Iowa learned how to play without Jarrod Uthoff and how to finish a win.

By Kyle Mann
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The Iowa men’s basketball team upset top-ranked Michigan State on Dec. 29, and although the Spartans were without star forward Denzel Valentine, Iowa’s 83-70 victory was no fluke.

From a preseason loss to Division-2 Augustana to a devastating collapse at Iowa State, the Hawkeyes have had their share of bad losses in 2015, but to their credit, the upset was evidence that head coach Fran McCaffery’s team has improved mightily early in the season.

Iowa showed in the nonconference schedule that its shooting had improved from last year and that it would rely heavily on its offense led by Jarrod Uthoff. The Hawks were not without shortcomings, however, as they appeared thin – figuratively and literally – in the post, and a barrage of close losses raised concerns that the team lacked a “killer instinct” to be elite.

But in pulling off the upset, the Hawkeyes showed impressive growth in many areas.

First and foremost, Uthoff exited the game fewer than seven minutes into the first half with two personal fouls and sat for the remainder of the half. The Hawkeyes led only 14-13 as their best player walked to the bench, and fans had to wonder how long they could survive without him.

Turns out, the whole time.

Fan favorite Nicholas Baer logged 11 minutes in the first half, accruing 9 points, 3 rebounds, and a steal and a block while making hustle plays and bringing the Carver crowd to its feet. Dom Uhl also chipped in 7 points, making it 16 points from Uthoff’s replacements in his absence.

“Just trying to make plays as they come,” Baer said. “I wouldn’t say I’m nervous out there. I think just the confidence that my teammates have in me for sure is helpful. I’m just trying to go out there and affect the game with my effort is always key for me.”

Baer in particular continued his emergence as an impact player for McCaffery, as he seemed to win every loose ball and came out of nowhere for a chase-down block on a 3-pointer.

“He was spectacular, but that’s what he does,” McCaffery said. “He’s just a really good player, and he affects the game in a lot of different ways. He’s a different kind of player than Jarrod, so we still got some offense, but we got some other things, too.”

It’s unfair to judge the Hawkeyes in terms of Uthoff, but if the first half was the Hawkeyes learning to play without him, the second could be an example of the Hawkeyes learning to finish with him.

Looking back at the heartbreaking loss in Ames, Uthoff exploded for 30 points in the first half and then faded away as the Cyclones mounted a comeback. It seemed without Uthoff scoring, the Hawkeyes were hopeless.

But Iowa’s veterans didn’t let that happen again.

Mike Gesell played a small role in the first half against the Spartans, but as the Spartans came out and threatened to reduce the Hawkeye lead early in the second, Gesell kicked it into gear.

“I was just looking to be aggressive; I thought we were a little stagnant on offense at times,” Gesell said. “So I felt like that meant I need to be a little more aggressive to get things moving.”

Gesell was 5-of-5 from the floor in the second half and 11-of-13 from the free throw line for 21 points, 25 total. Unlike the collapse in Ames, the Hawkeyes stepped up and kept the pressure on all night.

“We had a tough one against Iowa State, and you can do two things from that; you can learn from it or you can dwell on it,” Gesell said. “I’m so happy for my guys; I feel like we really learned from that one, and we were mature about it. We really turned it around tonight.”

Follow @KyleFMann for Iowa men’s basketball news, updates, and analysis.