Another transfer talent has included Iowa in his top potential landing spots out of the portal. Jordan Minor, a 6'8", 240-pound wing from Merrimack of the Northeast Conference, shared his top four via College Basketball Report, listing the Hawkeyes, Florida Gulf Coast, Virginia and Seton Hall as his top choices.
B.J. Mack of Wofford included Iowa in his top five just four days ago.
Out of the portal, Minor received interest from the programs in his top four, as well as Ohio State, Wake Forest, Florida, Boston College, Arkansas, and many others.
Despite playing at a "lower level" of D-I basketball, Minor possesses the physical tools at to contribute at a high-major program, and his contact list bears that out. The Kingston, Massachusetts native can serve as a lob threat, force around the rim, and defensive stalwart. He has one year of eligibility remaining after playing for four years at Merrimack.
Minor, a three-year starter, is the reigning Co-NEC Player of the Year and NEC Defensive Player of the Year, and he led the Warriors to a regular season conference title and conference tournament championship*. He averaged 17.4 points, 9.4 rebounds, 2.6 blocks and 1.4 steals per game -- all while making just one three-pointer throughout the entire season.
*Since Merrimack only recently joined D-I, it is still ineligible for the postseason, so Fairleigh Dickinson took the NEC's automatic bid and upset 1-seed Purdue in this year's tournament.
In addition to not being a serious threat as a three-point shooter, Minor struggled from the free-throw line, finishing his tenure in North Andover shooting 58.9 percent from the stripe. He shot 50% or better on 2-point attempts in 3 of his 4 seasons at Merrimack, including going 51.9% on shots inside the arc in 2022-23.
Nonetheless, in a program like Iowa that accentuates players' strengths, Minor's athleticism, high motor and productivity on both ends of the floor would be more than enough for Fran McCaffery to work with.
