Hlas column: Hawkeyes don't head into Big Ten season trembling

IOWA CITY - Ready or not, on to the Big Ten.

The Iowa men's basketball team effectively dispensed with its final preliminary of the season Tuesday night, turning a scrap into a romp with a variety of nice sights for its fans. The Hawkeyes' 77-58 win over Louisiana Tech in Carver-Hawkeye Arena was just the kind of game that had been missing here the previous few years for the most part.

The 77 points is something fun and fresh in itself after the slogs of the last few years. But soundly beating a decent team that arrived here with a 9-4 record should have been the thing most heartening to the crowd of 10,334.

“I'm very proud of my team right now,” said Iowa Coach Fran McCaffery. “We just beat a very good basketball team.”

The Hawkeyes are 7-5. That mark could have been better, but it also could have been worse. Iowa's teams of the last few years could easily have lost to this Louisiana Tech club. This was nip-and-tuck for 28 minutes, then the Hawkeyes put the hammer down in the final 12.

Hammers might be pretty hard to come by the next few weeks. Iowa begins Big Ten play here next Wednesday against No. 21 Illinois. In fact, five of the Hawkeyes' first six league games are against ranked teams, two against unbeaten, No. 2 Ohio State. Oh boy.

But there's no real need to look at the weeks ahead with fear and loathing. McCaffery's first Iowa squad will get overmatched from time to time between next Wednesday and the Big Ten tourney. But, as has been stated many times in the same basic way, these aren't last season's Hawkeyes.

The symbol of change may be point guard Bryce Cartwright, a junior who arrived here via Fresno State and Paris (Texas) Community College. He plays with urgency and isn't timid when it comes to directing the ball to the basket, as his 19 field goal tries Tuesday made apparent. Those are good qualities when good things happen because of them, flaws when they don't.

But I'd take the flaws of a highly aggressive, fast guard than the plodding, hesitant style of ball Iowa fans were subjected to in the Todd Lickliter regime.

At least credit Lickliter for leaving his successor with Matt Gatens (a smooth 22 points Tuesday), Eric May, and recruits Roy Devyn Marble and Zach McCabe. It wasn't a full cupboard McCaffery inherited, but it was left with some good stuff.

Also include the lone senior in the rotation, forward Jarryd Cole. He played with a stomach full of badness following a day or so of illness. His performance, McCaffery said, was “one of the guttiest I've been around.” No pun intended.

Cole's line of 10 points, 12 rebounds and 3 steals in 23 minutes were certainly good for McCaffery's appetite.

“We had to put an IV in him at noon,” the coach said. “Has not eaten anything in about a day-and-a-half and he gives us a double-double.”

But whether this team can function competitively in conference play may hinge most on how Cartwright endures and develops, since incumbent starting point guard Cully Payne is out indefinitely with a hernia and isn't likely to help the cause this season.

Cartwright played 37 minutes Tuesday. The only people likely to spend more minutes on the court than Cartwright from here on out are the officials.

“I've been waiting for this (league play) for a while,” said Cartwright. “I'm looking forward to making an impact in the Big Ten.”

“He was awesome tonight,” McCaffery said.

“Awesome” may not come along all that often against the Ohio States, Michigan States and Purdues. But this season, most who follow this team would probably settle for “competitive.”