Yeah I agree, Fran has to go balls out for foster and carton, but someone like Suggs this year or what’s his face that went to Indiana last year, it seems like it’s too much effort and no return.
Xavier Foster
- Thread starter morley10
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Yeah I agree, Fran has to go balls out for foster and carton, but someone like Suggs this year or what’s his face that went to Indiana last year, it seems like it’s too much effort and no return.
But those guys are guys he got in on when they were really young and then they blew up big time. Same with Ulis and Brooks. Not 100% on Suggs but I know it was early. It's tough to know when to back off when you've already built such a good relationship before they blew up.
BigD
Well-Known Member
I know Rob, but just talking about recruits in general is fun to do. I just wanted you to throw in a quick comment about which of the guards caught your eye. You may think they are all pretty good but there may be one that you think may be extra special. If I didn’t respect your opinion and experience I wouldn’t have asked.
I am pretty busy and just pop in and out on the forum to try to catch up on things. Since you were talking about about recruiting it seemed like a convenient time to throw in a question about what you think. I did t want a complete analysis just a general statement. I know you are busy too.
RobHowe
Administrator
No worries. Like I said, since this thread went down the guard road, I was trying to keep that discussion in here. Looks like it didn't matter as the thread on Powell also ended up being guard related.
That's the narrative, though, so I get it. Iowa can't recruit guards, particularly point guards. I disagree. Iowa has had some good guards during FM's tenure.
I have a feeling, no inside info, that Bohannon is going to make it back this season. With how competitive he is, I think it will kill him to sit out. But he'll have to prove he's healthy. That surgery has different recovery times.
As far as the other guys, I have questions that I think are reasonable.
Can Connor and Toussaint shoot well enough from the outside to keep defenses honest and can they defend the one? Can Fredrick defend two guards in this league? Is Evelyn the player he was as a sophomore and the injuries held him back last year or did he regress and/or will the health concerns linger?
For me, a lot of my questions come down to defense. Iowa doesn't have a shot blocker, outside of maybe Nunge, who has to prove it, and if the guards can't stop dribble penetration, everything breaks down. And Fran does not seem committed to playing zone.
That's the narrative, though, so I get it. Iowa can't recruit guards, particularly point guards. I disagree. Iowa has had some good guards during FM's tenure.
I have a feeling, no inside info, that Bohannon is going to make it back this season. With how competitive he is, I think it will kill him to sit out. But he'll have to prove he's healthy. That surgery has different recovery times.
As far as the other guys, I have questions that I think are reasonable.
Can Connor and Toussaint shoot well enough from the outside to keep defenses honest and can they defend the one? Can Fredrick defend two guards in this league? Is Evelyn the player he was as a sophomore and the injuries held him back last year or did he regress and/or will the health concerns linger?
For me, a lot of my questions come down to defense. Iowa doesn't have a shot blocker, outside of maybe Nunge, who has to prove it, and if the guards can't stop dribble penetration, everything breaks down. And Fran does not seem committed to playing zone.
So much for it not being a guard thread...
Does it matter if Connor and Toussaint can't shoot so long as they break down defenses? Cartwright shot 25% for his career and was certainly serviceable. Gesell never really lit it up from deep either as a career 31% 3 point shooter.
Defense will always be a question until it isn't. I suspect Toussaint and Connor will step it up on D as both had it as a staple of their games in high school. Fredrick is more of an unknown, I haven't seen as much tape or heard about his defensive prowess. But if he's quick enough to play the 1 as Fran has said, with his size he should at least have the physical tools at his disposal to be a decent defender.
Evelyn is a complete question mark. I'm just crossing my fingers that he's fully healthy. I'd hate to see another Dale Jones situation. I still feel awful about that.
As for shot blocking, Pat blocked a shot per game in high school and seems to have the length to be able to disrupt if he gets significant minutes. I have confidence that Nunge will be an enforcer with added weight and Pemsl seems to have a feel for how to force guys into uncomfortable positions. Overall I think there is addition by subtraction on the defensive end for Bohannon, Moss, and Cook who had their bright spots on D, but are ultimately offensively oriented players. Bringing in 3 new guards, a SF, and the return of 2 solid defenders in the post could completely change the complexion of the team as it did between 2012 and 2013 when they added Gesell, Clemmons, and Woodbury (defense went from 295th to 76th in one year).
RobHowe
Administrator
Defense will always be a question until it isn't. You could have stopped there. The rest is blind faith.
Ree4
Well-Known Member
Yep Iowa City is one of the most liberal places in the country. If he didn't agree with the comment than he would be right in line with most of the population here. Iowa State, Baylor? Not so much.
Man that kid would sure be fun to watch in an Iowa uniform. No he isn't a Tyler Cook athletic freak that will have the poster dunks that we have all watched many times over, but he has such a well rounded game and he is so fluid in his movements. Garza can make shots from anywhere but he can be a little bit clunky with his movements and footwork at times. I just hope Foster doesn't end up at ISU because then I have to hate the poor kid.
On the bright side, if he goes to ISU, we'll only have to deal with him for a year or two at max.
BigD
Well-Known Member
Thank you as that gave me a good idea on how things likely will shape up. I agree about Bohannon because he is such a competitor and will do every thing to speed up his recovery.
BigD
Well-Known Member
I was just going to bring this up. Wasn’t it last Monday that he said he would give his top three within a week? So we should hear something very soon. Wouldn’t surprise me one bit if both ISU and Iowa are in the final three.
JG10Hawk
Well-Known Member
He told the Des Moines Register that he'd be announcing his top 3 in a little less than a week. The article was written/posted on July 14th. It's been well over a week. I can only imagine the fools pestering him on social media to release the info. Good for him to take his time and be 100% sure.
Devil's advocate: he's taking longer to announce his top 3 because he's having trouble narrowing it down and plans to eliminate one Iowa school...
SteveGarvey1
Well-Known Member
Just get the feeling that he and his dad don't suffer fools well or put up with a lot of crap. Good for them.
NikeHawk21
Well-Known Member
I had the same exact thought, but at least we would know and could move on elsewhere if we were eliminated.
This class could end up being a disaster for Fran & Co if we don’t land Foster and we have to start digging a little deeper down our board.
I think disaster is a bit of a strong word. Disaster is certainly on the table with no commits at this point. But if we land Powell and one of the Beard, Polk, and Ulis group, I think we'll be doing just fine. It only becomes a concern if we lose Wieskamp and/or someone else to the draft. Otherwise, we're only down Kriener and Evelyn after this year and Powell+one of those guards would likely not result in a major drop off and could even be an upgrade. So really, Powell should be a very high priority recruit for us right now assuming we don't get Foster.
