From: Bradm7@aol.com
Date: Sat, 21 Dec 1996 11:45:01 -0500
Subject: HERKY: Athletics in Iowa changing?

Is it just me, or does it appear the Hayden and maybe the recruiting gurus think that the talent level of players from the state of Iowa has improved?

It seemed in past years, Iowa would sew up their 5-6 instate recruits early. Then you would start to see the Illinois and Wisconsin players sign. And, the class would be closed with later signings from New Jersey, Texas and New York and the occasional odd recruit from California or a JUCO. If for some reason, a late recruit would fall through, you would sometimes see another Iowa player (usually a project) get a scholarship to fill the class. I think a case in point could be used last year with the Slattery kid.

But, this year, it appears that Iowa is not using that approach at all. Maybe for very good reasons. The fact that we are signing an Iowa player like Meyer at this point in the year, not waiting until spring has me wondering if the talent level is substantially better. Normally, if we wanted a guy like this wouldn't we have had this recruit in the fold a while ago? This time of year is normally set aside for going after the big Texas players. It is rare when we are still recruiting an Iowa player this late in the year except for your rare Timmy Dwight, Vanden Bosch or Trev Alberts.

I know some will argue, Meyer was a backup to another out-of-state player we were after but lost - as is possible with the Inman kid. But, normally, wouldn't we wait until spring to sign Meyer? It appears that Iowa now is caught in a dilemma of not being able to wait because these instate players will sign with the likes of Nebraska if we were to wait.

Maybe its not a perception but a reality that the talent level in the state of Iowa in football and basketball is that much better. I know when I grew up in Burlington, I thought the basketball talent was pretty good in the area.....until I moved out to Washington, DC and started playing street ball with players whose jock I couldn't even hold. But, by playing against these players, I improved more in about three years than the 13 or so years I played basketball in Burlington. Playing against better talent improved my own skills.

I alway wondered, how will the athletic ability ever improve in a place like Iowa unless players from outside of Iowa move in and raise the level of competition, forcing others to improve? Maybe the influx of the Kahlil Hill's are having an impact or has skills just improved on their own?

A recent story I edited for AOL had Iowa as the number one/two place in the country to live considering quality of living. Are people actually taking advantage of this and moving in? Every statistic I see has the population of Iowa declining. Maybe long time Iowans such as myself are leaving the cold weather behind but those from the outside looking in are saying, "Hey, this would be a good place to raise a family."

Can anyone tell me the last time the state of Iowa has so many Division 1 players coming out of the state of Iowa for football. Help me out here, I don't have the officicial list in front of me.

Let's see, Iowa has signed 7 (?), Iowa State 3 (?), Nebraska 2, Northwestern 1 and I'm sure there are many more I am missing or that haven't signed yet. If I am correct, 13 seems to be a pretty high number for one year.

Someone please correct me if I am wrong. However, I would be interested in seeing if anyone else agrees.- Brad.

From: gary r gaffney 
Date: Sat, 21 Dec 1996 13:13:34 -0600
Subject: Re: HERKY: Athletics in Iowa changing?

1. The coaching in the state has improved since we all grew up.

2. Programs like City and West High in Iowa City have adopted the 'Bigger, Stronger, Faster' programs to train the HS athletes.

3. The academic abilities of Iowa students are pretty decent.

4. It just might be a good year for seniors in Iowa.

5. Some professionals are moving back to the midwest. It was that anyone with a degree fled Iowa. As members on this list demonstrate, some of these professionals had decent athletic skills. They also have some interest and ability to coach. This all helps improve the sports environment.

6. As you point out, improvement really comes with playing better competition. As the competition improves. the level of achievement will improve.

7. More and more organized high level leagues are being formed. Iowa has sent a couple decent AAU teams to national competition.

8. Iowa kids always did well in strength sports, and in wrestling. No reason, Iowa kids, with proper training can't do well in other sports. Also the Iowa Games has helped motivate kids into more participation. For instance we take a team of grade school kids every year to compete in track and filed, basketball, roller hockey, martial arts, and more. This will pay off. I coach the same kids in basketball. After a while this kids get used to each other. They then become motivated to practice more and more.

9. Make no mistake though, we are not going to produce the quantity of athletes you see in the large states. You could probably take the best athletes in Iowa in tea sports to challenge the best athletes, say in the Houston metro area. Iowa would get their butt kicked, no doubt. The Houston area would have a greater concentration of athletes by virtue of population density and genetic selection. However the game would be closer than in the past.

What can be done to continue the trend:

1. I think we need to pressure the HS Athletic Association to increase the number of games. The kids don't really need as much practice as the season progresses.
Think of young Glen Worley. If he were in Houston he would be playing 30 - -35 games a year. Here in Iowa he gets maybe 17 -18 before the playoffs. Any wonder a kid like Andre Patterson comes from Texas with accolades.

2. We need to promote youth athletic sports, and develop kid's physical prowess. And not at the expense of their academic studies.

3. We need to continue to upgrade the coaching professionalism, and the quality of athletic events in the state.

- -0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Any payoff. Darn right. I would think with a family atmosphere of academics/sports/arts Iowa might be able to overcome the horrible weather to attract quality residents. Economic benefits ensue quickly.

Sometimes I become pretty morose about the state of Iowa. Other times, things look a little better.

_______________________________________________________
The ref warned me to stop pushing the other team's heads into the
ground.......Kyle Gaffney on smash-mouth football

Gary R. Gaffney
gary-gaffney@uiowa.edu

Subject: HERKY: Iowa HS and the Star: Davis' Big Loss
Date: Sat, 21 Dec 1996 18:19:09 -0600
From: gary r gaffney 

I can think of no team sports where the 'star' can impact so much as basketball. That one prodigy can lead to a state, national, or (sometimes) NBA championship (although the NBA championship is really not won by one star). One overwhelming talent, and a coach can retire successful. Larry Brown: Danny Manning; Jud Heathcoat: Magic Johnson; Denny Crum: Darrell Griffith etc.

We discussed that Iowa has produced very very few true stars. I am not sure if any true basketball stars were born and raised in this state. However we have seen some very very good players: Clay Hargrave and Raef Lafrentz. Russ Millard. His honor Mayor Hoiberg, and a couple others. However two have had major impact on the Iowa program.

One, Chris Street, as Tom K. pointed out has provided a legacy that will include a drastic turnabout in the Iowa program. The other just may be accountable for Tom Davis' current standing in the state: a very mixed review.

That would be Raef Lafrentz.

Has Iowa ever produced a player rated as one of the top-3 players in the basketball prep world? According to some scouts, LaFrentz would have been the one, or perhaps as low as 5 when he was a senior. Witnessing a tall, athletic, talent grew up in Iowa is as much a rarity as hosting a papal visit to the state. Lafrentz' college choice was probably critical for Tom Davis majority support as the head coach of the Iowa program. LaFrentz will but a footnote, albeit an important footnote, to the lists of All Americans at KU. At Iowa LaFrentz would have been LEGEND!

If LaFrentz had choose to matriculate at the University of Iowa Tom Davis would:

1. Answered many critics about his ability to recruit

2. Answered many critics about keeping in-state talent

3. Assured himself of runs at the Big Ten title, and perhaps the final four

4. Answered most questions of his offensive and defensive strategies (by this I mean when you have the star players you can win with your system; your system looks very good)

LaFrentz came along at exactly the right time, and the right place to impact the Iowa program. His decision to attend Kansas, as I note, will be an interesting note in the Kansas history book. Many more spectacular and better players have bounced the basketball at Phog Allen fieldhouse. However LaFrentz' rejection of Tom Davis and the Iowa program, had a more profound effect on both. This important peice of Iowa basketball history will never be mentioned in the official roundball logs.

_______________________________________________________
The ref warned me to stop pushing the other team's heads into the
ground.......Kyle Gaffney on smash-mouth football

Gary R. Gaffney
gary-gaffney@uiowa.edu

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