Portal News

[SteinPizza]

If Benny thinks he can win in the Big Ten playing kids that were going to get spot minutes in the Valley, well, good luck.

100% correct. The DMR has an interview with him today, the full audio will air on their Hawkeye show on KXNO in a day or so. From the context of McCollum’s comments, I took it that the big man commit was a transfer, not an incoming HS kid.

There’s no way Iowa competes in the B1G with Manyow (sp) and Jirak as their starting 4 and 5 players. Good teams will murder them down low. You’d think McCollum would be concentrating on transfers who’ve spent time in a college weight program.

[PantherAlum09]

Gopher's also offered out of HS, wonder if Medved would go after him.

I see a lot of Minnesota fans wanting him, but it just doesn't make a ton of sense to me unless he wants to go back and be depth. He played 10 min/game at Butler and they weren't particularly good. He would fit so well in the Valley and it feels more like a square peg/round hole situation in the B1G. Come to UNI and be a stud, man!

[GoPanthers85]

I see a lot of Minnesota fans wanting him, but it just doesn't make a ton of sense to me unless he wants to go back and be depth. He played 10 min/game at Butler and they weren't particularly good. He would fit so well in the Valley and it feels more like a square peg/round hole situation in the B1G. Come to UNI and be a stud, man!

If he does come to UNI, does he start over Hornseth or do we start them both? Or would Jirak redshirt?

[edgecat]

Jake’s gotta be pissed IF this is true. There’s still not supposed to be contact between schools and SIGNED players even with the letter of intent change last fall

[GarretW1797]

I'm not believing anything about this Jirak situation until a reliable source reports it. But if it is true, I'd say just fill out the roster with an experienced big man like Kapke and some sort of sharp shooter regardless of position, it could be another big man for all I care.

I saw a player entered the portal the other day that caught my interest for a sharpshooter role, although I'm not sure how likely it would be to recruit him here. The player is Nick Janowski, who redshirted at Nebraska last season after playing high school ball in Pewaukee, Wisconsin. He was a four star recruit who averaged 20.1, 3.4, 5.4 on 54% shooting and 44% 3 point shooting in his high school career, but it looks like he only received P5 offers out of high school so he more than likely is unattainable. Not sure if there's any connection potentially with him being from Wisconsin, but figured I'd throw the idea out.

[Wxcpanther]

I'm not believing anything about this Jirak situation until a reliable source reports it. But if it is true, I'd say just fill out the roster with an experienced big man like Kapke and some sort of sharp shooter regardless of position, it could be another big man for all I care.

I saw a player entered the portal the other day that caught my interest for a sharpshooter role, although I'm not sure how likely it would be to recruit him here. The player is Nick Janowski, who redshirted at Nebraska last season after playing high school ball in Pewaukee, Wisconsin. He was a four star recruit who averaged 20.1, 3.4, 5.4 on 54% shooting and 44% 3 point shooting in his high school career, but it looks like he only received P5 offers out of high school so he more than likely is unattainable. Not sure if there's any connection potentially with him being from Wisconsin, but figured I'd throw the idea out.

Would have been a high school teammate with Milan Moncilovic. I'd expect that if he ends up in our state, that's where he goes.

[clenz]

Jake’s gotta be pissed IF this is true. There’s still not supposed to be contact between schools and SIGNED players even with the letter of intent change last fall

Well, given that Jirak's high school coach left his position the day after McCollum was introduced as the Iowa HC and there have been rumblings of a strong connection there (he may end up in some sort of role with the Iowa program), there wouldn't have to be official contact between the staff and Jirak. Windhorst has unlimited access directly to Jirak. I've heard there was back-door talking/swaying happening for weeks, even leading up to McCollum taking the Iowa job. He can say whatever he wants about his timeline, but we all know it is a lie.

No idea if anything happens. This all started as a stupid rumor from a MVC **** posting burner account. It just happens to have ended up with some steam outside of that post, potentially.

If he's here he's here. If he wants to back out in April/May then he backs out in April/May and one of the 3000 other players in the portal can be gone after.

[PantherAlum09]

Well, given that Jirak's high school coach left his position the day after McCollum was introduced as the Iowa HC and there have been rumblings of a strong connection there (he may end up in some sort of role with the Iowa program), there wouldn't have to be official contact between the staff and Jirak. Windhorst has unlimited access directly to Jirak. I've heard there was back-door talking/swaying happening for weeks, even leading up to McCollum taking the Iowa job. He can say whatever he wants about his timeline, but we all know it is a lie.

No idea if anything happens. This all started as a stupid rumor from a MVC **** posting burner account. It just happens to have ended up with some steam outside of that post, potentially.

If he's here he's here. If he wants to back out in April/May then he backs out in April/May and one of the 3000 other players in the portal can be gone after.

It's Trilly Donovan official now. So it's pretty much for sure. He posted on his discord that Iowa is likely to get a 25 commitment from Trevin Jirak. We have two spots to fill, so hopefully we see our name pop up a little more on some of these transfers.

[SteinPizza]

If he's here he's here. If he wants to back out in April/May then he backs out in April/May and one of the 3000 other players in the portal can be gone after.

Exactly. With time, Jirak could’ve been a nice player in the MVC, and could be at Iowa in a season or two. At the B1G level, he also could just as easily get shoved down the bench by transfers brought in after he’s there, particularly if McCollum has some success and Iowa gets a bigger inflow of NIL money.

in the end, you can’t really lose what you didn’t have to begin with. Onward and upward.

[CyCarp]

Yes, I'm spiteful, I hope this kid ends up having to pull a Kayden Fish because he can't find the floor at Iowa. And people thought Fran was a problem for stealing Valley level recruits...

[CletusCat]

And people thought Fran was a problem for stealing Valley level recruits...

This.
Fran was and always will be an East Coast guy. He ended up with some Valley type guys because he couldn't always get his East Coast recruits to come to Iowa.
McCollum is from here. Wants guys from here and the Midwest. He's got a system that he believes in and understands the financial confines of the job he just took, so he's going to go after the guys he knows he can get at a lower price tag that he thinks will fit his system. Those recruits are more than likely going to be kids that fit our recruiting profile too, the high school kids just below the top 100. It's going to be annoying when they pull stunts like this potential Jirak one, but we can still have success if we really hone in on our system.

[GarretW1797]

Losing Jirak definitely sucks especially after how great he ended his high school career, but as someone else said we can't lose what we didn't have to begin with. Hopefully Kapke is a legit option because he seems like he'd be a perfect replacement for Hutty that way Will can continue developing and playing solid minutes off the bench.

[UNIpanther99]

It's Trilly Donovan official now. So it's pretty much for sure. He posted on his discord that Iowa is likely to get a 25 commitment from Trevin Jirak. We have two spots to fill, so hopefully we see our name pop up a little more on some of these transfers.

It's hilarious they would call it a "commitment."

[BCPanther]

There are 600 bigs in the portal that have actually played in a college game. We'll be just fine.

Have fun finding a new home in two years kid when you don't have any tape. Enjoy the MAC or the Summit.

[kochrab]

I know this mentality doesn't always pan out or last long in guys that come to play at UNI, but I'd much rather have someone who WANTS to be here over someone who is looking to jump ship for the next school. He was going to get some decent minutes here, but now he'll probably ride the bench a lot more. Oh well. Paycheck is paycheck I guess.