WBB Recruiting continued...

[aauummm]

I'm crazy...

I got a list of all the high school gbb teams in Arkansas. I whittled the list down to the 34 schools within 480 driving miles of Ames. Only one of those schools played on 11/16 but they didn't play on 1/19, so I made the assumption that BF's visit on 11/16 didn't actually coincide with a game. Steyer tweeted that she was going to a game, so I knew the target definitely played on 1/19. I was able to narrow down the list of teams to 25 that played a game 1/19 at one of those 34 schools.

I looked at the list of 08-09 AR all-state players. Of those, only 6 currently play for one of those 25 schools (2 juniors, 4 seniors). I decided to look into the juniors, and lo and behold...

Berna Nets More Scholarship Offers



I win.

Very nice sleuthing job! :notworthy:

 

[twistedredbird]

Virginia Johnson verbals Iowa: Virginia Johnson commits to Iowa | IowaPrepSports.com

She's one of the better players in the state, although being from Iowa City I don't know if ISU was ever considered. She says she chose Iowa over Rutgers.

Tough to see a good player in state go to Iowa instead of ISU, but I got to think our post depth right now with Anna, Pop, Z, Schroll and Hallie coming in is pretty strong. Guards are the need right now.

Also, ISU seems to be expanding its reach on more of a National level to find players to fit our system.

Real excited to see who this new class will be.

 

[tigershoops31]

Virginia Johnson verbals Iowa: Virginia Johnson commits to Iowa | IowaPrepSports.com

She's one of the better players in the state, although being from Iowa City I don't know if ISU was ever considered. She says she chose Iowa over Rutgers.

My team played against her this summer and she was an absolute beast...it was almost to the point where my players were scared to get in her way :no:

 

[mred]

Tough to see a good player in state go to Iowa instead of ISU

I saw Jade Rogers of CR Kennedy (going to Iowa next year) when they played Linn-Mar, and she was really good as well. Iowa will have a pretty good post presence in a few years.

 

[twistedredbird]

hard to get kids to come to ISU when they(Rogers & Johnson) both cited the fact they grew up Hawkeyes as a reason for their choice.

 

[mred]

hard to get kids to come to ISU when they(Rogers & Johnson) both cited the fact they grew up Hawkeyes as a reason for their choice.

ISU used to have to fight that an awful lot back when "Iowa WBB" conjured images of CVS' successful teams, and "ISU WBB" conjured up images of, well, nothing. Now we're at the point where 16-year-olds aren't old enough to remember a time when ISU WBB wasn't successful (a.k.a. a time before Fennelly was coach). That's got to help a lot with both in-state and out-of-state recruiting.

But there will still be kids (especially in eastern Iowa) who grow up dreaming of playing for Iowa.

 

[clonedude]

Iowa already has Johnson and Rogers. I wouldn't be surprised if they land Kiah Stokes as well since her dad played there.

It pains me greatly to say this, but Iowa is going to get real good. Printy is a stud already too.

 

[twistedredbird]

Iowa already has Johnson and Rogers. I wouldn't be surprised if they land Kiah Stokes as well since her dad played there.

Doubt Stokes stays within the state.

 

[Oldgeezer]

Doubt Stokes stays within the state.

I would agree with this. I'm guessing Stokes most likely will land at Rutgers or Maryland.

 

[Kitkat]

Tough to see a good player in state go to Iowa instead of ISU, but I got to think our post depth right now with Anna, Pop, Z, Schroll and Hallie coming in is pretty strong. Guards are the need right now.

Also, ISU seems to be expanding its reach on more of a National level to find players to fit our system.

Real excited to see who this new class will be.

Yes and no, about the numbers of post players. I recall over the past 5 or 6 years losing posts that had promise: Lisa Bildeaux, Rachel Pierson, Gillian Bjerke, and recently Ashley Arlen. (okay, maybe not Bjerke) Then to that add the unforeseen injuries two years ago to Nicky Wieben and Tocara Ross, and you can see why we may want to add another post or two in the next two years beyond Hallie. I can see, for example, the possibility of having a big player at the #3 once Kelsey B. graduates. If we ever decided to go big there and call the #3 a forward instead of a guard, and also assuming that this #3 could hit the trey as well as go inside, then three or four bigs would not be enough. I would like five or even six bigs (defined as 6'-1"+), especially if they would not be interchangeable; i.e., not all could hit from outside and hence could not play as a 3. Just thinking out loud here. What do others think?

 

[twistedredbird]

any recruit sightings at the OU game last night? would have been a good one to have recruits at.

 

[mred]

Coach Steyer tweeted that she had to cancel a recruiting trip down south due to weather. Probably just continuing to recruit Berna, so nothing new.

 

[mred]

BF and Steyer did some recruiting in Colorado. Think the Colorado Rockies connection might be a good one(Anna). Steyer said she was in Ft. Collins, possibly looking at Kara Spotten. Not listed on hoopgurlz. BF and JS are at recruiting non-stop these days, do they ever sleep? Sounds like Steyer was on the west coast or down south again. Gotta think an Elite Eight appearance last year allows for recruiting from a broader pool of players this year.

ATHLETES OF THE WEEK | coloradoan.com | The Coloradoan

'Cats thump Fort Morgan | coloradoan.com | The Coloradoan

MONARCH 61, ROCKY MOUNTAIN 51 -
...
Kara Spotton, a Rocky junior post player and NCAA Division I prospect, had 24 points and 14 rebounds. CSU coach Kristen Holt and Iowa State coach Bill Fennelly were among those in attendance. Fennelly's team plays today at Colorado.

Stumbled across this. I think you had mentioned Eliza Normen of Monarch as another potential ISU target, so BF may have been scouting both of them.

 

[Knownothing]

I don't follow womens recruiting. Do we every get top 100 girls at Iowa State or do we basically get system players that overacheive? Or does Fennely take fringe players and make them really good. Just curious on how it works in womens B Ball at ISU.

 

[mred]

MRED, you rule.

Do you have a spreadsheet going for possible recruits? Seems like the list is getting bigger and bigger.

BF did say it was going to be a big class.

Here's who I have so far (all 2011 recruits):

Verballed:
Fallon Ellis, Missouri City, TX

Offers:
Taylor Greenfield, Ballard, IA
Emily Cady, Seward, NE
Calli Berna, Fayetteville, AR

Other names thrown around:
Kiah Stokes, Marion, IA (She's apparently visited at least unofficially and I figure we must have offered by now, but I've seen no report that we've offered)
Eliza Normen, Louisville, CO
Kara Spotton, Ft Collins, CO
Jen Keitel, DeWitt, IA
mystery player, NH
Sharonda Butts, Des Moines, IA
Markisha Wright, Des Moines, IA

 

[mred]

I don't follow womens recruiting. Do we every get top 100 girls at Iowa State or do we basically get system players that overacheive? Or does Fennely take fringe players and make them really good. Just curious on how it works in womens B Ball at ISU.

More of the latter. We get the occasional top 100 (one every couple years or so) but Anna Prins (somewhere in the 30s) was the highest ranked recruit to come to ISU in the Fennelly era. Usually when we get a top-100 player they are in the 70-100 range. In many cases we just get players who are very talented but have flown under the radar.

 

[Bipolarcy]

I can see, for example, the possibility of having a big player at the #3 once Kelsey B. graduates. If we ever decided to go big there and call the #3 a forward instead of a guard, and also assuming that this #3 could hit the trey as well as go inside, then three or four bigs would not be enough. I would like five or even six bigs (defined as 6'-1"+), especially if they would not be interchangeable; i.e., not all could hit from outside and hence could not play as a 3. Just thinking out loud here. What do others think?

I think this is where Taylor Greenfield comes in. From everything I've read, she's a 6-3 version of Bolte, maybe with not quite the ball-handling skills. Also, I could easily see Zimmerman filling this role. She appears to be deadly from 3 and will only get better.

 

[Tornado man]

I think this is where Tyler Greenfield comes in. From everything I've read, she's a 6-3 version of Bolte, maybe with not quite the ball-handling skills.

Uh, Taylor Greenfield is a little more talented (quickness, speed, jumping ability, ball-handling) than Bolte...

 

[twistedredbird]

More of the latter. We get the occasional top 100 (one every couple years or so) but Anna Prins (somewhere in the 30s) was the highest ranked recruit to come to ISU in the Fennelly era. Usually when we get a top-100 player they are in the 70-100 range. In many cases we just get players who are very talented but have flown under the radar.

Anna was 44th ranked. Ironically, Anna was lower ranked than OU's McFarland that we saw last night. I would say we got the better player.

Adrianna Prins - College Basketball Recruiting 2009 - ESPN

 

[mred]

Blue Star had her 37th. That's probably what I was thinking of.

Blue Star Basketball