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Jarrod Uthoff has Iowa firing on all cylinders ahead of Maryland matchup Jarrod Uthoff has Iowa firing on all cylinders ahead of Maryland matchup
(about 9 hours later)
The lowlight of Iowa’s men’s basketball season came a week before it had even officially started, in a Nov. 6 exhibition against a Division II school from South Dakota called Augustana. The Hawkeyes trailed by 15 in the second half and needed a fierce rally just to tie the score in the final seconds, then watched Augustana celebrate a buzzer-beating jump shot to win 76-74. The lowlight of Iowa’s men’s basketball season came a week before it had even officially started, in a Nov. 6 exhibition against a Division II school from South Dakota called Augustana. The Hawkeyes trailed by 15 in the second half and needed a fierce rally just to tie the score in the final seconds, then watched Augustana celebrate a buzzer-beating jump shot to win, 76-74.
“It was a little bit of a wake-up call for us,” said Iowa center Adam Woodbury, who was guarding the ball on the final play and walked around the court with his head bowed after the shot went in. He was relieved the result didn’t count. But he also hoped it had brought his team — which included a junior college transfer, five true freshmen and two redshirt freshmen — closer together. “It was a little bit of a wakeup call for us,” said Iowa center Adam Woodbury, who was guarding the ball on the final play and walked around the court with his head bowed after the shot went in. He was relieved the result didn’t count. But he also hoped it had brought his team — which included a junior college transfer, five true freshmen and two redshirt freshmen — closer together.
The setback both humbled and reinvigorated the Hawkeyes, who have lost just three games since (by a combined 12 points) and have emerged as one of the hottest teams in college basketball. After climbing to No. 3 in the Associated Press Top 25 poll Monday, the school’s highest ranking since 1987, Iowa is now dealing with elevated hype as it prepares for Thursday night’s showdown against No. 8 Maryland in College Park. The setback both humbled and reinvigorated the Hawkeyes, who have lost just three games since (by a combined 12 points) and have emerged as one of the hottest teams in college basketball. After climbing to No. 3 in the Associated Press top 25 poll Monday, the school’s highest ranking since 1987, Iowa (16-3, 7-0 Big Ten) is now dealing with elevated hype as it prepares for Thursday night’s showdown against No. 8 Maryland in College Park.
“The message will never change, but I think if we all look at it pragmatically, we go on the road to play Maryland on Thursday,” Iowa Coach Fran McCaffery said. “That in and of itself is going to keep you grounded.”“The message will never change, but I think if we all look at it pragmatically, we go on the road to play Maryland on Thursday,” Iowa Coach Fran McCaffery said. “That in and of itself is going to keep you grounded.”
An afterthought as the season began — the Big Ten Network picked the Hawkeyes to finish ninth in its preseason poll — Iowa now poses perhaps the biggest threat to Maryland’s conference championship aspirations. The Hawkeyes have won nine straight and have one of the country’s best résumés, holding a 6-3 record against teams ranked among the RPI’s top 50. Iowa also has won all five games against teams ranked in the AP poll, which is the most in the country, and has completed season sweeps of Big Ten contenders Michigan State and Purdue.An afterthought as the season began — the Big Ten Network picked the Hawkeyes to finish ninth in its preseason poll — Iowa now poses perhaps the biggest threat to Maryland’s conference championship aspirations. The Hawkeyes have won nine straight and have one of the country’s best résumés, holding a 6-3 record against teams ranked among the RPI’s top 50. Iowa also has won all five games against teams ranked in the AP poll, which is the most in the country, and has completed season sweeps of Big Ten contenders Michigan State and Purdue.
The way Iowa has coalesced as a group makes its emergence as a national contender even more intriguing. It has one of the country’s best players in forward Jarrod Uthoff, who wasn’t even included on the Wooden Award preseason watch list last fall. He was added last week to the midseason list, and for good reason: the 6-foot-9, 221-pound senior is averaging 18.9 points, 6.9 rebounds and three blocks per game. But while McCaffery has been able to build his team around Uthoff as a centerpiece, the process has been long and sometimes tedious.The way Iowa has coalesced as a group makes its emergence as a national contender even more intriguing. It has one of the country’s best players in forward Jarrod Uthoff, who wasn’t even included on the Wooden Award preseason watch list last fall. He was added last week to the midseason list, and for good reason: the 6-foot-9, 221-pound senior is averaging 18.9 points, 6.9 rebounds and three blocks per game. But while McCaffery has been able to build his team around Uthoff as a centerpiece, the process has been long and sometimes tedious.
“We had a lot of young guys that had never played in a college game before,” Woodbury said. “No matter how good your starting five is, you always need guys to come off the bench that can help you.”“We had a lot of young guys that had never played in a college game before,” Woodbury said. “No matter how good your starting five is, you always need guys to come off the bench that can help you.”
[After loss to Michigan State, Terps keep eye on ultimate goal][After loss to Michigan State, Terps keep eye on ultimate goal]
Uthoff said this week that the team “was searching for who are” throughout much of the preseason. He was one of four starters returning from last season, which included Woodbury and talented junior guard Peter Jok, but there were question marks surrounding the team’s depth. McCaffery pushed different buttons with different players as he tinkered with his rotation.Uthoff said this week that the team “was searching for who are” throughout much of the preseason. He was one of four starters returning from last season, which included Woodbury and talented junior guard Peter Jok, but there were question marks surrounding the team’s depth. McCaffery pushed different buttons with different players as he tinkered with his rotation.
He now has 10 players logging 9.1 minutes or more this season, and none over 30 minutes per game. McCaffery has a dependable senior point guard in Mike Gesell, whose 6.9 assists per game rank second in the Big Ten. He has one of the league’s most experienced centers in the 7-foot-1 Woodbury (8.9 points, 6.7 rebounds), and he has Jok, who has emerged as one of the Big Ten’s best all-around players, averaging 14.8 points and a league-best 1.6 steals per game. He now has 10 players logging 9.1 minutes or more this season, and none over 30 minutes per game. McCaffery has a dependable senior point guard in Mike Gesell, whose 6.9 assists per game rank second in the Big Ten. He has one of the league’s most experienced centers in the 7-1 Woodbury (8.9 points, 6.7 rebounds), and he has Jok, who has emerged as one of the Big Ten’s best all-around players, averaging 14.8 points and a league-best 1.6 steals per game.
But as reflected in the wins over Michigan State and Purdue, among others, McCaffery has also been able to rely on his bench to achieve balance and run an up-tempo system that is currently averaging 81.7 points per game. Whereas he might have been hesitant to trust his younger players early on, he’s used his crop of freshmen to help round out his rotation. Iowa has four freshmen who are averaging a combined 44 minutes per game, including 15.9 from Nicholas Baer. The lanky 6-foot-7 forward is averaging 5.2 points and 3.6 rebounds per game, and had one of his best performances in a win over Michigan State (11 points, five rebounds) late last month.But as reflected in the wins over Michigan State and Purdue, among others, McCaffery has also been able to rely on his bench to achieve balance and run an up-tempo system that is currently averaging 81.7 points per game. Whereas he might have been hesitant to trust his younger players early on, he’s used his crop of freshmen to help round out his rotation. Iowa has four freshmen who are averaging a combined 44 minutes per game, including 15.9 from Nicholas Baer. The lanky 6-foot-7 forward is averaging 5.2 points and 3.6 rebounds per game, and had one of his best performances in a win over Michigan State (11 points, five rebounds) late last month.
[At Maryland, Rasheed Sulaimon still hears ugly echoes of past at Duke][At Maryland, Rasheed Sulaimon still hears ugly echoes of past at Duke]
And then there is Uthoff, the Cedar Rapids, Iowa native who garnered national attention for the first time back in April 2012 when he decided to transfer away from Wisconsin following his freshman season. Former Badgers’ Coach Bo Ryan blocked a long list of schools as potential transfer destinations for Uthoff, including the entire Big Ten. After a messy appeals process, Uthoff transferred to Iowa anyway, paying his own way the next season as a he sat out due to NCAA transfer rules. And then there is Uthoff, the Cedar Rapids, Iowa, native who garnered national attention for the first time in April 2012 when he decided to transfer away from Wisconsin following his freshman season. Former Badgers coach Bo Ryan blocked a long list of schools as potential transfer destinations for Uthoff, including the entire Big Ten. After a messy appeals process, Uthoff transferred to Iowa anyway, paying his own way the next season as a he sat out because of NCAA transfer rules.
“It was a very difficult transition for me,” Uthoff said. “That was going, roughly, two and half or more years without playing in an organized basketball game.”“It was a very difficult transition for me,” Uthoff said. “That was going, roughly, two and half or more years without playing in an organized basketball game.”
Uthoff eventually moved on and began his climb to college basketball stardom, which has included a number of memorable performances this season. He’s scored 20 or more points in five of his last six games. Part of the reason he transferred away from Wisconsin, he said, was because he was searching for a different style of play that would fit his unique game better. It is an up-tempo system that he has found with the Hawkeyes, one that has only become more finely-tuned since the stunning loss to Augustana in November. Uthoff eventually moved on and began his climb to college basketball stardom, which has included a number of memorable performances this season. He’s scored 20 or more points in five of his past six games. Part of the reason he transferred from Wisconsin, he said, was because he was searching for a different style of play that would fit his unique game better. It is an up-tempo system that he has found with the Hawkeyes, one that has only become more finely tuned since the stunning loss to Augustana in November.
“Looking back, I think it was a really good thing for us,” Uthoff said. “It opened our eyes.”“Looking back, I think it was a really good thing for us,” Uthoff said. “It opened our eyes.”
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