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Fran McCaffery

College basketball countdown: No. 32 Iowa

Scott Gleeson
USA TODAY Sports
Iowa Hawkeyes head coach Fran McCaffery gives instructions to Aaron White (30) in the game against the Ohio State Buckeyes at the Schottenstein Center.

THE FIRST WORD: For 25 games last season, Iowa looked the part of a sleeper Big Ten contender and NCAA tournament darkhorse. The Hawkeyes were 19-6 overall and 8-4 in league play.

Then, as the calender drew closer to March, the wheels fell off the wagon. Iowa lost seven of its last eight, including an NCAA tourney play-in game to Tennessee.

"The key in the Big Ten, while it sounds simple, is that you've gotta be ready to go every night," Iowa coach Fran McCaffery said. "Last year, we fell off, lose to Tennessee and then they had a pretty clear path to the Sweet 16."

McCaffery knows how thin the line between winning and losing is in the Big Ten. But he's also heartened that Iowa brings back a roster of players that should learn from last season's collapse.

The Hawkeyes return seven upperclassmen who have seen considerable playing time — led by Aaron White, a likely preseason All-American for Iowa in the frontcourt — but the key will be replacing do-everything guard Roy Devyn Marble. Luckily, there are a handful of guards poised to take on increased roles and fill that significant void.

2013-14 IN REVIEW: 20-13 overall, 9-9 (sixth place in Big Ten)

PATH TO THE DANCE: Big Ten at-large bid.

PROJECTED TOURNEY SEED: No. 8 seed.

NON-CONFERENCE SCHEDULE GRADE: B. See full schedule here.

The Hawkeyes play Texas and Syracuse or California in the 2K Classic, Iowa State at home and then North Carolina and Northern Iowa on the road. Despite some cupcake games, this is a very solid schedule.

TEAM BREAKDOWN: See full roster here.

STAR WATCH: White (12.8 ppg, 6.7 rpg) excelled at the LeBron James and Kevin Durant Skills Academies this summer, and there's no mistaking the 6-9 forward is one of the best players in the country. He's versatile and should take another step as the team's clear-cut leader and go-to guy now that Marble's gone.

Iowa forward Jarrod Uthoff is expected to take a big step in 2014-15.

Jarrod Uthoff (7.6 ppg, 4.6 rpg) didn't fully find his groove in his first run with the Hawkeyes last season after transferring from Wisconsin. He averaged less than 20 minutes a game, so more playing time as a starter will certainly aid his progress in 2014-15.

X-FACTOR: Mike Gesell (7.8 ppg, 3.9 apg). The junior point guard returns for his third season as the Hawkeyes' starter. The might be a greater emphasis on offensive production with the loss of Marble. If Gesell can add more of a scoring element to his game and still run the show efficiently, Iowa will be in really good shape.

KEY NEWCOMERS: Trey Dickerson is a junior college All-American who will be a nice addition to Iowa's backcourt as a speedy, crafty guard. Freshman Brady Ellingson adds perimeter shooting and fits well into McCaffery's system. Once again, the Hawkeyes will be making up for the loss of Marble's production by committee, so these players' development will be crucial.

TEAM STRENGTH/WEAKNESS: Iowa ranked 11th nationally in rebounding margin and will again be a strong team on the glass. The Hawkeyes led the Big Ten in scoring last season (81.5 ppg) yet were second-to-last in the league in scoring defense (70.3 ppg), so stopping teams better will definitely be an area of focus.

Putting points on the board this upcoming season again shouldn't be an issue, mostly because the Hawkeyes are deep. There are a handful of guys ready to step into bigger roles, including backcourt regulars Josh Oglesby (6.6 ppg), Peter Jok (4.4 ppg) Anthony Clemmons (2.4 ppg). And the frontcourt will be deep as well, with 7-footer Adam Woodbury (5.7 ppg, 3.9 rpg) poised to blossom as a sophomore and senior Gabriel Olaseni (6.5 ppg, 4.9 rpg) expected to be in better shape.

FUN FACT: Famous alumni include actor Ashton Kutcher, author W.P. Kinsella, comedic actor Gene Wilder and playwright Tennessee Williams, who wrote A Streetcar Named Desire.

BASICS: The University of Iowa is in Iowa City, and the Hawkeyes play their home games in Carver-Hawkeye Arena, which opened in 1983 and seats 15,400.

About this post: Every week day for the next three months, one of the 68 teams in USA TODAY Sports' projected field will be dissected. In November, the final bracket will be revealed.

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