2007-2008 Iowa Hawkeyes basketball preview

2006-07 Record: 23-12, 8-8, 7th (t)
2006-07 Postseason: NCAA

Iowa lost three of their top four scorers. That already sounds bad, but it is even worse than it sounds. Their top two scorers were really the only consistent offense the team had and they will have to find a way to live without them. The good news is new coach Todd Lickliter does not need superstars to win. As long as he can find some players who will take care of the ball and play solid defense, Coach Lickliter will have a winner in Iowa.

Who’s Out:
Adam Haluska led the way with 20.5 points per game. The sharpshooting guard was even second on the team averaging 4.6 rebounds. Haluska was the go-to-guy and more for the Hawkeyes and without him the team will have to find a new scoring threat or two. That scoring threat would have been Tyler Smith had he not opted to transfer. Smith averaged 14.9 points, 4.9 rebounds and 3.6 assists. The talented forward will be eligible to play for Tennessee this season. Mike Henderson had a disappointing senior season, but was still fourth on the team with 5.8 points per game. Little used Brett Wessels and Drew Adams will not be returning this season. Without Haluksa, Smith and Henderson, the Hawkeyes are practically starting over from scratch. There is some talent coming back, but building the team into Coach Lickliter’s type of squad will start immediately, for better or for worse.

Who’s In:
Jake Kelly and Jeff Peterson will be thrown into the fire due to lack of other options. At 6-6, Kelly has great size for a player who can handle the ball as well as he can. His versatility will be a major asset for a team that lacks any sort of depth on the perimeter. Peterson looks like a point guard. He will pass first and run the show effectively. Once his outside shot develops, he should be a decent overall point guard, but for now he will likely see minutes off the bench, whether he is ready or not. Jarryd Cole and David Palmer will bring more much needed toughness to the interior. Neither are expected to make a huge impact since the returning experience on this team is in the frontcourt, but both could work their way into the regular rotation. Cole’s rebounding ability alone could get him into the game. He is strong enough to battle in the paint with just about anybody. On the offensive end, the 6-7 Cole is not a shooter or a back to the basket player. His only consistent forms of offense for now will come from slashing to the basket. Palmer spent most of his season two years ago at Seton Hall coming off the bench, yet he is a tough rebounder and can do a little bit of scoring.

Who to Watch:
The player Iowa fans hope can step up is Tony Freeman. With 7.5 points per game he is the top returning scorer and he led the team with 3.7 assists per contest last year. He is a decent shooter and a decent floor leader. Freeman is extremely quick, but the big question is whether or not he can shoulder the scoring load and become a leader for the team on the court. Freeman will be joined by Justin Johnson and J.R. Angle in the backcourt. Johnson will spend most of his time on the perimeter and, at 6-6, has good size for a shooting guard. He shot over 45 percent from long range last year and if he can keep up that pace with more attempts, Iowa will have found another scorer. Angle started two games last year, but he averaged only 7.4 minutes per game in 28 contests. He has a reputation as a shooter and he will certainly get an opportunity to contribute a lot, but he needs to prove he can be a consistent player.

Final Iowa 2007-2008 Projection:
Seth Gorney, Cyrus Tate and Kurt Looby return and each started at least 17 games last year. The experience is nice, but Iowa will have to get more production out of the frontcourt this year if they want to stay out of the Big Ten basement. Gorney, a seven-footer, has plenty of size, but he is not very strong and will get outrebounded by smaller players at times. Averaging 5.5 points per game, Gorney is the best scorer of the frontcourt players, but it may be asking too much for him to develop into a big scoring threat for his senior season. Tate, a 6-8 power forward, has the most potential to improve on last year’s numbers. The former junior college transfer averaged 4.2 points and 4.4 rebounds and has enough athleticism to become a bigger contributor. Looby is another long, athletic big man who can play either frontcourt spot. Those three will see the majority of frontcourt minutes once again and the trio will need to step up and take over some of the lost scoring if Iowa fans want to look back with fond memories of the first year of the Coach Lickliter era.

Projected Post-season Tournament: none

Projected Starting Five:

• Tony Freeman, Junior, Guard, 7.5 points per game
• Justin Johnson, Senior, Guard, 5.4 points per game
• J.R. Angle, Junior, Guard, 1.7 points per game
• Cyrus Tate, Junior, Forward, 4.2 points per game
• Seth Gorney, Senior, Center, 5.5 points per game

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