Iowa hopes for an expanded role for Adam Woodbury this season.

by Ian Murphy
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The expectations are high for the Iowa men’s basketball team after an NCAA Tournament appearance a season ago and a host of returning seniors.

With those expectations in mind, the Hawkeyes opened practice on Monday and held a media day on Tuesday.

Big minutes for Woodbury

With four returning starters and a highly touted recruiting class, the Hawkeyes have a solid amount of depth.

But perhaps no player’s role will be bigger than Adam Woodbury’s. As the only true center on the roster with the graduation of Gabe Olaseni, Woodbury will need to be a post presence for the Hawkeyes.

And head coach Fran McCaffery believes his senior center can step up down the stretch.

“He’s got to be able to play 30 to 36 [minutes], somewhere in there,” McCaffrey said. “He’s got to get his hands here and move his feet.”

In addition, he believes his 7-1 center can lead the Big Ten in rebounds, and he may have to; the next tallest players on the roster, senior Jarrod Uthoff and sophomore Dom Uhl, are 6-9.

The head coach believes Uhl will be able to play center in subbing for Woodbury, although Uhl could start as well, depending on whether McCaffrey wants to put a small lineup or tall lineup on the court.

Clemmons, off the bench or as a starter?

The fifth senior on the team, Anthony Clemmons, would likely fill the fifth starting role if the Hawkeyes elect for a small lineup.

Clemmons played a variety of roles for the Hawkeyes last season, appearing in all 34 games and starting 12.

McCaffrey went as far as saying Clemmons could be considered a fifth returning starter but also called him one of the best sixth men he knows.

“You could bring him in, he could score for you, and he could play the point for you,” McCaffrey said. “He would make big plays at critical times in the game.”

Clemmons said he has accepted his role, having both come off the bench and started, but would prefer to hear his name announced in at the beginning of the game.

“I expect to be starting,” he said.

Newcomers need versatility

With a host of youth on the roster, the Hawkeyes are hoping to see production from their 10 players who are sophomores or younger.

Still, other newcomers come with more experience.

Junior Dale Jones, a Waterloo native who transferred closer to home from Tyler Junior College in Texas, said the big focus for him has been defense.

“Coming from Tyler Junior College only running a 2-3 zone or a 1-3-1 zone for two years, I wasn’t really taught any man-to-man concepts,” Jones said.

He said he’s been working at several guard positions, something McCaffrey stressed will be important for newcomers to see the court.

“Everybody thinks they can play three positions, but a lot of guys can’t remember three positions, because that means tech plays, out-of-bound plays, zone offensive, defensive teams” McCaffery said.

And while none of the true freshmen stand out to him, McCaffrey noted there is a long time to go until the season starts.

“Who can play well when the TV lights come on? Who does it then? That’s a big difference for some guys,” he said. “So I’m hopeful that certainly three or four of them can really rise to the top.”

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