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Per CBS Sports: Garza expected to return. IOWA is Team to Beat in the B1G & Preseason #8 in Country

Franisdaman

Franisdaman

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College Basketball Rankings: Duke slips in updated Top 25 And 1 after Cassius Stanley declares for NBA Draft

The Blue Devils and Michigan drop in the early preseason rankings due to the loss of key player

By Gary Parrish
@GaryParrishCBS
April 8, 2020


1. Gonzaga

2. Kentucky

3. Creighton

4. Baylor

5. Villanova

6. Virginia

7. Houston
..............................................

8. IOWA
Luka Garza will be the obvious preseason national player of the year if he returns to Iowa for his senior season, which is among the reasons he's expected to return to Iowa for his senior season. Presumably, he'll be joined by the four other starters from a team that finished 23rd at KenPom. And don't forget: Iowa will get Jordan Bohannon back after a redshirt season. So Fran McCaffery should have the best team he's ever had in 22 years as a Division I head coach.

Coach: Fran McCaffery

2019-20 record: 20-11

Notable players definitely gone: Ryan Kriener, Bakari Evelyn, Cordell Pemsl
Notable players expected to also leave: N/A
Notable players expected to return: Luka Garza, Joe Wieskamp, CJ Fredrick, Jordan Bohannon, Joe Toussaint, Connor McCaffery, Jack Nunge
Expected additions: Ahron Ulis, Tony Perkins, Josh Ogundele, Keegan Murray, Kris Murray

..............................................

9. Kansas

10. Duke
..............................................

11. Wisconsin
Wisconsin got better after Kobe King quit the team in January - evidence being how the Badgers won eight straight games to close the regular season and shared the Big Ten crown with Maryland and Michigan State. Now the top five scorers from the final-game roster are expected back. The best of the bunch might be Micah Potter, who averaged 10.1 points and 6.2 rebounds while shooting 52.8% from the field. He's among the reasons Wisconsin will have a chance to secure back-to-back league titles.

Coach: Greg Gard

2019-20 record: 21-10

Notable players definitely gone: Brevin Pritzl
Notable players expected to also leave: N/A
Notable players expected to return: Nate Reuvers, Micah Potter, Brad Davison, D'Mitrik Trice, Aleem Ford, Tyler Wahl, Trevor Anderson
Expected additions: Ben Carlson, Johnny Davis, Lorne Bowman, Steven Crowl, Jordan Davis

..............................................

12. Michigan State
If Xavier Tillman decides to return to school, Michigan State will move into the top 10. But, for now, the presumption is that the 6-8 forward is done with college basketball, which means the Spartans will likely be without the top two players from a team that shared the Big Ten title with Maryland and Wisconsin. Finding a suitable replacement at point guard for Cassius Winston won't be easy. But Tom Izzo hasn't missed the NCAA Tournament since 1997 - and that'll still be true after next season.

Coach: Tom Izzo

2019-20 record: 22-9

Notable players definitely gone: Cassius Winston, Kyle Aherns
Notable players expected to also leave: Xavier Tillman
Notable players expected to return: Aaron Henry, Rocket Watts, Gabe Brown, Malik Hall, Marcus Bingham, Thomas Kithier, Foster Loyer, Julius Marble
Expected additions: Joey Hauser, Mady Sissoko, AJ Hoggard

..............................................

13. Tennessee

14. West Virginia

15. North Carolina

16. San Diego State

..............................................

17. Michigan
Joshua Christopher, a 5-star guard from California, still hasn't committed. But 247Sports' recruiting experts expect him to eventually enroll at Michigan, which is reflected in this ranking. Needless to say, that would be a major get for second-year coach Juwan Howard, who has largely quieted any skeptics who wondered how he'd adjust to being a head coach in the Big Ten with no previous head-coaching experience. In the simplest terms, he's adjusted well. So while the surprising departure of David DeJulius means three of the top six scorers from this past season's team will be gone, on paper, Michigan still looks good enough to be good again.

Coach: Juwan Howard

2019-20 record: 19-12

Notable players definitely gone: Zavier Simpson, Jon Teske, David DeJulius
Notable players expected to also leave: N/A
Notable players expected to return: Isaiah Livers, Franz Wagner, Eli Brooks, Brandon Johns, Austin Davis, Colin Castleton
Expected additions: Joshua Christopher, Isaiah Todd, Hunter Dickinson, Zeb Jackson, Terrance Williams, Jace Howard

..............................................

18. Texas Tech

..............................................

19. Ohio State
Ohio State recently beat Duke for graduate-transfer Seth Towns - a 6-8 forward from Harvard who was the Ivy League Player of the Year in 2018. His arrival alone won't cancel out the expected departure of Kaleb Wesson, which is reflected here, but it'll help. Meantime, Duane Washington, CJ Walker and Kyle Young should provide Chris Holtmann with an experienced nucleus on a team that is projected to return five of the top nine scorers from a roster that finished No. 8 at KenPom this season.

Coach: Chris Holtmann

2019-20 record: 21-10

Notable players definitely gone: Andre Wesson, D.J. Carton, Luther Muhammad, Alonzo Gaffney
Notable players expected to also leave: Kaleb Wesson
Notable players expected to return: Duane Washington, CJ Walker, Kyle Young, E.J. Liddell, Justin Ahrens
Expected additions: Seth Towns, Eugene Brown, Zed Key, Justice Sueing

..............................................

20. Texas

21. UCLA

22. LSU

23. Oregon

..............................................

24. Rutgers (@MrsScrew )
Rutgers is expected to return seven of the top eight scorers from a team that finished 28th at KenPom - most notably double-digit scorers Ron Harper Jr. and Geo Baker. Beyond that, the Scarlet Knights are adding a consensus top-50 prospect in Cliff Omoruyi. So winning at the RAC will once again be a difficult task for opponents because Steve Pikiell should have a team equipped to make the NCAA Tournament for what would be, under normal circumstances, the second straight season.

Coach: Steve Pikiell

2019-20 record: 20-11

Notable players definitely gone: Akwasi Yeboah, Shaq Carter
Notable players expected to also leave: N/A
Notable players expected to return: Ron Harper Jr., Geo Baker, Jacob Young, Myles Johnson, Montez Mathis, Caleb McConnell, Paul Mulcahy
Expected additions: Cliff Omoruyi, Mawot Mag, Dean Reiber, Oskar Palmquist

..............................................

25. Florida State

26. Arkansas

..............................................


LINK to Full Story: https://www.cbssports.com/college-b...after-cassius-stanley-declares-for-nba-draft/
 
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Franisdaman said:
What can you tell us about Mawot Mag? ;)
Click to expand...
Mawot is athletic, but most likely headed for a redshirt year. From there expect him to see time at the 3. 6'8 Palmquist was an early enrollee (spring) and he's likely to see limited playing time because of so many returning players. Palmquist is a stretch 4 type of player who can shoot the 3 well. Omoruyi comes in with a world of expectations. I see a little of Daniel Oturu in Omoruyi, but with more size (6'11, 230). If he can tap into half of what everyone expects from him, Rutgers will be even tougher on defense.

The excitement now moves to the '21 class. Rutgers has a commitment from Jaylen Jones (4 star-ranked 90th), but now Rutgers has pulled even with Villanova for services of Trey Patterson (#1 in the state of NJ, 4 star-ranked 30th). The irony of this is Patterson attends Rutgers Prep down the road from Rutgers.

I can't wait to see Iowa next year. Iowa should be the favorites for the B1G, but how rusty is J Bo and does he impact the chemistry of the team?
 
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cubuffsdoug said:
Mawot is athletic, but most likely headed for a redshirt year. From there expect him to see time at the 3. 6'8 Palmquist was an early enrollee (spring) and he's likely to see limited playing time because of so many returning players. Palmquist is a stretch 4 type of player who can shoot the 3. Omoruyi comes in with a world of expectations. I see a little of Daniel Oturu in Omoruyi, but with more size (6'11, 230). If he can tap into half of what everyone expects from him, Rutgers will be even tougher on defense.

The excitement now moves to the '21 class. Rutgers has a commitment from Jaylen Jones (4 star-ranked 90th), but now Rutgers has pulled even with Villanova for services of Trey Patterson (#1 in the state of NJ, 4 star-ranked 30th). The irony of this is Patterson attends Rutgers Prep down the road from Rutgers.

I can't wait to see Iowa next year. Iowa should be the favorites for the B1G, but rusty is J Bo and does he impact the chemistry of the team?
Click to expand...

Every year is new for every team, regardless of what the experts say. No year goes exactly as planned, which is why sports is fun. To answer your question about chemistry, no one knows. If Bohannon really is fully healthy, it makes defending Iowa very difficult, as they can put 5 guys on the floor who can make 3's. Is important to be able to spread the floor around Garza.

Both Iowa and Rutgers lost a lot with the cancellation of the season (as did a lot of teams). I like Pikiell (i know I'm mispelling that) but he's building a culture and getting guys who buy in to what he's doing.
 
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Ronman said:
Well, damn! I wish Luka would just come out and say so.
Click to expand...
From a fan's POV it's easy to say "I'm back." Luka is probably weighing his options. Getting feedback from scouts is a little more difficult these days with the covid-19 situation. A lot of guys are going right up to the cutoff date before they announce one way or the other.
 
cubuffsdoug said:
I can't wait to see Iowa next year. Iowa should be the favorites for the B1G, but how rusty is J Bo and does he impact the chemistry of the team?
Click to expand...

Chemistry? Rust? First, let's not forget JBo played 10 games with this group last season. Second, let's not forget he's the best clutch shooter in college basketball. Third, he recently said he's healthier now than he has ever been. And rust? Forget about it. JBo, and most other even decent basketball players, can walk in off the street not having touched a ball for months and not miss a beat.

On paper, Iowa is more than deserving of all these top ten rankings. Iowa should be the favorite to win the Big Ten title, make the Final Four, and contend for the national title. And there's every reason to believe JBo and Garza will be the catalysts with tons of additional talent, effort, and attitude around them.

My biggest concern is the virus. It would be so Iowa-like to have this team coming back and then have outside forces rob the Hawkeyes and their fans of this rare opportunity for greatness.
 
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cubuffsdoug said:
From a fan's POV it's easy to say "I'm back." Luka is probably weighing his options. Getting feedback from scouts is a little more difficult these days with the covid-19 situation. A lot of guys are going right up to the cutoff date before they announce one way or the other.
Click to expand...

I think the real issue is the virus. Luka may be waiting to see how this all plays out. If it comes down to cancelling the '20-'21 season altogether, he may decide to explore his other options rather than wait another whole (uncertain) year to return to Iowa. Of course, that also depends on what his European options are. Will they even be playing overseas? Lots of unanswered questions at this point.
 
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Franisdaman said:
Jess Settles said 2 weeks ago Garza would be back, too.

So, the entire starting 5 returns.....plus JBo and Nunge. :)
Click to expand...

In my mind, there was never much doubt.

Luka is on nobody's draft board, by all accounts loves Iowa, and doesn't seem to be in a hurry to go the Tyler Cook route. Why would Luka want to get buried on some team's practice squad next season when he has the opportunity to be a part of something potentially great?

His family ain't hurting for money, so the idea he is primed to jump to the next level doesn't add up. If he was going to get drafted like Wirfs or AJ, it'd be a much different story.
 
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BlackNGoldBleeder said:
In my mind, there was never much doubt.

Luka is on nobody's draft board, by all accounts loves Iowa, and doesn't seem to be in a hurry to go the Tyler Cook route. Why would Luka want to get buried on some team's practice squad next season when he has the opportunity to be a part of something potentially great?

His family ain't hurting for money, so the idea he is primed to jump to the next level doesn't add up. If he was going to get drafted like Wirfs or AJ, it'd be a much different story.
Click to expand...
Plus all the accolades and hype for next year...
 
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Should get a great match up in the ACC challenge and Gavitt games. Would love to get Duke at home.
 
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hawkeyeguy69 said:
Who has CBS been talking to? Frank leaking some Intel??
Click to expand...
Here's some more intel! ;)

Rick Brown is a long time sports reporter and had a recent interview with Fran.

Fran, as you will see, says that

* Luka will be a better player for Iowa next season.
* The team chemistry is really good.

Some excerpts:

...the [2019-2020] season came to an abrupt halt.

“I still think we can build on the momentum that we had because we’re no different than anybody else,” the coach said. “It wasn’t like we didn’t get to advance and everybody else did. Everybody was in the same boat. At least we can feel comfortable in what we accomplished.”

This was McCaffery’s 24th season as a head Division I coach, and one of the most enjoyable.

“It was a great deal of fun,” he said. “It was a group that really came together. There was mutual respect. They genuinely liked each other. They went into competitive situations confident in their own skin but knowing their teammates were right with them. They were truly the example of a team that was stronger and better together.”

McCaffery used Garza, Iowa’s first consensus all-American in 68 years, as an example.

“Everyone was thrilled for him,” McCaffery said. “It wasn’t like, “What about me? I should be getting more shots.’ It was, “He’s the player of the year and we’re all going to give him a hug. We want that for him.’ Moving forward, we have a lot of weapons we can surround him with. We’ve got an unselfish team that really cares about each other.”

McCaffery speaks with the assumption that Garza and Weiskamp will be back next season. But he thinks it won’t be a bad thing if both make themselves eligible for the NBA Draft. By doing so they can receive feedback from the NBA Undergraduate Advisory Committee. And they’d still have the option to return to Iowa as long as they don’t hire an agent. The deadline for applying is April 16.

“I think those guys will and should get that information,” McCaffery said. “They need to hear what’s being said about them. Am I going to be a first-round pick? A second-round pick? Am I going to get drafted at all? Most good players take advantage of that opportunity.”

This year’s process will be different, because the NBA was also silenced by the pandemic. In years past, players could work out for NBA teams and be interviewed by them, like Weiskamp was a year ago. But that won’t happen this season.

“It’s up to them to announce, and I always support them either way,” McCaffery said. “I’m for what they feel is best for them.”

Iowa has already been projected in some circles to be a Top 10 team in 2020-21, and a leading contender for the school’s first Big Ten regular-season title since 1978-79. That could change with the current state of the college game, where rosters fluctuate significantly between now and the start of the season.

“I know this, we’ll have a really good team again,” McCaffery said. “And it will probably be a situation where there will be at least 10 teams (from the Big Ten) in the NCAA Tournament, maybe more. If you’re picked for first, that’s great and the fans get excited. Lose one game and it’s the end of the world.”

McCaffery’s approach remains this: never get too high after a big win or too low after a tough loss.

“You’ve got to approach things in a professional way,” he said. “You’re going to win some games and lose some games. We’re going to play well and not so well. But can we be consistent and play well most of the time, peak at the right time and make a run in the tournament that will hopefully take place next year?”

Coach McCaffery said that Bohannon, who needs 91 3-pointers to pass Ohio State’s Jon Diebler as the Big Ten’s career leader, and Nunge have made good progress on the rehabilitation front. And Patrick McCaffery is up to 190 pounds and primed to return to the floor.

Add five incoming recruits to the mix and competition for playing time should be spirited.

“Luka will be better, Joe will be better, Connor will be better, CJ will be better, Joe (Toussiant) will be better,” McCaffery said, “And getting Patrick in there will really help us.”

LINK: https://www.hawkeyenation.com/featu...4qVawP6uDoB_1p5yJw71nhpC7uY-a4Pf_zY3XJMt1HYZU
 
Last edited:
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Franisdaman said:
Here's some more intel! ;)

Rick Brown is a long time sports reporter and had a recent interview with Fran.

Fran, as you will see, says that

* Luka will be a better player for Iowa next season.
* The team chemistry is really good.

Some excerpts:

...the [2019-2020] season came to an abrupt halt.

“I still think we can build on the momentum that we had because we’re no different than anybody else,” the coach said. “It wasn’t like we didn’t get to advance and everybody else did. Everybody was in the same boat. At least we can feel comfortable in what we accomplished.”

This was McCaffery’s 24th season as a head Division I coach, and one of the most enjoyable.

“It was a great deal of fun,” he said. “It was a group that really came together. There was mutual respect. They genuinely liked each other. They went into competitive situations confident in their own skin but knowing their teammates were right with them. They were truly the example of a team that was stronger and better together.”

McCaffery used Garza, Iowa’s first consensus all-American in 68 years, as an example.

“Everyone was thrilled for him,” McCaffery said. “It wasn’t like, “What about me? I should be getting more shots.’ It was, “He’s the player of the year and we’re all going to give him a hug. We want that for him.’ Moving forward, we have a lot of weapons we can surround him with. We’ve got an unselfish team that really cares about each other.”

McCaffery speaks with the assumption that Garza and Weiskamp will be back next season. But he thinks it won’t be a bad thing if both make themselves eligible for the NBA Draft. By doing so they can receive feedback from the NBA Undergraduate Advisory Committee. And they’d still have the option to return to Iowa as long as they don’t hire an agent. The deadline for applying is April 16.

“I think those guys will and should get that information,” McCaffery said. “They need to hear what’s being said about them. Am I going to be a first-round pick? A second-round pick? Am I going to get drafted at all? Most good players take advantage of that opportunity.”

This year’s process will be different, because the NBA was also silenced by the pandemic. In years past, players could work out for NBA teams and be interviewed by them, like Weiskamp was a year ago. But that won’t happen this season.

“It’s up to them to announce, and I always support them either way,” McCaffery said. “I’m for what they feel is best for them.”

Iowa has already been projected in some circles to be a Top 10 team in 2020-21, and a leading contender for the school’s first Big Ten regular-season title since 1978-79. That could change with the current state of the college game, where rosters fluctuate significantly between now and the start of the season.

“I know this, we’ll have a really good team again,” McCaffery said. “And it will probably be a situation where there will be at least 10 teams (from the Big Ten) in the NCAA Tournament, maybe more. If you’re picked for first, that’s great and the fans get excited. Lose one game and it’s the end of the world.”

McCaffery’s approach remains this: never get too high after a big win or too low after a tough loss.

“You’ve got to approach things in a professional way,” he said. “You’re going to win some games and lose some games. We’re going to play well and not so well. But can we be consistent and play well most of the time, peak at the right time and make a run in the tournament that will hopefully take place next year?”

Coach McCaffery said that Bohannon, who needs 91 3-pointers to pass Ohio State’s Jon Diebler as the Big Ten’s career leader, and Nunge have made good progress on the rehabilitation front. And Patrick McCaffery is up to 190 pounds and primed to return to the floor.

Add five incoming recruits to the mix and competition for playing time should be spirited.

“Luka will be better, Joe will be better, Connor will be better, CJ will be better, Joe (Toussiant) will be better,” McCaffery said, “And getting Patrick in there will really help us.”

LINK: https://www.hawkeyenation.com/featu...4qVawP6uDoB_1p5yJw71nhpC7uY-a4Pf_zY3XJMt1HYZU
Click to expand...


I was really hoping you were going to say, "and Patrick is up to 210lbs".... But I'll take heathly, it's much more important !
 
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Franisdaman said:
View embedded media
Click to expand...

Saw that and interesting, would be what I would recommend to him if he was my kid. You are 1 year away from a degree, no sense in staying in the draft if it's the G League. That will still be there next year. Hopefully he at least gets to do some workouts for teams or actually participate in the process of being evaluated against other players.
 
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After watching this video, I was surprised at how often he uses his 'chicken wing' (or shoulder) to gain space. And never gets a foul called on him!! He has it perfected to use it the right amount without getting called.
 
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