Wieskamp To Return
Joe Wieskamp announced in early April that he would be testing the NBA Draft process. As expected, Wieskamp pulled his name from the 2019 NBA Draft on Wednesday, saying, “the future is bright.” He was referring to the Hawkeye basketball team. I don’t think Joe ever had any intention of leaving, and while many others also expected Wieskamp to return, it was still good reassurance for an Iowa team that has already lost Tyler Cook, Isaiah Moss, and likely Jordan Bohannon.
Why Test The Draft Process?
I have heard a ton of questions about why Wieskamp would test the draft process if he had no real intention on leaving Iowa. As seen in Joe’s statement, the intention is to help him grow as a player. By attending all of the draft workouts and activities, it gave him a chance to show NBA scouts what he has to offer. This also got his name out in the NBA world. Since Wieskamp was able to show what he has to offer, it gave scouts an opportunity to give him feedback. This allowed Wieskamp to assess his strengths and weaknesses, and know what he should work on to improve his game and be able to play at the next level. This was a win-win for Joe, and is something that will only benefit him down the road.
Bohannon’s Season In Jeopardy
Now we have reached the bad news. Early Wednesday morning, Jordan Bohannon underwent hip surgery to repair an injury that had been bothering the junior point guard for some time. The surgery was to repair a labral tear. This meant they had to shave off part of the bone from his right hip. As you could imagine from that description, this will be an extremely tough and painful recovery. Bohannon hasn’t totally ruled out the possibility of returning next season. “I want a shot at playing, but I’ve been hurt so much these past couple years. I just want to take some time and get my body right,” Bohannon said. The timetable for recovery is five to nine months. If he is not ready in time for the season, the guard will have the option to sit out and redshirt the season. This allows him an extra year of eligibility.
When it Rains, it Pours
In March, things were looking extremely promising in 2019-2020 for the Iowa basketball squad. They finished with a 23-12 record and almost got to the Sweet 16. This was a team that had a big bounce back year. Iowa was only losing Nicholas Baer, meaning they would continue to grow with all five starters returning, right? Wrong.
First, forward Tyler Cook announced that he would be leaving the team to enter the NBA Draft. This left a big hole at the power forward position. Cook gave the Iowa team a major defensive presence down low, as well as opening up the floor for the shooters with his constant offensive threat near the basket.
Just a few weeks later, junior guard Isaiah Moss announced that he would also be leaving the team. He has since transferred to Arkansas for his senior year. Moss appeared to be finding his groove toward the end of the season, shooting the ball extremely well and being a major key in spreading the Hawkeye offense out.
The Iowa team that looked to have all five starters returning now appears to have had that number dwindled down to two. Bohannon, Moss, and Cook appear to be out, with Wieskamp and Garza remain.
The Show Must Go On
I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t concerned with all of the events that have gone down this off season, but the show will go on. I won’t sugar coat it, Iowa will likely be worse next season. If they want to stay competitive, they will need to see big things from Wieskamp and Garza. This duo will need to take their game to the next level and make their presence felt every night.
As for the supporting cast, I will be looking at few guys in particular. I am interested to see what the incoming freshman pair of Patrick McCaffery and Joe Toussaint have to offer to this team. Many around college basketball are expecting some pretty big things from Patrick and Joe. Iowa will need them to be impact players early on in their college careers. Jack Nunge is another player I see making a big impact. Nunge had a promising freshman season before redshirting last year, and I see him growing exponentially as a sophomore. There is a pretty good likelihood that these five will see a majority of the minutes next season. If they can contribute consistently, Iowa’s hopes for next season might still have a pulse.
