Nicholas Baer is too valuable not to start
By Pat Harty
IOWA CITY, Iowa – From a walk-on reserve to a starter on scholarship, the past year has been quite a ride for Iowa basketball player Nicholas Baer.
The 6-foot-7 sophomore forward is expected to make his first career start for the Hawkeyes in Friday’s season opener against Kennesaw State at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
“He deserves to be in there,” Iowa coach Fran McCaffery said of Baer being a starter. “He does too many good things at both ends. On the glass, with the ball. He can make threes. He can put it on the deck. He can handle the ball. You're getting intense, half court, man-to-man defense… he's going to be able to handle it, move it. He's got a low-post game, and he's really smart.”
With a year under his belt, Baer also has emerged as a leader for a team short on experience. Senior guard Peter Jok is Iowa's only returning starter from last season. The current team also has seven freshmen on the roster, including six true freshmen.
“He knows where he's supposed to be, where everybody else is supposed to be, and he communicates that information to the younger guys,” McCaffery said of Baer, who is from Bettendorf. “He's valuable in that area.”
The 6-foot-7 Baer appeared in all 33 games last season as a redshirt freshman and finished second on the team with 19 blocks. He also averaged 4.8 points, 2.6 rebounds and made 26 3-point shots.
“It’s a kind of new to me, at least since high school,” Baer said of starting. “But I’m fine wherever, though, not that it’s going to be permanent of anything.”
Baer said he worked hard during the offseason to get stronger in order to withstand the Big Ten grind.
“I do feel like I can have a little bit of a higher energy,” said Baer, who was put on scholarship after the spring semester. “I feel like I am stronger.”
Baer said his mindset won’t change as a starter compared to being a reserve.
“Just maintain that aggressive mentality that I’ve always had and knowing how to make the right play and when to make the right play,” Baer said.
Jones still battling knee problems: The knee problems that have plagued Dale Jones’ college career apparently aren’t over.
McCaffery said Wednesday that Jones’ knee had swollen and that he wasn’t expected to practice on Wednesday.
Jones, a 6-7 forward from Waterloo, has suffered two serious knee injuries in college, including last season when he only appeared in six games for Iowa before the injury occurred.
“That may be ongoing throughout the whole season,” McCaffery said of Jones’ knee problems. “I hope not, because he really hasn't had any swelling, but he did the last couple days.
“So we're going to be protective of him; we'll see how that works out when the game comes.”
Jones played two seasons at Tyler Junior College in Texas before coming to Iowa.
He has been granted a medical hardship for a sixth season, but it is uncertain if Jones will return next season.