CyHawk Basketball 2017: Previewing the annual rivalry game

Hawkeye Rotation

Point Guard – Jordan Bohannon – Bohannon has been an absolute sniper this season. He is averaging a respectable 12.7 points and 4.7 assists, but the stat that stands out is 47% from deep! He would be even more dangerous if the team had a true point guard to move him off-ball. Special focus will be on the sophomore.

Shooting Guard – Isaiah Moss – Moss has really blossomed in his sophomore campaign. His scoring is up from 6.5 points per contest to 12.4. Moss’ issue is consistency but otherwise has the ability to dominate stretches.

Small Forward – Jack Nunge – The freshman from Indiana has been a pleasant surprise for the Hawkeyes. Nunge has the 6’11” frame of a more traditional forward but has hit 47% of his 19 shots from deep. His versatility is something to watch.

Power Forward – Tyler Cook – Cook is the team’s best weapon. The sophomore leads Iowa with 14.6 points and 7.1 rebounds per game. Look for the team to feed Cook early and often to try to get ISU’s bigs in trouble.

Center – Luka Garza – D.C. product Garza has also been solid alongside his fellow youngsters. The 6’11”, 235-pound center is putting up 8.2 points, 6.6 boards, and 1.4 blocks. He’ll likely draw an assignment against ISU’s primary posts and use his length to affect shots in the lane.

Key Reserves: Nick Baer, Cordell Pemsl, Brady Ellingson, Ahmad Wagner, Maishe Dailey

Iowa’s bench is of full of grinders who don’t wow most of the time but can produce flashes of great play. Former walk-on Baer is the team’s best spark plug who does some of everything well, especially on defense. Ellingson has the capacity to explode at times from three-point land. The other three have been major non-factors in the recent losing streak and need to find their mojo soon. Where this group excels is in sheer numbers. They can simply try to draw fouls and stay fresh on defense compared to Iowa State.