For the second time this offseason, a transfer big that Iowa was linked to late in the process chose to play basketball elsewhere. First, it was Utah Valley center Fardaws Aimaq that had the Hawkeyes in his final top five.
The 6-foot-11 center averaged 18.9 points, 13.6 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.3 blocks per game last season with Utah Valley. He also connected on 49% of his field goal tries and 43.5% of his 3-point tries, but Aimaq announced that he was heading to Texas Tech to play for the Red Raiders and head coach Mark Adams.
Now, it’s Louisiana big Theo Akwuba that has chosen to join Ole Miss instead of the Hawkeyes after having Iowa in his final two. Akwuba averaged 9.1 points, 7.9 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game this past season at Louisiana. The renowned shot blocker would have been a welcome addition alongside Josh Ogundele, Patrick McCaffery, Riley Mulvey and Filip Rebraca and perhaps Kris Murray if he elects to return to Iowa City.
Instead, Iowa appears to have what it already has on its roster unless there’s a different transfer portal addition on the horizon. 247Sports’ Kevin Flaherty had Iowa ranked No. 16 in his initial way-too-early top 23 for 2023 but that will likely hinge on whether or not Murray does indeed return.
According to 247Sports, the Hawkeyes signed a pair of three-star guards in the 2022 signing class in point guard Dasonte Bowen out of Brewster Academy in New Hampshire and shooting guard Josh Dix from Abraham Lincoln High School in Council Bluffs, Iowa.
247Sports, On3 and Rivals all rank Bowen as a three-star point guard. Rivals rated Bowen as the No. 145 player nationally and the No. 37 point guard, while 247Sports ranked Bowen as the No. 148 player nationally, the No. 23 point guard and the second-ranked player from Massachusetts.
Dix is a consensus three-star recruit. 247Sports listed Dix as the No. 145 player nationally, the No. 20 shooting guard and the top player from Iowa. Rivals ranked Dix as the No. 148 player overall and the No. 38 shooting guard. ESPN rated Dix as the No. 56 shooting guard and the No. 3 player from Iowa.
The announced returns of Ogundele and Connor McCaffery should bolster Iowa as well.
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