Iowa vs Iowa State men’s basketball: Five players to watch
By Brian Spaen
The hardest part of doing this article is narrowing down which Iowa Hawkeyes to focus on. 10 players average 15 or more minutes per game, making them one of the deepest teams in the nation.
Luckily, Iowa State has their own depth. We’ll focus on some of the starters, but largely we’ll focus on who the teams have on the bench.
Dec 3, 2013; Iowa City, IA, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes forward Jarrod Uthoff (20) defends Notre Dame Fighting Irish guard Jerian Grant (22) at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Iowa won 98-93. Mandatory Credit: Reese Strickland-USA TODAY Sports
Jarrod Uthoff (#20, Iowa sophomore forward)
Uthoff still comes off the bench, but he’s gained minutes by beating out starting senior forward Melsahn Basabe in rebounding. Both players lead the team on the boards, but Uthoff has eight more than Basabe. That’s not all; Uthoff has also hit 36 of his 42 free throws, has nailed 7 of 13 3-point shots, and has 17 blocks.
The sophomore isn’t afraid to do it all, creating an ideal matchup against Melvin Ejim. It will be a fun battle to watch all night long.