How important is it to recruit Iowa HS players?

**Drive4cy** · 04-24-2007, 06:59 PM

Originally Posted by SlyCy

Right.....cause Fred Hoiberg didn't increase fan support for basketball?

Robert Gallery for Iowa? Tim Dwight? right....

Did Ross Marsden increase fan support? Most people ragged on him for his playing tenure. The people you mention are big time players who created a buzz because of their performance on the field, not their birth location IMO. Good players increase fan support, not where they went to high school. I just want players who can win. If Iowa HS had a deep football talent base, that would be great, but we don't. Basketball on the otherhand is vastly underrated.

**frontrangeclone** · 04-24-2007, 07:02 PM

hasn't this topic been beaten into the afterlife over the last couple weeks?

**ajjohnson** · 04-24-2007, 07:03 PM

Originally Posted by SlyCy

Right.....cause Fred Hoiberg didn't increase fan support for basketball?

Robert Gallery for Iowa? Tim Dwight? right....

Thanks for proving my point with that brilliant post. I said winning impacts fan support, period. Then you bring up players who had a tremendous impact on winning. Let me throw out a few names: Seneca Wallace, Troy Davis, Jamaal Tinsley, Marcus Fizer. You actually think they didn't impact fan support as much as anyone? You think Todd Blythe has a greater impact than Seneca Wallace, that Jared Homan had a bigger impact than Marcus Fizer? WRONG! Keep the deep thoughts coming, Mr Handy.

**Drive4cy** · 04-24-2007, 07:04 PM

Originally Posted by frontrangeclone

hasn't this topic been beaten into the afterlife over the last couple weeks?

Very much so.

The sad part is, there's no right or wrong answer so the damn topic never dies.

Oh well, better than Clayton Vette's dad coming on the boards talking smack like last night.

**frontrangeclone** · 04-24-2007, 07:14 PM

Originally Posted by Drive4cy

Very much so.

The sad part is, there's no right or wrong answer so the damn topic never dies.

Oh well, better than Clayton Vette's dad coming on the boards talking smack like last night.

thanks for backing me up.... I've made posts before regarding this topic and after the one I wrote last week in a different thread it just hit me how everyone is obsessed by this issue and that I find myself repeating the same points I always try to make. I think Iowans need to get over their inferiority complex and quit worrying about the talent in Iowa and if it helps ISU or EIU. PEOPLE!, PLEASE!! There are 2.9 million in the state of Iowa, and seemingly 60% of them are over 65!! there just isn't the recruiting base as compared to the high population states. there is talent in Iowa, it just fluctuates! If the coaches do their job, they'll get the necessary talent, whether the players are from American Samoa or Solon!

**Clones85'** · 04-24-2007, 07:29 PM

Originally Posted by ajjohnson

Thanks for proving my point with that brilliant post. I said winning impacts fan support, period. Then you bring up players who had a tremendous impact on winning. Let me throw out a few names: Seneca Wallace, Troy Davis, Jamaal Tinsley, Marcus Fizer. You actually think they didn't impact fan support as much as anyone? You think Todd Blythe has a greater impact than Seneca Wallace, that Jared Homan had a bigger impact than Marcus Fizer? WRONG! Keep the deep thoughts coming, Mr Handy.

Your slightly wrong on this argument. You make a good point that winning is everything, but what about to the average fan? Fred Hoiberg or Jamaal Tinsley? Hoiberg in a landslide, not even close, 10 times out of 10. He is a local boy. The mayor. Someone the average fan can relate to. Tinsley is awesome and great and the team was good when he played, but he wasn't the person you watched in high school/your son played against/sister dated, etc. That gets fans who wouldnt normally watch/go to the games actually go. Now when your winning 30 bball games a year it becomes irralevant b/c you are a top ten team and on ESPN every night. But you need to have some Iowa boys on your team just excite the average fan

**isucy86** · 04-24-2007, 07:30 PM

ISU needs to get more than it share of Iowa HS kids when going up against the Hawks for instate recruits. That doesn't mean ISU needs to bring in 10 Iowa kids every year. It means that ISU can't overlook Iowa HS kids with potential to play. There may not be many All-American with Iowa HS roots over the past 125 years, but there have been plenty of All-Big 10 and All-Big 12 players.

Its also vital that Gene maintain a quality walk-on program- guys like Danielson & Carstens show that if anything IA HS kids are underrecruited.

The reality is ISU needs to scour places like CA, TX or FL or players- but any Cyclone fan who thinks we'll be hauling 4&5 star recruits from those states is kidding themselves. Gene & staff will need to identify the 2&3 star kids that are overlooked, but fit their system.

**ajjohnson** · 04-24-2007, 07:50 PM

Originally Posted by Clones85'

Your slightly wrong on this argument. You make a good point that winning is everything, but what about to the average fan? Fred Hoiberg or Jamaal Tinsley? Hoiberg in a landslide, not even close, 10 times out of 10. He is a local boy. The mayor. Someone the average fan can relate to. Tinsley is awesome and great and the team was good when he played, but he wasn't the person you watched in high school/your son played against/sister dated, etc. That gets fans who wouldnt normally watch/go to the games actually go. Now when your winning 30 bball games a year it becomes irralevant b/c you are a top ten team and on ESPN every night. But you need to have some Iowa boys on your team just excite the average fan

Sorry, I strongly disagree and know a lot of people who bought season tickets during the Tinsley years who had never even been to an Iowa State game. If the people of Ames weren't going to support Iowa State as it is, I don't think Fred Hoiberg is going to all of the sudden change that. If he did it was because of his talent, not his birthplace (Ross Marsden, BROCK JACOBSON?). Certain players are fan favorites, and it has nothing to do with their birthplace (Stevie Johnson, Jake Sullivan). Iowa basketball has struggled with attendance the last several years with Brunner, Horner, Haluska etc. It is sheer lunacy to think for a second Todd Blythe putts MORE fans in the seats than Seneca Wallace.

**RedStorm** · 04-24-2007, 07:59 PM

Point is...yes! it is important to recruit Iowa kids, however, you do not recruit them just because they are from Iowa. It is a bonus if there are some D1 caliber kids in the state of Iowa and they want to come to ISU. You start in state and work your way out. Example...not quality O-lineman in state, or just couple, okay we look out of state. There are two sides to the the coin. But it is crazy to say it is not important, but, it is also crazy to offer a schollie to a sub-par recruit because he is from Iowa.....

**cyclonenum1** · 04-25-2007, 08:18 AM

Originally Posted by Wesley

How many of the 22 went to ISU?

Two. Ed Bock 1938 and Mike Busch 1989.

**ISUFan22** · 04-25-2007, 08:38 AM

Those players you listed off that went to Iowa...well...those were some pretty good guys for the Hawks.

Big differences for both teams if we would've gotten even a couple of them.

**puckwarrior** · 04-25-2007, 08:38 AM

Iowa has a huge number of what we hate. Fans that never attended the school. I feel part of this comes from the fact Iowa had a number of Iowa kids play for them in the 80's and 90's while they were WINNING. Winning is an important part of the equation. People will cheer for winners. But they were able to pull in the non related fans by having Iowa kids playing while ISU was struggling. If you can get young kids to cheer for you because they know someone on the team and they are successful, you have a fan for life. We have our work cut out for us because I don't know if Iowa will ever be as bad as ISU was for as long we were. Iowa was terrible in the 70's and I know alot of people that use to talk more about ISU football back than Iowa football at that time. But, ISU had more success and had some known Iowa kids on the team.

**cyclonenum1** · 04-25-2007, 08:43 AM

Originally Posted by ISUFan22

Those players you listed off that went to Iowa...well...those were some pretty good guys for the Hawks.

Big differences for both teams if we would've gotten even a couple of them.

I would hope so...the list is of kids named 1st Team AA in college!

**bootcy** · 04-25-2007, 08:57 AM

How do you expect us to reel in top talent out of state if we can't get the top talent in-state? While I understand that the talent level in Iowa is far behind Texas and Florida, but why not take the top 4 or 5 kids from Iowa instead of under the radar kids from Florida. The top 4 or 5 Iowa kids are at least 3 stars usually if not higher, so it make sense to take these kids who understand ISU football and life in Iowa over 2 star kids in Florida.

**bmuff** · 04-25-2007, 09:08 AM

I think if the coaches think an in-state kid can play in the Big XII, they should do everything they can to sign him. An Iowa kid is cheaper and easier to sign than a kid from somewhere else. Not to mention, it helps promote the Clones throughout the state. Only in state can ISU beat NU or OU or UT for a recruit, so they have an advantage.

I don't think the staff should go after Iowa kids just to sign a few. They need to have the talent. Otherwise, they should try for walk-ons.