RobHowe
Administrator
Hawkeye Hoops Mixing Returners, Transfers Newcomers
Analyzing the 2023-24 Iowa Men's Roster
- Thread starter RobHowe
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NorthKCHawk
Well-Known Member
This is the first year in a while where we do not have an obvious alpha dog. Jok, Cook, Garza, Garza, Keegan, Kris. Every off season we had a pretty good sense that we had a stud ready to take over as the lead scorer. We have some really good pieces. But, I feel like we probably have several Robins, but no Batmans. The best candidate for a Batman to me is Perkins, but he will have to really show he can go get 18 a night on his own. There might need to be more of a team approach in a way that has not been under Fran since what, the Woodbury years?
RobHowe
Administrator
Uthoff and Jok were the leading scorers during Woodbury's senior year. White and Uthoff were the leading scorers when he was a junior. Those teams were good defensively, too. They also underachieved during the regular season, which cost them with seeding in March.
I was in Seattle for the game against Gonzaga and then in Brooklyn for the Villanova game. It was evident early in both that Iowa was in trouble.
I was in Seattle for the game against Gonzaga and then in Brooklyn for the Villanova game. It was evident early in both that Iowa was in trouble.
Garza wasn't really expected to be an alpha his junior year. Kris and Keegan weren't really sure things either. Both came off the bench the year before. I think if Perkins or Sandfort end up having a huge year and do consistently what they did in their good games last year, people will remember it like they were the next in line to be the alpha. That's not the case right now tho. We can only hope.
NorthKCHawk
Well-Known Member
Garza averaged 12 points as a frosh and then 13 as a sophomore. I am not saying that I called that he would be an All-American his junior year, but with Cook moving on, most thought Garza would be the main scorer.
Kris and Keegan weren't sure things? Yes, both came off the bench the season before they "blew up." Keegan had a few starts as a freshman and flashed some really good stuff on a stacked, veteran team. He went through the draft process that year and by most accounts he would have been drafted. Again, not saying I called All-American and 4th overall pick, but predicting that Keegan would be the stud scorer on the Iowa team was an obvious call. Kris was even easier. He had a couple huge games as a sophomore coming off the bench. And, we just saw what his twin brother did the year before. Given the roster, Kris was the clear alpha coming into the season and he basically lived up to expectations.
Perkins is the most likely candidate. I personally don't have the same expectation for him that I did with others on this list. Hope I am wrong.
Dadman
Well-Known Member
I don't see an alpha either, but I am good. Maybe with a team effort we can re-establish some team chemistry. To me, that was the main issue last year. I have lots of "Robins" in my yard, and the occasional "Bat". Robins seem to do just fine. To be honest, I have no expectations other than it is a primarily rebuild year, so maybe we can just relax and have fun watching the development of the newbies.
thedukeofearl
Well-Known Member
Consistency would be Perkin's best friend and ours also
Every other game, once in a while, occasionally, he would be almost unstoppable
The Alpha Dog Stage is being set for someone to step up, hopefully
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thedukeofearl
Well-Known Member
Josh Dix is ready to break out and could be a scoring threat
Peyton Sandfort and Patrick are off and on, and like Tony need to establish consistency
Brock Harding and Pryce Sandfort, if they develop would certainly help scoring
The two incoming transfers, Even Braun and Ben Krikke have game experience and might replace FIlip as the season goes on quite nicely
Brock Harding at point and Owen Freeman around the basket will be very important pieces of the puzzle,
and if they adjust quickly by conference time, we could be another one of Fran's Surprises
Wishful thinking and I am the eternal optimist
Peyton Sandfort and Patrick are off and on, and like Tony need to establish consistency
Brock Harding and Pryce Sandfort, if they develop would certainly help scoring
The two incoming transfers, Even Braun and Ben Krikke have game experience and might replace FIlip as the season goes on quite nicely
Brock Harding at point and Owen Freeman around the basket will be very important pieces of the puzzle,
and if they adjust quickly by conference time, we could be another one of Fran's Surprises
Wishful thinking and I am the eternal optimist
trj
Well-Known Member
Perk, Sandfort and Pmac need to be waaay more consistent on the offensive end. How consistent they are will determine what type of season it will be.
IMO, they will take a step back defensively, from a team that was pretty poor last year on that end. If those three are not getting buckets on a consistent basis, it is going to be a rough year.
IMO, they will take a step back defensively, from a team that was pretty poor last year on that end. If those three are not getting buckets on a consistent basis, it is going to be a rough year.
InGoodCo
Well-Known Member
I am cautiously optimistic - if Fran has shown us something, it's that finding a focal point to build a team around has never been an issue, and a lot of cases we headed into those season unsure about how that alpha or focal point would perform and like clockwork, they all have. If that's Perkins this year, would not surprise me at all.
I think Mulvey is going to contribute and be a good post player at Iowa. I know that a lot will call that blind faith but again, with Fran's track record of turning guys into players, I don't know how you can't have faith that Iowa is going to find that guy on next years team.
It very well could be someone you don't see coming either right? I mean, no one saw Garza coming Jr. year. They just didn't. People thought Keegan could be good but no one saw POY candidate. People thought Kris might be able to be a Keegan light but they weren't sure... he was.
The only thing I am sure of is Fran will have a team that will score and compete for the top half of the conference. Not saying they end up there, it's hard for a program like Iowa to lose it's best player a year early to the draft for 4 or 5 seasons in a row and not have some SORT of rebuild but Fran's plugged a lot of holes and I am willing to wait and see.
I think Mulvey is going to contribute and be a good post player at Iowa. I know that a lot will call that blind faith but again, with Fran's track record of turning guys into players, I don't know how you can't have faith that Iowa is going to find that guy on next years team.
It very well could be someone you don't see coming either right? I mean, no one saw Garza coming Jr. year. They just didn't. People thought Keegan could be good but no one saw POY candidate. People thought Kris might be able to be a Keegan light but they weren't sure... he was.
The only thing I am sure of is Fran will have a team that will score and compete for the top half of the conference. Not saying they end up there, it's hard for a program like Iowa to lose it's best player a year early to the draft for 4 or 5 seasons in a row and not have some SORT of rebuild but Fran's plugged a lot of holes and I am willing to wait and see.
trj
Well-Known Member
Is Mulvey the one we are all sleeping on? If he is just a 9 and 7 guy, that is a game changer.
Hey I'm right there with you. Especially with Garza. I was least sold on Kris. But truth is, Fran's best scorer is almost always going to get 1st team all conference because of the pace of play. But just because you and I are smarter than most doesn't mean it was conventional wisdom who the alpha dogs were going to be those years.
NorthKCHawk
Well-Known Member
Whether the fans or media knew to what level some of these stars would ascend is one thing, but for me, the last 5, 6 seasons it has been relatively obvious who the scoring alpha on the team was going to be. Again, no one predicted how much of a leap Garza would make going into his junior year, but he was a double digit scorer on a team with a scoring post, so it seemed logical he would get more scoring opportunities. The Murrays were obvious choices as well given what was returning and how they played the seasons before. I just don't see an obvious alpha in this group. Its hard to even decide who will be the team's leading scorer. Here is my order of likelihood.
Perk
P Sandfort
One of the transfer bigs
Patrick
Other
I get what you're saying. But Garza and Wieskamp were about as 50/50 split for who would be the top scorer as Perkins and Sandfort are now.
I think both Perkins and Sandfort could be pretty much exactly what they were this year, or they could be first team all conference players. Perkins especially looks like an All American during his good games. His strength and explosiveness combo might be the best in the conference. If he could just be consistent he could be really really good. If he is, mark my words people will be saying it was obvious in a year or two.
NorthKCHawk
Well-Known Member
I agree with your take. I will also note that I don't think anyone expects Perkins to put up Garza numbers, nor do I think Sandfort is on the same level of Wieskamp. So, this is going to take a village to get back to the tourney. The returning players need to step up and we need a pleasant surprise or two from the incoming players.
InGoodCo
Well-Known Member
I get what you are saying, but at the same time I also think of it like this...
How many programs in the B1G will return a core of 3 guys that are better than Perk, Peyton and Patrick? Maryland and Purdue? It's not like we're depleted and all 3 of those guys could take another step forward next season. The B1G doesn't look like it's going to be all that strong either. Like, I think Iowa's going to be just fine next year and right in the mix.
We do this (as Iowa fans) every season "Oh no, after *insert 1st team all conference player* leaves for the NBA or graduates, we're in a WORLD of hurt next year"... and every season... it just keeps on chugging.
Personally, like I said, losing Cook, Weisy and both Murrays early at a program like Iowa that is more developmental...eventually you gotta expect it's going to leave a mark, I just wouldn't bet on it. I'd bet more on what we've seen consistently for the last decade. Good, not great, top half of the conference and in play for the NCAA tournament.
We do have help with the conference being weaker than it was then. Wins will be easier to come by hopefully.
Thats what I get for not reading all posts before responding. I end up repeating what was already said.
BigD
Well-Known Member
Not to be tooting my own horn but when Garza was a freshman, I predicted that during his junior year he would be one of the premier centers in the conference. Toot, toot, ok I am tooting a little. Then again even a broken clock it right twice a day.
Wow, not sure what to make of the roster this upcoming season. As pointed out it appears Tony would be the highest probability to be the main cog on the team offensively, but I would love to see at least three players step up and equally compete for that title. We will need it.
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It was fair to say that all 3 of them were going to get the opportunity to become what they did and how. But till they did it I don't think it was a foregone conclusion that they would. That'd have been some pretty lofty expectations to put on them. Both Murrays and Garza far exceeded expectations. Even Kris we hoped would become a 20/8 guy. It seemed obvious he was capable but he's not his bro either. To go from role player to alpha dog is a tough thing to do and expect. None of them were 4 star can't miss talents (even though they shoulda been)
I agree TP is going to have the ball a lot and have the opportunity to be the man along with Sandfort. I think they'll lean on him to score a lot and we'll live and die how he plays. Both of those dudes can go for 25 one game and 8 the next. Let's hope the games they both put up only 8 in are few and far between.
