Iowa has competition for Marcus Paige in 2012

Iowa has offered scholarships to three current high school sophomores who compete with the Martin Brothers Select AAU team.

Locally, Linn-Mar sophomore point guard Marcus Paige averages 14.6 points and leads No. 2 Linn-Mar (18-1) in assists (82) and steals (51). Iowa is one of five regional schools to offer him a scholarship, along with Iowa State, UNI, Minnesota and, mostly recently, Illinois. Paige's AAU coach, Hank Huddleson, said the 6-foot Paige visited Champaign, Ill., last weekend and the Fighting Illini offered him a scholarship.

"He's right now rated he third-best point guard in the country behind two kids from Texas," Huddleson said. "He's going to have his pick of where he wants to go and what he wants to do."

It wouldn't be a shock if Wisconsin comes in with an offer as well. Paige's older sister, Morgan, will play for the Badgers next year. Former Linn-Mar star Jason Bohannon is a senior guard at Wisconsin.

Iowa also has offered a scholarship to Mike Gesell, a 6-foot-1 sophomore guard from South Sioux City (Neb.) leads his team in points (19.2), rebounds (7.3), assists (6.2) and steals (3.1). South Sioux City is ranked No. 1 in Nebraska's Class B. Among Gesell's many suitors include Iowa State, Northern Iowa, Nebraska and Creighton.

"(Gesell) is just as good (as Paige) in some respects and maybe better in some," Huddleson said. "I think the two of them complement each other very well."

Sioux City East sophomore post Adam Woodbury, who stands 6-foot-11, averages 17.1 points and 12.3 rebounds a game. He scored 28 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in a win against Le Mars earlier this week. Iowa State also has offered Woodbury.

Iowa has three current sophomores on its rosters, which would give the school three scholarships in 2012. Iowa did have four sophomores but one immediate scholarship opened up last week when Anthony Tucker left the program.

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UPDATE I

Iowa is looking hard at Scott County Central senior point guard Bobby Hatchett, who stands 5-foot-10. Hatchett scored 26 points last week presumably in front of Iowa assistant coach Chad Walthall, who was in the boot heel of Missouri recruiting on Friday night. (NOTE: Walthall can't talk about prospects, it's an NCAA violation)

Walthall did have to take a taxicab from Indianapolis to West Lafayette, Ind., on Saturday to make the Iowa-Purdue game that afternoon.

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UPDATE II

Two weeks ago two future Hawkeyes were scheduled to compete against one another in Sioux Falls, S.D. Zach McCabe, a 6-foot-7 forward from Sioux City Heelan, was slated to play Cody Larson, a 6-foot-9 forward from Sioux Falls (S.D.) Roosevelt, but

Larson sprained his ankle and did not play.

McCabe scored 28 points in a Heelan victory.