JonDMiller
Publisher/Founder
Following Iowa's second straight Big Ten win on Saturday, their 64-63 win against Indiana, I took a look at Iowa's cumulative statistics for Big Ten games only. I found a few things that really, really surprised the heck out of me.
Melsahn Basabe: The true freshman is averaging 13.1 points per game in 11 Big Ten games to go along with 7.5 rebounds per game. Only Matt Gatens 14.1ppg is better than Mel's number and his rebounds per contest lead the team by a wide margin. Those are great numbers for any player, but considering that a) he is a freshman and b) he is averaging just 25.4 minutes per game, those numbers become sensation. This was also the fifth time Basabe has gone for 20 or more points in a Big Ten game this year and his fourth Big Ten double-double. He might well make 1st team All Big Ten on next year's preseason list, and the guy keeps getting better and better. He didn't score over 20 in any of Iowa's non-conference games.
Basabe is 20th in the Big Ten in scoring, and #2 among freshman; Ohio State's Jared Sullinger is the only player ahead of him and he might be looking at 1st team All American honors. 9 of the top 20 are seniors, and Sullinger will not be back in college next year, no shot. Matt Gatens is 14th on this list and Bryce Cartwright is on this list, giving Iowa three of the top 13 returning scorers in the league next year at this juncture, or 3 of the top 12 if you don't count Sullinger.
Basabe's rebounding totals are good for 4th best in the league, and #2 for freshmen. He's also #2 in offensive rebonds All of this and the kid doesn't really have an offense game that is even half polished. It's very exciting to think what he might look like next year after an offseason working on offensive fundamentals. He is certainly Iowa's best interior player on the offensive end since Greg Brunner, but he's a lot more powerful than Brunner and has a higher upside, and I love me some Greg Brunner.
Basabe is on pace to break Jess Settles' freshman record for rebounds in a season which is 203; Basabe has 159 with at least eight games to play. He is on pace for 44 blocks, which would be the 3rd best total for an Iowa freshman and is on pace for the 8th best scoring average by a freshman, just ahead of Matt Gatens.
Here is one last stat for you: In Big Ten games, Basabe is 42 of 51 from the line, .824 which is 11th in the league. Did I say his offensive upside is exciting? It's off the charts, actually.
Bryce Cartwright: He leads the league with 73 assists in Big Ten play and is #1 in assists per game. He has turned into quite the scorer. While his shot selection still may be suspect at times, more of them are going down than you might expect. That part of his game reminds me a bit of Andre Woolridge. Andre was much stronger than Bryce, but Bryce can get up.
A few things impress me about Cartwright. One is he is the only true point guard available to this team right now, as Cully Payne is done for the season. Yeah, you forgot about Cully Payne, right? It would be great to have him out there, but in his absence, Cartwright is getting a chance to play through his aggressive mistakes unlike he would have been able to if Payne were available to play. This will bode well for next season, mark my words. Cartwright is averaging 11.5 points per game in Big Ten play, and as I said, he leads the league in assists.
One of the things that has made Iowa football successful is the coaching staff's ability to see something in players that other schools do not and then develop those players when they get on campus. In the form of Basabe and Cartwright, Fran McCaffery and his staff are proving their mettle here.
Every BCS conference school in the nation had a shot at these kids, and they took a pass. Iowa got Cartwright late in the spring, and Basabe switched his verbal from Sienna to Iowa. Now, you have two of the Top 25 scorers in the Big Ten and two players that will return for next year among the top 12 scorers in the league and the backbone of what will be a much better Iowa club .
Iowa is getting far more out of Andrew Brommer than Todd Lickliter did, and I really think Brommer is going to grow into a solid contributor for next season. I also think Devon Archie will make some noise next year, too. Big men that can run the floor like he does and have the touch around the basket he has shown in glimpses are rare.
Color me a homer, but Iowa could have one of the better front courts in the league next year to go along with an emerging backcourt in Cartwright, Gatens, Payne, Marble and May. McCabe can float inside and out.
This staff seems to 'have it' and they play a style that is palatable for Iowa fans, as it' something most of us grew up with.
Melsahn Basabe: The true freshman is averaging 13.1 points per game in 11 Big Ten games to go along with 7.5 rebounds per game. Only Matt Gatens 14.1ppg is better than Mel's number and his rebounds per contest lead the team by a wide margin. Those are great numbers for any player, but considering that a) he is a freshman and b) he is averaging just 25.4 minutes per game, those numbers become sensation. This was also the fifth time Basabe has gone for 20 or more points in a Big Ten game this year and his fourth Big Ten double-double. He might well make 1st team All Big Ten on next year's preseason list, and the guy keeps getting better and better. He didn't score over 20 in any of Iowa's non-conference games.
Basabe is 20th in the Big Ten in scoring, and #2 among freshman; Ohio State's Jared Sullinger is the only player ahead of him and he might be looking at 1st team All American honors. 9 of the top 20 are seniors, and Sullinger will not be back in college next year, no shot. Matt Gatens is 14th on this list and Bryce Cartwright is on this list, giving Iowa three of the top 13 returning scorers in the league next year at this juncture, or 3 of the top 12 if you don't count Sullinger.
Basabe's rebounding totals are good for 4th best in the league, and #2 for freshmen. He's also #2 in offensive rebonds All of this and the kid doesn't really have an offense game that is even half polished. It's very exciting to think what he might look like next year after an offseason working on offensive fundamentals. He is certainly Iowa's best interior player on the offensive end since Greg Brunner, but he's a lot more powerful than Brunner and has a higher upside, and I love me some Greg Brunner.
Basabe is on pace to break Jess Settles' freshman record for rebounds in a season which is 203; Basabe has 159 with at least eight games to play. He is on pace for 44 blocks, which would be the 3rd best total for an Iowa freshman and is on pace for the 8th best scoring average by a freshman, just ahead of Matt Gatens.
Here is one last stat for you: In Big Ten games, Basabe is 42 of 51 from the line, .824 which is 11th in the league. Did I say his offensive upside is exciting? It's off the charts, actually.
Bryce Cartwright: He leads the league with 73 assists in Big Ten play and is #1 in assists per game. He has turned into quite the scorer. While his shot selection still may be suspect at times, more of them are going down than you might expect. That part of his game reminds me a bit of Andre Woolridge. Andre was much stronger than Bryce, but Bryce can get up.
A few things impress me about Cartwright. One is he is the only true point guard available to this team right now, as Cully Payne is done for the season. Yeah, you forgot about Cully Payne, right? It would be great to have him out there, but in his absence, Cartwright is getting a chance to play through his aggressive mistakes unlike he would have been able to if Payne were available to play. This will bode well for next season, mark my words. Cartwright is averaging 11.5 points per game in Big Ten play, and as I said, he leads the league in assists.
One of the things that has made Iowa football successful is the coaching staff's ability to see something in players that other schools do not and then develop those players when they get on campus. In the form of Basabe and Cartwright, Fran McCaffery and his staff are proving their mettle here.
Every BCS conference school in the nation had a shot at these kids, and they took a pass. Iowa got Cartwright late in the spring, and Basabe switched his verbal from Sienna to Iowa. Now, you have two of the Top 25 scorers in the Big Ten and two players that will return for next year among the top 12 scorers in the league and the backbone of what will be a much better Iowa club .
Iowa is getting far more out of Andrew Brommer than Todd Lickliter did, and I really think Brommer is going to grow into a solid contributor for next season. I also think Devon Archie will make some noise next year, too. Big men that can run the floor like he does and have the touch around the basket he has shown in glimpses are rare.
Color me a homer, but Iowa could have one of the better front courts in the league next year to go along with an emerging backcourt in Cartwright, Gatens, Payne, Marble and May. McCabe can float inside and out.
This staff seems to 'have it' and they play a style that is palatable for Iowa fans, as it' something most of us grew up with.
