Iowa’s contest with Northwood on Nov. 2 isn’t going to have any postseason implications and it isn’t going to count toward the Hawkeyes’ record. What it is going to do, however, is give head coach Fran McCaffery and Iowa fans a chance to see their team in action roughly two weeks before the real season starts.

Northwood, located in West Palm Beach, Florida, posted a regular-season best 30 wins last season, but fell in the first round of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athlectics Tournament

“The thing we want to do with this exhibition game was play a good team with a great coach and challenge ourselves,” McCaffery said. “We scheduled this game with that in mind.”

There are a few question marks surrounding the Hawkeyes, especially what combination of starters McCaffery trots on the floor. He said the team has a few nagging injuries but none too severe to hold anyone out of the lineup.  

He said Mike Gesell will likely be the starting point guard. Aaron White, Jarrod Uthoff, and Adam Woodbury will be in the starting five. McCaffery hasn’t made a clear announcement as to who will start at shooting guard, but it could be a combination of Peter Jok and Josh Oglesby.

Because Iowa is expected to play as many as 11 players on a consistent basis, starters may not matter as much as they would on another team. That’s why McCaffery is playing different players together before the season officially begins.

“All of us before have talked about different lineups. Do you use the small lineup, the big lineup, the quick lineup,” McCaffery said. “You kind of get the feel for which guys play together. I’ve tried to get the feel for that in this preseason here, mixing lineups and combinations.”

Iowa did play a scrimmage last week, but the fifth-year head coach said he couldn’t disclose any information about the game. This is certainly more important, he said, because everything but the fact it doesn’t count toward the standings makes it a real game.

“You’re seeing new people [Oct. 26], and now you’re seeing new people again. But it’s in front of a crowd instead of a closed scrimmage,” McCaffery said. “I think that’s important. You get out, the fans watch the team, it’s a regular game.

“…We want to see how we’re coming together against a team in a game situation, with a crowd, etc., before we actually play our fist game that counts.”