Will JUCO's ever become a feeder program?

alexssdean12

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Now with the NCAA deciding JUCO players get 4 years of D1 eligibility I was thinking for some guys like JT rock would it not make more sense to direct them to go to an Indian Hills and play for two years to develop skillsets? I know in the past players that didn't meet academic requirements would be encouraged to go for JUCO for a year and be recruited after, so there is certainly a precedent.

There's an argument that players benefit from getting in our program early and maybe redshirting but now with the ruling they would maintain 4 years of eligibility and we wouldn't have to use a scholarship on a guy that wont be productive. I could see Iowa State pushing some tweener freshman this direction and working with some of our good JUCO programs around the state.

The transfer rules really made an impact to JUCO recruiting but I could see this changing things in the future.
 

FinalFourCy

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Mar 5, 2017
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Yes

Go to juco, develop, then go make more money over your NCAA career


For example, had Rock been graduating now, he is the type that would benefit the most “getting old” without his NCAA clock starting.

He should consider going to juco this upcoming year to get his development year back that he gave up moving up a class. Worst case scenario, he transfers the following year to the SDSU type, but with same ncaa eligibility
 

coolerifyoudid

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I'm sure it is already going on to a degree. Most coaches have some kind of relationship or ties to other coaches at lower levels.

I know it's been mentioned on here before, but I wonder if you'll start seeing kids opt for a low major team and turning down scholarships at the P4 level, knowing they won't get the necessary playing time to be able to market themselves to other teams.

It's starting to become a decision of "Is it worth it for me to make $XXXXX.00 at Oklahoma, knowing I'm going to ride the bench or play at Winthrop, ball out, and then possibly make more money the following year when Gonzaga or Arkansas or Kentucky comes calling."

You have to bet on yourself either way.
 

intrepid27

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I think most Jucos and all but a handful of non power conference schools are susceptible to become a "feeder program". If you have a really good player someone is most likely going to poach them.

If I were a school today that didn't have much NIL money I'd try hard to hitch my wagon to a strong power 5 school. "You send us good high school kids and if they develop enough we will steer them towards you.
 

CycloneT

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Now with the NCAA deciding JUCO players get 4 years of D1 eligibility I was thinking for some guys like JT rock would it not make more sense to direct them to go to an Indian Hills and play for two years to develop skillsets? I know in the past players that didn't meet academic requirements would be encouraged to go for JUCO for a year and be recruited after, so there is certainly a precedent.

There's an argument that players benefit from getting in our program early and maybe redshirting but now with the ruling they would maintain 4 years of eligibility and we wouldn't have to use a scholarship on a guy that wont be productive. I could see Iowa State pushing some tweener freshman this direction and working with some of our good JUCO programs around the state.

The transfer rules really made an impact to JUCO recruiting but I could see this changing things in the future.
Pretty sure it was a 1 year thing.

NCAA just had to abide by the court ruling this year because of the lawsuit
 

acoustimac

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Even before the financials hit the player arena there were jucos back in the day that were used as feeder programs. Seems like ISU benefited from Indian Hills a few times. Football was more prone to doing this. KSU (I believe) used a Kansas juco to route players into and then on in to the main program.
 
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cydsho

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Really if you are a mid level, under recruited, player, you are better off going to a JUCO in a way. Chance to prove yourself and after only 1 or 2 years get a decent NIL deal.
If you go the smaller D1 school way, you might not get the touches until your JR year or so.
 
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In the 60’s and ’70’s the Iowa JC tournament was a must stop on the college basketball recruiting scene. I remember seeing Ralph Miller (Iowa), Maury John (Drake) and Glen Anderson (ISU) standing side by side watching Burlington JC play Ellsworth. Miller got both Sam Williams and Fred Brown from Burlington and won a Big 10 Championship with them. Could happen again.
 
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Correction; Williams and Brown both came from Burlington JC and both played for Miller at Iowa winning Big 10 Championships but in different years. They were not on the same teams at Burlington or Iowa.
 

Cyclad

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Correction; Williams and Brown both came from Burlington JC and both played for Miller at Iowa winning Big 10 Championships but in different years. They were not on the same teams at Burlington or Iowa.
Ellsworth was king for a couple years. Bennie Clyde made the cover of Sports Illustrated. They also had Bernard Hardin / the New York City player of the year. Won the national championship.
As you said, Burlington was really good.
Esterville had a good pipeline to Pittsburgh. Ellsworth was really good at football too. Never hear of them anymore.
 

danvillecyclone

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Burlington JC turned into Southeastern CC.

Some great Juco basketball there and Indian Hills and others.

I got Johnny Orr’s autograph in the early 90’s when he was with Coach Hallihan at a SCC game recruiting.

SCC Head Coach Jim Wyatt was a great JUCO coach. Had much success and many players D-1 and a couple NBA. He was buddies with Charlie Spoonhour

Winston Garland played at SCC and is Cleveland Cavs player Darius Garland’s father.

First hand story from Coach Wyatt.

Bob Huggins while at Cincinnati was recruiting Art Long. At Vincinnes, Indiana, Coach Huggins walks in to the locker room before the game and Wyatt kicked him out.
Huggins laughed and waited in the hallway.

After the team ran to the court, Huggins stopped Wyatt and said “Jim, I just want to know one thing. Can this Long play ball or not?” Coach Wyatt said “I’ll bet you $20 that he dunks the basketball in the first 10 seconds of the game”

Huggins takes his seat center court first row.

Wyatt draws up a play off the tip. Alley oop to Art Long.

Play went as planned and Art Long had a thunderous dunk over another potential D-1 player.

Wyatt looked over to Huggins and he waved a $20 bill.

Fun JUCO times!
 

AuH2O

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Ellsworth was king for a couple years. Bennie Clyde made the cover of Sports Illustrated. They also had Bernard Hardin / the New York City player of the year. Won the national championship.
As you said, Burlington was really good.
Esterville had a good pipeline to Pittsburgh. Ellsworth was really good at football too. Never hear of them anymore.
Iowa Western dominates football now and sends kids to pretty good programs, though it's not like the old days of those Kansas JCs being loaded with high level D1 guys.

Iowa Western, DMACC and Kirkwood churn out a lot of D1 baseball guys.

I suppose basketball is still maybe Indian Hills, though not like it used to be back in the day. In hoops there are so many D1 teams that you get to play some games against high level competition, and transfer so easily w/ NIL the advantages to Juco are really diminished.