Scouting Iowa basketball's double-plays: Second batch

Iowa's Big Ten opponent list is set for the upcoming season. The Hawkeyes know who and where they're playing; they just won't know when for a few more months.

Until we get the dates and can dissect the Big Ten schedule in entirety, here's a look at three opponents Iowa will face home-and-home in the upcoming Big Ten season.

MINNESOTA (17-14, 6-12)

• Recent Action vs. Iowa -- The Gophers have beaten Iowa six straight, their longest winning streak since 1940.
• Who's Back?-- Incoming senior Trevor Mbakwe was everything the Gophers wanted and needed last year. He led the Big Ten in rebounding (10.5 rpg) and averaged nearly 14 points a game. Ralph Sampson III flirted with turning pro, then wisely decided to stay. Versatile forward Rodney Williams started all but three games last year and guards Austin Hollins and Maverick Ahanmisi each started five.
• Who's Gone?-- The entire back-court, and it was a good one. Point guard Al Nolen, the league's steals leader as a junior, suffered a broken right foot and missed the final 12 games of the season. Devoe Joseph left the team shortly before Nolen's injury, and the team had no point guard. Coach Tubby Smith then moved shooting guard Blake Hoffarber (who graduated) to point, which ruined both positions. Post Colton Iverson (11 starts) transferred following the season.
• Who's New?-- The Gophers bring in four 3-star players, including two from junior college. Point guard Julian Welch, from Yuba Community College, is likely to start. Freshmen shooting guards Andre Hollins and Joe Coleman could fight for starting jobs as well. Forward Andre Ingram is a 6-7 forward from Butler County Community College.
• Relating to Iowa-- The Gophers have handed Iowa three demoralizing losses in the last two years. In 2009-10, Minnesota forced 24 Iowa turnovers at Carver-Hawkeye Arena, then blasted the Hawkeyes by 35 points for Iowa's worst defea to Minnesota in 108 years. Last year Iowa led the Gophers by eight points in Iowa City, then Minnesota strangled Iowa's offense in a 62-45 Gopher win.
• Outlook -- Had Minnesota kept its team healthy and intact last year, it could have won a couple of NCAA Tournament games. Instead, the Gophers lost 10 of their last 11 and went from tourney-bound to the postseason couch. Mbakwe is one of the league's two best post players but beyond him the players are either inexperienced or underachieving. If the guard play doesn't improve, this team could spiral even farther down the Big Ten silo than last season.

PENN STATE (19-15, 9-9)

• Recent Action vs. Iowa -- Penn State has won the last four in State College; Iowa has won the last eight in Iowa City.
• Who's Back? -- Point guard Tim Frazier is the only player with any legitimate experience returning this year. Frazier started 33 games, led the team with 173 assists and scored 6.3 points a game. Only two other players with four combined starts return.
• Who's Gone? -- The best player in Penn State history, Talor Battle, exhausted his eligibility. He averaged 20.2 points last year, ranks 10th all-time in Big Ten scoring with 2,213 points and was a first-team all-Big Ten pick by the media. The Nittany Lions lose their second-leading scorer in Jeff Brooks (13.1 ppg), third-leading scorer in David Jackson (9.9 ppg) and fifth-leading scorer (Andrew Jones, 6.0 ppg) as well. Those four players were the top rebounders last year. We also can't forget Coach Ed DeChellis, who resigned this summer to take over at Navy. DeChellis coached Penn State for eight seasons and last year took the Nittany Lions to their only NCAA Tournament in his tenure.
• Who's New? -- Penn State signed five players this offseason across all positions. Forward Ross Travis was sought by several Big Ten schools. Penn State recruited 3-star centers Peter Alexis and Pat Ackerman, plus 3-star guard Trey Lewis. Matt Glover, who was recruited by Iowa and Nebraska, fills a combo guard role for the Nittany Lions. Penn State hired Patrick Chambers to replace DeChellis. Chambers coached Boston University to an NCAA Tournament bid last year. Chambers plans to play uptempo.
• Relating to Iowa -- Glover likely will gun for the Hawkeyes in their meetings this year. Iowa spurned him on an April trip to Iowa City shortly before receiving a commitment from Anthony Hubbard. Penn State also sought Hubbard and both schools were interested in Travis.
• Outlook -- This year is basically like starting over again for Penn State. With a new coach and four new starters, the Nittany Lions are in rebuilding mode in a league that typically reloads. It could be a difficult climb this year.

NEBRASKA (19-13, 7-9 Big 12)

• Recent Action vs. Iowa-- Teams have not played since 1976 and were set to play in Des Moines this year and Omaha next year until Nebraska joined the Big Ten.
• Who's Back?-- Center Jorge Brian Diaz returns after averaged 10.5 points and 4.4 rebounds a game, but he has severe foot problems caused by misaligned Achilles' tendons, according to the Omaha World-Herald. The Cornhuskers return four other players with significant starting experience -- Toney McCray, Brandon Richardson, Brandon Ubel and Caleb Walker.
• Who's Gone?-- Nebraska loses all-everything player Lance Jeter, who led the Cornhuskers in scoring (11.7), minutes (30.2), assists (145), steals (57) and free throws. Every other loss is marginal.
• Who's New? -- Nebraska signed four players, including junior-college All-American combo guard Dylan Talley. The Cornhuskers have three freshmen -- forwards Josiah Moore and David Rivers; guard Corey Hilliard -- while the World-Herald reports Moore is still trying to become eligible.
• Relating to Iowa-- The schools mostly ignored one another in the past but now find themselves banging into one another for recruits. Anthony Hubbard picked Iowa over Nebraska, and both schools are recruiting border players Mike Gesell and Adam Woodbury really hard. Iowa is the only Big Ten state with a contiguous border with Nebraska, and it's likely the schools will compete against one another on an annual basis.
• Outlook -- It's hard to say. The style differences between the Big 12 and Big Ten are profound. It's an unfamiliar league for Nebraska and the travel is longer. It's going to take time for Nebraska to adjust to Big Ten play.