The Hawkeyes need to fill the spots of the departed Aaron White and Gabe Olaseni.
By Kyle Mann
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Key losses

Aaron White
White will be the most glaring absence when Iowa begins the 2015-16 season, and for good reason.
The Washington Wizard draftee entered last season as Iowa’s undisputed leader and best player, and he did not disappoint fans, teammates, or opponents. He was fifth in the Big Ten in scoring at 16.4 points per game on an eighth-best 52 percent shooting from the field.

The senior forward contributed all over the floor, with 7.3 rebounds per game, fourth in the conference, and was also ninth with 1.3 steals per game.

White was effective in many ways for the Hawkeyes, and his versatility was the biggest draw for NBA scouts, but what will be missed most are his intangibles.

White was a go-to scorer and on-floor leader in a way that may be lacking on Iowa’s team this season.

Gabe Olaseni
Olaseni was never a go-to guy in the same sense that White was, and he really wasn’t much of an offensive threat at any time in his career, but his presence on the roster allowed the Hawkeyes a big, versatile, and stingy frontcourt.

The 6-10 center played only 18 minutes per game but was incredibly effective in his time on the floor, particularly defensively. He was sixth in the Big Ten with 1.6 blocks per game, with all five in front of him playing substantially more minutes.

His 4.8 rebounds per game were fourth on the team but a crucial contributing factor to the Hawkeyes finishing as the most prolific rebounding team in the conference.

The absence of Olaseni may be less than that of White’s, but his impact in 2015-16 will be missed just as much, if not more.

Key additions: 

Dale Jones
Speaking of losing quality players in the frontcourt, Jones’ transfer from Tyler Junior College in Texas could not come at a better time.

Jones goes 6-7 and 220 pounds, and he will likely be called upon to alleviate some of the depth issues in Iowa’s frontcourt this season. Dom Uhl is being touted as the backup center to Adam Woodbury, which would theoretically open minutes at power forward. Ideally, the Hawkeyes will be at their best if Jones can take those minutes.

Jones scored 17 points per game on 45 percent shooting from 3 at Tyler, along with slightly more than 8 rebounds. Head coach Fran McCaffery has talked highly of Jones’ ability to get rebounds in traffic, and both believe he has the strength necessary to survive the physicality of the Big Ten. If his rebounding translates, Jones could be exactly the stretch-4 that Iowa will need to optimize its offense.

Jones shot 45 percent from beyond the arc for Tyler last season and 84 percent from the charity stripe. With his  experience, rebounding, and shooting stroke, Jones could be a pleasant surprise for Hawkeye fans.

Andrew Fleming
The Hawkeyes welcome five freshmen to the squad this year, with Fleming distinguishing himself the most during the summer.

Fleming torched the local Prime Time League, coming in third with 25.8 points per game, the most of any Hawkeye player, and shooting 40 percent from distance. Keeping in mind that the green light is always on, and the number of shots is, uh, ridiculous, 40 percent has an increased degree of impressiveness.

What stuck out most about Fleming, however, is his maturity and composure. Coming from Oak Hill Academy in Virginia, a prep basketball powerhouse, Fleming has a uniquely focused attitude for a freshman and conducts himself as if he’s been living the life of college basketball player for years now.

His shooting stroke paired with his work ethic and attitude likely gets him on to the floor sooner rather than later.