, I asked you a question? Iowa has a bunch of black players committed. So, do you expect Iowa to not get boat raced in a few years? That isn't calling you a racist. I don't think you are a racist. You have said some racially charged things on this site over the years like the comment you made on black players being all about "money and ho's" or some thing to the effect, but overall, I don't think you are a racists. you're a good dude. I will type that in all small letters so you know how much I don't think that.

 

[Fryowa]

Well 31% of hispanic MLB players is a hell of a lot when you consider the population of those Carribean Islands vs the population of white people in the USA. I don't think much of it has to do with genetics as it does with culture. I went vacationing in the Domincan and every male employee I talked to at our resort played on a baseball team of some form or another

Its a whole other discussion, but the way youth sports are run in America is ridiculously flawed...especially with soccer and baseball.

I get what you're saying and I get that it's touchy, but like everything in the natural world, it's not 100% genetics and it's not 100% economics. It's somewhere in the middle.

 

[SidFarkas]

Uhlis - Chicago - black - undervalued, steal, can play in the B1G.

Perkins - Indianapolis - black - undervalued, athletic, tough, winner.

Murray twins - Cedar Rapids - black - now 6’8” - staff monitored their progress through the fall in Florida. Highly skilled, Iowa dream school. Dad Kenyon.

Yeah, we need to panic because we lost an Iowa PR battle today.

Iowa b-ball will be fine.

 

[phdsvp]

Uhlis - Chicago - black - undervalued, steal, can play in the B1G.

Perkins - Indianapolis - black - undervalued, athletic, tough, winner.

Murray twins - Cedar Rapids - black - now 6’8” - staff monitored their progress through the fall in Florida. Highly skilled, Iowa dream school. Dad Kenyon.

Yeah, we need to panic because we lost an Iowa PR battle today.

Iowa b-ball will be fine.

Hey, could you also list which schools Iowa beat out for these players?

 

[#1DieHardHawk]

People can call it racist if they want, but a roster completely full of bean pole white kids from the tri-state area is not and never will be a force in the Big Ten. Like how does that even happen? Honest question.

Fran has to see that this is the biggest group of Opie Taylors that’s ever stepped on a B1G court since the 60s. Does he seriously think he’s gonna somehow defy all odds with these dudes?

This has definitely been a slow burn and we’ve seen the recruiting slide down into the hole that we hope BF will avoid in football over the next decade or so. Say what you will about Dolph’s hot mike but that guy was spot fucking on. Wouldn’t you at some point just go, “Well shit, man...I guess we’ll just put the scholarship money in the bank and roll with what we got...”

I’ve always been on Fran’s side but he’s worn thin on me for sure.

Your point is taken, but, in all fairness, the player Dolph was criticizing was black.

Fran needs to recruit better athletes, regardless of skin color. It's pointless to emphasize defense (if that is the new goal as he stated last season) if your players have no lateral quickness or explosion.

 

[thedukeofearl]

This one hurts there is no question about it. Have to lock down these type of in state recruits. I almost feel a little bad for Fran and Sherm, all the time and effort they’ve put in, but such is life as a major college Bball coach. I don’t agree at all with the Foster’s NBA logic (I think if you’re good enough the NBA will find you). But that’s the challenge with recruiting you never know what’s going to be the deciding factor or how the recruits and their families are going to think.

On Foster’s career I actually don’t think he’s going to be a big time program changer. That might sound like sour grapes right now but I have eluded to that before. His potential basketball ceiling is very high but he isn’t there yet. From what I gathered he seems a little passive at times and hangs out around the perimeter. If Iowa State fans are expecting him to come in and be a big time impact maker as a freshman I think they might be a little surprised. That’s just my opinion anyway so part of me thinks okay say he comes in and plays two years at Iowa State and averages like 8-12 points. That’s a quality piece to have but maybe not deserving of all the hype we are seeing here. I think Wieskamp, Carton, and for that matter Garza will all have much more productive COLLEGE careers than Foster. Again could be sour grapes but just my opinion.

Watching the Xman in the State Tournament I was never impressed. Seems as though his best quality is being a tall Lad. The few times I watched him he didn't seem to be aggressive and played a bit soft.

Also not certain how well he would play in the B1G or for that matter the NBA

If he happens to be good enough to play in the NBA, he would probably only play for one or two years with quality time for the Hawkeyes. Luka appears ready and able for a very solid year right now, and next season he has the potential to be All B1G, quite possibly this season also

We will certainly be alright without him

He seems as though he is a fine young man, polite and friendly, and I wish him the best, but I am not going to shed any tears over him becoming a clone. I imagine the clones will lose next season at Carver anyway

If the clowns make the Final Four with him I will be rather surprised

Not certain he will gell with the thug ball mentality at clown heaven

He had quite a few offers however only Kansas is an elite program. UCLA used to be but they have a long road back after Stevo

Looking forward to the game against Depaul tonight

 

[Northside Hawk]

There's a reason the NBA is 75% black and it ain't because of affirmative action.

Think of what the percentage would be if Euros weren't in the league.

 

[Northside Hawk]

I don't care if the guys are white, black or purple, I just want Iowa to get the best ones of them.

I always reference the 1980 final four team but even there Lute wasn't exactly getting those guys from Hickory high school. The two best players were ultra athletic jets from the Chicago public league. And sharpshooter Vince Brookins came from inner city Cleveland.

 

[Robowe]

Think of what the percentage would be if Euros weren't in the league.

 

[Fryowa]

Your point is taken, but, in all fairness, the player Dolph was criticizing was black.

His statement that I was emphasizing was about the fact that Fran can't recruit. I didn't quote it because of Maishe Dailey.

 

[SidFarkas]

Hey, could you also list which schools Iowa beat out for these players?

Note the word undervalued.
If a kid can play, he can play - period.
I think I’ll wait until next year to start making value judgements.

Those comments came from other college coaches off of AAU scouts-not mine.

 

[Robowe]

I always reference the 1980 final four team but even there Lute wasn't exactly getting those guys from Hickory high school. The two best players were ultra athletic jets from the Chicago public league. And sharpshooter Vince Brookins came from inner city Cleveland.

And ...

Bobby Hansen (Des Moines)
Steve Waite (Iowa City)
Mark Gannon (Iowa City)
Kevin Boyle (Chicago)
Won't count that transfer Krafcisin.

 

[Northside Hawk]

People can call it racist if they want, but a roster completely full of bean pole white kids from the tri-state area is not and never will be a force in the Big Ten. Like how does that even happen? Honest question.

Fran has to see that this is the biggest group of Opie Taylors that’s ever stepped on a B1G court since the 60s. Does he seriously think he’s gonna somehow defy all odds with these dudes?

This has definitely been a slow burn and we’ve seen the recruiting slide down into the hole that we hope BF will avoid in football over the next decade or so. Say what you will about Dolph’s hot mike but that guy was spot fucking on. Wouldn’t you at some point just go, “Well shit, man...I guess we’ll just put the scholarship money in the bank and roll with what we got...”

I’ve always been on Fran’s side but he’s worn thin on me for sure.

This is the type of team Fran has always wanted. Long, lean, and supposedly good shooters.

What is disappointing about the Franimal is that he references his Philly roots but doesn't have any kind of recruiting pipeline from the East coast in general. Perhaps Garza and Toussaint can be a start.

 

[mopkins]

I get what you're saying and I get that it's touchy, but like everything in the natural world, it's not 100% genetics and it's not 100% economics. It's somewhere in the middle.

Well it can't be denied that Lebron James is a genetic freak and a total outlier. You can probably lump Durant in that conversation as well.

 

[phdsvp]

Note the word undervalued.
If a kid can play, he can play - period.
I think I’ll wait until next year to start making value judgements.

Those comments came from other college coaches off of AAU scouts-not mine.

What you call "undervalued" the majority calls "not good".

 

[mopkins]

His statement that I was emphasizing was about the fact that Fran can't recruit. I didn't quote it because of Maishe Dailey.

Fran has had a few hits (Woody, Gesell, Cook, Garza, etc) but far too many misses Cant deny that for a second

I do think his sons really hurt his recruiting right now though, and thats 100% a problem of his own making. Other coaches can use that against Fran and I'm sure they do all the time.

I do think Fran desperately needs an assistant who can actually recruit though. If I'm a recruit and Sherman Dillard rolls up to my house in a bowtie, yeah no thanks.

 

[eyekwah]

Not the end of the world. In the new era of college basketball where transfers are available routinely there will be many previous years of top prospects to recruit.

 

[Fryowa]

Well it can't be denied that Lebron James is a genetic freak and a total outlier. You can probably lump Durant in that conversation as well.

Obviously the Civil Rights struggle is the reason that this conversation can't be had without people screaming racism and I get it 100%

I just find it hard to ignore the fact that everyone knows that either a Kenyan or Ethiopian will win every major distance race in existence, and genetics of the population of people is suggested as part of the reason, backed up by peer reviewed studies--no one bats an eye. But if anyone even suggests for a microsecond that there could be possible differences in the physical genetics of a caucasian, African American, Hispanic, or Native American person, all of a sudden it's time to drag them out in the street to get shot.

Are there socioeconomic and cultural pressures that affect the proprtion of blacks to whites in basketball? Absolutely.

Are there genetic differences that (over a population sample size of hundreds of thousands of players) affect the huge proportional disparity of blacks to whites in basketball? I don't know. But even though we see obvious, visual physical differences between races, even if I suggest the possibility of racial genetic factors in basketball all of a sudden people want me dead.

Well, more dead than they already did in the first place.

 

[Fryowa]

Fran has had a few hits (Woody, Gesell, Cook, Garza, etc) but far too many misses Cant deny that for a second

I do think his sons really hurt his recruiting right now though, and thats 100% a problem of his own making. Other coaches can use that against Fran and I'm sure they do all the time.

I do think Fran desperately needs an assistant who can actually recruit though. If I'm a recruit and Sherman Dillard rolls up to my house in a bowtie, yeah no thanks.

One fun thought experiment...

What would our team look like if Patrick, Connor, and Wieskamp weren't automatic commitments.

Wieskamp is obviously the one who'd be a showstopper, but I wonder who he'd have gone after in the absence of those three kids that he never had to recruit.

 

[Jonrn]

Iowa Hawkeye sports, just competitive enough to give ya hope, but not competitive enough to boast about. Fran lost Carton and Foster and IMO it parallels Lafrentz and Collison for Davis. It spelled the end. Losing them to KS is one thing, losing guys to ISU and TOSU is another. Fran is coaching for his job every year for me. Get in the dance, survive and advance. Don't and I want a change. I can't endorse firing a guy who's going to the NCAA's...but you have to wonder if he can continue that with letting the best players in the state go somewhere else. I'm guessing he can't.

this x100. In year 9 you have it or you don’t, obviously Fran should be well beyond the building stage. Hell...his own son conor was a recruiting miss