By Adam Hensley
Certain athletes thrive in the limelight.
Nicholas Baer isn’t one of those players, yet his impact on an Iowa team feasting on momentum would tell you otherwise.
“Baer is the heart of this team,” senior Peter Jok said after Iowa beat Penn State Sunday.
Baer put up one of Iowa’s most impressive stat lines of the season (20 points, 10 rebounds, 2 steals, and 2 assists) in the Hawkeyes’ 90-79 beat-down of the Nittany Lions.
It was as quiet of a 20 point, 10 rebound game as you can get.
Overshadowed by senior night and highlight plays from Iowa’s freshmen core, that’s been the narrative for Baer this entire season; from the beginning to the end of the regular season, the focus on the Big Ten’s leading scorer or one of the best freshman groups in school history dominated headlines.
Bear, who fought to be on scholarship and struggles to make headlines, was – and still is – Iowa’s x-factor.
“I try to influence guys on this team with my hard work,” Baer said. “I think that rubs off on a lot of people.”
Once a starter this season, head coach Fran McCaffery realized that Baer’s presence could be even more impactful coming off the bench.
Coinciding with his strong performances, whether that’s a calming presence or a key in the ignition, the redshirt sophomore earned Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year on Monday.
“He impacts the game when we put him in,” McCaffery said. “He settles everybody down. He helps you on the glass, helps you defensively, helps you against the press, from 3-point range, offensive rebounds putbacks, deflections. He’s everywhere and he’s really smart.”
He’s proven himself to be a tenacious offensive rebounder, fighting for misses on the offensive glass. On many occasions, a missed shot ends up in an opponent’s hands, and as he looks to outlet, a cutting Baer strides in from behind and takes the ball away, granting Iowa with yet another chance to score.
Baer is more than just a hustle player, though.
Iowa’s 4-game winning streak couldn’t have come at a better time this season; the Hawkeyes toppled an athletic Indiana team at home, then pulled off consecutive top-25 upsets on the road.
Looking at each game during this recent surge, it’s easy to point to a certain player as the deciding factor for Iowa.
Jok dropped 35 points against the Hoosiers. Bohannon hit eight 3-pointers against the Terrapins and the game winning 3-pointer in Madison. Jok heated up in his final home game against Penn State.
But in each of those games, Baer isn’t the go-to player to recognize after a win.
In fact, he’s Iowa’s catalyst.
During this four-game win streak, Baer averaged 13.7 points, 6 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 1.7 steals per contest, all while coming off the bench.
Baer hit 13 3-pointers over that stretch, but he credits that success to his fellow Hawkeyes.
“I think it’s a mix of taking good three’s, but also my teammates are loading me up in my shot pocket,” he said. “If you look at all the passes I’m getting, Jordan and Christian [Williams] are putting it right in my wheelhouse. Any shooter will tell you when you get it right there it’s easier to knock them down.”
When Iowa needs to create momentum, he’s the guy.
Look no further than his soaring, two-handed putback slam over a Hoosier defender in Iowa’s 96-90 overtime win on Feb. 21.
Or against Wisconsin, where he knocked down two 3’s in the final two minutes of the first half, putting Iowa up by 7 at the break.
“He’s a great energy guy,” Jok said. “He doesn’t care if he scores or not, he’s going to do whatever it takes for the team to win.”
And that’s the brand of basketball McCaffery wants his players to emulate.
“He’s one of the best players in the league, without question,” McCaffery said. “He just keeps getting better.”