Jan Jensen’s hunt for frontcourt help just got a whole lot more interesting.
Iowa has been stacking up recruiting momentum in the 2027 class, and the latest buzz centers on one of the biggest prizes left on the board: Khalia Hartwell. The four-star center has trimmed her list to Georgia, Iowa, and Virginia Tech, and the Hawkeyes are firmly in the mix for a player who could address an obvious need.
Hartwell, the No. 4 overall center in the 2027 class, has also scheduled official visits to all three finalists. She is set to visit Iowa on September 11 this fall, a major development for a program that has been active with top-tier talent lately. 247Sports ranks her as the No. 2 center in the class and South Carolina’s No. 1 overall prospect, which makes her final three all the more notable after the Gamecocks were left out.
The news lands at a time when Iowa could use help inside. Hannah Stuelke is headed to Italy to start her professional basketball career, and that leaves Ava Heiden and Layla Hays, both six-foot-five, as the only remaining post players. The Hawkeyes have added McKenna Woliczko, a six-foot-two recruit in the 2026 class, and transfer Jocelyn Faison, who stands six-foot-one, but both are better suited to the forward spot and do not bring the same size as the other two.
That is where Hartwell fits. At six-foot-four, she is a true center who works the paint, rebounds and blocks shots.
Her offensive game is still developing, but her length gives her real value around the rim, especially as a shot blocker who can do the job without piling up fouls. Pairing her with Hays and Heiden would give Iowa a formidable interior rotation and a defensive anchor in the lane.
The Hawkeyes have already picked up commitments from Nation Williams, Destiny Manyawu and Sienna Williams, and sharpshooting 2027 prospect Jada Seubert is also in the class. Add Hartwell, and Iowa’s recruiting haul would look even stronger, especially with Jensen’s track record as a post developer. If the Hawkeyes can finish the job, the conversation about their lack of size changes fast.
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Jeremiah Alexander and Kobe McCloud have started to create some separation in that battle, giving Clemson a pair of names to watch as the group takes shape. Swinney also pointed to a deeper mix that includes Drew Woodaz, Fletcher Cothran, C.J. Kubah-Taylor, Logan Anderson and Brayden Reilly, which suggests the room still has plenty of candidates trying to force their way into the conversation. [Read more 🡒]