MEN'S BB: Iowa Basketball Will Be Better Than You Think

Honestly... the Starting Five isn't half bad

Tucker
Bawinkle
Gatens
Fuller
Cole

The Hawkeyes are going to be in trouble in the depth dept, but if any of the incoming recruits can give Iowa good minutes, this team isn't as bad as some people want to make it out to be.

Also, Brommer can only get better. Cougill suddenly went from one of the better centers in the nation (holding his own against the nation's best on the AAU circuit last summer) to "fans" saying he's not Big Ten material. Gatens is going to be better (All-Big Ten better) and we didn't get to see all that Tucker can do on the offensive side of the ball (he'll surprise EVERYONE next season). Cole might be 100% now (you saw what he could do when he was).

In-depth breakdown of next year's team in the next few months...

MEN'S BB: OK, Armstead not heading to Oregon - yet

First he's going to Oregon.

In other point guard news, Malcolm Armstead of Chipola (Fla.) Junior College signed with Oregon.

“Yes,” Chipola coach Greg Heiar said in a text.

Then he's not. Or is he?

Armstead's recruitment has been one of the weirdest developments I have seen in a long time. From at once being a silent verbal to Iowa, to signing with St Johns, to signing with Seton Hall, to signing with Oregon, to who the hell knows?

Crazy.

MEN'S BB: Jeff Peterson Finds a Home at Arkansas

Former starting point guard for the Iowa Hawkeyes, Jeff Peterson, is headed to Arkansas.

Interesting move by Peterson considering the Razorbacks already have Courtney Fortson on the team (proven stud) and Julysses Nobles committed (future stud). If Jeff is transferring for increased playing time, it's not happening at Arkansas, that's for sure.

MEN'S BB: Malcolm Armstead Chooses Oregon

I'm not one to put much merit into what people say on MySpace or Facebook, however if Mac's status is legit, Ernie Kent just picked up a big time PG for the Oregon Ducks.



"Malcolm Armstead is headed to OREGON next yr so stop having these recruitment sites call me its over... I just told the world lol bout time it feels good now."

Personally, I'm happy for Armstead. I think he had a hard time with the recruitment process and he had a lot of people in his ear telling him what they thought he should do.

With Malik Stith signing with St. John's and Moore signing with Washington State, it was only a matter of time before Armstead went with Oregon.

Plenty of rumors and insider information on what went down with Iowa's recruitment of the JUCO PG. Personally, I think Lickliter and the staff blew this one. Iowa needed help at the guard position desperately. Of course, if Malcolm didn't fit Lickliter's style (see Tony Freeman), then I understand why the recruitment ceased. Regardless, I put this one down as a miss for the staff.

Recruitment needs to pick up something fierce - where's Roy Marble when you need him? I think he'd look good in the DBO position at Iowa.

FOOTBALL: Bucs Glad To Grab Bruggeman

Former Iowa center Rob Bruggeman is attempting to make Tampa Bay's 53-man roster (Cliff Welch)

Former Iowa center Rob Bruggeman was targeted by the Bucs in the seventh round. But when the team traded away one of its three seventh-round picks to move up in the fourth round to get Kyle Moore, Tampa Bay had to resort to signing Bruggeman as an undrafted free agent and the team thinks it has a steal.

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Read more here: http://www.pewterreport.com/articles/view/5444

FOOTBALL: Did you know Bobby Bell is the "Greatest Defensive Player of All-Time"?

Well, according to Tim Brewster he is.




OK, Bell was good (strike that - GREAT), but to say the best defensive player of all-time? Really? Put down the juice, Brew.

Even if Brewster meant "Greatest [Minnesota Golden Gopher] Defensive Player of All-Time", I still would call him on it. Hell, I'd put Bronko Nagurski ahead of Bell. Sure, he made his living on offense, but he was a beast on defense, as well.

One thing is for certain, Brewster is... uh... excited...

MEN'S BB: Steve Alford Tries to Spin, Ends Up Doing a 360

Props to Hockey04 for the link to the story, topingyou for pointing out the quote.

FoxSports reports on Alford's incentives.

Forget the fact that former Iowa Hawkeye Mens Basketball coach, Steve Alford, gets paid $10,000 for each time his team beats a Top 20 team. Instead, check out the way he tries to spin the academic successes of his players.

"Our academic situation has taken a 360-degree turn and all three seniors graduate (this spring), and Ro (junior Roman Martinez) will graduate next year. So we've really made a lot of strides in the areas I was hired."

Really? A 360-degree turn? Perhaps Steve needs to head back to grammar school and figure out where a 360-degrees puts you.

Derp.

MEN'S BB: Who Is Iowa's Primary Target for 2009 Now?

With Malcolm Armstead likely out of the mix after "postponing" his visit to Iowa City, who does Iowa look at to bring in with one of their three outstanding scholarships available? By all accounts, Armstead's trip to St. John's went extremely well; couple that with a lack of communication between the staff and MA and things don't look too good for Iowa on that front.

Iowa needs to grab a backcourt player this year. I realize the staff doesn't want to just pick a warm body for the sake of filling a scholarship, but the backcourt needs some help. Not necessarily a point guard (Payne and Tucker can both handle that position), but either a 1 or 2. I don't think Iowa can really compete with only three scholarship guards on the team. Besides Armstead, I don't know of anyone else in the 2009 class that has a current scholarship.

One name floating around is Kaylon Williams, but as I've said before - he isn't ready for Iowa and Iowa isn't ready for him. A possible destination could be Kirkwood - maybe after a year there, the staff will give him another look and vice versa.

Dyricus Simms-Edwards visited Iowa last year and the staff liked what they saw. He was banged up last summer, so he didn't play much on the AAU circuit, but from what I've read on recruiting sites and blogs, he has legit game.

Kierre Greenwood's name was brought up when New Creations played SCC in game this past season. The Iowa staff was down there to look at some recruits and ended up bring impressed with his game. First hand accounts of his game seem to be encouraging. I don't know anything about this kid other than what I have Googled in the past - there wasn't much talk about him among anyone I have talked to.

So the short answer to who Iowa is recruiting at PG? Who the hell knows?

MEN'S BB: As expected, 2009 PG Cully Payne Commits to Iowa

Rob Howe has confirmed that Cully Payne has verbally committed to the Iowa Hawkeye basketball program.

Iowa fills a much need roster spot with a much needed PG.

Iowa is still pursuing Malcolm Armstead, who will be making a visit to Iowa shortly.

MEN'S BB: Iowa Basketball Recruiting Heating Up

With just over two weeks left before the spring signing period, recruiting has really started to heat up for those programs with scholarships to fill. Iowa would just happen to be one of those programs wanting to do just that, considering they just lost four of their players before they were expected to leave.

So what's happening on the scene? A lot. Some of it we know about, much of it we don't. Here's some of the latest information.

CULLY PAYNE



If this name sounds familiar to those of you who follow Iowa Hawkeye Basketball recruiting, it's because the Iowa staff heavily recruited Cully after he decommitted from DePaul his junior year. At that time Iowa was one of the Top 3 for Payne's services, but ultimately he chose Alabama. Things changed, however, when Mark Gottfried stepped down from his coaching duties for the Crimson Tide. Bama went on to hire VCU's Anthony Grant and just recently Payne was allowed out of his LOI. That throws him back on the market. Washington State was another player in Payne's recruitment, however Tony Bennett has left that school for Virginia. It would seem that Iowa is in good shape with him. Payne will be in town tomorrow for visit, where a commitment isn't totally out of the question at this part of the game.

I am, by no means, trying to pimp Hawkeyenation.com, but if you aren't a paying member of the site, this would be the month to jump on board. Rob Howe has been doing a great job getting in touch with the recruits, and he has a gem of a interview with Cully Payne.

Rob Howe's Interview w/ Cully Payne (3/31): AUDIO - TRANSCRIPT

More info on Payne from ESPN - Definitely a recruit that fits what Iowa is looking for.

Cully injured his back this winter, so hopefully that isn't a chronic injury.

Don't be surprised if the coaching staff had this in play for some time, Payne's AAU coach has been quoted saying that Cully had made his decision a while ago.

MALCOLM ARMSTEAD



Still being told that Mac is the #1 priority for Iowa, and I don't blame them. They were recruiting him before they lost the services of Kelly, Peterson, and Davis. Now it's even more important for the staff to reel in a talented point guard. And while Payne might be able to fill that role, Iowa's backcourt is pretty limited with only Anthony Tucker and Devan Bawinkel returning. Someone with the speed and skills that Armstead possesses is exactly who the Hawks need in their lineup.

There are several guards to keep an eye on during the next few weeks leading up to the signing period. Their decisions could effect what Armstead decides to do. Rico Pickett and Melvin Goins are two JUCOs that both Tennessee and Kentucky are involved in (these schools are also looking at Armstead). Today, Goins committed to Tennessee, so that should effectively eliminate Bruce Pearl from landing Armstead. Kentucky is in the middle of a coaching change, so that, too, will help out Iowa. Julysses Nobles is another name to remember. Arkansas is looking at him for PG. If he commits, I don't see room for Armstead especially with Courtney Fortson on the team already. He is reportedly supposed to pick his school tonight, hopefully it will be Arkansas. Then it will likely be down to Iowa vs. Providence and a few other Big East and SEC schools for Armstead's services.

I thought it would hurt Iowa the longer it took, but with the way these other recruits are committing, it's actually helping Iowa, in my opinion.

If Iowa could land Armstead, they would have a starter at PG for the next three years.

TORYE PELHAM


He's still on the radar, but I personally don't buy the fact that he and Armstead are a package deal. I'm not saying the two aren't tight, they did play prep ball together and now at Chipola, but it's pretty hard to find a college that has two spots open for two JUCOs in the spring signing period. I'd love for Iowa to be that college, though. That said, I don't think they end up at the same school. Iowa can definitely use an athletic forward who can get up a la Doug Thomas.

Missouri has come knocking and with the style of play they have going on down there, it would seem like a logical fit for Pelham.

VINCENT WILLIAMS

PG who was thought to have been destined to go the prep school route has seen a bunch of offers come his way. Another Florida guard recruit possibility. Very slight of build, but has good skills. I just recently received this info from a friend and haven't looked into it much. Not even sure Iowa is really going after him, but it's a name that's out there. He may have to go prep route to refine his game and get stronger, though.