The States Disappearing NBA Talent

[CyCy]

After reading about Morris being Michigan's Mr. Basketball, I looked up the past Iowa winners.

Starting in 1991 the winners were Hoiberg, Pothoven, Settles, LaFrenz, Spanich, Wessel, Oliver, Newman, Collison and Hinrichs (co-winners). Also in that time frame were Korver, Bowen and Meyer. Out of that group were 6 players that had at least 10 year NBA careers plus Meyer and Oliver who had some NBA time.

Starting in 2000 the winners were Worley, McKinney, Horner, McKowen, Reed, Van Es, Bohannon, Vette, Gatens and Cougill. That a 10 year period were I don't think the state produced one player who even played in one NBA game (I may have missed someone).

Starting in 2010 the wiiners were Barnes, Uthoff, Paige and Jok. Barnes is in the NBA, also McDermott may eventually be.

What has caused the elite talent level of the state to drop so far. To go from six 10 year NBA veterans down to nothing for the next decade.

 

[alarson]

What were the 70s and 80s like? Is it that the 2000s were low or that the 90s were high?

 

[NATEizKING]

It seems top talent started trending to the Big 10 in the 2000's and the Big 12 in the 1990's. That's most likely why there was more NBA talent coming from the 90's.

 

[Rural]

Worley, Cougill, *snicker*

 

[BKLYNCyclone]

It seems top talent started trending to the Big 10 in the 2000's and the Big 12 in the 1990's. That's most likely why there was more NBA talent coming from the 90's.

I was going to note that those that played at Iowa and UNI have a dreadful lack of NBA time. ISU and KU do better. It would be interesting to note the other players from Iowa in that time that did end up with NBA time (Haluska rings a bell) to see if it is an actual decline, or a poor choice for Mr. Basketball in Iowa.

Btw, given this reasoning, Haluska's career in the NBA could have been better had he not transferred to EIU...

 

[Acylum]

Fred will put players in the NBA. Whether they are former Iowa Mr. Basketball winners depends on the state of Iowa talent level.

 

[Drive4cy]

Doug should enter the draft this summer. He'd go in the late first round somewhere. But I'm sure daddy will make him stay and stat-pad him one more year.

 

[NATEizKING]

Fred will put players in the NBA. Whether they are former Iowa Mr. Basketball winners depends on the state of Iowa talent level.

And whether Iowa Mr. Basketball makes the right decision.

 

[NATEizKING]

Doug should enter the draft this summer. He'd go in the late first round somewhere. But I'm sure daddy will make him stay and stat-pad him one more year.

It's a weak class, that would be the smart thing to do.

 

[BigLame]

Considering the amount playing in youth club-basketball and the time devoted over the past 10-plus years, this is shocking. All that time devoted yet the number of players going to the NBA is down. Just doesn't correlate.

 

[DistrictCyclone]

Considering the amount playing in youth club-basketball and the time devoted over the past 10-plus years, this is shocking. All that time devoted yet the number of players going to the NBA is down. Just doesn't correlate.

This might have as much to do with more talent coming from other states, and the NBA netting more international players. It may not be that the state's talent has declined as much as it's been "crowded out" by other states/countries in the NBA.

 

[CTTB78]

Other than LaFrenz, Collison, and Hinrich, we haven't missed out on a whole lot coming out of Iowa.

 

[NATEizKING]

Other than LaFrenz, Collison, and Hinrich, we haven't missed out on a whole lot coming out of Iowa.

Coaching change was part of our problem for missing out.

 

[cyclonespiker33]

I could be way off base, but is it perhaps that the elite athletes in Iowa are now choosing to persue football instead of basketball?

 

[BoxsterCy]

Iowa has around 1% of the USA population so why would anyone expect more than one or two players in the NBA from Iowa especially when you throw international players into the mix?

 

[Tre4ISU]

I didn't go through the whole thing but the game, IMO has changed from the standpoint that I think it is more talent driven than skill driven. You look at McDermott who is highly skilled. I think, 20-30 years ago, he would have thrived. Now teams want ceiling instead of skill. There aren't a lot of George Niangs out there who operate at a BCS level on pure skill. There's a reason his recruitment picked up a little later and that's his athleticism. Don't you guys think he would have been recruited heavier, earlier had we been in the 80s or even 90s? Maybe I'm way off base. Also, the football thing, maybe.