Hawkeyes try to rebound in rebounding

IOWA CITY — Where have you gone, Jack Nunge?

Xavier University, that’s where. The 7-foot, 245-pound, fifth-year junior scored a career-high 31 points and had 15 rebounds in the Musketeers’ 83-63 win over crosstown rival Cincinnati Saturday.

Nunge’s former team was in a 20-point game of its own last week. Iowa fell at Iowa State, 73-53.

Xavier (9-1) had a 41-28 rebounding advantage over Cincinnati. The Hawkeyes were out-rebounded 50-32 at Iowa State, and have been out-boarded by a total of 59 over their last three games, the first two against Purdue and Illinois.

Not coincidentally, Iowa lost all three games after winning its first seven.

“Definitely concerned,” Iowa guard Connor McCaffery said Tuesday about the rebounding woes.

“When it comes down to it, we’re not a huge team as it is. We lost (Luka), we lost (Jack). With that being said, we need to be better.”

Garza averaged 8.7 rebounds, last season, Nunge 5.3. Guard Joe Wieskamp, averaged 6.6. Nunge transferred from Iowa at the end of last season. Garza and Wieskamp went to the NBA.

“Wieskamp was an underrated rebounder.” Iowa Coach Fran McCaffery said. “Even his freshman year, he was a terrific rebounder. Always has been. That’s important for a guy who played on the perimeter a lot.

“So we’ve been encouraging Patrick (McCaffery). He had 4 in the last game. You’ve got to be up in that 5, 6 range. Wieskamp was at 7. I think that helped him when the pros were looking at him. It’s like, this guy makes shots but he also rebounds, and they need that. We all do.”

Forward Patrick McCaffery, a 6-9 wing, is averaging 2.9 rebounds. Transfer post player Filip Rebraca is averaging 6.2, and forward Keegan Murray leads the team at 7.9.

Purdue’s Trevion Williams and Illinois’ Kofi Cockburn had 18 rebounds apiece against Iowa. Izaiah Brockington of Iowa State, a 6-4 guard, had a game-high 10 against Iowa..

“Obviously it’s been addressed,” Fran McCaffery said. “It doesn’t take much to diagnose. You just look at the numbers, they’re right there in front of you. It’s not been good.

“There’s a challenge to the guys, and again, it’s a collective thing. It’s not, OK, my 3s, 4s and 5s have to do a better job, which they do, but 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Everyone that’s out there has to do a better job rebounding, and we have to make sure we’re not leaking because we like to run.”

Iowa’s next game is Saturday against Utah State at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S.D.

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