Iowa basketball coach Fran McCaffery feels this year’s recruiting class is the type he needed to get the program turned around. Among the five signees are highly recruited 7-1 center Adam Woodbury out of Sioux City East and 6-1 guard Mike Gesell from South Sioux City, Nebraska.

McCaffery says Woodbury and Gesell were the clear focus when they got to Iowa as they felt they had to make a mark to build the program.

Woodbury and Gesell turned down several high profile programs to sign with Iowa, and he says when they both said yes they felt as good as they have in a long time.

McCaffery Woodbury has special skills for a player his size. He says you rarely see 7 footers that consistently run like he does and as a result a lot of good things happen with tipped balls, blocked shots.

Iowa opens the regular season on Friday night against Chicago State.