Shortly after Iowa's loss to Michigan State on Tuesday night, Fran McCaffery picked up the phone and went back to recruiting and reached out to junior college forward Willie Atwood and told him he was very interested and would be coming down for a visit very soon.

"I watched the Iowa game last night and I kept thinking I could probably help Iowa out and then after the game I got a call from Coach McCaffery," Atwood said. "He told me that he's watched my film and has gotten good reports on me from his coaches and he thinks I would be a good player for them. He said he likes that I can create off the dribble, go into the post, and make free throws."

Last week Iowa assistant coach Kirk Speraw made a trip down to Connors State College in Oklahoma to check out the 6-foot-7 forward in person. Andrew Francis, another Iowa assistant has been in regular contact with Atwood for a while and they have built a very good relationship. The next step in his recruiting as far as the Hawkeyes are concerned is a visit from the head coach.

"Coach McCaffery said he's going to try and come down to see me next week and I think after that there's a good chance Iowa will offer me."

If Iowa does offer, the Hawkeyes would join a growing list of schools that have also extended scholarship opportunities to the talented forward. This week, Arizona State offered a scholarship and they join Wichita State, Auburn, and TCU. Atwood is also getting serious interest and expects offers from Gonzaga, Oklahoma, and SMU. On Wednesday afternoon, SMU Head Coach Larry Brown visited Connors State College to see Atwood in person.

Right now, Atwood is taking the slow approach to recruiting and any potential campus visits will have to wait until after his season concludes.

"All the recruiting attention has been pretty crazy, but this is what I have worked so hard to get, so it's pretty cool. My coach has told me no visits until after the season, so that's when I will decide where I will take my official visits," Atwood said.

One interesting development in Atwood's recruiting is his friendship with another 2014 JUCO target for the Hawkeyes, Trey Dickerson, who is currently at Williston Junior College in North Dakota. McCaffery is planning on seeing Dickerson in person very soon and could potentially offer the talented point guard. Atwood and Dickerson have been openly talking on twitter about playing together at their next college stop.

"We have known each other for a while when we played against each other in different events and have become friends," Atwood said. "He was telling me that we should go to the same place and make some noise there and I said let's make that happen."

Could that place be in Iowa City?

"You will have to wait and see," Atwood said with a laugh.

This season Atwood is averaging 20 points and 9 rebounds per game and would have three years to play two at the major college level.