Caitlin Clark

[Bjbod]

Caitlin is a generational player and Lisa Bluder (coach) should have scoured the players in the Portal last year and gotten more support for her. The three freshmen Iowa signed are providing very little support for Caitlin. Next years recruiting class doesn't appear to provide much support for Caitlin either. Lisa will have another opportunity at the end of this year to get Caitlin more support. Not saying that Caitlin and Iowa can't make the Final 4, but its not looking likely.

Iowa has some 'nice' support players, but there's a difference between being a 5'11" support player and an athletic 6'2" support player. Almost all athletic programs at Iowa have been developmental: get decent players that fit and then develop them over 3-4 years. Not saying it won't happen, but I'd be surprised if they come up with a real contributor through the portal.

 

[JDuro]

This is a year ago but Dawn Staley appears to be a fan.

Dawn is, and reiterated she's still a fan while answering a question about NPOY in her presser yesterday.

 

[GCKSFN4L]

Dawn is, and reiterated she's still a fan while answering a question about NPOY in her presser yesterday.

She even gave Caitlin the Dawn Staley Award last season too.

 

[CBus13]

Definitely agree, they will be a tough out for anyone. Does anyone know the last time someone scored around 46 points in one game? I think Maya came close to that a couple of times.

Naz Hillmon scored 50 against Ohio State last year.

 

[eebmg]

Naz Hillmon scored 50 against Ohio State last year.

Ayoke Lee had 61 this year.

 

[Shades]

 

[JellyBean]

Iowa has some 'nice' support players, but there's a difference between being a 5'11" support player and an athletic 6'2" support player. Almost all athletic programs at Iowa have been developmental: get decent players that fit and then develop them over 3-4 years. Not saying it won't happen, but I'd be surprised if they come up with a real contributor through the portal.

This is what I love about Coach Bluder, her ability to develop the talent that she is able to recruit to Iowa. Twenty-one or twenty-two years at Iowa and she has built a solid program without that top tier level of talent, minus Megan Gustafson and Catilin Clark. But over the years, Coach Bluder has developed shooters and players basketball IQ. Heck they are always in the tournament; WNIT or NCAA.

 

[Plebe]

This is what I love about Coach Bluder, her ability to develop the talent that she is able to recruit to Iowa. Twenty-one or twenty-two years at Iowa and she has built a solid program without that top tier level of talent, minus Megan Gustafson and Catilin Clark. But over the years, Coach Bluder has developed shooters and players basketball IQ. Heck they are always in the tournament; WNIT or NCAA.

It should be noted that Clark is really AFAIK her first blue-chip recruit. Gustafson was completely under the radar coming out of high school, somewhere around #80 per ESPN. Credit is due to Bluder and post coach Jan Jensen for helping her develop. Gustafson went from virtual unknown to NPOY and led Iowa to the Elite 8 her senior year.

 

[undersized]

It should be noted that Clark is really AFAIK her first blue-chip recruit. Gustafson was completely under the radar coming out of high school, somewhere around #80 per ESPN. Credit is due to Bluder and post coach Jan Jensen for helping her develop. Gustafson went from virtual unknown to NPOY and led Iowa to the Elite 8 her senior year.

x1000. The potential was there from the beginning, but Gustafson only became what she became with hard work and fantastic developmental coaching. And that's why she is so beloved by the Iowa fan base.

 

[CBus13]

It should be noted that Clark is really AFAIK her first blue-chip recruit. Gustafson was completely under the radar coming out of high school, somewhere around #80 per ESPN. Credit is due to Bluder and post coach Jan Jensen for helping her develop. Gustafson went from virtual unknown to NPOY and led Iowa to the Elite 8 her senior year.

Sam Logic in 2011 was pretty highly rated (no. 10–15 depending on the serivce) out of Wisconsin.

Obviously, not at the level of Caitlin Clark. She was recruited by Stanford, Marquette, Kansas, Cal (2011 version), DePaul, and Vanderbilt. She was able to do a lot. She was almost Caitlin Clark/Sabrina Ioncescu light before they were even in Middle School. Had 6 career triple-doubles. When she graduated from Iowa, she was the only player in NCAA history to average 1500 pts, 800 rebounds, 800 assists, and 200 steals. Her final two seasons she was third in the nation in assists per game ~8.2.

Iowa made it to the Big Ten tournament championship game her Junior year and then were second in the season standings here senior year. But all the other years they were either 4th or 5th. I think the best they did in the NCAA's were a loss in the sweet sixteen? I wonder if Clark will have better team results than Logic.

 

[DefenseBB]

Yet inexplicably some on here want Bluder gone. Look Jennie B did a great job at Drake and is doing wonders in her 1st year at OU but given the money OU could throw at her and the fact Bluder built the Iowa program, no way does Jen leave OU unless she fails colossally in the SEC and when Bluder does retire, she could rebrand at her Alma mater.

 

[cancontent]

Yet inexplicably some on here want Bluder gone. Look Jennie B did a great job at Drake and is doing wonders in her 1st year at OU but given the money OU could throw at her and the fact Bluder built the Iowa program, no way does Jen leave OU unless she fails colossally in the SEC and when Bluder does retire, she could rebrand at her Alma mater.

I also don't get this. She's been consistent. Head scratcher.

 

[Dillon77]

She wasn't that highly rated by the services, but Kathleen Doyle was Ms. Illinois her senior year (2016). For those who can remember, she was supposed to attend Nebraska but was granted a reopening with the whole Connie Yori (not Yow, thank you DefenseBB) imbroglio. She then chose Iowa over Wisconsin, if memory holds.

Doyle made the All-B1G Frosh list and then teamed up with Megan Gustafson, which may have helped set the plate for Caitlin Clark's recruitment. Her senior year, she was named B1G Player of the Year. Feisty guard.

As for Bluder, she does well with what she recruits and gets them to play better (as noted, kudos to Jan Jensen on the posts, plus the recruiting of Clark). Has a pretty darn good retention rate, too. Don't know how anyone could do all that much better.

 

[DefenseBB]

She wasn't that highly rated by the services, but Kathleen Doyle was Ms. Illinois her senior year (2016). For those who can remember, she was supposed to attend Nebraska but was granted a reopening with the whole Connie Yow imbroglio. She then chose Iowa over Wisconsin, if memory holds.

Doyle made the All-B1G Frosh list and then teamed up with Megan Gustafson, which may have helped set the plate for Caitlin Clark's recruitment. Her senior year, she was named B1G Player of the Year. Feisty guard.

As for Bluder, she does well with what she recruits and gets them to play better (as noted, kudos to Jan Jensen on the posts, plus the recruiting of Clark). Has a pretty darn good retention rate, too. Don't know how anyone could do all that much better.

Um, you may mean Connie Yori at Nebraska.

 

[Dillon77]

Um, you may mean Connie Yori at Nebraska.

Thanks, BB....off two letters. My apologies, but with my daughter coming to visit (as I was posting this) I didn't have a chance to proofread and fact check. Pretty sure you knew whom I meant.