When the Iowa program has been successful in the past it has largely been due to a having a dynamic guard and a powerful post player down low.
Some examples include Kathleen Doyle and Megan Gustafson, Caitlin Clark and Monika Czinano, and Lucy Olsen and Ava Heiden, and that could continue in the future as the program continues earning massive wins on the recruiting trail. Jan Jensen and the program are still very much in play for some of the top prospects in the 2027 class, and could pair 2027 commit Jada Seubert with some of the best post players in the class. After locking in official visits with Nation Williams and Destiny Manyawu, the Hawkeyes got some more great news as another top post player scheduled an OV this fall.
Top-3 2027 prospect Khalia Hartwell locked in an official visit this fall
After the 2026-2027 season, star center Ava Heiden may have only two more seasons with the program after the new NCAA five-for-five rule, leaving Layla Hays as the only player with significant size on the roster. The program has been actively attempting to address its size issue by offering multiple top post prospects in the 2027 class, and earning a spot on the final lists of Nation Williams and Destiny Manyawu, the program could land another top 2027 post prospect if they make a solid impression during her visit this fall.
NEWS: Top 2027 recruit Khalia Hartwell has set three official visits so far, she told @Rivals.
— Talia Goodman (@TaliaGoodmanWBB) August 3, 2026
Hartwell broke down her recruitment and experience with each of the three programs.
READ (+): https://t.co/WrSWEr4utO pic.twitter.com/kikGPWqBIx
Top-five 2027 center prospect Khalia Hartwell announced that she has locked in an official visit to Iowa City on September 11, nearly a year after initially receiving an offer from the program. Hartwell originally received an offer from Jensen and the program in September 2025, and they have remained an active presence in her recruitment. Rivals currently ranks Hartwell as South Carolina's No. prospect and the No. 3 overall prospect in the 2027 class, giving Iowa the potential for two bruising post players in a few seasons.
Hartwell is a dominating post player who does a lot of damage at the rim on both offense and defense, using her size (six-foot-five) and strength to muscle her opponents off the glass and move them completely out of the way on offense. Hartwell's offense is currently limited to the paint, but she makes up for it by erasing shots on the defensive end and protecting the paint. She has the size and length that very few players in the class have, and she could easily become one of the best shot blockers in the country when.
With Heiden stating that she wants to stay in Iowa City for five years, Hartwell might be used as a backup and/or a defensive specialist in her first few seasons with the program until Heiden leaves, unless she can develop her offensive game. That is not saying she doesn't have any offense, but she is much more suited to a defensive stopper role until she can develop a consistent mid-range jump shot. She has the potential to do it, but her offense is still a work in progress. Locking up Hartwell would be a massive victory for the program, and hopefully she decides to stay in Iowa City after her visit this September.
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