Men’s hoops has some new faces
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After opening last season with a promising 9-2 record, the Iowa men’s basketball team stumbled down the stretch, losing 10 out of its last 13 contests. Looking forward to next year, the Hawkeyes will be without some of their main contributors because of graduation and transfers.
What you should know
Injuries and suspensions plagued the Hawkeyes all last season, but more concerning for the next season is the lack of depth on the roster heading into the summer. Four players, including the Hawkeyes’ leading scorer from a year ago, Jake Kelly, left the program after last season.
“There’s nothing really we can do about it,” freshman Matt Gatens said about the transfers at a March 27 press conference. “We still have seven guys here, plus the guys coming in next year, who are excited about this system and excited about the coaches.”
Whom you should know
Gatens, who averaged just over 10 points per contest, is the Hawkeyes’ leading returning starter, and he will have to play a bigger role next year as Iowa head coach Todd Lickliter tries to replace the production of Kelly and the three others — sophomore Jeff Peterson and juniors Jermain Davis and David Palmer — who left the program.
“I’m very excited about the future,” Lickliter said on March 27. “I love the guys we’ve got here. We’re on the right track.”
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Main rival
In mid-December, the Hawkeyes defeated their two biggest rivals — Northern Iowa and Iowa State — in a span of four days. Iowa holds a 42-20 all-time advantage over the Cyclones and has beaten the Panthers 31 of 38 times.
Both of those contests will be played on the road next season.
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