Mike Gesell Commits to the Hawkeyes

Mike Gesell is not some twisted digital mixture of J.R. Angle, a liter of Big Red, and The Lord of the Rings' Gollum, as his picture may suggest. The Nebraska native has come instead to resurrect Iowa basketball.

Gesell, following my familiar messianic theme, is a consensus 4* recruit according to the major services, a top-100 player for the class of 2012, and the 17th best ranked point guard. He won two state titles for South Sioux City and averaged 25.2 ppg, 8.2 apg, 5.5 rpg, and 2.9 steals during his junior campaign in 2010-11. Those are salty numbers that barely brush the tip of the iceberg for what this scarlet-topped baron of ball handling will hopefully bring to the black and gold.

Landing Gesell is crucial mainly because he serves an immediate position of need. Although he plays primarily off-the-ball on his AAU team, that's because the point guard is North Carolina commit Marcus Paige, ranked by some sites as the top player at his position in the country. Irrefutable evidence exists to justify Gesell's prospects at the point, and that's a good thing because he will probably be anointed the starter from day one. Senior-to-be Bryce Cartwright, the reigning Big Ten assists leader, will leave a massive chasm upon graduation. At this time, a true point guard on the 2012-13 Hawkeye's roster doesn't even exist. In fact, after Coach Fran McCaffery failed to find a suitable point to back up Bryce for the upcoming season, it appears as if Devyn Marble, the lanky sophomore better suited for the wing, will have to assume back up duties to Cartwright once again for 2011-12. I imagine the Iowa coaching staff doesn't want to stunt Marble's growing development as a slashing scorer much longer, so Gesell may be forced to play the majority of games as a freshman. That's a tall task for any player, let alone a young man experiencing his first year of college, Division 1 competition, and the terrifying Wrath of Fran for the first time. The consensus seems to be that Gesell can handle it, but growing pains are inevitable and it will be interesting to see if Fran picks up another point, perhaps a more experienced junior college player, to ease the transition, both physically and mentally, from high school to college. It just doesn't seem wise to assign a freshman point guard 35-40 minutes a game, and continue playing Marble out of position as an emergency back up. Thankfully, Fran and his staff still have three scholarships to divvy out for 2012, so there is room to find a capable player.

Another reason to get excited about Gesell is because the Iowa basketball program finally landed a highly-regarded regional recruit. Gesell, who chose the Hawkeyes over good offers from Stanford and Nebraska, among others, erases (somewhat) what has been a bleak and depressing tradition in Iowa City for roughly a decade — the best in-state players choosing to play for more prestigious programs out of state. Outside of a couple notable exceptions (Matt Gatens, Brennan Cougi—nevermind), a number of very talented ballers from inside the Hawkeye state's borders have embarrassed the program and struck a dagger into Hawkeye hearts with commitments to faraway programs — Kirk Hinrich and Nick Collison to Kansas, Jason Bohannon to Wisconsin, Marcus Paige to North Carolina, Grant Gibbs to Gonzaga (and other places), and even Kyle Korver to Creighton, although he wasn't as highly touted as he probably ought to have been. I won't even mention Harrison Barnes because that was such a pipe dream. But it's very satisfying to finally have a semi-local player commit to play for a nearby program instead of leaving Iowa for greener pastures. One component of Iowa basketball's fall from proud to pissant has been its inability to secure the best local talent, and this is a definite step in the right direction.

Gesell's choice also opens up the door to other possible prospects from within Iowa's borders possibly committing to the University of Iowa — AAU teammates Adam Woodbury and Kale Abrahamson. Woodbury is a 7-footer from Sioux City with a litany of offers from the major programs, including one from dreaded Iowa poacher Roy Williams at UNC on the same day Gesell committed to the Hawkeyes. Some Iowa fans are wondering if Ol' Roy's timing was purposeful, seeing as Woodbury might follow his buddy to Iowa City now, but I don't think Williams should ever be too concerned about a threat from Fran and crew at this stage in the game. Regardless, the UNC offer probably means it's a long-shot for Iowa to land Woodbury, but he is a lifelong Hawkeye fan, Iowa has recruited him for the longest duration, and now his teammate will be going there, so I believe there is a chance, slim or not, that he at least loses some sleep over the decision. Abrahamson is more likely to come, in my opinion — the wing player from West Des Moines Valley plays for former Hawk Jeff Horner, and doesn't carry the cache or host of suitors that Woodbury does. Fran didn't extend an offer his way until the Anthony Hubbard situation went down, but he would be a valuable scorer from the perimeter and add depth if he chooses the trek to the IC. Also, remember Gesell is Fran's second commit for the 2012 class — Kyle Meyer, a 6 ft. 10 power forward from Georgia, gave his verbal in the spring and has been impressive in the summer circuit, generating reputable Twitter buzz and sleeper status with his dunking proficiency.

Even if Woodbury and Abrahamson choose to take their talents elsewhere, Gesell's commitment is definite cause to celebrate. The prognosis for Iowa basketball is looking up for the first time in a long time, fan enthusiasm is steadily building again, and the Hawkeyes landed a highly-regarded regional recruit. Whether or not Roy tried to ruin the day, it's important to revel in the acquisition of a great player and the further distancing of Iowa from the dark days of Todd Lickliter. Some programs aren't so lucky.

On the other edge of the coin, Nebraska fans appear to be "circling the wagons," as BHGP writer RossWB noted on Twitter, for their coach, Doc Sadler, and his seeming inability to secure in-state talent. It all sounds very Lickliter-esque — I know it's only been a year or so since Hawkeye fans were in the same boat, but it's still nice in a sick sort of way to gaze upon a program that is facing concerns that we know all too well. Here's a story on the general mood of Nebraska basketball if anyone is interested — Nebraska Story.

Finally, extend some thoughts toward former Iowa recruit Eric Katenda, high school teammate of incoming Hawkeye frosh Gabe Olaseni. The versatile forward, signed on to play for Notre Dame next season, injured his left eye in grotesque fashion during a pick-up game in Washington, D.C. The damage is thought to leave permanent blindness, and he may never play again — Mike Brey told The New York Post that they are seeing if special goggles will allow him to play, but if not, they will still honor his scholarship.

Countdown to Enshrinement — Forest Evashevski's Role in Hayden Fry's Legacy

Some moments are designed for pure bliss, so grand and undisputedly spectacular a snapshot of existence that analysis and debate are futile, instead giving way to celebration and unanimous acknowledgement of a job well done or life well lived. Anything involving legendary University of Iowa football Coach Hayden Fry should be one of those "sheer joy" moments. After all, the sharp-witted Texan with the pencil mustache and coaching tree that breaches generations carved an indelible legacy in his near-20 year career at the Hawkeye helm, winning three Big Ten titles, establishing numerous traditions, and, most importantly, resurrecting a previously moribund program which saw infant Iowans morph into adults without ever witnessing a winning season from the team that perpetually captivates a state without a major professional sports franchise.

Fry, named head coach in 1979, revamped an entire culture, recruited NFL-caliber talent to that OTHER state in the corn belt, challenged the one-two hierarchy of OSU/Michigan dominance, and reached prestigious bowl games year-after-year with 8-10 win seasons when most thought it couldn't be done at Iowa. As a fan of Hawkeye football, his accomplishments cannot be overstated — although Ferentz has taken Iowa to new heights, Fry laid the foundation to make sure sure the Kinnick faithful didn't enter the new century feeling like Gophers or Hoosiers.

So nobody's mouth creaked open in surprise this week as rumblings emerged suggesting not only that 82-year-old Coach Fry will be present this Friday the 5th of August in Iowa City as the Kirk Ferentz-led Hawkeyes kick off the 2011 season with fall practice, but also that a statue honoring the Hall of Famer will be unveiled along with the first ground broken toward a new indoor practice facility  (speculation courtesy of The Cedar Rapids Gazette's Marc Morehouse). It's a blatant insult to the phrase "no-brainer" to argue that Fry deserves to be ensconced in the familiar saintly bronze of remembrance, somehow the most fitting tribute to all our sporting legends as they shift from lifetime scrutiny to public worship. But if the moment is so special because it's so simple, then why can't I stop thinking about a time that only my Grandfather can still recall with hazy movie reel memory, a time when Vietnam wasn't in the textbooks, Big Ass Turkey Legs would have inspired frowns, and Ol' Forest Evashevski still scowled his way down the sidelines of Kinnick Stadium?

For those who weren't alive at the time — this should cover all Internet users — Evashevski was Iowa's Hayden Fry before the Hawkeyes needed Fry as a savior. Evy was the Hawkeye coach from 1952-60, winning three Big Ten titles, two Rose Bowls, and Iowa's lone claimed national championship in 1959. But my rather benign concerns don't stem from his unprecedented success, a comparison of his legacy with Fry's, or whether or not the Iowa administration should build a statue in his honor (they should). My interest is in what could have been if Evy, who died in 2009, hadn't left coaching so soon.

After a difficult 5-4 season in 1959 highlighted by a spat with athletic director Paul Brechler, it became clear that the arrogant Evy, a quintessential mad genius, wanted to have the AD's job as well as be the head coach. The Board of Athletics gave him a choice instead — Evy, reportedly citing health concerns to his wife, chose the AD job. So after a 1960 season that saw Evy win the Hawkeyes' lone Big Ten title for more than two decades, he took over as AD, and set in place a punchline-worthy streak of losing that stretched until the Messiah from Odessa arrived in Iowa City 19 years later.

Evy's 10-year tenure as athletic director was an unabashed lesson in failure, from his head coaching hires to alleged off-the-field schemes to undermine those same men, boost his own ego, and, some say, gather player approval to his side for an assumed return to the role of head coach. The charges against Evy paint a man blinded by power, choked with chutzpah, and who was startlingly ambitious, with back room politics and tactics that would garner a very public NCAA investigation in the modern college football landscape.

It's a story Hawkeye historians don't often cite, choosing instead to remember the Rose Bowl championships, but one that becomes uglier the more one peels back the layers — starting with his reported strong-arming of Jerry Burns, his first hire and former assistant, by denying him basic recruiting necessities and reducing the football budget down to the bare minimum. Without the resources, Burns didn't have a chance. After one barely-winning season, Burns faltered for the next four and received his pink slip — word had seeped out from Kinnick's brick walls, however, that Evy's Draconian leadership was impossible to work under, and the Hawkeyes were on the fast track to becoming a coaching graveyard with as much relevance as their cardinal-colored neighbors to the west. After Burns was fired, the Iowa job had lost its last shard of luster and Evy was forced to hire ho-hum Ray Nagel from the University of Utah after multiple candidates refused the job. The relationship between coach and AD, which can crudely be described as an ego-fueled, adolescent dick-measuring contest enacted by grown men, only got worse with Nagel. Evy allegedly tried to instigate a player rebellion by tapping one of the star player's roommates, causing two players to quit the team in protest of Nagel, and sparks practically flew from both men's tongues after Nagel's offensive line coach was supposedly dismissed for "disloyalty." In addition, authorities accused the Iowa program of filling out "padded expense accounts," inciting a back-and-forth battle of words between the two men where Nagel accused Evy of showing him how to fill out the accounts, implying that Evy WANTED Nagel to get in trouble. Evy was relieved of his duties by the Board of Directors, earned a harsh letter from the State Attorney General in the process, and, just like that, the man responsible for Iowa's only national championship was gone for good.

With bruises still fresh, Iowa football didn't instantaneously emerge from the darkness of Evy's AD tenure with a new beginning — in fact, under new AD Bump Elliot, the Hawkeyes were arguably worse in the 1970s. Frank Lauterbur amassed a Gene Chizik-esque 4 wins in three seasons, while chain-smoking, porn star resembling Bob Commings showed flashes of raising up his alma mater again, but could never get over that elusive 5-win plateau. It wasn't until Fry arrived from North Texas in '79 that the winds began to shift, and Iowa finally returned to the Rose Bowl in 1981. From then on, it's history, or at least consistent top-25 success with a shot at the Big Ten every 2-3 years.

But I can't help but feel a bit sad, inasmuch as sport can make a person sad, or maybe it's curious, when I think about what could have been Evashevski had remained coach and curtailed his power-hungry cravings. What if the University of Iowa never needed Hayden Fry, the hokey quote machine with thick southern drawl, rose-tinted aviators, tongue razor sharp and confident like an armadillo on the back roads of Texas just before it meets the wheel of an F-150? Fry, the man who gave the Hawkeyes the Swarm, the Tiger Hawk, the pink locker room, traditions that children grew up with already implanted in their vernacular as if they had existed forever. Fry is intrinsically connected with the University's identity, and always will be, despite never winning a Rose Bowl or National Championship — he returned pride and winning to the Hawkeyes when it seemed like such a thing could never be accomplished, the program too damaged, with too many geographical obstacles to overcome. He would be a legend in any coaching circle for the championships he won, the great coaches he produced (if you don't know the Hayden Fry coaching tree, then you don't know football), the cat-and-mouse game he played with the media setting the precedent for how every coach interacts with journalists today, the "exotic," innovative plays he introduced. But at Iowa, he is more than a legend — he was, indeed, a savior.

And I just can't help but wonder if Hawkeye fans would have missed that entire experience if Evashevski had coached another 5-10 years, preserving Iowa's lofty reputation into the future, or shoved his ambition and arrogance to the sidelines, allowing his successors to coach as athletic director. Some truth exists to the statement that we wouldn't know how to appreciate the good times if we didn't experience suffering — that all those hopeless losing years, when still-packed Kinnick crowds would cheer for 1st downs like it was the Panchero's Burrito Lift (sadly, a tradition Fry did not introduce), helped heroize Iowa's rise and frame Fry's legend after he took over, to show it WAS possible to win in the Hawkeye State. Iowans wouldn't know how meaningful and fun winning could be, sucking the marrow from each minor victory as they do today, if they hadn't experienced the losing too.

But what if Iowa had ridden the coattails of that '59 Rose Bowl win, becoming an established powerhouse program on par with, dare I say it, Nebraska, a program that obnoxiously brandishes its sterling national championship history as proof that sustained excellence is possible in a cold, homogenous state that doesn't produce much homegrown talent? Maybe Iowa wouldn't have to thrive in the lovable underdog role they seem to so fearlessly embrace, the "bully's of the Big Ten" as so many have dubbed them — and they could have been one of the big boys. Or maybe the Evashevski era was like so many others in Iowa's storied tradition, full of cyclical ups-and-downs, bound to yield a losing period eventually as the difficult circumstances of recruiting to the state would have reared their ugly heads. Who knows. But I am confident that the Evy era flamed out well before it should have, and if it didn't, we never would have experienced the joy of watching a program rise from the ashes again and develop a modern identity right before our eyes. Although Iowa fans claim to embrace their trite, worn-down duty of upsetting the top programs but never seeing their name etched alongside them, deep down inside I know they'd like to be counted among the traditional powers. But it's important we remember that after Evy was disgraced and forced from the helm of the program he built, the Iowa Hawkeyes could have easily gone into the modern age downtrodden and forgotten from history's annals, irrelevant and historically terrible like those infamous little brother Cyclones. But Hayden Fry made sure that didn't happen.

So this week, as we presumably honor the man who set the bar high once again for Hawkeye football, let us not dwell on the heights Iowa could have reached, but on the deep lows that Fry made sure we never touched.