PiPress: Landing in-state talent key to Iowa’s success and possibly Gophers’

[BleedGopher]

per Marcus:

Gophers coach Richard Pitino has a team entering Sunday’s game at Iowa winless in the Big Ten at 0-12, but he says there’s hope for the future because of Minnesota natives playing next season.

The 2016 class has Hopkins guard Amir Coffey and Rochester John Marshall wing Michael Hurt, along with Arkansas native Eric Curry. Transfers Davonte Fitzgerald and Reggie Lynch are also eligible next season. But Lynch, a 6-foot-10 Edina, Minn. native, could be similar to Uthoff in a Division I transfer who decided to come back and became the team’s best player.

What Woodbury, Jok and Uthoff did for the Hawkeyes, Pitino hopes Coffey, Hurt and Lynch can do for the Gophers in the next two years.

“Your in state talent, those classes have got to be good,” Pitino said. “I think (McCaffery) struck while the iron was hot. He developed those guys and did a good job identifying, and then just getting those guys older, and now they’re reaping the rewards…It’s difficult for us now to go through it. But I do see what this team can become, I really do.”

http://www.twincities.com/2016/02/1...nt-key-to-iowas-success-and-possibly-gophers/

Go Gophers!!

 

[Ogie Ogilthorpe]

I was blown away when I actually noticed tonight that Iowa starts 4 Seniors and a Junior. You just don't see that anymore

And apparently they play almost nobody outside of those 5 for the most part. Yikes. Better ride this one out while you can, Frannie

 

[GophersInIowa]

I was blown away when I actually noticed tonight that Iowa starts 4 Seniors and a Junior. You just don't see that anymore

And apparently they play almost nobody outside of those 5 for the most part. Yikes. Better ride this one out while you can, Frannie

69% of their total minutes come from the starting five.

 

[Holy Man]

I was blown away when I actually noticed tonight that Iowa starts 4 Seniors and a Junior. You just don't see that anymore

And apparently they play almost nobody outside of those 5 for the most part. Yikes. Better ride this one out while you can, Frannie

They have a couple of guys who are pretty good not getting the amount of playing time they might get on a less experienced roster. I've heard these kinds of statements about Wisconsin for years, and they have repeatedly developed players in practice who go from little to no playing time as freshmen and sophomores to quality players as juniors and seniors. I'm not counting Iowa as a flash in the pan with their quality senior class this year. Maybe this is the peak and they come back to the pack next year, but just because they are starting mostly seniors doesn't mean they go away next year.

 

[bemidjigopher]

They'll take a step back next year but I don't expect them to be terrible. They'll still have Jok, Wagner seems like a guy who will turn into a player. Fran can coach they'll flirt around the .500 mark

 

[bga1]

They'll take a step back next year but I don't expect them to be terrible. They'll still have Jok, Wagner seems like a guy who will turn into a player. Fran can coach they'll flirt around the .500 mark

Fran was 4-14 in the Big Ten the last time he had a roster like he'll have next year. If he goes .500 next year- he's coach of the year.

 

[Otis]

That article is crap! It makes it sound like Iowa has closed the borders for their top in-state recruits. They did not sign Harrison Barnes did they. Woodbury was close to coming here and playing for Tubby at one point. Uteoff is a transfer. These guys have just developed and now they are experienced.

Closing the borders is harder in Minny because of superior talent. Would we have a better team with Jones, Travis, Vaughn, Coffey and Trent? Of course, but these guys were recruited by everyone and most chose to go to more prestigious schools. Pitino will need to recruit players that can develop into players like Iowa has now to be successful and then he may be able to sign a few elite Minnesota players once they have some success. I think the Sophomores and Freshmen on this team could be very good by their Senior years, especially with our transfers coming in next year and the recruits. The key will be getting them to stay on campus. Two years from now is the time to look forward to if Pitino can keep them together and develop the team. If they all transfer, it will be more "what could have been" seasons.

 

[Urbandale]

They'll take a step back next year but I don't expect them to be terrible. They'll still have Jok, Wagner seems like a guy who will turn into a player. Fran can coach they'll flirt around the .500 mark

Jok can play at the next level. It wouldn't surprise me a bit to see him declare for the draft after this season with his other four starting mates graduating.

 

[dpodoll68]

Jok can play at the next level. It wouldn't surprise me a bit to see him declare for the draft after this season with his other four starting mates graduating.

He certainly could do that, but he'd be unlikely to even be drafted (let alone 1st round) at this point, so he doesn't stand to gain much by leaving a year of eligibility on the table.

 

[Urbandale]

He certainly could do that, but he'd be unlikely to even be drafted (let alone 1st round) at this point, so he doesn't stand to gain much by leaving a year of eligibility on the table.

We'll disagree on that one. To my eye, he's got NBA shooting guard written all over him.

 

[dpodoll68]

We'll disagree on that one. To my eye, he's got NBA shooting guard written all over him.

I have no opinion on the matter either way, I'm just stating that a review of NBA draft information and various websites doesn't even have him on the radar.

 

[tjgopher]

That article is crap! It makes it sound like Iowa has closed the borders for their top in-state recruits. They did not sign Harrison Barnes did they. Woodbury was close to coming here and playing for Tubby at one point. Uteoff is a transfer.

McCaffery wasn't even the coach at Iowa when Harrison Barnes was being recruited, but Barnes wasn't going to Iowa anyway. McCaffery beat out UNC for Woodbury (Tubby wasn't that close to getting Woodbury). McCaffery lost Marcus Paige to UNC, but otherwise has kept most everyone he's wanted in state, including three in the upcoming recruiting class. Uthoff transferred back to his homestate. For Iowa, Gesell is basically homestate, as he played on the AAU team in Iowa (grew up across the border in Nebraska).

Pitino will need to recruit players that can develop into players like Iowa has now to be successful and then he may be able to sign a few elite Minnesota players once they have some success. I think the Sophomores and Freshmen on this team could be very good by their Senior years, especially with our transfers coming in next year and the recruits. The key will be getting them to stay on campus. Two years from now is the time to look forward to if Pitino can keep them together and develop the team. If they all transfer, it will be more "what could have been" seasons.

Agree 100%

 

[underground629]

McCaffery wasn't even the coach at Iowa when Harrison Barnes was being recruited, but Barnes wasn't going to Iowa anyway. McCaffery beat out UNC for Woodbury (Tubby wasn't that close to getting Woodbury). McCaffery lost Marcus Paige to UNC, but otherwise has kept most everyone he's wanted in state, including three in the upcoming recruiting class. Uthoff transferred back to his homestate. For Iowa, Gesell is basically homestate, as he played on the AAU team in Iowa (grew up across the border in Nebraska).
Agree 100%

Wait, you don't agree that McCaffery should be discredited because, although he beat out UNC for Woodbury, he ALMOST lost Woodbury to us? Or that he didn't lock up the number 1 recruit in the country who had the opportunity to be the star at any school he felt like attending? I found those arguments to be very convincing.