IOWA CITY, Iowa – There is reason to be concerned about the rising number of transfers in men’s collegiate basketball.

ESPN.com’s current transfer list is approaching 1,000, and the NCAA estimates that two in five players are leaving before the end of their sophomore years. Ohio State already has lost all four members of its 2015 recruiting class.

It makes you wonder whatever happened to the importance of fighting through adversity and finishing what you started because having this many transfers points to a problem, as Northwestern coach Chris Collins addressed at the Big Ten meetings this week.

"You do not want to take the rights away from the player," Collins said. "But we’re heading down a slippery slope of ultimate free agency, which I don’t think anyone wants."

Collins is right in saying that nobody should want free agency in college basketball.

My problem with Collins saying it is that he represents a group that currently has all the leverage in college men’s basketball, that group being head coaches.

Head coaches can come and go as they please with little consequences. Head coaches often stress to their players the importance of being loyal and sincere and then bolt at the next best offer.

Take the case of Chris Beard, for example.

He cashed in after leading Arkansas-Little Rock to a victory over Purdue in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in March.

Beard was hired as the new head coach at Nevada-Las Vegas, but resigned after less than a month to accept the same position at Texas Tech.

What kind of message does that send?

Though it’s true that Beard had connections to Texas Tech, including having three daughters who live in Lubbock, Texas, he also gave his word to UNLV. How is his situation any different than a player leaving for what he feels is a better opportunity at a different school?

Beard won’t have to sit out next season despite having three different jobs in the past year.

The rise in graduate transfers is also a concern to head coaches.

Purdue coach Matt Painter said a majority of the players are transferring for basketball reasons, but that’s not how the graduate-transfer rule, which allowed players to compete immediately, is supposed to work.

Painter brings up a good point. But why do most college coaches leave one job for another like Painter did when he left Southern Illinois to coach at his alma mater Purdue? Painter took the Purdue job because it was a better opportunity from a basketball standpoint.

I get why coaches are concerned. Their message sort of gets lost in translation, though, because of how good they have it.

Big Ten Power Rankings: With the eight-month college football offseason now more than half over, it seems like a good time to unveil my first 2016 Big Ten power rankings.

They folks in Michigan would say these rankings have homer written all over them.

Maybe so.

1. Ohio State – The Buckeyes have the fewest returning starters (six) of any Power 5 team. But they also have a roster filled with former four- and five-star recruits, a star in a dual-threat quarterback J.T. Barrett and a head coach whose record is 50-4 overall with the Buckeyes and 31-1 in the Big Ten.

2. Iowa – Call me a homer, but Iowa has the slightest edge over both of the Michigan schools mostly because of C.J. Beathard’s experience at quarterback. Iowa’s defense is also formidable with eight starters returning, highlighted by 2015 Jim Thorpe Award winner Desmond King.

3. Michigan – The Wolverines have all the necessary parts to challenge for the conference title except for an experienced quarterback. But that’s where Jim Harbaugh steps in, with his knack for developing quarterbacks perhaps his greatest strength as a head coach.

4. Michigan State – The Spartans might not miss Connor Cook’s leadership, considering he never was named a captain. But they will miss his accuracy, his decision making and his courage under fire. The uncertainty at quarterback is mostly why Michigan State isn’t picked higher.

5. Wisconsin – An okay season by Wisconsin’s lofty standards received a jolt of energy with the victory over USC in the Holiday Bowl. Combine that with a healthy Corey Clement at running back and there is reason for optimism, although, the schedule is brutal as the Badgers open with LSU and begin Big Ten play traveling to Michigan State and Michigan before hosting Ohio State.

6. Nebraska – Mike Riley’s debut season certainly didn’t galvanize the fans, but ended on a high note with a victory over UCLA in the Foster Farms Bowl. If senior quarterback Tommy Armstrong improves his decision making and becomes more consistent, the Cornhuskers could be a contender in the West Division.

7. Northwestern – The Wildcats are difficult to read after coming off a 10-win season, which was preceded by back-to-back five-win seasons in 2013 and 2014. Was last season’s success a fluke or a sign that Northwestern is on the rise again under head coach Pat Fitzgerald? Clayton Thorson returns at quarterback, as does a solid nucleus on defense.

8. Minnesota – Tracy Claeys enters his first full season as head coach with some intriguing pieces, including senior quarterback Mitch Leidner and running backs Shannon Brooks and Rodney Smith. If the defense hold its own, the Gophers could be a surprise.

9. Penn State – James Franklin will enter his third season as head coach with a new defensive coordinator, a new starting quarterback and three new starters on the defensive line.

10. Illinois – New head coach Lovie Smith faces a daunting task in trying to rebuild the Illinois program, but he at least has senior quarterback Wes Lunt to help lead the way.

11. Rutgers – New head coach Chris Ash inherited a mess off the field, so his first order of business is to provide stability. His roster isn’t without talent, though.

12. Indiana – Kevin Wilson probably saved his job by leading Indiana to a bowl game last season for the first time since 2007. Now the question is can he keep his job without Nate Sudfeld playing quarterback.

13. Maryland – Continuing with the new head coach theme, D.J. Durkin has recruited well since being hired at Maryland, but it won’t help for this season.

14. Purdue – Darrell Hazell enters his fourth season with a 6-30 record, including 2-22 in the Big Ten, and with two new coordinators. In other words, time is running out for Hazell.

My Hawkeye Fab Five: The history of the Iowa men’s basketball program has been on my mind since Ronnie Lester was our guest last week on the allhawkeyes podcast.

I believe strongly that Lester is the greatest player in program history regardless of position. When healthy, Lester was a dominant point guard who made his teammates better.

So without question, Lester would be my first choice when picking the best starting lineup in program history. However, picking the other four positions isn’t nearly as easy.

Here is my starting five:

PF – Reggie Evans – The Florida native was arguably the best rebounder in college basketball during his two seasons at Iowa from 2000-02. He was a double-double machine in scoring and rebounding, with many of his baskets coming after grabbing a teammate’s missed shot.

SF – John Johnson – Arguably the best scorer in program history, the Milwaukee native averaged 27.9 points per game as a senior during the 1969-70 season.

C – Kevin Kunnert – The Dubuque native was another double-double machine, using incredible size and strength to dominate the paint during his final two seasons. Imagine the two-headed monster that he and Evans would have been on the boards.

SG – Fred Brown – His ability to make long-range jump shots helped him dominate in college and earned him the nickname “Downtown Freddie” Brown in the NBA. He averaged 27.6 points per game as a senior in 1970-71 even without having the 3-point shot.

PG – Ronnie Lester – The Chicago native was the ultimate point guard, an unstoppable force in transition who could score, distribute and defend at an exceptionally high level.

Also considered

Roy Marble Sr.
Don Nelson
Acie Earl
B.J. Armstrong
Sam Williams