Listen, people around here can be as confident as they want. I will never assume we're going to get an instate prospect until it happens.
RECRUITING: Xavier Foster recaps official visit to Iowa State
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They're comparing a 4 star with offers from Pitt, Florida, and Okie State to guys with zero stars and offers from Western Illinois?
All I know is it's going to be a long two and a half weeks.
I don't know why some people say that one school has more of a chance at putting guys in the NBA. If you're good enough at any D1 program, you will get noticed. Ja Morant, CJ McCollum, Damian Lillard are perfect examples. I wouldn't rely on that last paragraph at all.
We were very fortunate with the Niang, Morris group, those guys truly bought into their ISU experience and created a really unique bond between themselves, the school, and the fans.
I think in 10 yrs those guys will still be supportive of ISU no matter where their careers and life have taken them. But I'll be the first to admit it's just my IMO, I don't know any of them personally.
I agree with that...but if it is true that he has grown up an Iowa fan and his family are Iowa fans...some might deem it disrespectful to narrow it down to those two schools. I have never been in that situation...maybe he doesn't really care? Part of me wishes Harrison Barnes would not have included Iowa State among his finalists because if he wasn't going to stay in Ames (and I don't blame him one bit for the decision he made)...it would have been an easier situation to just not give State fans hope. Again...XF should do what he wants...never met him...but if he really is an Iowa fan...he could have ended this speculation earlier and moved on. Maybe he hasn't really decided yet? Who knows...
Those are generational talents though.. Unless you're like them, you're going to need exposure. You're going to need to be on TV a lot. The more you're shown, the more people talk about you and the more your stock rises. Going far in conference tournaments and NCAA tournaments help immensely with that because everyone is watching you.
Harrison Barnes included us to be nice. He was never going to come here. XF included us because it's a legitimate option for him.
It doesn't matter where you are from. Scouts will find you. TV coverage has nothing to do with it.
Morant was the #2 overall pick.
McCollum was the #10 overall pick.
Lillard was the #6 overall pick.
When you are in that rarefied air of talent, where you go likely does not matter very much. Iowa State had not had a guy like that in the "modern" era save Royce White.
The cases where NBA connections matter more is for the guys where getting drafted or making the decision to turn pro or not is more of a nail-biter. Basketball is just like any other profession where a network, connections, mentors, and institutions matter. ISU has guys who are still strongly connected to the program who can provide examples of success stories for 3* and 4* players of development into the NBA, who can be resources to players about what it takes and what decisions to make, and provide examples of a "program that develops guys and players with good habits" to coaches and general managers in the NBA.
I know being "the next Abdel Nader" might not sound that impressive outwardly, but he is going to make $1.6 million next year and get to hang with NBA guys. For a "ho-hum" 3* or 4* guy with no NBA buzz going into college or a transfer from a bad program and/or a bench guy from a good program looking to make a name for himself, turning into Nader or Burton probably sounds like a good outcome and a really good time. Making it into the NBA does not always mean imagining yourself as a lottery pick out of Duke or UNC setting the world on fire.
If Iowa or Iowa State had a guy who oozed with talent and was obviously a lottery pick, I doubt it would matter. But I do not think either side has anybody approaching that save for maybe Haliburton. It is more for the guys on the fence about going now/later or seniors who need every advantage they can get (e.g., Shayok) where that might help, not for the superstars who are going to be giving Adam Silver a big old bear hug on national television.
And even if the "bench" guys in the NBA that we have (and they do not) count for virtually nothing in these considerations -- we still have one NBA rotation player and a budding star in Monté Morris. They have absolutely nothing. Just having Monté, even if he is your only asset, is a great one. He is a great development and success story in college and the NBA, and he loves the program and Prohm. Just having that one is a nice advantage on its own.
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I mean either Blackwell or Walker would be the best in their class by far so I'm not sure what he's talking about
I mean, player development is a thing. Prohm has shown to be pretty good at it. Fran, not so much.
I agree, it's not about exposure. But it is about coaching and raising your game due to level of competition for most players with NBA aspirations, ie not the Morants of the world.
I'm not saying the scouts won't find you, I'm simply saying having the opportunity to play a lot of national televised games helps with your exposure. Going farther in tournaments and show casing your skills on the big stage helps with your exposure.
Hey @Gunnerclone, You wouldn't happen to be GunnerHawk?
