Uhl, Ellingson signings excite Iowa's McCaffery

IOWA CITY - Dominique Uhl displays all the characteristics Iowa Coach Fran McCaffery seeks in a basketball player.

Uhl, who lives in Point Pleasant Beach, N.J.., stands 6-foot-9 and is skilled. He's versatile and has length. He has received top coaching in both high school and in his AAU program.

But the intangible that McCaffery can appreciate about Uhl is the forward's work ethic. Uhl hails originally from Germany and moved to the United States in high school. It's that desire to compete that endeared Uhl to McCaffery.

“You think about the courage it takes to leave your family and come over here and play basketball in New Jersey and not know where it's going to lead you,” McCaffery told The Gazette, “and go through the recruiting process and end up in the Big Ten. This is a guy, he wants to be good. He wants to challenge himself to be good. He puts the time in. As good as he is now, he's going to be even better each year as we move forward.”

Uhl joins 6-foot-4 shooting guard Brady Ellingson of Sussex Hamilton (Wis.) High School in signing letters of intent Wednesday to play basketball at Iowa in 2014. The Hawkeyes still have two scholarships available in the 2014 class.

Uhl averaged 10 points and 10 rebounds a game at Point Pleasant Beach (N.J.) High School. He helped his school win its first New Jersey Group I state title with a 27-4 record last season. Uhl was tabbed first team all-conference and a Reebok All-American. He was also named MVP of the Rumble in the Bronx.

McCaffery expects Uhl to immediately compete for playing time at forward next year. The Hawkeyes lose seniors Melsahn Basabe and Zach McCabe, who have combined for more than 110 career starts.

“The thing like about him the most, he's really skilled,” McCaffery said. “He can put it on the floor. He's athletic, he's long, he can get the job done both inside and the perimeter. He's primarily a perimeter forward, but you're talking about a guy who's legitimately 6-9, and he's athletic. He can block shots, he can score inside, he's got moves around the basket, he's got great versatility and there's a lot of different ways that we can utilize his talent.”

Iowa assistant Andrew Francis originally recruited Uhl, and McCaffery saw him at an AAU tournament in Atlantic City. Uhl was sick but competed. McCaffery then watched him play two more times, and Uhl visited Iowa in September.

"He had a great weekend, really meshed with our players and our staff," McCaffery said. "A real gentleman, through and through."

Ellingson averaged 21.3 points and 3.5 rebounds a game and was named player of the year in the Greater Metro Conference, located in suburban Milwaukee. He was first-team all-state and shot a single-season school record 48 percent (86-of-179) from 3-point range. He led Hamilton to a 21-3 record last season and its first conference title since 1979. His 511 points in 2012-13 rank as the second-most in school history, and he is 184 points from becoming Hamilton's all-time leading scorer.

“He's put up unbelievable numbers both at the high school level and the AAU circuit,” McCaffery said.

McCaffery first saw Ellingson in Las Vegas when the coach was scouting players and watching his son play in an AAU tournament.

“He played great, and I said I'm going to go back and see him again,” McCaffery said. “When I went back, he was even better. When I recruit shooters - obviously we want shooters - but at this level, you have to have a game. He has a game. He's tough, he's got size, he's athletic, he can get his own shot, he can put it on the deck and make a play for himself.”

Ellingson also played AAU basketball for Ray Allen Select, while Uhl competed for the Jersey Shore Warriors.