The college football season is right around the corner as camps are opening all across the country. So what better time to start our team-by-team college basketball previews. Yes, college BASKETBALL. The season is still well over three months from tipping off but I have a Brett Favre-sized itch and dammit, I am going to scratch it.
For the next 99 days, I will rank the top 99 teams in reverse power ranking order. Those 99 teams will be chosen from the 72 power conference teams and top 27 mid-majors. Let’s get to it.
By: David Kay
Iowa Hawkeyes (10th, 4-14 in Big Ten, 10-22 overall)
Projected Depth Chart
F/C: Jarryd Cole (Sr)/Andrew Brommer (Jr)
F: Devon Archie (Jr)/Zach McCabe (Fr)/Melsahn Basabe (Fr)
G: Matt Gatens (Jr)/Roy Marble (Fr)
G: Eric May (So)
PG: Cully Payne (So)/Bryce Cartwright (Jr)
Gone: F-Aaron Fuller (transfer-USC), SG-Anthony Tucker (transfer-Winona State), SG-Devan Bawinkel, PG-John Lickliter (transfer-Marian College), F/C-Brennan Cougill (dismissed-Kirkwood)
2010-2011 Outlook:
The Hawkeyes basketball program has fallen on hard time in Iowa City. With more players threatening to transfer, Iowa fired head coach Todd Lickliter after an incredibly disappointing three year run in which the Hawkeyes finished with a 39-57 record and never finished higher than 8th place in the Big Ten. Fran McCaffery was plucked away from Siena after leading the Saints to three straight NCAA Tournament appearances and inherits a major re-building project.
The Hawkeyes’ second and third leading scorers from a year ago have transferred while one of their back-up big men was kicked off the team leaving McCaffery short on depth. Gatens will once again carry the scoring load while four newcomers will try to add the athleticism and outside shooting that Iowa sorely lacked last season. It will take a few years for McCaffery to get the Hawkeye program back on track and this season will be filled with plenty of bumps along the way.
Player to Watch: Payne
The All-Big Ten Freshman honoree started in all 32 games for the Hawkeyes last season. In a league heavy on point guard talent, Payne will be faced with the daunting task of going head-to-head against them and trying to cut down on his fairly high turnover total from this past season. He will spearhead an offense that finished 324th out of 347 Division One teams in scoring and could be even worse this season.
Key Non-Conference Games:
11/19 vs. Xavier (Paradise Jam Tournament)
11/20 or 11/21 vs. Alabama/Seton Hall (Paradise Jam Tournament)
11/22 vs. Clemson/Old Dominion/Long Beach State/St. Peter’s (Paradise Jam Tournament)
11/30 at Wake Forest
12/7 vs. Northern Iowa
12/10 vs. Iowa State