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Iowa Basketball: 2020-21 season preview for the Hawkeyes

By Benjamin Zacher

CHAMPAIGN, IL - MARCH 08: Luka Garza #55 of the Iowa Hawkeyes shoots a free throw during the game against the Illinois Fighting Illini at State Farm Center on March 8, 2020 in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
CHAMPAIGN, IL - MARCH 08: Luka Garza #55 of the Iowa Hawkeyes shoots a free throw during the game against the Illinois Fighting Illini at State Farm Center on March 8, 2020 in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /
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Iowa Basketball Joe Toussaint 200303 Purdue Iowa Mbb 045 Jpg /

Bench

The areas for concern for the Hawkeyes begins on the bench – or the lack thereof.  After the starting five, four other Hawkeyes saw more than 90 minutes of action last season – and all four are now gone.

With Ryan Kriener (7.7 ppg; 564 minutes), Bakari Evelyn (3.7; 568 minutes), Cordell Pemsl (2.8; 354 minutes), and Riley Till (0.6; 91 minutes) gone, McCaffery will be forced to find players capable of supporting the starting lineup.  There are a few possibilities, but no definitive answers, making this area a potential – and dangerous – red flag.

With Bohannon returning to the starting five, Joe Toussaint will become the first man off the bench. Toussaint did well in his freshman campaign, averaging 6.5 ppg, 2.9 apg, and a team-best 1.2 steals.  And, despite being a newcomer, Toussaint showed up in the national spotlight – he had a personal-best 18 points against Penn State, scored 14 at Illinois, and netted 13 versus San Diego State.

In terms of replacements, Jack Nunge will return after missing most of last season with an ACL injury.  A starter in Iowa’s first five games last year, Nunge averaged six points and posted a double-double (14 points, 10 rebounds) against Oral Roberts.  Given Nunge’s injury and ongoing recovery, I do not expect him to start, but expect him to receive major time off the bench.

The Hawkeyes will also receive a boost with the addition of Patrick McCaffery, a 6-9 combo forward who redshirted last season.  McCaffery was a four-star recruit out of high school and has picked up nearly 30 pounds of muscle since committing to Iowa in 2018, providing another much-needed strong body inside for the Hawkeyes.

This is where issues arise, because Toussaint, Nunge, and McCaffery are the only bench players who can be – and will be – definitively relied on.  Other returners played limited minutes last season, but McCaffery’s five-man recruiting class – all three-star newcomers – should see playing time as McCaffery gauges the best possible options.

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