Iowa Hawkeyes
Big Ten (21-12, 9-9)
Iowa has had a bit of an up and down season. The Hawkeyes have some quality wins under their belt, but their inability to win on the road really hindered their resume. Coach McCaffery is still building his program and steps still need to be taken. This is a young team that is still growing, but for now their postseason inexperience will be a problem.
Big Wins: 1/19 Wisconsin (70-66), 2/17 Minnesota (72-51), 3/5 Illinois (63-55)
Bad Losses: 11/27 at Virginia Tech (79-95), 1/27 at Purdue (62-65), 2/23 at Nebraska (60-64)
Coach: Fran McCaffery (3 seasons at Iowa)
Why They Can Surprise:
The Hawkeyes are built around Mike Gesell, Roy Devyn Marble and Aaron White. Nobody else on the team besides those three averages over 21 minutes per game. Gesell, a freshman, is showing his potential as a scorer and distributor. His defense is not too shabby for a freshman either. Marble, like Gesell, is capable of making the outside shot, but he does most of his scoring closer to the basket. White joins Marble as the other consistent double figure scoring for the Hawkeyes. White can stretch out the defense with his mid-range jumper, yet the 6-8 sophomore has developed into a fine interior scoring threat. Iowa needs Gesell, Marble and White to play their best if they hope to make a little run in March.
Why They Can Disappoint:
Coach McCaffery wants to get his team up and down the floor, so he is not afraid to go nine or ten deep. The question is just how much production will he get from those other players. There is certainly enough talent to go around, but the Hawkeyes have not been able to put it all together consistently. Melsahn Basabe is a fine interior scorer. Zach McCabe is a strong rebounder and a capable outside shooter. Adam Woodbury has had a very good freshman campaign and is developing into a major force on the defensive end. That is plenty of depth in the frontcourt. On the perimeter Anthony Clemmons, Eric May and Josh Oglesby will see some quality playing time. Clemmons has shown flashes of brilliance during his freshman campaign. He has been in the starting lineup at times, mostly due to his defensive prowess, but he is also a big reason why this team shares the ball so effectively. May, the lone senior in the regular rotation, has not scored much over the last couple of years, but he is a decent rebounder and defender. Oglesby will occasionally spark the offense off of the bench with his outside shooting ability, but he does not even shoot the team average of 29.9 percent from long range. If this group can find consistency, they can win some games. However, it is a bit late to expect the Hawkeyes to turn into a team that can beat a quality opponent away from home.
Probable Starters:
Mike Gesell, Freshman, Guard, 9.1 ppg, 2.9 apg, 2.9 rpg
Roy Devyn Marble, Junior, Guard, 14.1 ppg, 2.8 apg, 4.0 rpg
Melsahn Basabe, Junior, Forward, 7.2 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 1.3 bpg
Aaron White, Sophomore, Forward, 13.2 ppg, 5.9 rpg
Adam Woodbury, Freshman, Center, 4.9 ppg, 4.7 rpg
Key Roleplayers:
Anthony Clemmons, Freshman, Guard, 4.5 ppg, 3.0 apg
Eric May, Senior, Guard, 4.8 ppg, 3.8 rpg
Zach McCabe, Junior, Forward, 5.6 ppg, 3.7 rpg
Josh Oglesby, Sophomore, Guard, 4.8 ppg, 1.5 rpg
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 70.7 (95th in nation, 3rd in conference)
Scoring Defense: 63.1 (88, 7)
Field-Goal Percentage: 42.3 (228, 7)
Field-Goal Defense: 38.7 (19, 1)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 5.2 (267, 7)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 29.9 (283, 10)
Free-Throw Percentage: 72.6 (65, 2)
Rebound Margin: 4.6 (48, 5)
Assists Per Game: 15.3 (26, 1)
Turnovers Per Game: 12.7 (123, 8)
Last Five Postseason Appearances:
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
*all team stats through 3/10
See All Men’s Basketball Postseason Capsules
