Iowa depending on depth to prove doubters wrong, welcomes Southland foe

Death, taxes and Fran McCaffery-coached teams putting points on the board.

Iowa looks like better than the 16th-ranked team in one Big Ten preseason poll. The Hawkeyes will get a chance to show they are capable of outperforming that prediction, beginning with their season opener on Monday when Texas A&M-Commerce visits Iowa City.

Coming off a 19-15 season and a second-round loss in the NIT, the Hawkeyes return three starters, including leading scorer Payton Sandfort. He went through offseason evaluation for the NBA draft before opting to return for his senior season.

Last year, Sandfort pumped in 16.4 ppg and led the conference with 94 3-pointers, connecting on nearly 38 percent from distance. He also hauled in 6.6 rebounds and was second in the league in foul shooting percentage.

"He's also a leader, he also sets a great example in terms of work ethic and preparation," McCaffery said of Sandfort. "He's the guy who will take the young guys under his wing and say, ‘This is how we do it. This is what our culture is.'"

Iowa also welcomes back Big Ten Freshman of the Year Owen Freeman, a 6-foot-10 forward who averaged 10.6 points and 6.6 rebounds per game. It's not a stretch to see a scenario with Freeman ending his sophomore season as a first-round draft prospect himself.

There's also more expected from his longtime teammate -- in high school and on the AAU circuit -- as a tone-setting point guard. Sophomore Brock Harding, former Illinois Mr. Basketball at Moline, plays with pace and bravado, and now his shooting is closer to what McCaffrey wants from a lead guard or key rotation piece.

"We feel really good about that position right now. We've got some depth back there," McCaffery said.

"I think for Brock -- just getting his freshman year under his belt and knowing what he has to do to make an even bigger impact. He made a huge impact last year as you saw. He's shooting the ball extremely well right which is something he really worked on. Changed his shot slightly, nothing major. He's shooting and making more 3s. He's driving and creating. He's stronger physically. ... I've just been really impressed with his competitiveness."

Preseason polls were unkind to the Lions as well. They were tabbed for a last-place finish in the 12-team Southland Conference after returning only three players from a 13-20 team.

Among the departed were Kalen Williams, Jerome Brewer and Tommie Lewis, who combined to score more than 40 ppg. In its third year as a Division I program, Texas A&M-Commerce stocked its roster through the junior college ranks, signing six players.

"We will definitely be more versatile defensively but have to stay healthy," eighth-year coach Jaret von Rosenberg said. "Having size at more positions should also help with our rebounding."

The Lions launched nearly 28 3-point attempts per game last year, ranking 16th in Division I. Their top returning player is 6-1 guard Khaliq Abdul-Mateen, who averaged 4.9 ppg and made 35 3-pointers.

--Field Level Media