Iowa's intriguing preseason power ranking is all the motivation the squad needs

Iowa's eye-opening NCAA Tournament run last season hasn't fully convinced everyone to hop on the Ben McCollum hype train.

The Hawkeyes made an improbable run to the Elite Eight after finishing in ninth place in the Big Ten standings, and everyone couldn't get enough of McCollum and what the program accomplished in such a short time. Iowa lost three players from last season, including star guard Bennett Stirtz (NBA), sharpshooting forward Alvaro Folgueiras (transfer to Louisville), and three-point marksman Brendan Hausen (graduation), but brought in a lot of talent. Despite Iowa having a more well-rounded roster with multiple returners, some aren't too bullish on their chances.

Iowa has been projected to start the season in the middle of the Big Ten power rankings

Preseason power rankings don't mean much, but they are still a good barometer for how outside sources view the program. Iowa lost some key pieces and is a very young team this season, and although the roster is loaded with talent, some don't believe they're ready to take the next step.

"The Field of 68" ranks Iowa at No. 10 in its preseason power rankings, starting a spot below where they finished in the conference last season. Iowa has a case for a much higher ranking in the initial power rankings, but they can use lists like this as motivation. McCollum and his team won't admit they care about preseason rankings, but they can use them to gauge how people view them. They really only care about what happens internally, but having some external motivation doesn't hurt. Plenty of people are high on the Hawkeyes this season, and they will get an early chance to prove others wrong.

Iowa will be tested early, starting with its Big Ten opener at Purdue in West Lafayette, and it only gets harder from there. The Hawkeyes also have an early home-and-away series with Nebraska, and a much tougher non-conference schedule. The Big Ten is a gauntlet in men's basketball, and we will know very quickly if Iowa is ready for the challenge. The program had an up-and-down first season under McCollum, with thrilling wins and terrible losses, and that must change in year two. With a season of Big Ten play under his belt, McCollum will have his guys ready to go.

Iowa is more well-rounded this season, with a plethora of versatile wings, and the program is confident it could easily have 4-5 shooters on the floor at all times. The program also added some much-needed size in seven-foot-three transfer big man Andrew McKeever, and if the young wings can develop, Iowa will surprise some people this season. They aren't quite at the level of Illinois, Michigan State, and Purdue, but they have the talent to compete with the conference's top dogs. A top-five conference finish isn't out of the question, and it would go a long way toward proving they are for real.

All the pieces are in place and it will be interesting to see how Iowa operates in the post-Bennett Stirtz era in one of the top conferences in men's basketball

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