Iowa basketball: Joe Wieskamp ranked top SG in Big Ten

The praise for Iowa basketball player Joe Wieskamp continues after returning from the draft process as he was recently ranked the top SG in the B1G.

If the Iowa basketball team wants to make the NCAA Tournament for a second straight season, they will need a big season from 2017 top-100 recruit Joe Wieskamp. Fortunately, that isn’t going to have to be a big leap as he had a phenomenal freshman season averaging 11.1 points per game on 56% shooting from the field and 42.4% from behind the arc.

In addition to his shooting, Wieskamp was an all-around complete player, bringing in 4.9 rebounds per game and averaging nearly 1 assist and 1 steal per game as well.

Advanced analytics paint an even better picture. Wieskamp was the Iowa basketball team’s best player in terms of Offensive Box Plus/Minus and Offensive Rating and defensively, he was a tick above average, but I anticipate that improving with experience.

Although he played small forward for most of last season due to incumbent Isaiah Moss being slated at the shooting guard spot, he is expected to see a few more minutes at the 2 this year, which could improve his game even more as he will be tasked with taking on smaller guys than he did at the 3. At 6’6” and 205 pounds, Wieskamp’s length will help him a great deal with that.

While I am expecting a better season from Wieskamp this year simply due to an increased role in the offense and the growth from year one to year two, the folks at 247Sports think that Wieskamp, today, is already the top shooting guard in the Big Ten. That’s some lofty praise for a kid with 35 starts under his belt.

It also comes after Andy Katz listed Wieskamp as one of his top-25 candidates for the Jerry West Award.

First, I don’t disagree. If Wieskamp plays the 2 more often this year, I believe he will finish the year as the best shooting guard in the Big Ten, and he will likely find his name on the First Team All-Big Ten team. Second, it’s important to note that the Big Ten is relatively weak at the 2 spot.

Joshua Langford can be a stud, but behind him, it’s all guesswork at this point. There is some talent, but that talent hasn’t produced in the way Joe Wieskamp has to this point.

Regardless of how watered down the position is in the Big Ten, it’s exciting to see the sophomore wing getting some much-deserved recognition. He’s going to be a beast for the Iowa basketball team this season.