If You Build It, They Will Come

        Profile Marcus Paige was a point guard for the New Orleans Pelicans after being selected by the Brooklyn Nets in the 2016 NBA draft*.  Marcus played for North Carolina in college, earning 2nd Team All-American honors his sophomore season.  Marcus also played his senior season with the Tar Heels in which they made it to the championship game, but lost to Villanova.  Marcus is from Cedar Rapids**. * Iowa Connections:  Georges Niang (ISU), Paige (Cedar Rapids), and Abdel Nader (ISU) ** Well, Marion.  I don't know how those from Marion would care about being categorized under CR.  Like West Des Moines vs Des Moines, or Council Bluffs getting pulled into the Omaha metro, and of course Burlington and Bettendorf getting sucked under the Quad Cities moniker.   Personal Notes Marcus Paige is one of the better high school players to come around in the last decade or so.  Some others include Doug McDermott and Harrison Barnes...

Here's the final list of players with Iowa Connections in the NFL in 2020.  For shame Dallas, New Orleans, Atlanta and Carolina.  I mean 3/4 NFC West teams had 0 Iowa Connections (the one team that did won the Super Bowl, think about that!) Note: Coaches in italics Iowa Hawkeyes : 46 Iowa State Cyclones : 15 Northern Iowa Panthers : 8 Iowa Western Community College : 3 Drake Bulldogs : 2 Ellsworth Community College : 2 Des Moines : 3 Iowa City : 1 Ames : 1 Cedar Falls : 1 Marion : 1 Johnston : 1 5 - Green Bay : Christian Kirksey, Josh Jackson , Jerry Montgomery (Iowa), Allen Lazard (ISU), Dominique Dafney (W. Des Moines) 5 - New England :    Carl Davis, James Ferentz, Ross Reynolds (Iowa), Xavier Williams (UNI), Nick Caley (ISU) 5 - Chicago : David Montgomery,  Jay Rodgers  (ISU), James Daniels /  Mark DeLeone  (Iowa),  Mike Furrey  (UNI) 4 - Buffalo : Ike Boettger /  AJ Epenesa  / Micah Hyde (Iowa), AJ Klein (IS...