With the first official game less than two weeks away it’s about time for the High Porch Picnic to start talking about Iowa basketball. We’ll start with a positional breakdown of returning Hawkeye starters and follow it up with a general basketball preview and what we can expect from Iowa throughout the year. Today, it’s power forward. Note that the lists are ordered by projected starters first.
ED NOTE: There may be some confusion as to how we’re listing these players. For example, while Aaron White is actually a small forward we expect him to play at power forward. The players are categorized on the positions we expect them to play primarily, not their natural position. Thus, despite Basabe getting some time at center we expect him to primarily play as a power forward. Maybe if Todd Lickliter recruited guys who actually had set positions we wouldn’t be in this mess. Damn you, Todd.
The Truth – Melsahn BasabeHeight/Weight: 6’7/234
Position: Power Forward (Forward-Center)
Year: Sophomore
It might sound overly dramatic but we should be thanking our lucky stars every day that Melsahn followed Fran from Sienna to Iowa. He made an immediate impact with his physical style of play, solid shooting and rebounding like he was a reincarnation of Dennis Rodman (Dennis Rodman when he played for the Bulls, not when he was in Double Team with Jean-Claude Van Damme). Despite being a power forward, Basabe would sometimes play the post when Cole was injured on or resting on the bench. Although undersized as a five, Mel made up for it by going HAM on every single play. Sometimes he would play so hard that I was actually concerned he might injure himself.
With the arrival of Olaseni, Mel no longer has to worry about playing the post and can instead focus on playing his true position. Last year he averaged 11 PPG, 6.7 RPG and 1.3 BPG. More impressive, is his team impact for blocks:
Most games, Mel accounted for all of the team’s blocks. Hell, on the season, he recorded 89 blocks, which was 46% of the team total. We’re not sure about Mel’s vertical leap but uh, I’d say it’s “considerable.” This was no more evident than during the 73-68 loss to Ohio State where Mel absolutely worked on Big Ten Freshman of the Year, Jared Sullinger. Jay Bilas noticed this game, and said:
“It was ridiculous…He was phenomenal. He’s got ability. And he kept doing it (all season). It wasn’t just a one-time deal. I was really impressed with him.”
This year we can only expect Mel to grow in size and technique. At the end of last year he weighed 208. Now, he weights 234. There has been a slew of articles about Mel buying into the team, how he believes he can do better and the type of energy he brings. Basically, he knows Iowa can do better and personally, Mel thinks:
“I can match up with anybody in the country.”
We think so too.
The Touted Big Man – Aaron WhiteHeight/Weight: 6’8/225
Position: Small Forward (Cornerman)
Year: Freshman
There’s a reason why some are saying the Aaron White was the best recruit in the 2011 class. Basically, it’s because he can play anywhere. He’s a three, a four and could even be a five…but let us not hope that it comes to that. White made a splash with Iowa fans before even setting foot on the floor at Carver Hawkeye Arena by scoring 26 points and hitting the game winning layup in the 2011 Prime Time League. He’s tall and can post up but he’s also fast enough to stretch the floor. White averaged a double double in high school and it will be exciting to see what he can do in college. Fran says he expects to use White in a rotation, so where he’ll end up is yet to be determined. Naturally, as he’s being placed under power forwards, I’m guessing he’ll play the four despite being recruited as a three.
The Son of Greg – Darius Stokes
Height/Weight: 6’7/203
Position: Power Forward (Cornerman)
Year: Redshirt Freshman
Last year, Fran McCaffery redshirted walk-on Darius Stokes to give him time to grow. In the offseason Stokes put on ten pounds and…that’s all we know. Darius says that he’s working with the big men, particularly Mel, which hints to me that he’ll eventually play the four. Iowa seems to have a slew of guys who could be classified as cornermen (power forward/small forward) but I’d put money on Fran continuing to encourage Darius to put on weight to eventually become a solid power forward. Will we see him any time soon? Not likely, as we have so many other guys like him. However, if he’s anything like his dad Greg, you can expect to see him down the road.
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