Jack Nunge redshirting this season for Iowa basketball

Iowa's men's basketball team got shorter Thursday.

Jack Nunge, a 6-foot-11 sophomore who played in all 33 games for the Hawkeyes last season, announced he was taking a redshirt for the 2918-19 season.

'After discussing with my family and coaching staff I have decided to redshirt this season,' said Nunge. 'This decision is not related to an injury, but rather I would like to take the opportunity to use this year to grow my skill set and get stronger. We have an incredibly deep team and I look forward to helping make my teammates and myself better in practice this season.'

Nunge, from Newburgh, Ind., averaged 5.7 points and 2.8 rebounds in 15.7 minutes per game for Iowa last season. He had 18 points in the Hawkeyes' game at Ohio State last February.

He started 14 games, was second on the team in blocked shots with 25, and tied for fourth in steals with 21. He made 19 of 57 three-pointers. He was one of seven forwards on this year's Iowa roster.

Nunge joins freshman guard CJ Fredrick of Cincinnati, Ohio, as red-shirts this season.CJ , who will have three years of eligibility remaining after this season, joins freshman CJ Fredrick as Iowa's two redshirts in 2018-19.