Harty: A list fit for a King
IOWA CITY, Iowa – It seems fitting that a list of greatness would start with a king, or in this case, Iowa football player Desmond King.
He heads the list of the top-10 University of Iowa men’s student-athletes for the 2015-16 sports calendar year that ended earlier this month.
I’ve been compiling the list on an annual basis for nearly two decades and it’s never easy trimming it to 10 or deciding the order, although, King is an obvious choice for the top spot.
The Iowa wrestling team also had three members finish runner-up at the NCAA Championships. All three were locks to make the list. It was just a matter of deciding where to rank them.
1. Desmond King, Jr., football – The Detroit native had arguably the greatest season ever for an Iowa defensive back. He tied the school record shared by Nile Kinnick with eight interception and was named the 2015 Jim Thorpe Award recipient, which goes to the nation’s top collegiate defensive back.
King also excelled as a return specialist, ranking second in the Big Ten in punt returns (14.2) and fourth in kick returns (24.2).
2. C.J. Beathard, Jr., football – His statistics don’t blow you away, nor do his honors, which include making second-team all-Big Ten. Beathard is second on the list because of his ability to inspire and win games as a quarterback. The Franklin, Tenn., native made big plays at pivotal times throughout last fall, showing an uncanny ability of knowing when to run or throw for the 12-2 Hawkeyes.
Beathard’s statistics aren’t too shabby, either. He completed 223-of-362 passes for 2,809 yards and 17 touchdowns, with just five interceptions. He also rushed for 237 yards and six touchdowns.
3. Jarrod Uthoff, Sr., basketball – The Cedar Rapids native was in the running for Big Ten Player of the Year before fading at the end of the regular season. He still made first-team all-Big Ten and third-team All-America by the Associated Press.
The 6-foot-9 Uthoff was Iowa’s first AP All-American since point guard Andre Woolridge earned third-team recognition in 1997.
Uthoff ranked second in the Big Ten in scoring (18.9), first in blocked shots (2.6 bpg), and tied for 13th in rebounding (6.3 rpg). He also ranks 19th in Iowa career scoring (1,298) and fourth in blocked shots (177). Uthoff scored in double figures in all but one game this season, including netting 20 or more points a team-best 16 times.
His 624 points this season ranks eighth-most in Iowa single-season history.
Uthoff is projected as a possible late first-round selection for the 2016 NBA draft, which will be held on Thursday.
4. Cory Clark, Jr., wrestling – The former Southeast Polk star finished as an NCAA runner-up for the second consecutive year, losing 7-6 in the title match at 133 pounds. Clark finished his junior season with a 26-2 record, earning his third All-America honor.
5. Thomas Gilman, Jr., wrestling – He finished 28-2 with both losses coming against Penn State’s Nico Megaludis, including 6-3 in the NCAA title match at 125 pounds.
6. Brandon Sorensen, So., wrestling – His season was almost identical to Gilman’s season as Sorensen finished runner-up at 149 pounds. He only lost twice in 31 matches, with each defeat coming against a Penn State wrestler, in this case Zain Retherford. Sorensen, who is from Cedar Falls, placed fourth as a redshirt freshman in 2015.
7. Joel Booker, Sr., baseball – The Columbus, N.C. native accomplished a lot in just two seasons after transferring to Iowa from Indian Hills Junior College. He was named a first-team all-Mideast Region selection on Wednesday. He was also a first-team all-Big Ten selection, hitting a team-best .370 and his 87 hits were tops on the team, tied for most in the Big Ten Conference, and tied for the second-most all-time in school history.
Iowa’s starting center fielder had 26 extra base hits (19 doubles, two triples, five home runs) on the year, while scoring 47 runs and driving in 37. He also stole 23 bases in 25 attempts, the third-most steals in the Big Ten. Booker started every game and tallied a team-leading 26 multi-hit games on the season.
8. Josey Jewell, So., football – The Decorah native made second-team all-Big Ten and led Iowa with 126 tackles while starting every game at middle linebacker.
9. Nick Roscetti, Sr., baseball – The Sherman, Ill., native made first-team all-Big Ten as a shortstop, hitting over .300 throughout the season. He also was a force on defense, finishing with just five errors and a .980 fielding percentage.
10. Aaron Mallett, Jr., track and field – The St. Louis native finished his junior season as a second-team All-American in the 110-meter hurdles. He defended his Big Ten title in that event in May with a time of 13.48 seconds, which was the fifth fastest in the NCAA at the time. He also anchored Iowa’s 4×400 relay squad that finished first at the Big Ten Championships with a time of 39.44, which was the third fasted in school history.
Honorable mention in order: Tyler Peyton, baseball; Carson Schaake, golf; Jordan Walsh, football; Austin Blythe, football; Peter Jok, basketball; Sammy Brooks, wrestling.