Iowa’s men’s basketball season came to a close with a 83-75 first-round NCAA Tournament loss against the Auburn Tigers. It put the bow tie on a 19-14 (11-9 Big Ten) season.
As one might suspect from the record, it was an up-and-down, helter-skelter, tough to figure out season for the Hawkeyes.
Kris Murray morphed into a star nationally and is a projected first-round 2023 NBA draft pick. That part was certainly fun to watch unfold.
There were some pretty spectacular individual moments such as the Hawkeyes’ and Payton Sandfort’s heroics in a wild comeback win over Michigan State.
The Hawkeyes made their fourth consecutive NCAA Tournament. Iowa is one of just 10 teams nationally that can boast of that and one of just three Big Ten teams alongside Purdue and Michigan State that have taken part in each of the past four NCAA Tournaments.
In college sports, there’s not much time to sit around and reflect on the season that was, though. As the calendar has shifted to the offseason, Iowa’s focus has been on replacing Kris Murray, Filip Rebraca, Connor McCaffery and Ahron Ulis.
The Hawkeyes brought in one transfer portal addition, former Valparaiso big Ben Krikke. The 6-foot-9, 220 pound big led the Missouri Valley Conference in scoring, averaging 19.4 points per game. He was even better than that mark in league play, averaging 21.0 points per game. He also averaged 5.9 rebounds and 2.1 assists per contest. Krikke shot 55% from the field and 80% from the free-throw line.
Iowa has one more scholarship spot it can fill. The Hawkeyes have reportedly reached out to former North Dakota State forward Grant Nelson. That would be a fantastic add for Iowa.
In the meantime, the Hawkeyes are very busy on the recruiting trail, too. Here’s a recap of offers the staff has doled out in the past several days.
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