My choice for option B with Iowa hoops might surprise you
IOWA CITY, Iowa – It is widely assumed that Peter Jok will lead the Iowa men’s basketball team in scoring next season.
He almost did it last season, averaging 16.1 points per game, which was second on the team behind Jarrod Uthoff’s 18.9 average.
The 6-foot-6 Jok is Iowa’s only returning starter from a team that advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament last season.
He pretty much had the green light to shoot last season and will have even more freedom to launch this season.
Iowa coach Fran McCaffery said as much after Jok announced in May that he would return for his senior season after exploring his NBA options.
“I’m going to use him in a way that will showcase him,” McCaffery said. “We’ve done that already to a degree. But I’m going to do it even more.”
What isn’t clear is who will fill Jok’s role from last season as the team’s second leading scorer? Who will be option B this coming season when option A is stymied by a box-and-one defense or by a double team or by simply having an off night?
There are several candidates from which to choose, but for now, I’m predicting that sophomore forward Nicholas Baer will be Iowa’s second leading scorer next season, slightly ahead of incoming freshman forward Tyler Cook and junior forward Dom Uhl.
My prediction is based on several factors, not the least of which is Baer’s ability to score inside, outside and in transition. The former walk-on from Bettendorf can score in traffic and with garbage points.
Baer also showed last season that he has a knack for rising to the occasion with no moment too big for him to handle. That was apparent when Baer scored 15 points off the bench against Villanova in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. There was a stretch in the first half when Baer was the only player for Iowa to hold his own against the eventual national champion.
I’m not suggesting that Baer is ready to take the Big Ten by storm next season. He just seems the most dependable on offense at this stage.
The 6-9 Uhl struggled with consistency last season. He flashed at times on offense, but also disappeared at times.
As for Cook, the biggest uncertainty with him is that he hasn’t played a game in college yet. The 6-8 St. Louis native appears to have star potential based on his dominance in the Prime Time League this summer.
But it’s still just a summer league in which playing defense is optional at times.
Another player to watch on offense next season is 6-8 Dale Jones, assuming he makes a full recovery from knee surgery. Jones has a reputation for making 3-point shots and we saw glimpses of that last season before he was injured.
Every team needs dependable shooters who can force defenses to adjust.
Jones might help fill that role next season, and the season after that, considering he was granted a sixth year of eligibility on Thursday.
Jones and Baer both have a knack for putting the ball in the basket. The difference is we’ve already seen Baer do it against elite competition.