Iowa Basketball: 3 biggest takeaways from defeat to No. 1 Gonzaga Bulldogs

2. Should Iowa start Joe Toussaint over Jordan Bohannon?

While Garza and Wieskamp went for 50 points and 19 rebounds together, the rest of the starting lineup played very poorly. Connor McCaffery, CJ Fredrick, and Jordan Bohannon combined to score just 13 points on 4/17 shooting from the field, and 1/8 from three-point range.

The most disappointing had to have been Bohannon, a 5th year senior was throughly outplayed by Suggs at the point guard position. He had just two points in 24 minutes and had more turnovers (4) than assists (3).

The one guard who did play well for Iowa was sophomore Joe Toussaint, who went for 14 points on 6/11 shooting in 18 minutes off the bench. His dribble penetration and solid defense played a big role in the Hawkeyes going from down 20 to just 10 in the second half. He looked like he could hand with the Gonzaga guards and his athlecticism is what gives him an edge in these kinds of matchup.

Bohannon does lead the team in assists at around five so far this season but he’s also just shooting 32% from the field and from deep. And his defensive issues were exposed against both North Carolina and Gonzaga. But the senior leader is a better passer and facilator than Toussaint, as well as an overall shooter.

There are some Hawkeye fans who think that a change in the starting lineup is needed but I would hold off on that. Bohannon at his best makes Iowa a true national title contender and they need him and his confidence not to be shaken.

However, I would make the point guard position more matchup-dependent, with Toussaint playing more when facing off against Marcus Carr (Minnesota), Rocket Watts (Michigan State), and Ayo Dosunmu (Illinois). Those are better matchups for Iowa to work with, particually when Bohannon and his shooting isn’t on. Iowa will need both of them to play better to be true title contenders.