In years past I'd say hell yes, but with this stupid NIL I'm not so sure now. Feels like top talent will just chase money year after year... but suppose Ben doesnt want those kids anyway. Loved his after game comments about how if you're not tough we're probably not the program for you.
Does this help future recruiting?
- Thread starter IAHawkGrad2000
- Start date
I don't see how it could hurt. Any high profile win like this will always be a positive for publicity and recruiting.
Give 8 dollars to Swarm to honor Iowa's Elite Eight.
Hope they don't spend it all in one place.
It should help but should help even more with portal recruiting where kids jump on the bandwagon immediately. High schoolers can take their time more and momentum of this cools off some.
It certainly does. It will drive money to the swarm for men's basketball and if a player is deciding between two schools paying similar amounts this will push them towards Iowa.
Id say it actually helps more because of NIL. Ya, top players cost, but those transfers are just like the high school recruits you're not getting if you're not high profile. Iowa already doesn't get that. However there are for more affordable players that more schools of our caliber are all going to be after. And with the instant gratification of kids these days, all these short rentals want to go to a winner. And Iowa being where there are with a first year coach looks really good to them right now.
Im no coach, but I think a winning formula is going to be buying guards and developing forwards and centers. A lot of big men take time to develop anyways. Look at the 7'9 Florida kid. He doesn't play now, but he will. He's a big gangly un-cord now, but I'm sure that changes over 3-4 years. Kind of like the Theo Epstein model of developing hitters and buying pitchers. Focus your high school recruiting on long term players and use your capital to sign impact ready guards.
Im no coach, but I think a winning formula is going to be buying guards and developing forwards and centers. A lot of big men take time to develop anyways. Look at the 7'9 Florida kid. He doesn't play now, but he will. He's a big gangly un-cord now, but I'm sure that changes over 3-4 years. Kind of like the Theo Epstein model of developing hitters and buying pitchers. Focus your high school recruiting on long term players and use your capital to sign impact ready guards.
It helps EVERYTHING! Ben alluded to that in one of the interviews I saw. But besides recruiting it will help with excitement. Sell a few more season tickets. Add some more money to Swarm. I have a feeling we might be able to recruit against some of the big boys with BM with transfers and HS players. I also have a feeling we might see a few more sweet 16's in the coming years. And that is just as exciting as the current run. These last two wins have been so huge.
Of course it does. Also... I think a lot of fans that left to attend the women's games for CC, will come back next year.
I hope that they continue to find scholarships for the Sage/Stirtz/Banks types.
I think you’re viewing it from the wrong perspective. Fan enthusiasm over Iowa basketball has been fairly tepid for two and a half decades. Hard to generate much money when hardly anyone cares. Ben McCollum is changing that.
And, yes, while money is driving the transfer portal market, kids still want to play for winners in addition to getting paid. Reaching an Elite Eight and having a head coach that is garnering national praise is going to cause more prospects to take notice. When some of those once closed-doors start opening up, and conversations that would have never started in the past begin to, I believe Iowa will find a way to make the money work if BMC badly wants a kid with mutual interest.
I mean, BMC has already won a couple recruiting battles his first year by getting commits from Trey Thompson and the kid from Gonzaga’s backyard. I think he will find a way to fill his roster with the type of players he’s looking for, many of whom will be talent upgrades from the rosters Fran put together most years.
Money is always nice, but dudes will take (a little) less for a good fit. See Lendeborg picking Michigan over Kentucky. Not saying they'll take freemium discounts or anything, but decent cash plus competitive ball will always have you in the conversations.
A bit, I'm sure. But it won't mean anything if McCullum goes to Kansas or UNC.
Agreed. I know our NIL bucks are lacking right now, but NIL has really closed the gap between the blue bloods and the other teams in their conferences. Not that I expect BMC to be a lifer and never leave, but I think some of the "down on their luck" blue bloods aren't as nice of a landing spot as they think.
Never happen! Born in IC and raised in Storm Lake and grew up idolizing Tom Davis and the Hawk program.
Why would he want to take a step down? I don't think I see Kansas or UNC still playing.
The kid born in Iowa City who grew up in Storm Lake an Iowa fan ain't goin' anywhere. Ben has his dream job, and he's not one of those guys, like Lane Kiffin, who's chasing the biggest paycheck. I think he'll be able to take care of his family pretty well by sticking around in Iowa City for 25 years or so.
BTW: Ben was available at NW Missouri for 14 years. Where were Kansas and UNC and the other "bluebloods" then? LOL
You would hope/think it would but McCollum has his kind of player. So many layers to recruiting now. Still don’t think we’ll ever be in the running for a 1 and done guy, from both a money and also a Ben perspective. Hes a builder. Hes about the team and getting better and working hard. I’d say 25% of the top 100 guys would be a fit at Iowa and then we also have to win that recruiting battle. But the good thing that this run has proven is we’ve done this with 2 D2 guys, an undersized Juco guy in Banks, Cam came from Wyoming and Folgueras came from Robert Morris. Only Koch was really a pretty highly regarded guy out of high school. Sage was going to Drake as well. So we know can compete with the coach we have.
After the battles these young men have been through in the Big Ten this year, they are no longer DII or midmajor players. This is a DI team that continues to get better. Coop, Al, and Tate have made huge strides. Bennett has adjusted to the physicality and Cam and Tavian are relentless on the boards. Isaia and Kael play very good d score when you least expect it. FWIW, Kael puts me in the mind of Kenny Arnold the way he penetrates the lane.
Thompson and Harris are two nice 4* adds to the future. Hoping we can flip Coon who is an athletic wing. Hoping we can land a 4* point guard in the 27 class.
Thompson and Harris are two nice 4* adds to the future. Hoping we can flip Coon who is an athletic wing. Hoping we can land a 4* point guard in the 27 class.
As I have said many times….there are only so many roster spots on the high dollar NIL teams, and more players than there are spots available. There are pg’s and bigs out there to be had that are more than capable of helping carry this team going forward. If Ben can get what he needs, there is no question he can coach them up.
I honestly think the chances of winning a Division I championship without serious NIL backing are slim now that major brands are loading up rosters. It was already tough when cheating was the issue, but this feels even harder. Unless the NCCA puts real guardrails in place, smaller programs are going to get squeezed hard. We had a good run, but it will be harder and harder moving forward.
Agree.
As it stands, an Elite Eight is probably going to be the ceiling for all but a handful of teams. Final Fours will be for the teams with the higher payrolls. It’s not right, and will soon start sucking the “magic” out of the tournament.
I don’t know what the solution is, but hopefully one can be found before major collegiate football and basketball are irretrievably ruined.
After he said under no certain terms that he will be back at Iowa next year I also don't think that will happen.