Hawkeyes look for improvement
IOWA CITY (AP) — Todd Lickliter’s first season at Iowa wasn’t pretty. Not only did the Hawkeyes lose a school-record 19 games, they drew the smallest average home crowds in the history of Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
Lickliter knew he was taking on a major rebuilding effort when he left Butler for Iowa City, and the process of building Iowa back into a winner won’t happen overnight. The second season of the Lickliter era unofficially kicked off Monday with the team’s annual media day, and Lickliter said he’ll be preaching consistency as the inexperienced Hawkeyes prepare for their Nov. 14 opener against Charleston Southern.
Inconsistent play is a hallmark of losing teams, and that plagued Iowa from November to March last season. It showed in the final results, as the Hawkeyes finished 13-19 and were knocked out in the first round of the Big Ten tournament.
“I thought we did some really good things last year. We just we’re consistent enough,” Lickliter said. “We want to play high-percentage basketball and be consistent in our effort, and what we do.”
Even die-hard Iowa fans would likely fail a pop quiz about the Hawkeyes roster, which has seven newcomers this season and just two seniors, J.R. Angle and Cyrus Tate. They’ll learn those names fast though, because Iowa’s going to have to ask for major contributions from at least a few of those fresh faces.
“We’ll need it,” Lickliter said when asked whether he expects immediate production from first-year players. “There will be opportunities.”
Lickliter bolstered a backcourt that lost Tony Freeman (transfer) and Justin Johnson (graduation) with two junior college transfers — guards Devan Bawinkel and Jermain Davis.
Bawinkel left West Virginia after one season and was the MVP of the Arrowhead Conference at Highland Community College (Ill.) last season. Davis starred at nearby Kirkwood Community College, leading the Eagles to a 32-4 record.
Bawinkel and Davis will be joined by five true freshmen, a class headlined by 6-foot-5 guard Matt Gatens.
Gatens, who was named the state’s “Mr. Basketball” in 2007-08 after leading Iowa City High to the state title, is the most highly touted recruit Lickliter has brought to Iowa. If Gatens can match his hype with production in practice, he could see the floor sooner than later.
“I don’t have too many individual expectations. I just want to help this team win as much as possible,” Gatens said.
Minnesota product Anthony Tucker — who also led his team to a state title as a senior — and walk-on John Lickliter, the coach’s son, round out the crop of freshman guards. Iowa also brought in a pair of freshman forwards in Aaron Fuller and Andrew Brommer.
“It gives us added depth. Not just for games, but in practice. And I think that’s more important than the games themselves,” Lickliter said. “The challenges that we’ll be able to have in practice will enable us to grow.”
If Iowa is to surprise some folks this season, it’ll likely need sophomore Jarryd Cole to live up to the promise he showed last winter before tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.
Lickliter said Cole’s health shouldn’t be a concern, and he rewarded the bruising forward by naming him a captain for the upcoming season. Cole shot 66.7 percent from the field in 13 games, after cracking the starting lineup seven games into the season.
“I expect to catch up from what I lost last year, start fresh this year and just keep going forward. No setbacks,” Cole said.
Fall practice will be critical for Iowa, because there are few players whose roles are set in stone. The coaching staff will likely monitor Cole closely to ensure that his surgically repaired knee is ready for the rigors of a season, and sophomore point guard Jeff Peterson will have to show that he’s put his turnover issues behind him.
Frontcourt players such as Brommer, Fuller and David Palmer will battle for the right to spell Tate and Cole, and sophomore guard Jake Kelly will get his chance to play a more prominent role in the wake of Freeman and Johnson’s departure.
Iowa’s five true freshmen will also work toward starting spots, as Lickliter showed last season that he’s not afraid to play youngsters he’s comfortable with.
But with official practices set to begin, Iowa’s plans are still up in the air.
In fact, Lickliter said he couldn’t name a starting lineup right now if he tried.
“If you can get the names in a hat, we’ll throw them in there,” Lickliter said. “I have no idea.”
