Iowa Hawkeyes
Big Ten (15-17, 5-13)
Seed: #
RPI: 121
Big Wins: 1/21 Wisconsin (73-69), 2/22 Michigan (70-60), 3/7 Penn State (75-67)
Bad Losses: 12/20 at Drake (43-60), 2/4 at Indiana (60-68), 2/28 at Northwestern (49-55)
Coach: Todd Lickliter
Probable Starters:
Jake Kelly, Sophomore, Guard, 11.6 ppg, 3.1 apg
Matt Gatens, Freshman, Guard, 10.8 ppg, 2.2 apg
Devan Bawinkel, Junior, Guard, 4.8 ppg, 1.6 rpg
Aaron Fuller, Freshman, Forward, 4.0 ppg, 2.7 rpg
Jarryd Cole, Sophomore, Forward, 3.7 ppg, 3.0 rpg
Key Roleplayers:
Jermain Davis, Junior, Guard, 4.5 ppg, 1.6 apg
Jeff Peterson, Sophomore, Guard, 10.6 ppg, 4.2 apg
Cyrus Tate, Senior, Forward, 7.0 ppg, 5.7 rpg
Why They Can Surprise:
Many of Iowa’s losses have been in very close games. The Hawkeyes keep games close by slowing down the tempo and taking care of the ball. The group on the perimeter deserves most of the credit for that and Jake Kelly has taken over the leadership role of that group. The 6-6 sophomore averages 11.6 points per game and is a threat to hit the long ball or use his size to attack the basket. He is not the best ball handler around, but Kelly is a solid passer who will find his teammates.
The emergence of freshman Matt Gatens has given Coach Todd Lickliter another somewhat reliable scorer on the perimeter. Gatens is the team’s most efficient three-point shooter and when he is hot, he can put up 20 points in a hurry. Jermain Davis and Devan Bawinkel are the other options on the perimeter. Davis is a solid rebounder for a guard and Bawinkel can provide instant offense with his outside shooting.
Why They Can Disappoint:
The backcourt used to be a lot better. Freshman Anthony Tucker was a great outside shooter, but he has missed the entire second half of the season due to academic issues. Point guard Jeff Peterson pulled a hamstring on February 11th and missed the rest of the regular season and Iowa’s only conference tournament game. Kelly and Gatens have done an admirable job filling in for Peterson, but the Hawkeyes need him back if they want to continue to keep their turnovers down.
Who To Watch:
Cyrus Tate is the only major scoring threat in the frontcourt. The 6-8 senior is also easily the best rebounder on the team. Iowa will need him to score around the basket to free up space for the shooters on the perimeter and they will need him to play solid defense on the other end of the floor without getting into too much foul trouble. Aaron Fuller and Jarryd Cole have also earned quite a few starts for Coach Lickliter. At 6-6 and 6-7, respectively, Fuller and Cole will not give the Hawkeyes much size in the paint, but both are decent rebounders who are not afraid to do the dirty work around the basket.
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 60.7 (304th in nation, 10th in conference)
Scoring Defense: 59.2 (15, 4)
Field-Goal Percentage: 44.6 (125, 6)
Field-Goal Defense: 42.9 (146, 7)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 8.2 (25, 3)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 36.7 (71, 4)
Free-Throw Percentage: 74.3 (24, 2)
Rebound Margin: -0.6 (208, 8)
Assists Per Game: 11.8 (253, 10)
Turnovers Per Game: 12.4 (44, 6)
Joel’s Bracket Says:
