Uthoff's Choice: Wisconsin

Cedar Rapids' rising star Jarrod Uthoff finally decided tonight that he needed to leave the comfort of home in Iowa to find a perennial winner whose style fit his strengths, choosing Bo Ryan's Badgers instead of the home state Hawkeyes, Cyclones or Panthers.

And then Uthoff hopped on a plane at the Eastern Iowa Airport to skip town, just to be safe.

Okay, that's not entirely fair. Uthoff is heading to Las Vegas to hoop with his Iowa Barnstormers AAU team. But this undoubtedly will give Iowa fans flashbacks to Jason Bohannon choosing Wisconsin over his dad's alma mater. Except in this case, Iowa State and Northern Iowa are probably just as disappointed too. All three programs held a wild card in their proximity to Uthoff's home town -- he acknowledged all along that distance would be a factor in his decision. I guess the three-hour drive to Madison is manageable.

Iowa appeared to have a great chance at Uthoff in recent days as a centerpiece of its rebuilding efforts under new coach Fran McCaffery. Uthoff, an all-state pick last season, never tipped his hand during this process however.

Uthoff's commitment closes the book on UW's 2011 impressive recruiting class. In true Bo style, the group is well-rounded, but not highly-rated nationally. The skinny 6'8" senior-to-be at Cedar Rapids Jefferson can fill either forward spot next to PF/C Frank Kaminsky, while the class' backcourt is set with George Marshall and Traevon Jackson. Though Uthoff's stock just recently took off this summer, he could wind up as the best-rated prospect of the four.

On the Stove Top: 7/18/10

Summer League Wrap-Up
The Vegas Summer League concluded Sunday and the biggest surprise has to be Marcus Landry reappearing with the New York Knicks after his stint with Indiana in the Orlando session. Landry fared much better with his old crew, even getting loose for 14 points and a baseline stuff against Toronto.

Meanwhile, Joe Krabbenhoft and Greg Stiemsma finished up Sunday as the sixth men for their respective teams, but there wasn't much tangible production to show for it. To his credit, Krabby finished with a solid +/- and six boards in his finale.

But the highlight of the week has to be Stiemsma sparring with DeMarcus Cousins last Wednesday. See for yourself how Stiemsma responded to Cousins' elbow to the throat in the Wolves-Kings game ... let's just say nothing's changed with ol' Stiemboat. But good for him.



Milwaukee's top pick, Larry Sanders, also put himself on the map with the league, especially point man Brandon Jennings.

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Recruiting Countdown
July has taken on greater significance on the recruiting battlegrounds now that there is no live April evaluation period allowed. The second July evaluation window opens July 22nd and some major Wisconsin targets will be making their school decisions in the next two weeks.

Unfortunately, the Badgers are not widely considered the favorite for Cedar Rapids (IA) Jefferson senior Jarrod Uthoff or Medina (OH) junior Kenny Kaminski. The versatile Uthoff wants to make his decision on Monday before heading out to his next tournament. He's sensitive to the fact his family wants him to stay close to home, which may compel him to choose one of the three Iowa schools in his final six.

Kaminski is considered a Michigan State lean and his recent comments do nothing but reinforce that sentiment. The 6'7" sharpshooter counts Wisconsin, Indiana and Ohio State among his finalists and will announce his destination on July 31st (or soon after). It's pleasantly surprising that UW jumped into the final mix lately even though Kaminski admits he "really [hasn't] talked to them that much."

[2010-11 NCAA Recruiting Calendar]

Keeping the Pipelines Open

This past weekend was an important one for Wisconsin recruiting news as Bo Ryan landed two new verbal commitments and extended yet another offer in the Class of 2011.

Center Frank Kaminsky from Benet Academy in Lisle, IL, and combo guard Traevon Jackson from Westerville South near Columbus, OH, add to a 2011 class that already includes Chicago point guard George Marshall. On Friday night, Jarrod Uthoff of Cedar Rapids Jefferson in Iowa officially became the latest competitor for that class' final scholarship.

As soon as Wisconsin extended an offer to Kaminsky in May, this 6'10" coach's son with an inside-outside game looked like a good fit for the Badgers and personally, I considered his verbal commitment only a matter of time. It didn't take long. The staff, led by Howard Moore, bought into his stock low and saw Kaminsky's value grow immediately.

It's interesting that Kaminsky said Wisconsin recruited him as a power forward. I have been insisting that Bo should take two big men this cycle to replace Leuer and Nankivil, and it appears Wisconsin would still take Marshall Plumlee at center if he wanted to sign.

Wisconsin has been recruiting Jackson for a long time, but the fact that he showed a commitment to developing (and showcasing) his point guard skills by switching AAU teams seemed to indicate he would not wind up in Madison. Then a week ago, Jackson said he was choosing between Arizona State and Wisconsin, at which point most Badger fans probably were confident in his commitment. With Marshall already on board, maybe Bo enjoys the three-guard lineup even more than we thought.

No one is labeling Jackson a recruiting coup even though he is the son of hoops legend Jim Jackson, mostly because he had only two BCS-level offers as a rising senior. That's fair. Jackson is not an explosive athlete and I would bet many schools probably didn't bother getting involved early with him because the shadow of dad's alma mater loomed nearby. However, Jackson does possess the strength, leadership, basketball IQ and passing skills that will be a perfect fit in the program. Comparisons to Jordan Taylor are legit. Plus, it's good to have another Traevon/Travon/Trevon in the fold ...

Besides the obvious benefit of acquiring quality student-athletes, the verbals were valuable toward maintaining UW's recruiting connections made over the last few years. Kaminsky plays for the Illinois Wolves AAU team, coached by Mike Mullins. Last September, Wisconsin had one former Wolf (Diamond Taylor) on its roster, one verbally committed (Hodges) and outstanding offers to two more (Randle, Egwu). That foursome evaporated completely over the last year. So it's good to get back in with an important AAU program in the region that produces good D-I talent and runs a clean ship.

The Wisconsin football team has seen its Ohio recruiting net some great talent and the basketball program seems to be buying into the same theory now. Jackson will be the second Buckeye on the UW roster during Rob Wilson's senior year.

As for Uthoff, his stock is rising on the summer circuit after earning first team All-State honors as a junior. Uthoff's passing will get the most praise based on his highlight reels. Though he is a skinny 6'8" now, Uthoff may wind up as the second big Wisconsin is looking for if he can add some muscle.

Iowa countered with a scholarship offer of its own two days after Wisconsin, joining a long list that includes Butler, Illinois, Indiana and Iowa State. Uthoff's cousin, Dean, is still the all-time leading rebounder in Cyclone history. Expect Uthoff to join Plumlee as Wisconsin's primary targets going forward in 2011. Gary Close is Bo's lead recruiter in Iowa.

Prospect Profile: Jarrod Uthoff

Jarrod Uthoff, F
6'8" :: 200 lbs.
Class of 2011
Cedar Rapids (IA) Jefferson HS [team site]
AAU: Iowa Barnstormers

::: RANKINGS UPDATED AUG. 24 :::
Rankings
Scout: 4 Stars * * * * (#18 PF/#77 overall) Previous: 3 Stars
Rivals: 3 Stars * * * (#150 overall) Previous: NR (PF)
ESPN/Scouts, Inc. grade: 94 (#19 > #17 PF)

Honors
2010 First Team All-State (Class 4A, INA)
2010 Second Team All-State (4A, Des Moines Register)
2010 Mississippi Valley Conference Player of the Year
2010 Area Player of the Year (Cedar Rapids Gazette)

Recent Press
4/29: Cedar Rapids Jefferson basketball recruit Jarrod Uthoff is making the rounds - Cedar Rapids Gazette
4/19: Iowa Barnstormers 17's Win Spring Fling - Scout.com
3/10: East opens tourney vs. CR Jefferson - Sioux City Journal
3/2: J-Hawks Clinch State Tournament Berth - jhsmensbasketball.com
2/2: J-Hawks Continue Winning Ways - jhsmensbasketball.com

The Verbal
Uthoff gives UW men's hoops oral commitment for 2011 class - JSOnline (7/19/10)
Uthoff says Wisconsin is 'best fit' - Cedar Rapids Gazette (7/19/10)
Uthoff picks Wisconsin - Iowa City Press-Citizen (7/19/10)
Cedar Rapids Jefferson's Uthoff chooses Wisconsin - Des Moines Register (7/19/10)
Badgers land Iowa forward - WiSJ (7/19/10)
Jarrod Uthoff Turns Down Illini To Join Bo Ryan's Badgers - BleacherReport (7/20/10)

The Hype
Illini offer Jarrod Uthoff, the next Gordon Hayward? - IlliniHQ.com (5/7/10)
Jefferson Pulls Away from Prairie - jhsmensbasketball.com (2/12/10)
J-Hawks Build Early Lead - Uthoff Dominates - jhsmensbasketball.com (1/22/10)
Uthoff's play rekindles J-Hawk memories - Cedar Rapids Gazette (12/15/09)

Audio/Video
Interview: Uthoff Picks Wisconsin (7/19/10) - KCRG
Highlights: Jarrod Uthoff - HardwoodElite.com (7/1/10) - YouTube
News Feature: Jefferson's Uthoff Has Big Decision to Make (6/22/10) - KCRG
Interview: Dan Poneman chats with Jarrod Uthoff (5/10/10) - YouTube
Highlights: Jarrod Uthoff SWAGair Highlight Mixtape #1 (5/10/10) - YouTube

Stats
None available

Additional Info
2010-11 Schedule [2009-10] :: Cedar Rapids Gazette

Photos