Melsahn Basabe's star rising at Iowa

IOWA CITY - Melsahn Basabe almost became the star for a night.

Iowa's freshman post player had seven blocked shots by halftime Friday night against Iowa State. He nearly became the first Iowa player in history to earn a triple-double. He was in a groove on both ends of the court, scoring 12 points and pulling down 14 rebounds.

Basabe's effort was overshadowed on the scoreboard by Iowa State's Scott Christopherson, who lit up Iowa for 30 points in a 75-72 Cyclones' win. But Basabe's constant presence in the post was encouraging to Iowa Coach Fran McCaffery.

"I think that's kind of what we expected when we got him, that he's going to be able to impact a game that way," Iowa Coach Fran McCaffery said.

 Basabe, who stands 6-foot-7, is learning how to play the post in the half-court, McCaffery said. Basabe is active on both ends of the court, and that showed against Iowa State.

He grabbed eight defensive rebounds to go along with his six offensive boards. His seven blocks were two shy of tying Acie Earl's team record.

"I was just playing with a lot of energy," said Basabe, who hails from Glen Cove, N.Y. "Just  going out there and being aggressive and telling myself I could dominate a game."

Basabe averages a team-best 6.8 rebounds and 8.9 points a game.

In Iowa's two in-state games within the last week, Basabe has scored a combined 26 points and grabbed 21 rebounds. He has just two turnovers in the past two games. But he's struggled from the free-throw line. Against Northern Iowa, Basabe hit just 2 of 6. Against Iowa State, he missed all four attempts.

"Last game he was tremendous," McCaffery said. "But he wasn't making his free throws. He feels bad about that. We'll get that straightened out for him.

"I think he has to trust himself as a scorer. He was never really a scorer in high school. He was a shot blocker, a runner, a dunker. We're trying to expand his game. We told him we would do that when we recruited him. You've seen him hit some shots. He hit some jumpers against Wake Forest. He's a guy that can score. He's got a good stroke. He can handle the ball. He's got to trust himself a little bit more with the handle."