Big Ten Basketball Preseason Power Rankings: 14-8

8. Iowa

March 22, 2015; Seattle, WA, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes guard Peter Jok (3) and forward Jarrod Uthoff (20) react during the 87-68 loss against Gonzaga Bulldogs during the second half in the third round of the 2015 NCAA Tournament at KeyArena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

2014-15 Record: 22-12 (12-6)

Key Players:

F Jarrod Uthoff, Sr

G Peter Jok, Jr

G Mike Gesell, Sr

G Anthony Clemmons, Sr

C Adam Woodbury, Sr

Outlook:

Expect the Hawkeyes to take a slight step back this season. They lost their best player in Aaron White. One player doesn’t make a team, but he meant everything to this Iowa team. Uthoff will look to pick up the slack, both offensively and defensively.

One thing working in Iowa’s favor is their veteran leadership. Fran McCaffery‘s rotation will feature mostly junior and seniors.

The Hawkeyes may struggle on the boards against some of the better teams in the conference, which could haunt them down the stretch. This is still an NCAA tournament team, but it’s hard to expect them to duplicate last season’s success.

Projected Record: 17-11 (9-9)

Next: Maryland Basketball No. 3 in Coaches' Poll

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