’16 Iowa Basketball Recruiting Big Board 3.0
IOWA CITY, Iowa – The last month or so has been slow sledding in the world of Iowa basketball recruiting. That was in comparison with the rest of the spring and summer.
Iowa still played host to two top targets in the 2016 Class during June. Chicago point guard Charlie Moore came through town on an unofficial. Dylan Painter, a face-up four from Pennsylvania, used one of his officials to check out the Hawkeyes.
At least eight other offered prospects considering Iowa have kept it in the mix heading into the crucial July evaluation period. It’s recruiting’s silly season.
The best indicator on one’s chances when it comes to a prospect often boils down the offer list and location. It’s easier to get a kid from Chicago with a modest list of opportunities than a comparable player in New York City or Philadelphia when it comes to Iowa. And if a recruit from in-state skips off for Duke, North Carolina, Kansas, etc., it would surprise no one.
The crop still in play for the Hawkeyes in ’16 is as good as it’s been in five years of the Fran McCaffery Era. And there’s a nice selection at the positions of need – point guard and "power" forward.
The Iowa coach gets to trudge around gyms throughout the country these next three weeks to be seen by the ones he’s watching and wanting. Prospects want to know they’re wanted…early and often.
Following July, if your school remains in it, the coach moves ahead in securing a visit (frequently an official). And he hopes, prays, does a rain dance, whatever it takes to make sure his stop was tops.
For those that track hoops recruiting even casually, chances are, you’ll know a name or two on our latest 2016 Iowa Basketball Recruiting Big Board.
Let’s do it – 3.0:
(Explaining the Big Board: It’s not a listing of the top prospects with Iowa offers. Rather, I compile this rundown based on several factors mixed together in hopes of producing my most educated guess for where the Hawkeyes stand with a given class. Recruiting is fluid and ever-changing, and this content should be viewed as a guide, not gospel. In a nutshell, the Big Board consists of prospects with Iowa offers that are realistic targets. I base that on information I gather through my interviews and also outside sources.)
1. Tony Carr
Height, Weight: 6-4, 175
Position: PG
School: Philadelphia Roman Catholic
AAU: Team Final
Reported Offers: Georgetown, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, LaSalle, Maryland, Penn State, Rhode Island, SMU, Temple.
Rankings: Rivals (4 stars, 76th player overall in class), Scout (4 Stars, 56th overall, 10th PG nationally, No. 1 PG in East Region).
Film: WATCH
Skinny: Carr holds down the No. 1 spot on the big board this time around after moving up from 10. His placement last time wasn’t based on talent. It was the stiff competition. Having talked with him, I think Iowa has a better shot than I did before, although he’ll still be tough to land. At 6-4 with a great handle and superior length, Carr is a match-up nightmare for most teams. He finds it neat that Fran McCaffery was a well-known Philly Catholic League point guard in his day. That has the door open for the coach to land his first prospect out of the City of Brotherly Love.
2. Lamar Stevens
Height, Weight: 6-7, 215
Position: CF
School: Havertown (PA) Haverford High
AAU: Team Final
Reported Offers: Georgia Tech, Indiana, Iowa, La Salle, Maryland, Penn State, SMU, St. Joseph’s, Temple, Villanova.
Rankings: Rivals (4 stars, 94th player overall in class), Scout (3 Stars).
Film: WATCH
Skinny: Stevens holds at No. 2 after an absence the previous time out. I’ve always liked Stevens but didn’t think Iowa had much of a chance. He told us in Minnesota that he liked the Hawkeyes and wanted to visit. It’s still going to be tough to yank him to the Midwest with his strong offer list close to home, but there’s a chance. He reminds me of Greg Brunner in that he’s an active, athletic, combo forward. Getting he and good friend Carr would be a major coup for McCaffery.
3. Tyler Cook
Height, Weight: 6-8, 240
Position: PF
School: St. Louis Chaminade
AAU: Saint Louis Eagles
Reported Offers: Arkansas, Florida, Iowa, Iowa State, Missouri, Virginia, Alabama, Illinois, Illinois State, Kansas, Kansas State, Marquette, Memphis, Miami (FL), Michigan, Pittsburgh, Purdue, Saint Louis, Tennessee, Wake Forest.
Rankings: Rivals (4 stars, 79th player overall in class), Scout (4 Stars, 94th overall, 16th PF nationally, 1st in Missouri).
Film: WATCH
Skinny: Cook is an explosive front court player with a body that already looks Big Ten ready. He’s long, powerful and very athletic. He trimmed his impressive list of offers to Arkansas, Florida, Iowa, Iowa State, Missouri and Virginia in May. The Hawkeyes were the first big conference school to offer him a scholarship and he’s built a strong relationship with the staff. Missouri hired his AAU head coach as an assistant last month, so that’s something on which to keep an eye.
4. Charlie Moore
Height, Weight: 5-11, 160
Position: PG
School: Chicago Morgan Park
AAU: Mac Irvin Fire
Reported Offers: Iowa, Georgia Tech, Memphis, St. John’s, Illinois-Chicago.
Rankings: Rivals (3 stars), Scout (3 Stars).
Film: WATCH
Skinny: After a long period of courting, Iowa offered Moore a scholarship on April 13. Georgia Tech was just ahead of the Hawkeyes and Memphis came in next. His recruitment was made a lot more interesting in May when Illinois offered. His AAU coach has said the Illini would be a favorite for Moore if they did. Now, we’ll have to see how it plays out. Moore reminds some folks of Tyler Ulis but hasn’t reached the level of the former McDonald’s all-American. Moore could compete for a starting spot as a freshman in Iowa City and that’s an enticing scenario for him.
5. Dylan Painter
Height, Weight: 6-9, 215
Position: PF
School: Hershey (PA) High
AAU: Team Final
Reported Offers: Davidson, Dayton, Duquesne, George Mason, Georgia Tech, Hofstra, Iowa, Northwestern, Penn State, Rhode Island, Rice, Richmond, St. Joseph’s, Xavier, Yale.
Rankings: Rivals (NR), Scout (NR).
Film: WATCH
Skinny: Painter remains without a star from Rivals but Scout bestowed upon him three stars since our last Big Board. The Pennsylvania Face-Up Four’s stock continues to rise after a dominating junior season in high school followed up by a strong spring with a loaded Team Final squad in the EYBL. He’s a reliable outside shot and a developing post game. An ankle injury sidelined him for the Minnesota EYBL session but he’e’s back for the July evaluation period. His official visit to Iowa City in June sealed the Hawkeyes’ place as a serious player here.
6. Kevin Huerter
Height, Weight: 6-5, 170
Position: Combo Guard
School: Clifton Park (NY) Shenendehowa
AAU: Albany (NY) City Rocks
Reported Offers: Albany, Baylor, Davidson, Duquesne, George Washington, Georgia Tech, Iowa, Marquette, Maryland, Miami (FL), Notre Dame, Penn State, Rice, Siena, Texas Tech, Vanderbilt, Xavier, Syracuse (for 2017 after year at prep school).
Rankings: Rivals (4 stars, 80th player overall in class), Scout (3 Stars).
Film: WATCH
Skinny: Huerter rose 21 spots and added a star in the Rivals rankings since we last met for the Big Board. He is friends with 2017 Iowa point guard pledge Connor McCaffery, Fran’s eldest son. In fact, their two families are close. That gives the Hawkeyes the necessary footing for a prospect with really good options a half a country away. Huerter is a legit combo guard, meaning he can play the point or off the ball, but is best suited on the wing. Huerter enjoyed an excellent spring and could be headed for some even bigger offers in July.
7. Nick Rakocevic
Height, Weight: 6-10, 200
Position: PF
School: Westchester (IL) St. Joseph’s
AAU: Mac Irvin Fire
Reported Offers: Creighton, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Miami (FL), Northern Illinois, Purdue, Virginia, Wisconsin, Xavier.
Rankings: Rivals (4 stars, 75th player overall in class), Scout (4 Stars, 62nd overall, 12th PF nationally, 2nd in Illinois).
Film: WATCH
Skinny: Rakocevic continues his descent down the Big Board after occupying the top spot on 1.0. He struggled with consistency this spring and when we saw him in Minnesota he looked out of sync. Still, I’m not as down on him as some others in the recruiting world. He’s still a 6-10 kid who’s long and athletic. He can face up and handle it. He’ll need to add strength and work on his post game, but he would be an excellent edition at Iowa and I think the Hawkeyes are well positioned. We’ll see what impact, if any, a mid-AAU season move from Nike to Adidas has on his process.
8. Xavier Simpson
Height, Weight: 6-1, 175
Position: PG
School: Lima (OH) Senior High
AAU: King James
Reported Offers: Cleveland State, Illinois, Iowa, Iowa State, Northwestern, Purdue, Toledo, Xavier.
Rankings: Rivals (3 stars, 122nd player overall in class), Scout (4 Stars, 74th overall, 16th PG nationally, 1st in Ohio).
Film: WATCH
Skinny: Like Carr and Stevens, a package of Simpson and Willie Jackson (see No. 9) would move McCaffery’s class up the rankings. Simpson is quick and knows where he wants to go with the ball. Like Moore, he’s on the smaller side, but he’s talented enough to excel well beyond his physical limitations. Simpson goes strong to the basket and is a good on-ball defender. His outside shot could use some work but it’s not a mess.
9. Willie Jackson
Height, Weight: 6-6, 200
Position: CF
School: Garfield Heights (OH) High
AAU: King James
Reported Offers: Iowa, Iowa State, Penn State, SMU, Wisconsin, Buffalo, La Salle, Minnesota.
Rankings: Rivals (3 stars), Scout (3 Stars).
Film: WATCH
Skinny: Jackson performed well at the EYBL Minnesota and expressed a strong interest in the Hawkeyes. Jackson plays bigger than 6-6 (which might be generous) because he can jump and is long. He’s quick off the floor which allows him to rebound against taller players as evidenced by a 20-board performance during one game in The Twin Cities. Jackson seems to be taking his recruitment very slowly which means it could go in a lot of different directions. He’s undecided whether he’ll sign in November or April.
10. K.J. Santos
Height, Weight: 6-7, 185
Position: Wing
School: Kent (CT) School
AAU: Mac Irvin Fire
Reported Offers: DePaul, Iowa, Oklahoma, Penn State, Rhode Island, Tulsa, VCU, West Virginia, Xavier.
Rankings: Rivals (3 Stars), Scout (3 Stars).
Film: WATCH
Skinny: Santos mostly stays off the grid when it comes to recruiting interviews. We were fortunate enough to connect with the Chicago native last month. He told us that the Hawkeyes were very much in the picture for his services. Santos has a ceiling as high as anybody else on the board save, perhaps, Carr. He’s a long 6-7 with good athleticism and the potential to play three positions. Like with all the players on the board who’ve yet to see Iowa City, McCaffery and his staff must get them on campus before taking the next step.