Few rosters have experienced the amount of change that Iowa has gone through since last season ended with a disappointing loss to Oregon in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

Head coach Fran Mccaffery doesn’t merely have to replace the 2020-21 National Player of the Year in center Luka Garza. Other personnel losses include All-big Ten small forward Joe Wieskamp, who declared for the NBA Draft as a junior; shooting guard CJ Fredrick, who transferred to Kentucky; and power forward Jack Nunge, who transferred to Xavier as a graduate student.

The good news: Jordan Bohannon returns for a sixth season, this time as a shooting guard after having played point guard throughout his career. The 24-year-old Bohannon is one of the most statistically accomplished players in program history, and he needs just 11 3-point baskets to become the Big Ten’s all-time leader in that category. Forward Keegan Murray also showed flashes of brilliance as a freshman last season, and some NBA mock drafts have him going in the first round of the 2022 draft.

FRONTCOURT Replacing Garza is a daunting task and will require a committee approach, starting with North Dakota transfer Filip Rebraca. The 6'9" Rebraca is a power forward and plays a different game than Garza. But Rebraca brings much-needed experience and maturity, and he was a double-digit scorer at North Dakota, averaging 16.8 points and 7.6 rebounds per game last season.

Murray came to Iowa as an unheralded recruit who gained more notoriety for having a twin brother (Kris Murray) who also plays forward for Iowa, and for being the son of former Iowa player Kenyon Murray. But now, Keegan Murray’s potential as a 6'8" forward is the main focus. He is a versatile defender, and if he develops a consistent perimeter shot, stardom could be within reach.

Patrick Mccaffery, the son of the head coach, is a talented offensive player at 6'9" and will have a more significant role this season. Patrick has a strong mid-range game.

The center position is filled with uncertainty, with Josh Ogundele and Riley Mulvey competing for minutes. Ogundele fell out of shape during the pandemic. Mulvey graduated from high school a year early, largely because Iowa needs help in the post, and he was willing to answer the call.

As for the 6'8" Kris Murray, he played little last season, but his ability to make perimeter shots could mark him as a key contributor.

BACKCOURT Bohannon is Iowa’s all-time leader in 3-point field goals, assists, games played and free-throw percentage and is ninth in scoring. His decision to return for a sixth season is significant in so many ways. Bohannon now shifts to shooting guard to help compensate for the loss of Wieskamp and Fredrick, and because the belief is that Joe Toussaint is ready to run the offense after playing as the backup point guard the past two seasons.

The lightning-quick Toussaint is the polar opposite of Bohannon, as a lock-down defender who blows by defenders on offense. But Toussaint also has struggled to make jump shots, especially from 3-point range, and that was his focus this offseason.

Fifth-year senior Connor Mccaffery, who is also Fran Mccaffery’s son, has started in each of the past two seasons and is the best passer on the team. Connor, at 6'5", can play both guard positions and is a versatile defender.

Sophomores Tony Perkins and Ahron Ulis will compete for minutes at shooting guard and point guard, respectively.

FINAL ANALYSIS There are just too many uncertainties and holes to fill for Iowa to be considered a serious conference contender.

But with that doubt comes motivation. Several of the players have talked about having a chip on their shoulder and are determined to show that Iowa is more about reloading than rebuilding at this stage.

It will help having Bohannon back as a proven scorer and as one of the conference’s top 3-point threats. Rebraca will also provide a boost. But the younger players have to rise to the occasion, or this season could be a struggle.