The 2022-2023 basketball season hasn't come to an end, but the Iowa staff already has its eyes on the transfer portal.
As first reported by Jake Weingarten of StockRisers.com, the Hawkeyes have shown interest in 6'8", 245-pound forward from Wofford, B.J. Mack. Mack announced his intentions to enter the portal as a graduate transfer on Tuesday.
Mack, who spent the last three years at Wofford after transferring following his freshman season with South Florida, was a star big man for the Terriers. As a junior, he put up 16.5 points and 6.1 rebounds a game while shooting 53.6 percent from the field, 44.8 percent from three and 81.8 percent from the free throw line. He earned a spot on the All-Southern Conference Second Team and SoCon All-Tournament Team.
This season, he put up 16.6 points and 5.6 rebounds per game while shooting 49.2 percent from the field, 33.5 percent from deep and 80.7 percent from the stripe. He was named to the SoCon First Team.
In this season's conference tournament, he hit a buzzer-beating game-winner to send Wofford to the semi-finals, as they defeated UNC-Greensboro, 67-66.
Iowa is certainly not the only school to have shown interest in the big man since he entered the portal. Programs like Nebraska, Memphis, Kansas State, Auburn, Missouri, Texas A&M, Arkansas, Xavier and others have reached out to Mack as well.
It's no wonder so many Power 6 programs are after the former three-star, Oak Hill product. Mack shoots it well from deep and the free-throw line, has excellent footwork and soft touch around the rim, can put the ball on the floor and has the size to help defend the rim.
The Hawkeyes will look to replace the production and rim protection Filip Rebraca has provided the last two seasons. Unless Fran McCaffery believes Josh Ogundele or Riley Mulvey will step up in a major way next season, the Hawkeyes will need to dip into the transfer portal for a big man (or two) like Mack to boost the roster.
One center Iowa showed heavy interest in last off-season, Fardaws Aimaq, re-entered the portal on Wednesday after transferring from Utah Valley to Texas Tech this season. The 6'11", 245-pound big averaged 11.8 points, 8.3 rebounds and 1.7 assists in only 11 games for the Red Raiders while "playing at 60%" due to injury.
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