Gee only 2 have been Cyclones, yet ISU has had a better program than Iowa over that span.
I grew up with Ryan and played ball with him all growing up. Ryan wasn't a flashy player, but hands down the most fundamentally sound player I've ever seen play the game at the high school level. He went on to Creighton and in his freshman year he became the only player in conference history to have more steals than turnovers.....he did it all 4 years. Great shooter as well. I saw him 2 years in a row make 98 of 100 free throws in a free throw contest. Lockdown defender as well. Todd was a stud too, but he was about 6'6 so was a completely different type of player. Ryan played varsity for Ankeny as an 8th grader which is completely unheard of. I don't know if he's top 5 of all time, but he can play point for my team anytime.
Toughest 2 players I ever played against for sure were Dean Oliver, and Dave Newman out of Hoover class of 97'. That kid was NUTS! He could shake you down to the ground, and if you played off of him to drive, he would spot up and nail it. He ended up going to Northwestern, then xferring to Drake. He had alot of injuries early in his collegiate career and never panned out, but that kid was insane.
PJ Dauterive who was a Sr. on the Ankeny High team when Ryan Sears was a Jr. was incredible too. I remember he made a half court buzzer beater to beat Valley both times they played them. He was maybe the most unstoppable player I've seen. He could have gone far had it not been for major drug problems. Anyone remember him?
I'll let SouthernHawk or TarHeelHawk or one of the other resident Hawkeye "guests" around here put up a more spirited defense, but I would say that Iowa has actually had a better basketball program than we've had since 1981 (the year that the Mr. Basketball award was first given out in the state of Iowa). They've certainly been to more NCAA tournaments and had more winning seasons during that span than we have.Gee only 2 have been Cyclones, yet ISU has had a better program than Iowa over that span.
bitter?:chatterbox:Settles? Really? That 8 year undergrad shouldn't even be in this conversation....stupid squaks....and that dumb cut up undershirt that he always wore.
My favorite high-lite ever of him was when he was at home playing us, ranked Iowa State in IC. He pump-faked 7 times and Cato just stood there watching him....right on the last pump he went up for his glorious lay up....only to have it completly denied by Cato in the biggest block I have ever seen..... blocked it to the mid-court....Willoughby scooped it up and had a nice little dunk on the other end.
Too bad Squaks.
Huh? You could argue that he wasn't even the best on his team at times. (speaking of Jason Bohannon)
I had a front row seat for four years watching that train wreck develope.Robert Johnson has to go down in history as the biggest bust for a Mr. Iowa BB.