Iowa Hawkeyes
Big Ten (22-11, 10-10)
Iowa did not have high expectations heading into this season mainly due to their terrible defense of a year ago. But this group was perfect in non-conference play, which included wins over Oregon, Connecticut, Pittsburgh and Iowa State, and performed relatively well in Big Ten play.
Big Wins: 12/6 Iowa State (98-84), 1/12 Ohio State (72-62), 2/1 Michigan (74-59)
Bad Losses: 2/26 at Ohio State (70-90), 3/2 Rutgers (72-86), 3/9 at Nebraska (91-93)
Coach: Fran McCaffery
Why They Can Surprise:
Iowa has quite a few talented scoring threats, most notably in the frontcourt. Forwards Tyler Cook and Luke Garza are the team’s top scorers. Cook leads the way with 14.9 points and 7.9 rebounds. The 6-9 junior is the bruiser in the paint, while Garza has a little more range to his offense. Garza is not going to hit too many three-pointers, but he is a threat. On the perimeter, Jordan Bohannon, Joe Wieskamp and Isaiah Moss are the main scorers. None of them have been particularly consistent, but all three can go off for big games. Bohannon has scored 25 points on multiple occasions and Wieskamp has hit the 24 point mark twice. Moss might be the x-factor in the NCAA Tournament. Like the rest of the backcourt, he is a good outside shooter, but Moss has been even more inconsistent than everybody else this season. If he can have a good game, the Hawkeyes have an offense that is difficult to contain.
Why They Can Disappoint:
The defense is better, but it is still not great. The unit ranks 13th in the Big Ten allowing 74.0 points per game and the opposition shoots 44.6 percent from the floor. That often allows subpar teams to stick around and get a chance to beat the Hawkeyes. And that has been the case recently when Ohio State and Rutgers scored 90 and 86 points, respectively. Coach Fran McCaffery must have his team prepared to tighten up their defense or their trip to the NCAA Tournament could be surprisingly short.
Probable Starters:
Jason Bohannon, Junior, Guard, 11.3 ppg, 3.4 apg
Joe Wieskamp, Freshman, Guard, 10.8 ppg, 4.8 rpg
Isaiah Moss, Junior, Guard, 9.1 ppg
Tyler Cook, Junior, Forward, 14.9 ppg, 7.9 rpg
Luke Garza, Sophomore, Forward, 12.9 ppg, 4.4 rpg
Key Role Players:
Nicholas Baer, Senior, Forward, 6.7 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 1.1 bpg
Maishe Dailey, Junior, Guard, 2.6 ppg
Connor McCaffery, Freshman, Guard,4.6 ppg, 3.1 apg
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 79.0 (45th in nation, 2nd in conference)
Scoring Defense: 74.0 (244, 13)
Field-Goal Percentage: 45.6 (105, 4)
Field-Goal Defense: 44.6 (228, 13)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 8.2 (124, 3)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 36.3 (89, 4)
Free-Throw Percentage: 74.4 (52, 3)
Rebound Margin: 1.3 (148, 9)
Assists Per Game: 15.6 (35, 2)
Turnovers Per Game: 12.3 (105, 7)
Recent Postseason Appearances:
| 2017 | NIT | First Round win over South Dakota |
| 2017 | NIT | Second Round loss to TCU |
| 2016 | NCAA | Round of 64 win over Temple |
| 2016 | NCAA | Round of 32 loss to Villanova |
| 2015 | NCAA | Round of 64 win over Davidson |
| 2015 | NCAA | Round of 32 loss to Gonzaga |
| 2014 | NCAA | Opening Round loss to Tennessee |
| 2013 | NIT | First Round win over Indiana State |
| 2013 | NIT | Second Round win over Stony Brook |
| 2013 | NIT | Quarterfinal win over Virginia |
| 2013 | NIT | Semifinal win over Maryland |
| 2013 | NIT | Final loss to Baylor |
| 2012 | NIT | First Round win over Dayton |
| 2012 | NIT | Second Round loss to Oregon |
| 2006 | NCAA | Round of 64 loss to Northwestern State |
| 2005 | NCAA | Round of 64 loss to Cincinnati |
| 2004 | NIT | First Round loss to Saint Louis |
| 2003 | NIT | Opening Round win over Valparaiso |
| 2003 | NIT | First Round win over Iowa State |
| 2003 | NIT | Second Round loss to Georgia Tech |
| 2002 | NIT | First Round loss to LSU |
*all team stats through 3/10
