*****2026-27 Transfer Portal News*****
- Thread starter QChawks
- Start date
This can also be flipped to when Journey plays the 3 she will have opportunities to post up a smaller wing. Journey can destroy smaller defenders trying to guard her.
Iowa coaches were VERY worried they were going to lose Hannah before last season. I wonder what the lineup would have looked like without her. More minutes for Journey and Addie.
Not sure on that point. There aren't many "wings" even in major conferences like the B1G with wings smaller than 5'11". Your seeing more 6'2 wings and even many points guards are 5'11 to 6' now. Not saying she can't score in a variety of ways but she'll rarely ever be guarded by a smaller player. Pretty much all of her shots this year were either unguarded or on O board put backs. I'm sure her game will continue to evolve though.
She posted up quite a bit when I saw her play. Journey played post the majority of her life. She knows what she’s doing down there. I’m saying when she has a mismatch post her up. The worst thing that happened to her was stopping growing.
Lose how? Just curious if you can say. Transfer somewhere that would use her differently?
Woliczko doesn't (currently) have the strength to compare to Hannah's game. She could develop that over a year or so, but right now she isn't going to be playing defense or rebounding on near the same level.
We just did this last year, and here you all go again. Woliczko has been playing against weak high school players and all-star games. The strength that takes doesn't equate to what is under a basket in the Big Ten.
She's a good player, but you just lost a four year player that damn-near picked up a Michigan forward fighting for a loose ball. The team doesn't have that, so right now the big hope is that Heiden gets "angry" early in games.
Woliczko will come along. She will need some experience and time, some latitude to make mistakes.
We just did this last year, and here you all go again. Woliczko has been playing against weak high school players and all-star games. The strength that takes doesn't equate to what is under a basket in the Big Ten.
She's a good player, but you just lost a four year player that damn-near picked up a Michigan forward fighting for a loose ball. The team doesn't have that, so right now the big hope is that Heiden gets "angry" early in games.
Woliczko will come along. She will need some experience and time, some latitude to make mistakes.
Woliczko doesn't have the same strength. She has the same fighting spirit under the rim, and that's the closest thing to Hannah that we have on the next roster, which is why I commented: 'It won't be easy to fill everything Hannah brought to the team' when people were commenting that having Hannah hindered the team.
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She was seriously thinking about transferring. Raina leaving was part of it and how Raina handled a couple things at the end didn’t thrill Jan and the rest of the staff.
I think her rebounding is going to surprise you.
Hope so. I think it's just probably better for everyone to be pleasantly surprised, rather than any level of disappointment--especially after last season, which will only exacerbate the reactionary "critique."
Hindered or she was a good enough talent with the skills she had Jan accommodated her.
True. I believe Wolizco is a different level of animal than Deal. I guess we will find out.
I'm not in anyway saying that MW will not have a learning curve or adjustment., but I'd also say you are seriously under valuing the "weak high school players" she played against, especially every year playing for the Cali state championship. These are not 2a Iowa girls teams. Not to even mention her team USA international experience where she dominated on the glass playing out of position against centers quite often. I think raw strength isn't the only bench mark here. Just as a question how would you have rated someone like Keegan Murray his first couple of years at Iowa as a 3/4? Was he that physically ready to play power forward in the B1G against some of the strong 4's he played against? Sure made it work though didn't he?
Yep...once she got her scoring percentage on layups >50%.
And FTs >54%.
And don't forget the huge strides Jada Gyamfi made with four years of JJ tutelage.
Arguably. the biggest whiff in recruiting of the last decade.
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None of sitting around drinking beer and posting has a clue on what an obviously highly talented freshman is going to bring.
All fair points for optimism. I've considered the talent from the games I've watched, and really offer the same reply as my previous comment: I hope she rides into Iowa City and kills it day one, but I'm keeping any "best case scenario" hopes in check until we see how it plays out.
I don't see why Ava can't play the 5 in the W. She is 6'4 and Boston for Indy is 6'5 I believe. Both seem very good at scoring inside.
Contact window is open again as of today. Wonder if Iowa has news coming on the 2 possibles Jan mentioned
There you are. Apology accepted for you sticking up for a Ped State troll and wrestlings version of mitch. I know in the future you will be better.
I hope for some real news soon instead of bickering!
Women’s portal recruiting is like Fort Knox. Names just don’t get released. I’m surprised after Jan said maybe two commits that we would have heard of possible names by now. Really weird how quite things are.
Jan mentioned that she had to comply with the rule of refraining from contacting or disclosing anything about the Portal for a few days.
Yes I know Jan can’t say the names or contact during non contact times but usually people hear names or pick up something off of social media. Even the Mods seem to have a hard time getting target names for women’s transfers.
I watched to this podcast and some of their opinions about Jan's interview are that the only contact that leaked was the canadian Georgia Ferguson [a likely visit that already happened]. One of them said that Jan implied that signing one PG and one wing this week is still a maybe. The other said that after these two signings this week, Jan isn't finished with the Portal and will try to add someone else. But these are just opinions, we'll have to wait and see what happens.
I think some of the reason with 'secrecy' is that with 1500+ possibilities to sift through, the job to find good candidates is monumental....especially now where all of the known players have already signed. If you're good at digging up decent prospects others teams may just pursue your offers so they don't have to do the legwork. Seems like one of our football rivals was famous for doing this 10-12 years ago, Wisconsin maybe? I'm fine with keeping things quiet.
Maybe Skim Milkey can throw some names at the scrap heap at desperate fans.
Quick ( 6 minute ) Q&A with Jan and Cory Brada, Jan says 2 possible portal additions flying in tonight. Also asked if there was any path for Emely to return, That is a no go.
That was as a firm as a no you can get with a smile on her face regarding Rodriguez. LOL. Really sounds like 10-11 maybe 12 if a good player is willing. Wow.
That was a "You're kidding right?" look that she gave him.
Appears we have entered the "quality" over "quantity" stage of portal era roster$.
She said they might go higher if find the right player, but yes sounds like plans to go with extremely small roster this year.
This 5-6 DIII point guard might be one of the targets.
prairiefire.knox.edu
Bria Medina - 2025-26 - Women's Basketball - Knox College Athletics
Bria Medina (50) Guard - 2x All-Midwest Conference First Team (2023-24, 2024-25) Midwest Conference Newcomer of the Year (2023-24) Harley Knosher Female Athlete
prairiefire.knox.edu
This 5-6 DIII point guard might be one of the targets.
Bria Medina - 2025-26 - Women's Basketball - Knox College Athletics
Bria Medina (50) Guard - 2x All-Midwest Conference First Team (2023-24, 2024-25) Midwest Conference Newcomer of the Year (2023-24) Harley Knosher Female Athlete
She would be a nice pickup. Not sure Bria is in the portal, however
Did anyone see JJ out and about with a prospective recruit today?