Tag: Josh Dix

Iowa at No. 15 in 247Sports’ way-too-early men’s college hoops ranking

247Sports’ Kevin Flaherty ranked Iowa No. 15 in his latest way-too-early men’s college basketball rankings.

It is never too early to start looking toward the next men’s college basketball season. With the May 1 deadline for transfers to inform their school of their intention to transfer in the rearview mirror, analysts are now better enabled to get a read on next year’s rosters. 247Sports’ Kevin Flaherty published his way-too-early rankings for 2022-23 and had Iowa coming in at No. 15.

Kris Murray is testing the NBA draft waters, but he looks likely to return to Iowa City for another season, and likely to ascend to stardom. Murray following in his brother Keegan’s footsteps and becoming an All-Big Ten force wouldn’t be a surprise. Add in Patrick McCaffery, Filip Rebraca and Tony Perkins, and more time for Ahron Ulis and Payton Sandfort, and the Hawkeyes could enter March with another top-five seed. – Flaherty, 247Sports.

Iowa is Flaherty’s second-highest ranked Big Ten program behind No. 13 Michigan. Of course, the Wolverines are fresh off a Sweet 16 appearance in the 2022 NCAA Tournament. After the Hawkeyes and Wolverines, No. 20 Illinois, No. 22 Indiana and No. 23 Michigan State round out the Big Ten teams appearing in the rankings.

Last season Iowa went on a historic Big Ten Tournament championship run, finishing the season as the No. 21 team in the nation after bowing out of the first round of the NCAA Tournament with a loss to 12th-seeded Richmond, 67-63.

Iowa may have a tough road back to the Big Ten Tournament championship. Star forward [autotag]Keegan Murray[/autotag] is off to the NBA as a potential top-ten pick in the 2022 NBA draft and second-leading scorer and longtime starter [autotag]Jordan Bohannon[/autotag] exhausted his eligibility.

[autotag]Kris Murray[/autotag] will be the X-factor of the offseason. His return would be massive for a Hawkeyes team searching for their next star. While he declared for the draft, the door is still open for the junior forward to return to Iowa for the upcoming season. The deadline for Murray to remove his name and retain his NCAA eligibility is June 1.

Murray’s game progressed in his second season, showing some potential star power coming off the bench. In fact, Kris averaged Iowa’s team-high off the bench at 9.7 points and 4.3 rebounds per game. With a full-time role, look out for Kris to emerge as a top Big Ten star just like his twin brother Keegan did this past year.

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Amarion Nimmers commits to Iowa basketball as preferred walk-on

Amarion Nimmers, a 6-foot-3 combo guard out of Rock Island High School in Illinois, committed to the Iowa Hawkeyes as a preferred walk-on.

Amarion Nimmers, a 6-foot-3 combo guard out of Rock Island High School in Illinois, announced his commitment to the Iowa Hawkeyes as a preferred walk-on.

Nimmers had an offer from Eastern Illinois. Drake, Illinois, Illinois-Chicago, North Dakota, Northeastern, Pennsylvania and South Dakota were also all showing interest in Nimmers.

The Chicago Sun Times’ Joe Henricksen listed Nimmers as his biggest Illinois senior stock riser.

The Rock Island guard was an afterthought after playing very little off the bench for the Illinois Wolves in the spring and summer on the AAU circuit. But he was a star all winter long, earning Division I offers and interest.

The 6-2 guard was a record-setting player at a school with a long and established basketball history. He broke the single season record for points in a season with 744 and single-game record with 45. He also finished as the second all-time leading scorer in school history with 1,369. – Henricksen, Chicago Sun Times.

According to The Gazette’s Mike Hlas, Nimmers averaged 23.9 points per game last season with Rock Island. Nimmers joins a pair of incoming freshmen for the Hawkeyes.

Iowa signed point guard Dasonte Bowen out of the Brewster Academy in Massachusetts and shooting guard Josh Dix out of Council Bluffs. ESPN ranked Bowen as a four-star point guard, the No. 23 point guard nationally and the top player from the state of Illinois.

247Sports, On3 and Rivals all rank Bowen as a three-star point guard. Rivals rated Bowen as the No. 145 player nationally and the No. 37 point guard, while 247Sports ranked Bowen as the No. 148 player nationally, the No. 23 point guard and the second-ranked player from Massachusetts.

Dix is a consensus three-star recruit. 247Sports listed Dix as the No. 145 player nationally, the No. 20 shooting guard and the top player from Iowa. Rivals ranked Dix as the No. 148 player overall and the No. 38 shooting guard. ESPN rated Dix as the No. 56 shooting guard and the No. 3 player from Iowa.

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Iowa Hawkeyes’ 2023 PF target Carey Booth sees stock rising

Iowa recently offered 2023 power forward Carey Booth out of Cherry Creek High School in Englewood, Colo. Booth’s stock is on the rise.

Iowa recently offered 2023 power forward Carey Booth out of Cherry Creek High School in Englewood, Colo. The 6-foot-10, 215 pound power forward picked up his offer from the Hawkeyes on April 9.

Booth also plays for Under Armour Association squad KC Run GMC where he’s really started turning some heads. 247Sports director of scouting Adam Finkelstein mentioned Booth as one of the players that stood out in the early portion of this spring’s live period.

“At the Under Armour Association, Carey Booth, the son of of longtime NBA player and current (Denver) Nuggets GM Calvin Booth, made a major impression. Is a 6-10 forward, is just beginning to tap into his vast potential, but showed clear upside on both ends of the floor for KC Run GMC. Xavier, Wake Forest, Marquette and Oklahoma State jumped right in with both Duke and Villanova expected to watch this coming weekend,” Finkelstein said.

As Finkelstein mentioned, Booth is the son of former Penn State star, NBA veteran and now Denver Nuggets general manager Calvin Booth. According to 247Sports, Booth now holds offers from California, Colorado State, Georgetown, Iowa, Marquette, Minnesota, Oklahoma State, San Francisco and Texas Tech. With Booth’s recent play in the UAA, his recruiting rankings across the board should be on the rise in short order.

As it currently stands, Booth is ranked as a two-star power forward by 247Sports. He is rated as the nation’s No. 34 power forward and the third-best player from Colorado by 247Sports. ESPN regards Booth as a four-star talent, then No. 96 player nationally, the No. 12 center and the No. 3 player from Colorado. Booth is without a star rating on both On3 and Rivals.

Iowa currently has one player committed in its 2023 recruiting class, four-star power forward Owen Freeman out of Bradley-Bourbonnais High School in Bradley, Ill. Freeman is ranked as the nation’s No. 83 player overall in the 2023 class, the No. 9 power forward and the No. 2 recruit from Illinois in the 247Sports composite rankings.

Here’s a look at some of Booth’s recent highlights with KC Run GMC from Brandon Goble on YouTube.

Connor McCaffery announces return to Iowa Hawkeyes

After sharing the Chris Street Award with teammate Keegan Murray, Connor McCaffery announced his intention to return to Iowa.

After a series of departures to the 2022 NBA draft, graduation and the transfer portal, the Iowa men’s basketball team got some good news. Redshirt senior guard [autotag]Connor McCaffery[/autotag] announced his intentions to return to the Hawkeyes and make use of his sixth season of eligibility.

After being named co-winner of the Chris Street Award alongside teammate [autotag]Keegan Murray[/autotag] at Iowa’s team awards ceremony, McCaffery grabbed the mic and delivered a message.

“Last night, I sat down thinking of what I was going to say for my senior speech. So, then I thought, ‘You know what? I’ll wait to do it next year,'” McCaffery said.

McCaffery averaged 2.5 points and 1.9 assists per game this past season for Iowa. The 6-foot-5 guard connected on 33.8% of his 3-point tries and dished out three or more assists in 11 contests during the 2021-22 season. McCaffery had a big month of February where he made 12-of-19 3-pointers.

In fact, he knocked down 11-of-15 in the final four games of the month at Ohio State, versus Michigan State, at Nebraska and versus Northwestern. That Northwestern performance on Feb. 28 included McCaffery’s season-high 17 points and a career-best five 3-pointers.

With McCaffery’s decision to return, the outlook for the Hawkeyes in 2022-23 is a little clearer. Connor’s younger brother and one of Iowa’s best players returns in Patrick McCaffery. Patrick averaged 10.5 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game this past season. Guards Tony Perkins, Payton Sandfort and Ahron Ulis are all returning. Forward Filip Rebraca is as well. Perkins, Sandfort and Ulis averaged 7.4, 5.0 and 3.1 points per game, respectively. Rebraca added 5.8 points and 5.6 rebounds per game.

The Hawkeyes are still waiting on sophomore forward [autotag]Kris Murray[/autotag]’s final decision. After averaging 9.7 points and 4.3 rebounds per game, Murray announced on April 14 that he would be testing the 2022 NBA draft waters.

“I am grateful for the opportunity to be able to play the game I love every day and to wear the Black and Gold. My focus is being able to grow as a player in every way possible. The opportunity to get feedback and experience working out for NBA teams will help me become the best player I can possibly be and take my game to the next level. I have big plans for next year and this experience will help me do that. I appreciate everyone’s support,” Murray said.

Murray didn’t sign with an agent, so he’s maintained his collegiate eligibility if he chooses to return to Iowa. Underclassmen have until June 1 to either remain or remove their names from the draft and the expectation is that Murray will indeed return to Iowa City.

Of course, guard [autotag]Jordan Bohannon[/autotag]’s college eligibility has expired and Kris’ twin brother, Keegan Murray, announced that he would be entering the 2022 NBA draft where he’s regarded as a likely lottery pick. Beyond that, three players have transferred out. Guard Joe Toussaint is transferring to West Virginia and guard Austin Ash and forward Josh Ogundele announced they aren’t returning either.

Iowa signed a pair in the 2022 class, three-star point guard [autotag]Dasonte Bowen[/autotag] out of the Brewster Academy in New Hampshire and three-star shooting guard Josh Dix from Abraham Lincoln High School in Council Bluffs, Iowa. The Hawkeyes are in the running for Utah Valley transfer center [autotag]Fardaws Aimaq[/autotag] as well. Aimaq averaged 18.9 points and 13.6 rebounds per game last season while shooting 43.5% from 3-point range. He included Iowa in his top five along with Gonzaga, Texas, Texas Tech and Washington.

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Iowa Hawkeyes offer 2025 small forward Cooper Flagg

Class of 2025 small forward Cooper Flagg received an offer from the Iowa Hawkeyes.

Iowa and head men’s basketball coach [autotag]Fran McCaffery[/autotag] aren’t wasting any time letting class of 2025 small forward [autotag]Cooper Flagg[/autotag] know how much they like his game. The Hawkeyes offered the 6-foot-8, 195 pound wing from Nokomis Regional High School in Newport, Maine.

It’s obviously very early in the 2025 cycle and Flagg just finished up his freshman season. As a result, there aren’t really any player recruiting rankings to look at yet. Still, the Iowa offer and recent interest from Michigan and UCLA shows the power-five ability coaching staffs feel Flagg possesses.

247Sports national basketball recruiting analyst Dushawn London wrote a get-to-know piece on Flagg back in January.

Class of 2025 forward Cooper Flagg has emerged as a player to keep on the radar. Flagg plays his high school ball at Nokomis Regional School in Newport Maine. At 6-foot-7 Flagg brings a lot of versatility and length on both sides of the ball and is already off to a hot start to his high school career.

“The biggest takeaway so far is playing against the better people in the area,” he said. “Going through middle school there wasn’t really much competition but now it’s the maximum competition around the area.” – London, 247Sports.

London noted that Flagg will also play AAU for Maine United. After the Hawkeyes offered, UCLA extended an offer to Flagg two days later. According to 247Sports, Flagg also holds offers from Bryant and Albany.

Iowa men’s basketball is set to look different in the 2022-23 season. That’s guaranteed after the departures of standout sophomore forward [autotag]Keegan Murray[/autotag] to the 2022 NBA draft and longtime sharpshooter [autotag]Jordan Bohannon[/autotag].

Iowa head men’s basketball coach Fran McCaffery will also be looking to replace transfer portal defections in guard Austin Ash, guard Joe Toussaint and forward Josh Ogundele. The Hawkeyes signed a pair in the 2022 class, three-star Brewster Academy point guard [autotag]Dasonte Bowen[/autotag] and three-star Abraham Lincoln High School shooting guard [autotag]Josh Dix[/autotag].

Projecting forward, Iowa has a commitment from four-star, class of 2023 power forward [autotag]Owen Freeman[/autotag] of Bradley-Bourbonnais High School in Bradley, Ill.

Here’s a look at Flagg’s game courtesy of SLAM.

247Sports tabs Iowa Hawkeyes’ Patrick McCaffery as potential 2022-23 breakout star

247Sports’ Isaac Trotter listed Iowa forward Patrick McCaffery as one of his potential breakout stars for the 2022-23 basketball season.

With Kansas’ 72-69 rally over North Carolina in the NCAA Tournament’s national championship game, the 2021-22 college basketball season is officially a wrap. While Iowa’s stay in March Madness was an abbreviated one, the season itself was a big surprise to many prognosticators.

Iowa was picked to finish ninth by the league’s media entering last season. With Iowa replacing national player of the year [autotag]Luka Garza[/autotag], it made sense why some media members might be down on the Hawkeyes at the beginning of this past season.

Instead of the projected ninth-place finish, Iowa wound up ending the Big Ten regular season with a 12-8 league mark to earn the No. 5 seed in the Big Ten Tournament. Of course, the Hawkeyes went on to win the Big Ten Tournament by dispatching of then-No. 9 Purdue in the championship game, 75-66.

Sophomore forward [autotag]Keegan Murray[/autotag] emerged as one of the nation’s best players, upping his points per game average by more than 16 points. Murray averaged 23.5 points and 8.7 rebounds per game to place himself in the conversation for all of the major national player of the year awards.

Now, with Murray having declared for the 2022 NBA draft and guard [autotag]Jordan Bohannon[/autotag] having exhausted his eligibility, Iowa finds itself in similar circumstances to the beginning of last season. Plenty of analysts will be expecting a step backwards for Iowa given the production the Hawkeyes are losing.

That means more opportunities for those returning to campus, though, and Iowa will be hoping for a pair of forwards to make significant leaps during the 2022-23 men’s college basketball season. [autotag]Kris Murray[/autotag] and [autotag]Patrick McCaffery[/autotag] are both great candidates to make serious strides entering next season. In fact, 247Sports writer Isaac Trotter included McCaffery as one of his potential breakout stars for next season.

Kris Murray is going to be the trendy pick to step up for Iowa after Keegan Murray’s departure for the NBA. Kris Murray is going to be a star, but McCaffery could also be one, too. McCaffery really had a polished offensive game. His usage rate should get a big bump next year, and the 6-foot-9 forward will form a powerful 1-2 punch with Kris Murray. – Trotter, 247Sports.

Again, both Murray and McCaffery will be popular picks to take steps forward in their production. Murray averaged 9.7 points and 4.3 rebounds per game in just 17.9 minutes of floor time on average. Meanwhile, McCaffery was one of Iowa’s three players to average double-figure scoring last year. McCaffery averaged 10.5 points and 3.6 rebounds per game in 24.2 minutes of floor time on average.

It’s easy to see both Murray and McCaffery seriously improving upon their averages from this past season. Beyond that, Iowa will need to add some talent from the transfer portal to go along with the pair of three-star guards the Hawkeyes are bringing in. According to 247Sports, Iowa signed three-star point guard [autotag]Dasonte Bowen[/autotag] from Brewster Academy in New Hampshire and three-star shooting guard [autotag]Josh Dix[/autotag] from Abraham Lincoln High School in Council Bluffs, Iowa.

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Iowa basketball commit Owen Freeman impresses at NY2LA Swish N’ Dish

247Sports reporter Brandon Jenkins mentioned Iowa commit Owen Freeman as one of the players that impressed at the NY2LA Swish N’ Dish.

Iowa men’s basketball head coach [autotag]Fran McCaffery[/autotag] and his teams have won at least 20 games each of the past four seasons. Sophomore Keegan Murray emerged as a national player of the year candidate this past season, averaging 23.5 points and 8.7 rebounds per game.

The Hawkeyes rode the stardom of [autotag]Keegan Murray[/autotag] and a talented supporting cast that included the Big Ten’s all-time 3-pointers leader in [autotag]Jordan Bohannon[/autotag] to a Big Ten tournament title and a 26-10 overall record. The season ended with another disappointing NCAA Tournament flameout against the 12th-seeded Richmond Spiders, 67-63.

Still, it was quite the season for a team that was replacing the 2020-21 season’s national player of the year in [autotag]Luka Garza[/autotag]. In order to keep the good times rolling, McCaffery and his staff need to continue to lure top talent to Iowa City.

It appears that the Hawkeyes are doing just that with class of 2023 power forward [autotag]Owen Freeman[/autotag]. The 6-foot-10, 220 pound power forward is rated as the No. 83 player nationally and the No. 11 power forward in the 2023 class according to the 247Sports composite rankings. Freeman took part in the NY2LA’s annual Swish N’ Dish event.

247Sports reporter Brandon Jenkins mentioned Freeman as one of Friday night’s eye-catchers.

Fran McCaffery has found a potential go-to guy on the inside in Owen Freeman. He has excellent hands and touch around the basket and combines it with solid footwork and a will to battle for success on each low post possession. It was good to see him taking advantage of his size yesterday evening as he finds joy playing around the basket. He projects as another big man target Iowa will go through when a quick two points are needed. – Jenkins, 247Sports.

It’s great to hear that McCaffery and company appear to have found another talented scorer on the inside. Freeman is currently the only player committed to the Hawkeyes in the 2023 class. Iowa signed a pair of players in the 2022 class, three-star point guard Dasonte Bowen out of Brewster Academy in New Hampshire and three-star shooting guard Josh Dix from Abraham Lincoln High School in Council Bluffs, Iowa.

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