Joe Wieskamp

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Katina Zentz

UI freshman Joe Wieskamp poses for portrait at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on July 10, 2018.

Pete Mills, Sports Reporter

It’s no secret Iowa struggled in a lot of ways last season.

Many Hawkeye fans felt that a very talented basketball squad was haunted by poor defense and a streaky offense. Iowa ranked No. 317 in points allowed, and many of its losses came about because of cold streaks in the shooting game.

This is all going to change this season, because Joe Wieskamp will be an asset that the Hawkeyes will be able to lean on as a consistent power.

An impressive high-school career preceded Wieskamp to Iowa City. A 4-star recruit, he was a two-time Iowa Gatorade Player of the Year, and he holds the all-time scoring record in the state’s high school basketball history.

Iowa basketball is excited about this guy. He’s the second highest prospect to join the Iowa squad since Adam Woodbury in 2011, according to 247 Sports.

Standing 6-6 and 205 pounds, Wieskamp’s skills are widespread and versatile. His athleticism, talent, and size means he can shoot from the 3-point line very effectively, aggressively drive the ball, and guard nearly anyone on the court.

Media, teammates, and coaches are taking note.

During media day, head coach Fran McCaffery spoke favorably about Wieskamp’s defensive skills. In practice, he has been able to guard everyone from Tyler Cook to Isaiah Moss.

His teammates are even more impressed with his work ethic.

Adjusting to college basketball is no easy task, but Wieskamp has smoothly made his way into becoming a potential Big Ten basketball threat. He has reportedly gained more than 10 pounds in muscle this offseason.

So yeah, he’s pretty good.