2022 Record: 19-14 (11-9)

Head Coach: Fran McCaffrey (Career Record 510-353) (Iowa Record 258-174)

Projected Rotation:

PG: Tony Perkins (12.3 Pts, 4.1 Reb, 2.8 Ast)

SG: Josh Dix (2.0 Pts, 0.9 Reb, 0.9 Ast)

SF: Payton Sandfort (10.3 Pts, 4.1 Reb, 1.5 Ast)

PF: Patrick McCaffrey (9.8 Pts, 3.5 Reb, 1.0 Ast)

C: Ben Krikke (Valpo 19.4 Pts, 5.9 Reb, 2.1 Ast)

6: PG Dasonte Bowen (3.1 Pts, 0.9 Reb, 1.0 Ast)

7: C Even Brauns (Belmont 7.0 Pts, 5.3 Reb, 1.2 Ast)

8: SF Pryce Sandfort

9: PG Brock Harding

10: PF Owen Freeman

11: C Riley Mulvey (0.9 Pts, 0.9 Reb, 0.2 Ast)

12: PF Ladji Dembele

Iowa had to replace a lot after losing players to the draft and eligibility. Iowa returns guard Dasonte Bowen, Josh Dix, and Tony Perkins next season. Bowen performed well in minimal action off the bench last season. He stepped up as a freshman and proved he could be a competitive player when more minutes come his way. He shot 47% from the floor and 36% from three last season. Josh Dix is another player that is poised for a tremendous jump in both minutes and play. Dix has a good chance of starting next season due to his talent as an offensive player and his outside shooting ability. He shot 40% from three and was key in an OT win against Michigan last season. The most experienced guard for the Hawkeyes is Tony Perkins who started in 32 games last season. Perkins needs to be a leader among the group of guards as he’s the oldest player of the bunch. Perkins does well in the mid range and close to the rim. He’s also a solid passer who averaged nearly 3APG last season.

The remaining returners for the Hawkeyes next season are SF Payton Sandfort, PF Patrick McCaffrey, and C Riley Mulvey. Sandfort is one of the most talented offensive players on the team and is poised for a huge breakout now that he’s going to be a full time starter. There is a chance that Payton Sandfort is the leading scorer on the team next season. He will be heavily relied on for his outside shooting abilities. He’s a great three point shooter at 35% in his career, but is capable of shooting closer to 40%. Patrick McCaffrey has the ability to stretch the floor and shoot from the outside at 6-9. He will also take on a greater deal of leadership as one of the oldest players on the team and the coaches son. Mulvey has played very sparingly during his first 2 seasons and is likely going to be towards the bottom of the rotation again. He does add depth to the center position though.

Iowa did add 2 transfers this offseason in the portal both of them being big men. The Hawkeyes added Ben Krikke from Valpo. He is a high volume scorer who averaged nearly 20PPG this past season with Valpo. He could score from all three levels although his three point shot is still developing. He’s going to be a very reliable player on the interior for the Hawkeyes next season. He finishes very well around the rim and also rebounds the ball well. He’s going to face a huge rise in competition but he seems like the type of player that as the tools to make an immediate impact at the high major level. He will also help fill the void left by the departure of Filip Rebraca. Even Brauns is returning home to Iowa City for his senior season of CBB. He’s a very efficient player who spent the past 3 seasons at Belmont. He projects more in a backup role with the Hawkeyes next season, but he will definitely see a decent amount of game action.

Iowa also signed 4 freshman this offseason to complete the roster. The most notable recruit the Hawkeyes signed was Pryce Sandfort who is ranked as the #86 recruit in the country. He is the younger brother of current Iowa player Payton Sandfort. Iowa also signed PG Brock Harding who is ranked #150 in the country and is an extremely underrated player. Iowa also signed big men Ladji Dembele ranked #186 in the country and finally Owen Freeman ranked #159 in the country.

Iowa had to replace their 2 leading scorers that they lost this past offseason. They did a good job in the portal replacing the Rebraca loss, but they will need a few returning players to step up that will make up for the Murray loss. Iowa also signed a few underrated freshman some of which will be able to make an immediate impact next season. Iowa will again be a very good offensive team, but the defense needs to improve a lot. Having the 168th best defense in the country is not a recipe for winning basketball. Iowa is going to be on the NCAA Tournament bubble this season and they could get a bid if the defense takes care of business.