IOWA CITY -- An international prospect that I've repeatedly heard "could start" for Iowa in his freshman year, Chris Tadjo is completely averse to that idea. A 6'8", 225-pound prospect out of NBA Academy Latin America, Tadjo wants to sit back and be a sponge with Fran McCaffery and the Hawkeyes this summer.
"I'm like 'Oh no, please don't say that about me,'" Tadjo laughed at Monday's media availability. "Just let me learn. It's my first year. Plus, all the guys here are really good. That's why I'm here. I want to be a professional, and I want to learn. That's why I felt like Iowa was the place for me."
Originally from Montreal, Quebec, Tadjo says the number one thing he's taken away so far is just how hard the rest of the guys on Iowa's roster work.
"The work ethic is different than what I'm used to," he said. "You've just got to do it. Go ahead, pick it up -- and you've got to do it fast. It caught me off guard, like 'Holy shit, these guys work.'"
One of the players that has helped him along the most is also a fresh face on campus in Seydou Traore.
"Chris is kind of like my little brother," Traore said. "I've kind of taken him under my wing. With him being a freshman, I just kind of break the game down little-by-little every time I come in the gym with him. In the next couple months, he's probably going to grow a lot."
He's certainly got the tools to make some things happen with the Hawkeyes, according to Iowa's head man.
"Chris has got tremendous athletic power," McCaffery said. "He's a phenomenally intense player and really, really plays hard. He's as good of an athlete as there is anywhere in the country."
McCaffery and staff have felt strongly about Tadjo ever since they were able to see him for the first time.
"We saw him during the last live period that summer and started recruiting him through the NBA Academy organization," McCaffery said after Iowa signed the native Canadian. "He has a motor you just don't see very often. When you're that big and have a motor -- those guys affect the game."
Tadjo could feel just how much the Hawkeyes wanted him during the recruiting process.
"They were calling me every day," Tadjo smiled. "I could really tell they wanted me to be here. That's a big reason why I did choose Iowa. They want me to help them, and I want to help them. I see them as a family now, and I want to be connected with them for the rest of my life."
When it came to his decision, that familial connection was a key driving force.
"I love the guys here," he said. "Like, Payton pushes me all the time. He says 'You got it.' If I make a mistake he says 'You'll get it.' That helped me a lot because sometimes I feel like I'm not good. Then they come and push me. The guys support me a lot."
Hawkeye fans had their hands in his decision, too. Tadjo remembers his fall official visit to campus fondly.
"When I went to the football game I was like 'Oh, damn,'" he said. "There are a lot of people for one game. I'd never seen anything like that before in my life. That was surprising."
With learning as the emphasis during his short time in Iowa City so far, Tadjo has still been able to show off that athleticism to his his new teammates in summer workouts.
"Chris and Seydou are definitely lob threats," Morehead State transfer Drew Thelwell said last week. "I promise you they will catch some lobs this season."
Traore agreed.
"There's been a lot of that so far," he laughed. "There's going to be a lot of that in the games, too. That's going to be fun."
