Hawkeyes Sign 5 Prep Standouts

Nov. 9, 2011

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IOWA CITY, Iowa — University of Iowa Head Men’s Basketball Coach Fran McCaffery announced today that Anthony Clemmons, Mike Gesell, Patrick Ingram, Kyle Meyer and Adam Woodbury have signed national letter of intents to attend the University of Iowa.

“I’m very excited about this class,” said McCaffery. “We started working immediately upon arrival, in particular, on this group. I want to give particular recognition to how hard each and every one of my assistant coaches has worked. I believe we’ve addressed specific needs and attracted not only quality, but student-athletes who will fit with what we already have here to ultimately make us a better team.”

Iowa’s five-member 2012 recruiting class is ranked 19th by ESPN.com and Scout.com.

Paul Biancardi, who is ESPN’s director of basketball recruiting, had nothing but praise to say about Iowa’s recruiting class and coach McCaffery.

“I’m very impressed, but not surprised, with the class coach McCaffery signed,” said Biancardi. “This is a national statement class. Coach McCaffery and his staff have sold the vision and the plan for Iowa basketball in a big time way. It should get the fans of Iowa very excited not only right now but in the future.

“To be successful in this business you have to be able to recruit, and Fran’s a proven recruiter. This is a class that as it grows and develops together, will be the foundation for Iowa basketball. It will propel the Hawkeyes to the next step, which is the upper half of the Big Ten and NCAA Tournament.”

WOODBURY (7-1, 230)
Woodbury is an All-State center from Sioux City, Iowa. The 7-foot-1, 230-pound was named the Most Valuable Player at the 2011 NBA Players Association Top 100 Camp. Woodbury is the No. 41 ranked player in the Class of 2012 by ESPN.com, No. 42 by Rivals.com and No. 47 by Scout.com. He enters his senior season ranked fourth in career scoring and first in rebounding at East High School. He led the Black Raiders to a combined 59-16 record the last three seasons, including back-to-back conference championships and three consecutive state tournament appearances. Woodbury is a two-time first team All-State, All-Missouri River Conference, All-Northwest Iowa and All-City honoree. As a junior, Woodbury averaged a double-double (18.5 points and 12 rebounds). He averaged 17.4 points and grabbed a school single-season record 315 rebounds (12.1 avg.) his sophomore campaign. Woodbury also participated in the Nike LeBron James Skills Academy and Amare Stoudemire Skills Academy in 2011. He played AAU for Martin Brothers and All-Iowa Attack from seventh through 11th grade. Fellow recruit Mike Gesell was an AAU teammate of Woodbury. Woodbury becomes Iowa’s first seven-footer since Seth Gorney (2005-08) and is the tallest Hawkeye since Antonio Ramos (1999), who stood 7-foot-2.

“I felt the University of Iowa was the best fit for me,” said Woodbury. “I like the way Iowa plays an upbeat style. That fits the way I like to play. I love Coach McCaffery’s passion for the game and he proved to me during the recruiting process how hard he works.”

MCCAFFERY ON WOODBURY
“Adam is an incredibly likeable young man and you can tell that he understood the process and has the character necessary to be a great one,” said McCaffery. “The thing that has most impressed me about him since we first saw him is his effort level every time he takes the floor. Adam gives phenomenal effort and he’s amazingly concentrated on every possession. Combine that with size and skill and you have someone who has a chance to play for a long time. He comes from a program where he’s been very well-coached. He’ll come ready to contribute right away.”

GESELL (6-1, 180)
Gesell is a three-time first team All-State, All- Conference and All-Metro honoree for South Sioux City High School. Gesell is the No. 73 ranked player in the Class of 2012 by ESPN.com, No. 89 by Scout.com and No. 96 by Rivals.com. As a junior, he averaged 25.2 points, 8.2 assists, 5.5 rebounds and 2.9 steals while being honored as the Nebraska Gatorade Basketball Player of the Year. As a sophomore, Gesell averaged 19.9 points, 6.4 assists, 7.7 rebounds and 3.3 steals. He made 82 percent (158-193) of his free throw attempts as a junior and 79 percent (125-158) as a sophomore. The 6-foot-1, 180-pound guard was a Basketball Super State and All-State Class B Team Captain recipient his sophomore and junior seasons. He holds single season school records for scoring (655), assists (212) and steals (79), career scoring (1,446) and single-game steals (8) and assists (13). Gessell, who is a Wendy’s High School Heisman state finalist and will be the team’s captain this year, also excels in the classroom, ranking in the top five percent of his class while earning Gold Honor Roll distinction all four years. He also is a three-time Academic All-Conference and NSAA Academic All-State honoree. Fellow recruit Adam Woodbury was a teammate of Gesell on Martin Brothers and the All-Iowa Attack AAU squads.

“I’m really excited to be joining Hawkeye nation,” said Gesell. “I feel like Coach McCaffery is turning things around and I’m ready to work hard and contribute every way I can to getting the team back to where it once was. I couldn’t be more excited to become a Hawkeye.”

MCCAFFERY ON GESELL
“The first time I watched Mike work out I knew he was going to be a player I wanted in my program,” said McCaffery. “His future as a scoring point guard is one that has me excited. He has the ability to make plays and score with the ball, and he can get everyone involved. He’s proven time and again that he is a big time winner.”

CLEMMONS (6-1, 185)
Clemmons is a native of Lansing, Mich., and has started the last two years for Sexton High School. The 6-foot-1, 185-pound point guard helped his team to back-to-back conference championships and a Class B state title a year ago. Sexton finished as state runner-up his sophomore season. Clemmons is a two-time All-Conference honoree and was an All-State and All-Area selection in 2011. Clemmons averaged 12.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 3.2 steals his junior year. He will serve as a team co-captain his senior campaign. Clemmons played AAU basketball the last two years with the Michigan Mustangs. He also played football his freshman through junior years at Sexton, earning all-conference honors in 2010, playing fullback, linebacker and safety.

“I’m really excited about becoming a Hawkeye,” said Clemmons. “It’s a good feeling knowing that I’m going to play in one of the top three conferences in the country. My parents helped me with my decision and felt it was a good fit for me to become part of the Hawkeye family.”

MCCAFFERY ON CLEMMONS
“Anthony is a player who gives us great flexibility at the point guard position,” said McCaffery. “He also has the athletic and scoring ability to play anywhere in the back court or the wing. Anthony is a tremendous athlete and is mentally tough. He comes from a terrific high school and AAU program. We are really excited about Anthony joining the Hawkeyes.”

INGRAM (6-2, 190)
Ingram is a 6-foot-2, 190-pound guard from Indianapolis. He is a two-year starter and helped North Central High School win back-to-back conference championships and the Class 4A state championship in 2010. His high school team boasted a combined 70-8 record his first three seasons. Ingram averaged 10.4 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists his junior campaign. He shot 55.5 percent from the field and 33-percent from beyond the arc. A captain on this year’s team, Ingram also played on the AAU circuit for the Eric Gordon All-Stars. His team won the Walt Disney World tournament, Eric Gordon Shootout and the IndyBall Tournament. Ingram was tabbed MVP of the Walt Disney World tournament.

“I’m very excited to play for the Hawkeyes next fall,” said Ingram. “Coach McCaffery and his staff are doing a very good job with this program. In just one year, he has begun to turn the program around and I can’t wait to be a part of it.”

MCCAFEFRY ON INGRAM
“Patrick is an athletic guard who can play multiple positions because of his tremendous athletic power,” said McCaffery. “He’s a fierce competitor. You can look at him as a defensive stopper, but he can also score. Patrick’s a great transition and press player. He’s also a very good late-game player. He understands how to win.”

MEYER (6-10, 220)
Meyer is a 6-foot-10, 220-pound forward from Alpharetta, Ga. Meyer averaged 15 points, 11 rebounds, 3.5 blocks and 2.6 assists for Northview High School as a junior. He earned All-Region and co-MVP accolades as a junior, and was also recognized on the 2010 Pickens All-Tournament team. Meyer, who attends the same high school as Minnesota senior Ralph Sampson III, is a three-year starter. He averaged 10 points, 9.5 rebounds and 2.2 blocks, and earned the team’s Coaches Award his sophomore campaign. Meyer garnered all-tournament laurels at the Chattahoochee Tournament as a freshman. Meyer also played AAU basketball for the Atlanta Celtics.

“I’m so excited about becoming a Hawkeye,” said Meyer. “Choosing Iowa was a very easy decision for me. During my recruiting, I visited a lot of schools and studied everything about them. Nothing felt like Iowa did. The people are friendly, the school is great, the team is strong, and the coaches believe in me.”

MCCAFFERY ON MEYER
“Kyle has a tremendous skill set for somebody 6-foot-10,” said McCaffery. “Anytime you recruit someone with that size who can dribble, pass and shoot… it gives me great flexibility in how I can utilize his talent. Kyle is athletic and comes from a very good program. He also played on a very good AAU team and has been challenged. I want my front court players to be able to make plays off the dribble and shoot the ball outside… not only can he can do that, but he also has a low post game. I’m really excited about Kyle.”