Iowa basketball missed the tournament for the first time in six years, and want to make sure that this won’t happen again
The tradition continues! CBB Review is again ranking the top 100 teams heading into the new college basketball season. Each day, we will reveal the next team until we reach the team slotted at number one. Up next: Iowa basketball.
While they may not be making deep runs in the tournament, avoiding the second weekend since McCaffery has been there, they are consistent in making the big dance. Since 2018-2019, they had made an appearance in every tournament… until last year. The team finished 19-15 and 10-10 in conference play, which just wasn’t enough. They lose some key players from last year’s squad, but return most, making them a team looking for revenge.
Payton Sandfort coming back was an enormous decision for the program. He was terrific last year, and is projected by many to make the Big Ten First Team this season. They also return Owen Freeman, the Co Big Ten freshman of the year, who they are hoping will take a big leap for this Iowa Basketball team.
With the new additions to the conference, their path to the tournament doesn’t get any easier, but the volume of returning players certainly makes them an interesting team heading into next season.
Click here to learn more about our preseason top 100 teams heading into the 2024-25 college basketball season.
Head coach:Â Fran McCaffery (15th season at Iowa, 29th season overall)
2023-24 record: 19-15 (10-10)
2024 postseason finish:Â Lost to Utah (91-82) in second round of NIT
Notable departures:Â
- Tony Perkins (14.0 PPG, 4.6 APG, 4.4 RPG)
- Ben Krikke (13.8 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 1.4 APG)
- Patrick McCaffery (8.9 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 1.2 APG)
Notable non-conference games:Â
- vs. Washington State (Nov. 15)
- vs. Utah State (Nov. 22)
- vs. Utah (Dec. 21)
Projected Rotation
PG: Drew Thelwell (6-3, 195, Gr.-Sr.)
2023-24 stats: 10.0 PPG, 6.2 APG, 3.0 RPG, 1.3 SPG (Morehead State)
SG: Josh Dix (6-5, 200, Jr.)
2023-24 stats: 8.9 PPG, 2.2 RPG, 1.7 APG, 55.2 FG%, 42.1 3P%, 86.0 FT%
SF: Payton Sandfort (6-7, 215, Sr.)
2023-24 stats: 16.4 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 2.7 APG, 37.9 3P%, 91.1 FT%
PF: Ladji Dembele (6-8, 250, Sr.)
2023-24 stats: 2.2 PPG, 2.0 RPG, 0.4 APG
C: Owen Freeman (6-10, 230, So.)
2023-24 stats: 10.6 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 1.2 APG, 1.8 BPG, 61.4 FG%
6: Pryce Sandfort (6-6, 205, So.)
2023-24 stats: 2.3 PPG, 1.1 RPG, 0.4 APG, 34.7 3P%
7: Brock Harding (6-0, 162, So.)
2023-24 stats: 3.4 PPG, 2.6 APG, 0.6 RPG, 36.2 FG%, 37.5 3P%
8: Seydou Traore (6-7, 215, So.)
2023-24 stats: 11.8 PPG, 8.2 RPG, 2.3 APG, 1.5 SPG, 1.3 BPG, 80.0 FT%
9: Cooper Koch (6-8, 205, Fr.)
247Sports Composite #85 ranked recruit
10: Even Brauns (6-9, 245, Gr.-Sr.)
2023-24 stats: 0.6 PPG, 0.9 RPG, 0.1 APG, 3.6 MPG
Iowa Basketball team MVP: Payton Sandfort
As mentioned earlier, Sandfort was terrific offensively last season. He’s taken a huge leap every season he’s been in college basketball, going from 5 points freshman year to 10.3 his sophomore year, and now 16.4 his senior year. Don’t be surprised if he reaches 20 in his senior year. He really turned it up at the end of the year as well, scoring 18 or more points in eight of the last nine games of the regular season as he tried to push his team into bubble territory.
They’ll look to him to be the primary scorer again this year, and with Perkins, Krikke, and McCaffery all gone, he’ll have no chance but to be better if his team wants a chance to succeed. Defensively, he’s not going to contribute much, but when you’re that good on offense, it doesn’t matter.
Iowa Basketball make-or-break player: Owen Freeman
Freeman was a bit of a pleasant surprise for Iowa, winning Big Ten co-freshman of the year despite being the 159th-ranked recruit. The expectations are high now, and he’ll go from the 5th-6th option to the second option. We’ve seen all the good he can do, but if Iowa wants to be a tournament-level team, he’ll need to be great. A lot of excitement around Freeman heading into this season.
Key analytic: Offensive Efficiency
Last season, Iowa basketball finished 16th in offensive efficiency according to KenPom. This comes as no surprise, as this Iowa basketball team has finished top 20 in offensive efficiency the past seven seasons. Defense is the bigger issue, but if they score at the rate they usually do, it will be hard to keep up.
Fran McCaffrey loves getting as many shots as possible and a lot of three point attempts, so when you’re watching this Iowa team, don’t be surprised if they’re scoring 80 a game.
Iowa Basketball 2024-25 projections
Projected conference finish: 16th in the Big Ten
Projected postseason ceiling: NCAA Tournament Round of 64 Exit